|
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <><> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <><>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
BLMC, BMC and British Leyland were the name changes given to an amalgamation of many
famous British cars manufacturers after they were brought into public ownership; these included: Austin, Austin Healey, Morris,
MG, Triumph, Rover, Land Rover, Riley, Wolseley and Jaguar. Many of the products were in direct competition with each other and it
was possible to buy identical Morris and Austin Minis, and with slight body modifications, the Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf. MG
Midgets and Austin Healey Sprites were identical, and were in direct competition with Triumphs Spitfire. Despite, the mishmash
of management styles, internal competition and lack of standardisation, BMC still had a good reputation for it sports cars and, of
course, the Mini, a 60's icon.
Austin cars produced up to
1980:
1958 1967:Austin A40 Farina; a two door saloon with a 1098cc A series engine.
Austin
Healey sports cars produced up to 1980:
1958 1970: Austin Healey Sprite, an open sports car with a range of A series
engine from 948 1275cc
1952 1959: Austin Healey 100, an open sports car with the 6 cylinder, Austin Healey,
2660cc engines.
1959 1968: Austin Healey 3000, an open sports car with the 6 cylinder, Austin Healey,
2912cc engines.
Jaguar sports cars produced up to 1980:
1961 1970: Jaguar E-type; a range of open, fixed head and 2+2 sports cars with 6
cylinder engines raging from 3800 4235cc.
1961 1970: Jaguar E-type V12; a range of open, fixed head and 2+2 sports cars with a
V12 engine of 5343cc.
MG sports cars produced up to 1980:
1945 1956: MG TA - TF; a range of open sports cars with B series engine from
1250 - 1466cc.
1955 1968: MG A; a range of fixed head and open sports cars with B series
engine from 1489 - 1588cc.
1962 1980: MG B; an open sports car with a 1798cc engines.
1965 1980: MG B GT; a fixed head sports car with a 1798cc engines.
1967 1969: MG C; an open sports car with the 6 cylinder, Austin Healey, 2912cc
engines.
1967 1969: MG C GT; a fixed head version of the MG C.
1961 1979: MG Midget, an open sports car with a range of A series engine from
1098 1498cc
Minis produced up to 1980:
1959 1980: Mini, front wheel drive, two door saloon with 848 and 998cc transverse
A series engines.
1961 1968: Mini Cooper, front wheel drive, two door saloon with 998cc transverse
A series engines tuned to Cooper specifications.
1961 1971: Mini Cooper S, front wheel drive, two door saloon with a range of
transverse A series engines from 970 to 1275cc, tuned to Cooper S specifications.
1970 1980: Mini Clubman, front wheel drive, two-door saloon with a revised front end
and 998cc transverse A series engines.
1973 1980: Mini 1275 GT, front wheel drive, two door saloon with a revised front end
and tuned 1275cc transverse A series engines.
Triumph sports cars produced up to
1980:
1953 1955: TR2; a 1991cc, open sports car.
1955 1961: TR3; a 1991cc, open sports car.
1961 1967: TR4; a 2138cc, open sports car.
1967 1969: TR5; a 2498cc, six cylinder, open sports car.
1969 1975: TR6; a 2498cc, six cylinder, open sports car.
1976 1982: TR7; a 1998cc, fixed head coupe and open sports car.
1980 1981: TR7 V8; 3528cc V8, open sports car.
1965 1982: Triumph Spitfire; a 11471493cc open sports car
1966 1974: Triumph GT6; a 1998, six cylinder, fixed head coupe.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Ginetta
is small company still producing excellent sports cars
today. Their designs are based on a separate chassis and fibreglass body.
Ginetta
cars produced up to 1980:
1962 1968: Ginetta G4, an open sports car based around a
number of engines including the Ford 1500cc.
1968 1975: Ginetta G15, a sports coupe based around the
engine and suspension of the Hillman/Chrysler Imp.
1972 1977: Ginetta G21; a 2+2 sports coupe based around
the Hillman/Chrysler Hunter engine of 1725cc
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Mallock,
founded by Arthur Mallock, produced Austin Specials bearing his name from 1949. The first of the famous U2s, the MkI, was
built in 1958. During the seventies few club race meetings would have been complete without a Clubmans race, and by far
the most successful car in these events was the Mallock U2. These extremely rapid machines won all of the major championships. Similar
designed cars are still produced today for Clubmans successor, K Sports. Mallock have also produced single seater cars.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <>
Marcos
was formed in 1959 by JemMarsh and Frank Costin (Marcos),
Frank Costin leaving in 1961. One of the first cars built by the new firm was an
all plywood sports car dubbed the ugly duckling because unbelievably out of
proportion body. This car was built to outdo the Lotus Seven in racing, a task
it managed. Jackie Stewart had some of his early successes in this car. In 1964
the wooden chassised Mantis model was introduced. This car formed the basis for
the model rang which lasted until recently. The design, like the Porsche 911,
has withstood the test of time and, with updates, still does not look out of
date. Other Marcos models produced were the GT, Mini Jem and Mini Marcos in
the early days, and latterly the Mantis and Mantula. Marcos has had a
chequered career and had been run by various people before coming back to Marsh
in1981. Further fluctuations in fortunes took place with a high light of a Le
Mans return in 1995. Up until 2002, Marcos LM 600, 6000cc cars were running
in the BRDC British GT Championships. Marco was last heard of being sold to a
Dutch company.
