Marque1

A PROUD MOMENT IN HISTORY FOR YOUR MARQUE1 HOST

The photo above is from the ancient history department. I didn't know it existed until a friend e-mailed the image to me a few weeks ago. There's no real excuse to reveal it here except this moment in time was an interesting and fun experience that I'd like to share.

The date was early September, 1961. The location was the St. Eugene race track, located in Ontario on the Quebec border, built on the bones of a former WW2 air base. It was a day of sports car racing operated by a Montreal car club. One of the races was for a mix of unmodified sports cars and sedans. This is the front row of that event. You couldn't have asked for a more eclectic group than the three cars sitting on the starting line.

The first turn curved to the right and so pole position had been taken by, of all things, a slant-six Valiant sedan. I knew the driver and suspected he may have made some mods to the suspension but that didn't bother me although the car was fast in a straight line. Next to him, barely visible in red, was a Fiat Abarth coupe, a hot little car that had been picking up trophies all season long. On the outside was yours truly in a Porsche 356B, stock except for a de-cambered rear suspension. That's Maggie, my ex, smiling nearby.

An MGA is peeking its nose into the photo. Behind us was another Porsche 356, a Speedster, and a gaggle of small-class sports cars and sedans. I recall few of the driver's names except for Bill MacDonald in the Abarth and Jim Muzzin in the other Porsche. I should, but don't, remember the name of the Valiant driver as we were both radio announcers, him in Montreal and me in Toronto. What I do recall, though, was his comment to me when he wandered over prior to the start.

"Whatever you do, don't try to pass me on the first turn. This thing takes a lot of road when it drifts through the corners and there won't be room for both of us!"

The car that worried me, however, was the Abarth, more of a real racer than the 356B and with a very talented driver. Sure enough, he took the lead out of turn one. As for the Valiant, well... a race driver's a race driver. I ignored my friend's advice and passed him through the turn, which put me in second place. For three laps Bill MacDonald pulled away but suddenly, on the fast turn one, he drifted too wide, slid into the grass, and rolled over.

I saw this out of the corner of my eye and thought the race might be stopped but Bill had crawled out unhurt and the car was not a danger to the other drivers so we carried on. For the first time in my brief driving career I was running first overall! Racing a very fast VW in modified sedan events the previous year I'd won a class championship but never had the pleasure of being in front of the pack as at least a half-dozen of the competition had driven bigger, faster cars. So to find myself out in front was a welcome novelty.

The Valiant fell back and was passed by Jim Muzzin's Speedster but I kept pulling away and by the end of the 20-lap race was ahead by the length of the start-finish straight. In those years it was normal for the winning car to stop in the pits and pick up a passenger who'd hold the chequered flag out the window for a slow victory lap. That was almost as much a thrill for Maggie as winning was for me. From such little things come precious memories.

HOW TO BE A RACE INSTRUCTOR... AND SURVIVE

Like other young people of my generation I wanted to be a race driver. One of my heros was a remarkable Italian named Piero Taruffi who had trained as a racing driver and industrial engineer. He was also a writer who had a unique perspective on the art and science of motor racing. Taruffi drove for the works teams of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, and others, in a career that spanned over 25 years and was crowned by his victory in the 1957 Mille Miglia. His book "The Technique of Motor Racing" has, in the words of Amazon.com, where it is still available, become the standard by which other driving texts are measured.

Before the book was published I'd read some of what Tarrufi had written about the art of drifting through turns. So one Sunday afternoon I found myself drifting a 1934 Buick coupe around an oval dirt track located, appropriately, behind a hospital for the mentally ill. This track was meant for walking, not racing, but it was empty of people and I had a partner willing to be frightened by my antics. The car, by the way, belonged to another friend whose father was head psychiatrist at the hospital.

About three-quarters of the way around our first lap, with the car in a nice 4-wheel drift, a man appeared out of nowhere, strolling onto the track. We were drifting through a left-hand curve so I immediately steered onto the grass on the right. This sudden maneuver plus the switch from hard surface to soft caused the car to flip on its side. We missed the pedestrian, who was actually a patient let out for an afternoon stroll and who kept on walking as though nothing had happened.

