Icons of Race and Rally from the 1960s to the 1990s.
The event organisers have waved the green flag to start one of the most thrilling displays at this year's London Concours, the "Great British Racing" class.
Many of the racing vehicles that have brought home trophies and thrilled spectators at circuits across the world will be assembled on the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company. These cars are a proud testament to British motorsport engineering. The London Concours will trace the evolution of British motorsport from the 1960s to the present day, including everything from the euphoria of 1970s Formula 1 to the exhilaration of rallying and touring car racing to the late Eighties' high-power, high-tech engineering.
1986 Jaguar XJR-9 LM
In observance of the 60th anniversary of John Surtees's 60th Formula One World Championship win, the Great British Racing class is pleased to showcase the TS9 vehicle that he created and that was named after him. The unusually angular 1971 Surtees TS9B is allegedly driven by a 3.0-litre V8 Ford Cosworth DFV (meaning "double four valve") engine that delivers 450 horsepower at an exhilarating 10,800 revolutions per minute. It made its debut in Derek Bell's 1971 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and Surtees later drove it to victory in the 1971 Gold Cup at Oulton Park. Mike Hailwood finished fourth in the Italian Grand Prix the following month at Monza, while Andrea de Adamich finished fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix the following year at Jarama.
Among the Formula One cars in the class will be the Penthouse sponsored Hesketh 308E, which features a highly unique and very 1970s livery. A top-tier racing engine from its day, the 308E's Cosworth DFV 3.0-litre V8 paired with a Hewland FGA400 five-speed gearbox was the brainchild of Frank Derne and Nigel Stroud. Rupert Keegan, who qualified for every race that season, could only achieve a seventh-place result in its debut at the Austrian Grand Prix; he drove it to a ninth-place finish in the 1977 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch. But what really got people talking was the Hesketh's racy livery, which featured a 'Penthouse Pet' embracing a packet of Rizla cigarette papers—a scene straight out of a famous men's magazine.
CM3 9517 Michael Lyons Hesketh 308E
The Metro 6R4 was an unexpected outcome of a proposal by Rover's predecessor, British Leyland, to Williams Grand Prix Engineering regarding the construction of a vehicle for the Group B rally championship. From a standstill to 60mph in little over three seconds, Williams transformed the little "shopping" vehicle into a snarling, mid-engined, four-wheel-drive beast. Built specifically for the vehicle, the 3.0-litre, double-overhead-cam V6 engine produced 410 horsepower in top trim without the need of a turbocharger, setting it apart from its rivals. The 6R4 made its debut with Tony Pond at the 1985 Lombard RAC Rally, where it placed third overall; the following year, David Llewellin drove it to victory at the Circuit of Ireland. Success after victory came to an end for Group B rallying as a whole due to safety concerns.
"Simplify, then add lightness" was Colin Chapman's credo, and his groundbreaking road and racing vehicles—like the Lotus Elite from 1962 shown in the Great British Racing collection—embodied this approach. Supporting all of the mechanical parts, including the 75 horsepower overhead-cam Coventry Climax engine, which was housed in the Elite's lightweight glass-fibre monocoque structure, the bike's overall strength was exceptional. In the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours, an Elite entered by Team Lotus and driven by Jim Clark finished first in class and seventh overall, with an average speed of 94 mph, thanks in large part to the Lotus's aerodynamic design and its low drag coefficient of only 0.29. Competing in tournaments around the US, the Elite on display became famous for driver Bob Challman's racoon tail affixed to its bootlid, since it was built to a similar design.
1967 Ford Mk1 Escort - Goudie 3
The 'Works' versions produced by Alan Mann Racing, with their 'bubble' wheelarches and unique red and gold paint, were the most clearly identifiable of the many Ford Mk1 Escorts that were associated with racing and rallying in the 1960s and 1970s. The Formula 2 Cosworth FVA engines used by Alan Mann's vehicles had a 1.6-litre displacement but produced roughly 220 horsepower thanks to their 16 valves, double-overhead camshafts, and magnesium-cased 2000E gearbox. Up front, the engine crossmember housed the steering rack, and underneath, there was a specially designed multi-link rear suspension. In 1968, Frank Gardner and Jackie Oliver of the AMR Escorts drove Ford saloon cars to victory in the British Saloon Car Championship.
In 1988, Jaguar had its greatest success at the Le Mans track since 1957, when its D-Types finished in first, fourth, and sixteenth place, thanks to three XJR-9s, including the one in the Great British Racing class, which roared to victory. Tom Walkinshaw Racing's XJR-9 was equipped with a monstrous engine and boasted a very aerodynamic shell made of lightweight yet sturdy carbon composite. Competing for room with the driver was a 6.0-litre Jaguar V12 that could produce 650 horsepower (or an enormous 750 horsepower in the 7.0-litre version), allowing the vehicle to reach a peak speed of 245 miles per hour. Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries, and Andy Wallace drove the winning car for 394 laps and 3,313 miles in a single day. It was a testament to the superb engineering in Britain.
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London Concours 2024 Code: IMP24
