Thornton returns Chevron to the track

An ex-digby Martland Chevron B8 raced in the UK for the first time since 1968 during the Guards Trophy race at Castle Combe last Sunday.

Experienced historic racer Greg Thornton has had the Chevron restored to original specification after it apparently spent more than 40 years in South Africa.

It is believed that the car went to South Africa in 1969 for the Springbok Series and Martland rolled it at Kyalami. It was left in South Africa after the accident and converted into a spyder with a Mazda rotary engine and raced through until the 1990s.

Thornton discovered it four years ago and has had it totally rebuilt by marque specialist Vin Malkie.

“This weekend was the car’s first race as a Chevron B8 since 1969,” said Thornton, who has 38 weekends of racing planned this season across his collection of historic cars.