Miraculously neither I nor my buddy Ron Gee were hurt. Our first concern was to get the car on its wheels before the police came along, an action amusingly delayed when Ron realised his wallet had fallen out of his pocket and dove back in to retrieve it, legs sticking out the window. Meanwhile several spectators who'd been nearby came over to check on our health and with their help we had the car upright and drove out of there, pronto. That Buick, by the way, had only a pair of minor fender dents. They're right when they say "they don't make them like they used to."

What caused me to recall this incident was the announcement of race instructor Ross Bentley's new book "Brake, Brake, BRAKE: The HPDE Instructor Manifesto." It is downloadable, free, an essential handbook for would-be and current driving instructors everywhere. Beyond helping students cut down on lap times, Bentley also wants to make use of his three decades of experience by making the learning process a safer environment. As he puts it “I hope that by reading and taking in all of this experience from the Manifesto, instructors will be able to shave off years of trial and error learning. I’d like everyone to be safer. We all know that there is a definite risk every time we get in the passenger seat with a student – I want to minimize that risk as much as possible."

Hmmm... Ross Bentley should have been with me in the Buick that day. No doubt his first remark would have been that if I attempted a drift I should be locked up behind the walls of that establishment, not in front.

Bentley (in photo above) wasn't even born then so the first time I saw him race was in the inaugural Vancouver Indy. Some local enthusiasts had raised the money to buy a car and put together a team. The car wasn't fast enough but anyone with a sharp eye could see that Bentley had what it takes to become a winner. Unfortunately he never got the ride he deserved but in subsequent seasons gained the respect of his fellow competitors and eventually turned his talents to teaching the art of race driving.

If you're a driving instructor, or even if you'd like to be, download "Brake, Brake, Brake: the HPDE Instructor Manifesto" by clicking here. For an interesting comparison between then and now, you can still order Piero Taruffi's book "The Technique of Motor Racing" by clicking here. As for my foolish drifting I did eventually become a small-time Canadian champion, road racing in modified sedans. Now, the only drifting I do is in my mind.

BACK IN PRODUCTION, HISTORIC LISTER-JAGUARS TO RACE AGAIN

Anyone familiar with road racing in the 50s will certainly be aware of the success of the D-Type Jaguar. But the powerful 6-cylinder engine and drivetrain also found a place in some cars from a small factory owned by businessman and ex-racer Brian Lister. Lister had built a series of sports-racers beginning in 1954, first using MG power, later by a modified 2-litre Bristol engine. His primary driver was former MG pilot Archie Scott Brown. For the supporting sports car race at the Silverstone Grand Prix in 1954 Scott Brown won the 2-litre class with the Bristol and finished 5th overall.

Lister moved up to a six cylinder motor from a Formula 2 Maserati A6GCS, and then to a newly-designed car built around a Jaguar D-type inline-six. Racing journalist John Bolster tested the new Lister-Jaguar, accelerating from 0-100 mph in just 11.2 seconds. And that was back in 1957! Archie Scott Brown won the British Empire Trophy race but sadly was killed in 1958 at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

The photo above is of an original Lister-Jaguar.

The company developed a pair of Sunbeam Tigers for LeMans, featuring a Ford engine tuned by Carroll Shelby to give 275 bhp instead of the stock 160. Perhaps overstressed by too much power, both cars failed to finish. The company went on to tune Jaguar XJS cars, improving their top speed to over 200 mph, and in 1993 a 7-litre Jaguar-powered sports racer called the Storm. It won the FIA GT Championship in 2000.

In 2013 the property rights of Lister Cars were bought by Warrantywise and the new company, along with its associated components, was rebranded Lister Motor Company Ltd.

And now the magnificent Lister-Jaguar is poised to return as a "continuation car" (not a replica), celebrating the company's 60th anniversary. With the order book already filling for the new car, Lister has produced its first new sales brochure in more than 25 years, with all the options and specification data available to potential customers, as well as providing an insight into Lister’s iconic history. The original model is highly-prized by collectors and historic racing enthusiasts, hence collector values are now approaching $2,000,000 million.

