Farnham GP
Mike Hawthorn honoured in hometown by Riley, among many others
Nine years after Farnham’s original event marking 50 years since the death of Britain’s first F1 World Champion, the Mike Hawthorn Grand Prix returned in celebration of him clinching the title in October 1958.
Riley Ulster Imp
Says Ulster Imp owner Tim Ely, ‘It was Mike’s very first race car and produced his very first win. Bought by his father Leslie in 1949, six months before Mike’s 21st birthday, and prepped in their Farnham Tourist Trophy Garage, it was driven by Mike in the 1950 Brighton Speed Trials, launching his motor sport career with a class victory. Over his three seasons with the Imp he entered 11 events, winning six of them and taking podiums in the rest.’
It was in bits for restoration when Mike died, and word went around his circle of friends (Tim included) that Mike’s distraught mother wanted rid of it. ‘I called, found out the opening bid was only £75, and I doubled it. And when she accepted I nipped around before she could change her mind. I didn’t realise I was buying something with historical significance, I just wanted to go racing.’ That was early 1959, and Tim has owned the Riley ever since.
Originally a works racer, it contributed to the 1934 Le Mans effort that won Riley the team prize, finishing 12th overall and third in class, and finished ninth overall and first in class at the 1934 Ulster Tourist Trophy.
Sunbeam Alpine
This Sunbeam, bought by Jonathan and Ginny Braim just six days before the Farnham GP, is about to embark on a rally career it should have had when new, had events not intervened. The 1955 Le Mans disaster caused racing to be cancelled right across Europe. Among those was the 1955 Alpine Rally, for which the Rootes Group had prepared six examples of its Sunbeam Alpine two-seater. This Alpine, RHP 700, was the first of those six; although dispatched to the starting point, it came directly back home again, never to see competition.
‘We want to put that right’ said Jonathan. ‘So we’re taking it to Europe next year and running the 1955 Alpine route. And we want to start rallying it.’
Lotus Eleven
Jon Adams’ Lotus braved the rain to make a rare appearance. Having bought the car in 2010, Adams discovered some unusual features on it which pointed to it being a works-prepared racer, which prompted several years of research.
‘The original owner was Ivor Bueb, co-driver with Mike Hawthorn in the notorious 1955 Le Mans victory,’ said Adams. ‘The following season, Mike drove Bueb’s new Lotus Eleven for several races. One of them was a win at the Aintree 200, against a field that included Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Archie Scott-brown – and in eighth place with another Lotus Eleven, enjoying his final season at the wheel, Colin Chapman himself.’
Triumph TR3A
This 1957 Triumph TR3A was the last competition car Hawthorn drove. ‘It was a works rally team car used for testing, development and recces,’ said owner Iain Paul, ‘as well as the frequent personal transportation, it’s said, of Tr-series mastermind Ken Richardson. In November 1958 it was driven by Mike, freshly minted World Champion on October 29, in the Ken Wharton Memorial Trophy Driving Tests.’ Sadly, Hawthorn was killed in a car accident just three months later.
Fantuzzi Spyder
Barry Jell’s unusual Ferrari was the only example of the marque in attendance. Hawthorn drove it to victory in 1958. Its baffling specification points to a mysterious competition history.
‘The Fantuzzi Spyder bodywork is reportedly that of a 1958 Testa Rossa,’ Barry explained. ‘Powering it, however, is a 246 Dino six-cylinder, listed by the works as diverted to the racing shop late the following decade; the original driveshaft is adjustable to accommodate either a V6 or V12.
‘Research continues, but I reckon it was a testing mule for driveline configurations, flogged off with any engine going spare when its technology was no longer pertinent. Enzo was never opposed to converting obsolete race equipment into cash when money got tight at Maranello.’