NEC Classic Motor Show Molsheim steals the show with a bevy of Bugattis in Brum
NEC Classic Motor show hosts the best of British, but Molsheim steals the show
Agrid of nine original, unrestored Bugatti Type 35s dominated Hall One at the 2017 NEC Classic Motor Show, crowning an automotive extravaganza that also played host to ex-le Mans Aston Martins, newlyrestored Allards and the first Lotus F1 car, shown in public for the first time in 60 years.
Bugatti Type 35s
‘This twin-rear-wheeled Bugatti Type 35A was Malcolm Campbell’s town car,’ said Charles Trevelyan, Bugatti Owners’ Club chairman of the weathered car leading the club’s display ‘grid’.
‘And yes, this is its original bodywork, not a later racing evocation. It’s how Campbell wanted it. Doubling up the rear wheels was a common period modification to give more traction.
‘It was known as the “Teckler” – a term meaning “false pearl”, referring to the fact that it’s effectively a fake grand prix racer. It looked like one, but had no roller-bearing crankshaft, was unsupercharged, had a solid rather than hollow front axle, and wire rather than aluminium wheels. Bodywork was steel rather than alloy. They were made for racing enthusiasts and cost half as much as the racing version. Campbell modified his further, reflecting its more practical use, cutting a hatch in the rear bodywork to create a boot and reducing the size of the fuel tank, which originally filled the space.’
Turning to the imposing red racer pictured right, Trevelyan told us, ‘This Type 35C held the Prescott Hillclimb record in the Fifties despite being more than 20 years old. Without this car there would be no Bugatti Trust – previous owner Alan Howarth sold it to finance the trust, raising £350,000.
‘It was originally sold in Italy where it was used both as a road car and in international rallies to Vienna and Budapest. Its specification is unusual in featuring several factory race-specification parts – the two-litre straight-eight engine has a roller-bearing crankshaft and the supercharger was driven at a ratio of 1:1.5 engine speed, although it now runs at 1:1. There’s a manual oil pump for a riding mechanic who would monitor the oil pressure, and another to pressurise the petrol in the fuel tank. The eight-day Jaeger clock would have come in handy on rallies. Despite revving
to 6500rpm, it’s still on its original crankshaft. It first came to the UK in the Fifties, where it became known as Genie on account of its ‘GNE’ registration, and was used extensively in rallies and hill climbs. It’s recently returned from refurbishment in France, although the colour isn’t quite right – it will be returned to its correct, slightly darker shade of red soon.’
Also on show were four impressive working scale-model children’s cars. ‘They’re genuine Bugattis, built in the Molsheim factory and powered by Paris-made starter motors accelerated by rheostat – this is the largest gathering of them in the country,’ said Trevelyan. ‘The original idea was to have something to sell to Bugatti owners for their children, although they were also available for hire on the sands at Le Touquet. Buenos Aires Zoo had a fleet of them.’
Lotus Twelve
‘This is the first time this prototype Lotus Twelve, Colin Chapman’s first Formula car, has been seen in public since the 1956 Earls Court Motor Show,’ said John Watson of the Historic Lotus Register. ‘After the show it was taken apart and put in Team Lotus’ stores, which is unusual because Chapman wasn’t a nostalgic man. But then again it was a landmark car so perhaps it was for his own reference.
‘It’s way ahead of its time. The gearbox is a sequential unit derived from a motorbike, a concept that didn’t become common in F1 until the Nineties. The layout is an exercise in chassis balance, with the driver brought closer to the centre of the car, the fuel tank over their legs and the gearbox in the back counterweighting the front-mounted engine. The concept was developed in 1957, and the Twelves were raced by Cliff Allison and Graham Hill in the 1958 F1 season.’
Kevin Sargeant explained the design’s unusual foibles, ‘It’s a five-speed gearbox controlled by a Ford Anglia gearknob, but lubrication was difficult – there wasn’t enough room in the casing. Keith Duckworth’s first job on joining Lotus, years before setting up Cosworth, was to sort out these problems out, but it never quite worked. There was no scope for engine braking either. It was the first Lotus to be powered by the Coventry Climax FPF twin-cam engine. The use of Standard 10 suspension uprights underpinned the Seven right through to the early days of Caterham.
‘It will be restored, but to original specification to be run in demonstrations, not to race.’
Allard Dragon Mk2
‘The paint’s still wet!’ Mel Herman warned visitors approaching the freshly restored Allard Dragon Mk2 dragster – the only one in existence.
‘Sydney Allard built the UK’S first dragster, the Allard-chrysler, in 1961, and with the dragracing scene taking off he followed it up with the Dragon in 1964, based on a 1.5-litre Ford Cortina engine with a Shorrock supercharger, running on
methanol, sold as a £600 kit. Allard set several class records in his, Denis Jenkinson built one with a Bristol straight-six, and one even featured on the sleeve of the Beach Boys’ Barbara Ann, but Allard only made five because the UK scene was dominated by specials based on American V8s.
‘Only this Mk2 was built, with its taller roll-hoop, and was shown dismantled at motor shows priced at £595 fully-built or £245 as a kit minus engine and gearbox, but by this time it was already uncompetitive and Allard never sold any. Its remains were found in 2013 by ex-allard engineer Roger Hayes and rebuilt over the last four years.’
Aston Martin Ulster LM14
‘This is the only survivor of Aston Martin’s 1934 Le Mans team, and the only one to receive the drilled lightweight chassis,’ said Charles Trevelyan of his personal car on display on the Aston Martin Owners Club stand. ‘The other team cars were fitted with standard solid chassis to contest the RAC Tourist Trophy, and the clips holding the bonnet straps closed came from ammunition boxes! It has a magnesium cylinder head, engine block and bulkhead. Sadly it didn’t complete the race, but it was up to third place at one point.
‘I don’t race it – it’s been rewired, repainted and its engine’s been rebuilt with new crankshaft, conrods and pistons. Otherwise it’s all original. The previous owner, Raymond Johnson-ferguson, bought it in 1937 and it lived in Scotland, although he raced it at Brooklands and took my father to my parents’ wedding in it in 1939. It was bequeathed to me in his will in 1995, but I’m not allowed to sell it, only give it to a museum once I’ve finished with it. It is the most original Aston Martin Ulster in existence.
Lombardi Grand Prix
This baby exotic may prove to be an Abarth prototype and owner Tim Milnes is keen to find out more about its origins.
‘It was in the Maranello Rosso museum for 15 years, although I discovered it at a classic dealership in Oxfordshire,’ he said. ‘It was in for some work, but the owner had an accident and was unable to complete its renovation, so I took it on. It had been restored in Italy in the Nineties and done a few track days, but little is known about its history so I’m not sure I can trust its badges!
‘Fiat sold 850 chassis to Francis Lombardi, who created new bodies for them from the sills and bulkhead upwards. A firm called OTAS sold them in the US and some went to Giannini for performance modification. Abarth built three “1000” one-litre prototypes using the bored and stroked engine from the 850-based OT1000.
‘I can’t be sure, but this may be one of them – it does have the correctly modified oil system and crankshaft.’