The continuation cars will provide an all-new, factory approved, entry into FIA/HTP Appendix K historic racing, without the risk of buying non-factory recognised replica cars. The Lister Motor company has also announced that it will build the ‘Knobbly’ for both road and race use at prices of £259,000 + tax and £249,000 + tax respectively. Traditional hand-built construction is still being used and each car is tailored to the needs of the individual customer. Obviously production numbers are limited so it is no surprise that the order book is already half full.

It is often said in the world of both autos and aircraft that what looks right is right. That being true, the new Lister-Jaguar is absolutely, beautifully right.

FORGOTTEN CUNNINGHAM REVIVED AS LIMITED EDITION MODEL

So much has been said and written about the famed Cunningham race cars that we sometimes forget the company also produced automobiles for everyday driving. Fortunately the folks at Automodello are aware of the Cunningham's history, and are offering a very limited edition 1:43 model. By "limited" I mean just 24 hand-numbered serialized units. They're being made available online by Diecast.com.

The model now on sale is a 1954 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet Homage Edition signed by the Cunningham family. The exterior is Homage Black and the carefully detailed interior is in tan. It comes with a removeable convertible top.

In the 1950s Briggs S. Cunningham, a wealthy sportsman and yacht racer who made his home in both Connecticut and Florida, determined to see an American driver win LeMans in an American car. His initial try, in 1950, was attempted with two Cadillacs, one a near-stock sedan and the other a much-modified roadster. Not exactly the best choice for a 24-hour road race but the roadster, appropriately known as Le Monstre, did finish eleventh.

Cunningham then decided his best chance of winning lay in building an entirely new car using a production engine. The C1 used a stock Cadillac engine in a tubular chassis while the C2, looking almost identical, featured a 5.5 liter Chrysler V-8 delivering 185 bhp. The C2 finished a lowly 18th in 1951 but a Cunningham team compensated with a 1st, 2nd and 4th at Watkins Glen.

The C3 was a Vignale-bodied coupe. Power was now up to 220 bhp however the 3-speed synchro with overdrive transmission was replaced by a semi-automatic with torque converter.

The team was back for the 1952 race with C4R roadsters and a C4RK coupe. A 5-speed transmission was tried but had to be replaced at the last minute with a Cadillac 3-speed gearbox. The C4R finished 4th; the coupe didn't finish. 1953 was more promising: a Siata 4-speed transmission was adopted and the Cunninghams finished an impressive 3rd, 5th and 10th, clocking 154.81 mph in the speed traps.

The final attempt was radically different. Gone were the big V-8s and in went a 3-litre 16-valve DOHC Offenhauser racing engine putting out 260 bhp. A 4-speed synchromesh manual was used and major changes were made to the suspension. Sadly this C6R wasn't quick enough and didn't make it to the finish line. That all-American effort put an end to Briggs Cunningham's brave efforts at LeMans.

While this was happening the factory did produce a small run of convertibles and coupes for everyday street use, one of which was the C-3 Cabriolet seen above in model form.

All Cunninghams were purposeful, handsome-looking cars, similar to Ferraris but with a muscular appearance symbolic of their American origins. Briggs Cunningham never earned a penny for his efforts, though; the street cars were sold at great loss. Needless to say, they are rare collectibles today, worth a great deal of money. At $235, the C-3 Cabriolet Homage Edition isn't cheap, either, yet its rarity and high quality certainly justifies the cost.

There's a stange co-incidence regarding this blog. For background information I turned to a book purchased nearly 50 years ago, which I'd all but forgotten was sitting on my shelf, titled The Book of Sports Cars. The foreword was written by (are you ready for this?) Briggs Cunningham.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER SKIING ACCIDENT

UPDATE JAN 01, 2014:

Michael Schumacher’s condition was stable but still critical overnight as he remained unconscious following a brain injury suffered in a skiing accident, his manager said Wednesday.

