[Alan Brown]

I'll let others decide where the following comments can best end up. It follows extensive reading of Motoring News mainly while looking for hill climb details.

Adding to morninggents - it is true that the term “special saloons” was sometimes used in the reports from Croft and Rufforth in 1966, but not always and not elsewhere. The term formule libre was sometimes used in reports and discussions. By 1967 “special saloons” was being used with greater frequency.

I have concentrated on "big-engined cars" and the odd out-of-the-ordinary ones, so the 1600-2000 Anglias are ignored. They could do with a thread to themselves. The names are fascinating Fraud, Damfraud, Janglia, Tasmanglia, Wanglia etc.

1966 continued

Terry Drury Lotus Cortina V8 noted as 5.3 and later in the season as 6553. Raced by Terry Sanger at Boxing Day Mallory Park with a 4.7 engine.

Clare Newbold won the Ladies race at Brands Hatch in February in Doc Merfield’s Fraud Cortina V8. Brian Bolton seems to have acquired it before the end of the year.

Reg Gubbins Anglia-Buick. Presumably the same car as raced in 1965 with 1650 engine.

R Hurst noted as a non-starter at Lydden in April in the ex-Vita D team Mini-Buick. No other mention.

Steve Peer Corsair V8 4.7. Raced at least once by his brother Alan, who was a leading driver of Anglias (1.8 twin cam).

Mike Davies Anglia-Buick – one report in May 1966.

M Pelman Anglia-Buick – one report in May 1966.

John Emmins Anglia-Chevy 5.5.

John Hewitt (Luton Motor Company) Ford Tasman Anglia (Tasmanglia) – fitted with an ex-Racing Preparations 2.5 Climax FPF. Debuted at Silverstone in August. It was said in MN 8-9-66 that it “was once the ex-Doc Merfield Anglia (it has since had innumerable body shells and engines)”. Presumably, the car John Hewitt had previously raced with a 1600 engine. Raced victoriously by Peter Hawthorne (who normally raced a 1650 Anglia) at Boxing Day Mallory Park.

MN reported in February that an A40 was being prepared with a 2.0 Climax engine, to be entered by Graham Burrows’ Beta Cars Ltd. No further mention.


1967

Steve Peer Corsair V8.
John Hewitt Anglia Climax 2.5.
Terry Sanger Cortina V8 4.7 (ex-Terry Drury)
Brian Bolton Cortina V8 4.7 (ex-Doc Merfield).
Reg Gubbins Anglia-Buick now fuel-injected and quoted as 4.3.

Roger Bunting raced Gordon Allen’s Twin Mini previously raced by Rod Embley.

Mike Bennion Morris Minor Ford V8 4.7 – all independent suspension. It was entered at Brands Hatch in November 1966 but made its debut in 1967. According to Mike Kettlewell’s Motor Racing Directory it was built for £400 and powered by a 4.7 Chevy V8 (contemporary reports all say Ford) with Jaguar (independent?) suspension and gearbox. (“looking almost as wide as it is long” MN 15-6-67)

Richard Scantlebury Ford Anglia-Jaguar.

Brian Tarrant A40 Chevy 4638 – raced and hill climbed (“evil-looking” MN 6-4-67, “brutish” MN 3-8-67).

Dennis Clarke Viva HB Chevy 5.0 or 5.4 (“superbly-engineered” MN 13-4-67). Raced by Brian Cutting in July and August.

Gavin Watson Viva-Chevy – first mentioned n September.

Mentioned in a MN report of a race at Silverstone in April because they were involved in a first corner shunt were A W Turley Cortina-Zephyr 2553 and G H Parsons Cortina-Zodiac V6 3.0, which rolled.

Two other intriguing cars:
Mike Caulton BRT Mini-Cooper S “sported its engine at the rear” (MN 13-4-67). Apparently written off after a fire at B.R.T. Motor Developments premises in Littleborough in July, but rebuilt with the engine at the front. It was destroyed in its first race back at Oulton Park in October.
Maurice Winch Anglia 1.6 or 1.8 twin cam (Wanglia) – modified by putting a 6-inch wide strip down the centre (the whole car except the roof was widened) (MN 25-5-67)