Marcos
cars produced up to 1980:
1964 1966: Marcos 1800; a fixed head sports car using a Volvo
B18 engine.
1966- 1981: Mini Marcos; a fixed head sports car using Mini
suspension and engines.
1966 1969: Marcos 1600; a fixed head sports car using the Ford
1600cc crossflow engine.
1969 1972: Marcos GT; a fixed head sports car using Fords
3000cc V6 engine.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <>
Mini Jem Originally built and designed by Dizzy Addicot as the aluminium bodied Dart, (which also inspired the similar Mini
Marcos below) it proved too costly for production. Jeremy Delmar-Morgan, Jem to his friends, produced the first fiberglass models in
1965 and these were raced in the 1966 Spa 500km, finishing 2nd in class, and 18th overall. Affectionately known as the baked bean, because of
their profile, these cars had all the advantages
of the racing Minis packaged into a sports car body. The car shown here is an early version of the type and should be
compared to a much later version of the similar Mini Marcos. Mini Jems were produced by various manufactures between 1965
and 1974.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <>
Mini Marcos Originally built and designed by Dizzy Addicot as the aluminium bodied Dart, (which also inspired the similar Mini Jem)
it proved too costly for production. Jem Marsh built the fist cars in 1965, and the following year they competed in the Le Man 24
hour, reaching speed of over 140mph with their standard BMC rally engines. The similarity between the Mini Jem and Mini Marcos is easy to see from
the two photos. Of the two,
the Marcos was the most raced and is shown here in a later, more developed form.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <>
Rootes Group, later to becomeChrysler, was in a similar position to British Leyland in the 70s, both
being a conglomeration of famous British marques brought together as one company. The Rootes Group included Humber, Hillman,
Sunbeam and Singer and a competition and spares division called Mopar. Most of the cars produced were considered comfortable
family cars rather than sporting models. Initial racing success came with the Imps raced by Rootes and independent tuner/races
such as Peter Pitman. Further success came with the 1300cc Hillman Avenger (Plymouth Cricket, in USA), which won the British
Production Saloon Car Championship outright in 1976 and 1977. This car, driven by Bernhard Unett see Lap Records, won 10/10 races in '76 and
9/12 in '77.
Hillman cars produced up to 1980:
1963
1970: Hillman Imp; a two-door saloon car with a rear mounted engine of 875cc.
1970 1981: Hillman Avenger; a two-door saloon with 1489 and 1598cc engines
Sunbeam cars produced up to 1980:
1959 - 1968:
Sunbeam Alpine MkI-V; open sports car with tuned 1600 - 1725 engine.
1964 - 1968: Sunbeam Tiger MkI and II; open sports car based on the Sunbeam Alpine
with 4700cc V8 engine.
1967 1976: Sunbeam Rapier
H120 Fastback; a two-door , fastback saloon car
with a tuned 1725cc engine.
1966 1976: Sunbeam Imp sports; a two-door saloon car with a tuned, rear mounted engine of 875cc.
1966 1976: Sunbeam
Stiletto; a two-door , fastback saloon car with a
tuned, rear mounted engine of
875cc.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
TVR
- The Blackpool firm of TVR was founded by Trevor Wilkinson as far back as 1947, its name coming from his first
name TreVoR. The distinctive long bonnet, coupe style body dates back to a 1950s designed special and later refined in the
first recognisable TVR, the Grantura. In 1963 the Grantura 1800s was unveiled and was almost immediately used by jack Griffith as
a basis for the 165mph TVR Griffith (although it was not called TVR). Towards the end of the decade, TVR produced the legendary
Tuscan, which was the first true V8 TVR. The company went through more problems until the early eighties when it gained a firm
foothold in the sports car market. TVR now produce their own engines and have a range of the fastest production cars in the world.
TVRs car also do well in competition, being dominant in the BRDC British Championship GTO class with the 4000cc Tuscan, and the
GT class with the 7000cc Cerbera speed 12.
TVR
Cars produced up to 1980:
1949 1952: One-off specials
1952- 1958: TVR saloon based on a shortened RGS Atlanta Coupe
body, engine choices included 1500cc MG and 2500cc Lea Francis.
1958 1967: TVR Grantura. This distinctively shaped car set the style of TVR sports cars for the next two decades. Built on a low-slung, space
frame chassis with a semi structural fibreglass body and all independent suspension, the car proved to have excellent handling and
lots of potential. From 1963 onwards this car had an 1800cc MGB engine.
1963 1966: TVR Griffith 200 and 400 (link to
page), chassis were provided by TVR but the 190 to 170 bhp V8 were fitted into them by Jack Griffith in America.
1966 1973: TVR Vixen, a Grantura MK 4 with a 1600cc Ford
engine fitted. A 1300cc version, called the Vixen 1300, was built with Triumph Spitfire engines for a while but soon went out of
production.
1967: TVR Tuscan V8; TVRs own version of the Griffith 200
with the same 190 bhp V8 engine.
1969 - 1971: TVR Tuscan V6; a mid-range version spanning the
gap between the Vixen and the V8 Tuscan, this used Fords 3000cc V6 engine.
1971: TVR 2500M; a later version of the V6 car using
Triumphs fuel injected straight six engine to comply with the USA emission standards.
1972 1977: TVR 1600M; a later version of the Vixen.
1972 1979: TVR 3000M; a later version of the Tuscan V6.
1976 1980: TVR
Taimar; a restyled 3000M
with a hatch back.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <><> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <><>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
|