Sabine Kehm told reporters that his condition has not changed since doctors said he showed small signs of improvement on Tuesday, following his second operation.

DEC 30, 2013:

I've interrupted this morning's planned blog after hearing of Michael Schumaker's dreadful accident. The seven-times World Driving Champion remains in critical condition in hospital following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

The 44-year-old German was understood to have hit his head after falling during a family skiing trip at the Meribel resort on Sunday morning. A statement issued by the hospital in which Schumacher is being treated said he had suffered "a severe head injury with coma on arrival, which required neurosurgical intervention immediately." An accomplished skier, he was wearing a helmet but had hit his head on a rock after falling.

Early reports that day had said Schumaker was hurt but didn't indicate the severity of his condition. I learned that sad news while sitting in a Tim Horton's shop, of all places, staring at a TV screen. And I knew that when I came home it had to be priority on today's Marque1.

I've had the privilege of watching Michael Schumaker live and in every televised F1 event since he moved up to the top level of auto racing. And like so many fans I tired of Ferrari's and Schumaker's domination in race after race. But I also knew this was the most successful car/driver team in the history of the sport and this extraordinary athlete would join Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Tazio Nuvolari in any list of all-time greats. Perhaps at the very top. My only regret was that he tried making a comeback after retiring.

It is not unusual for race drivers to participate in other forms of speed sport after they've stopped competing. They enjoy going fast. They love the challenge. So we've seen them racing powerboats, riding motorcycles, flying airplanes and, like Michael Schumaker, skiing. Sadly, these activities have sometimes resulted in tragic accidents. Speed, in any form, is potentially dangerous.

Millions of race fans all over the world will be watching the daily reports, hoping for signs of recovery. I'm writing this on Sunday evening and perhaps, when you read these words, the hospital will be issuing some positive news. Michael Schumaker is still young and healthy, and deserves to be with us for many more years.

[Photo credit: fanpop.com]

FAST LADY'S PINK RACE CAR GOES TO AUCTION

When I first spotted this item on the Hemmings Daily newsletter I had to stop and think for a moment: "So who is Donna Mae Mims and why should I care?" The name seemed vaguely familiar but the pink Austin-Healey Sprite failed to register. I soon learned that this lady was the Sports Car Club of America’s first female National Champion. In 1963 she captured the SCCA H-Production Championship, driving a 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I whose first owner was Dr. Jonas Salk, originator of the vaccine that eradicated polio by the end of the 1950s.

I was very much involved in road racing that year as a commentator and occasional competitor but my activities were focussed on the Canadian scene, which probably explains why I'd overlooked the American championships and, therefore, Donna Mae Mims. Now that I've been brought up to date I realise that her racing accomplishments were exceptional, and why the car she raced will be of such interest at Gooding & Company's Scottsdale auction on January 17 and 18.

Mims would capture three SCCA National wins driving the Sprite plus enough points to deliver her the H-Production championship with a 10th-place finish in the final event of the season. By taking the championship, Mims had proven her abilities to handle a race car.

In 1964, she campaigned an MGB in D-Production, but reliability issues prevented capturing back-to-back championships. Mims would then go on to race everything from a Formula Vee to a big-block Camaro, and even drove a rented Cadillac limousine with co-drivers Judy Stropus and Peggy Niemcek in the 1972 running of the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Following Mims’ ownership, the Sprite became just another used race car, though it was raced as recently as 1987.

The current owner acquired it in 2005 and completed an extensive restoration to 1963 specifications (assisted by Mims) in time for the Sprite’s 50th Anniversary celebration at Mid-Ohio in 2008. It will cross the block with no reserve, carrying an estimated price of between $70,000 and $90,000. The market for vintage race cars seems to be hot at the moment so it'll be fascinating to see what the Sprite will bring, especially with its winning history. Perhaps it's time to Think Pink again.

RACY FRENCH LADY LIFTS HER SKIRTS IN TEXAS AUCTION

It always delights me when I come across a car I didn't know existed. And so this 1930 Rolland-Pilain certainly caught my eye, stimulated by its alluring design. The appearance of a Rolland-Pilain coincides with the new Motostalgia collector auction being held in downtown Austin Texas on the same weekend as the F1 race at the nearby Circuit of the Americas. The auction is a welcome addition to what is becoming one of the most important motorsport events in the USA.

The selection of cars is enticing, ranging from the sublime (Duesenberg) to the amusing (Amphicar), though the Rolland-Pilain is unquestionably the rarest and most interesting. The team of Francois Rolland and Emile Pilain were among the many automotive pioneers in the French automobile industry. Their innovative and creative engineering ideas spearheaded the development of a number of features, the most important contribution being the hydraulic brake system.

Established in 1904, the early Rollan-Pilains were well built and engineered, starting with a 20 HP 4-cylinder engine as the base of their success. By 1907 they had expanded the line to three models and the following year decided the best way to further expose their car's superiority was to enter the world of motorsports. In 1911, they formed their own team with a field of three massive 6.1 liter racing vehicles, first entering the Le Grand Prix des Vieux Tacots, also known as the Old Crocks' GP due to the age of the vehicles as well as the age of the veteran drivers.

In 1923, Albert Guyot drove a Model A22 to victory at the San Sebastian Grand Prix in Spain, which was considered the highlight of the company's racing campaign. But it was the production cars that made money and new ideas were needed to continue in business. A deal was then made with an American company to use their Continental engines. Sadly, when the economy took a tailspin during the depression, Rolland-Pilain ended up as one of the casualties and by 1932 was nothing more than a motoring memory.

The Rollan-Pilain being offered is one of those powered by an 8-cylinder inline Continental. The car was located in Argentina, and it is believed the coachwork originated in that silver-rich country. The beautiful "Ridge Baquet" aluminum body alludes to a significant racing history, but despite all the best research efforts its provenance remains a mystery. The finding of the car in South America was, however, documented and filmed by the Discovery Network and will be featured as part of an upcoming primetime series.

Perhaps then we'll learn more, but in the meantime you have an opportunity to own this ultra-rare and lovely Rollan-Pilain by bidding at the Motostalgia auction on Friday, November 16. The auctioneer's estimated selling price is $150,000 - $200,000.

THE CORVETTE WE ALWAYS WANTED, NOW FOR SALE AT AUCTION

If you were one of those Corvette enthusiasts who'd hoped that the front-engine, rear-drive, sports car would be upgraded to European mid-engine fuel-injection status, this was your car. It was Corvette head and chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov's, too. In 1962, Arkus-Duntov conceptualized a line of Corvettes that would be constructed entirely for racing, complete with a mid-engine layout, a monocoque chassis and a fuel-injected, aluminum alloy V-8 engine. The prototype came to be known as the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle II, or CERV II.

Duntov also planned on building racing Corvettes, in the form of the production-based Grand Sports. The CERV II would take this to a whole new level and compete in the same classes as the under-development Ford GT40. Just as construction of the CERV II was started, however, General Motors myopic senior management issued an unambiguous “no racing” edict meant to halt the experimental car’s development. Dealing with those idiots would have driven most engineers mad but Duntov simply shifted the CERV II’s focus to that of a rolling test bed to develop a “Super Corvette” for the street.

The stunning aerodynamic body was designed by Larry Shinoda and Tony Lapine. An alloy 377-cu.in. V-8 with Hilborn fuel injection (estimated to produce around 500 horsepower) was fitted to a unique all-wheel-drive system that used dual torque converters and varied the front-to-rear power split based upon vehicle speed. With a weight goal of 1400 pounds, titanium was used where possible and magnesium wheels fitted. Girling disc brakes were used all-round, while the CERV II’s independent suspension featured coil springs and Armstrong shock absorbers.

Drivers like Jim Hall, Roger Penske and Bob Clift all spent time behind the wheel as the CERV II went through an evolutionary process of improvement; and by 1970 the experimental car was running a 427-cu.in. ZL-1 V-8. But as always happened whenever news of a possible mid-engine Corvette surfaced, GM management put up another barrier, bringing development to a halt.

The CERV II was displayed on the show circuit and in museums before falling into private hands. Now this iconic bit of GM’s history will cross the stage in New York City for the first time since 2001 with a pre-auction estimate price of $1.3 to $1.8 million. The Art of the Automobile auction will take place November 21 in the Sotheby’s showroom in New York City. For more on this story see Kurt Ernst's article at Hemmings.com

FAMOUS SCOTTISH RACE TEAM GOES TO AUCTION, COMPLETE WITH EQUALLY FAMOUS TRANSPORTER

For a collector of classic race cars this has to be a heaven-sent opportunity. A complete set of eight Ecurie Ecosse team cars complete with its famous Commer transporter will be auctioned during Bonhams' sale, on December 1st, at its totally refurbished Bond St headquarters. The cars include a 1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster, a 1953 Jaguar C-Type, a 1956 Jaguar D-Type, a 1959 Tojeiro-Jaguar, a 1960 Cooper T49 Monaco, a 1961 Austin-Healey 'Sebring' Sprite, a 1962 Tojeiro-Buick Coupe, and the 1959 Commer Ecurie Ecosse Transporter.

The Transporter is in fully restored running order. The bodywork by Alexander's of Falkirk is in as-new condition along with the Commer TS3 flat-six diesel engine. Designed by aeronautical engineer Selby Howgate this unique car transporter was immortalised by a Corgi 1:43 model of the early 1960s.

Ecurie Eccose was a Scottish racing team created by Edinburgh businessman/race driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson. The team carried the flag for Jaguar for a time, winning the 4th and 5th of that firm's five Le Mans victories. It also raced in three F1 events, and in 1986 Ecurie Ecosse won the C2 class of the World Sportscar Championship after finishing as runners-up the previous year. They also entered Vauxhall Cavaliers in the British Touring Car Championship with some success.

You could always tell Ecurie Ecosse race cars and the Transporter by their distinctive paint scheme, based on the national colours of Scotland: Navy blue metallic with white stripes. (Note: Since 2003 Azure Blue is now the official flag colour.) Whether the entire collection will be bought by one (very wealthy) collector or sold as individual units remains to be seen but if it were me, I'd want them all. Or... maybe I'd settle for one of those delightful Corgi models.

[Photo: Bonhams]

CANADIAN GIVES AUTOMOTIVE ART A FRESH NEW LOOK

In a world in which great art featuring automobiles is, if not commonplace, no longer a secret shared among enthusiasts, it is a pleasant surprise to discover a fresh new style. Which is exactly what Halifax artist Paul Chenard has brought us with his unique laser-cut illustrations. Following up on his first and successful attempt, the Ferrari GTO, he has just completed a new art-piece featuring the Shelby/Salvadori Aston Martin DBR1 that won the 1959 24 Le Mans 24-hour race.

The illustration is first laser-cut from stainless steel, then powder-coated green. Paul follows this by hand-painting the additional colours using pin-stripers paint. The hood opens to reveal his laser-cut brushed stainless steel illustration of the famous inline 6-cylinder DBR1 engine. The bonnet-hinge and side brackets are also laser-cut illustrations, and the back-plate is powder-coated in black crinkle finish.

The finished work is 22” x 13” x 3” (55.8cm x 33cm x 7.6cm), weighs 11 lbs 9 oz (5.25 kg) and comes in a custom-built box. Only a limited number of copies will be made (up to 25 maximum). They're priced at $4550 CDN/ £2800 GBP/ €3300 EUR/ $4400 USD, plus shipping/fees.

Chenard and Belgian artist Nicolas Cancelier will again be at the Goodwood Revival (selling their souls, as Paul puts it), obviously the ideal place to unveil such a special work of art. Shown here: the DBR1 (with a 1:43 model for reference), the laser-cut DBR1 brackets, and the model with hood off to reveal the engine. If you're not one of those fortunate souls attending the Goodwood Revival you can reach Paul Chenard through his Web site, or to enquire about ordering, through his e-mail: [email protected]