Ensign LNF3

[Derek Lees]

Astrali used to make the steering wheels only. In the 60-70's they were a leading supplier of steering wheels in the UK. The guy who owned it was a personal friend of Mo Nunn. The company has since been taken over, http://www.astrali.co.uk/

Brineton Engineering machined the wheels, which were cast by Aeroplane and Motor, West Bromwich, the same company who cast the engine blocks for the DFV Cosworth engines. Brineton Engineering were a small engineering firm next door to the Ensign workshop when it was based in Walsall. The director of the company is Graham Madeley, http://www.brineton-eng.co.uk/contact.htm

Bernard Lewis was managing director of a compressor firm in Walsall. I can't remember what they were called, now defunct.

As far as I can remember all the cars were sold as a single unit only. Only when a chassis was written off was a new one supplied, which was manufactured by Arch motors, http://www.archmotor.co.uk/.

Since the last post I have thought more about the removable chassis tube in the engine bay. If I remember correctly, removing the tube gives you better access to the oil pump, without having to remove the engine.

I hope this helps you?

Regards,
Derek

[fyrth]

Derek

The removable chassis rail is below the engine mount on the n/s and apologies for my error in my previous post, I always get o/n mixed. This does make it possible to remove the starter motor with engine 'in situ', but does not seem to make engine removal any easier. Everything is a 'perfect' fit with feller gauge gaps here and there - just how it should be!

One story that came with the car - apparently this removable rail was removed by Colin Bennet at Monaco in June 1973 to improve handling? As Monaco was another accident for the car one can only speculate.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by fyrth

One story that came with the car - apparently this removable rail was removed by Colin Bennet at Monaco in June 1973 to improve handling? As Monaco was another accident for the car one can only speculate.

Wasn't that THE accident that led to the car being rechassied and the bent one then ending up with the Morris Brothers in South Wales?

[Anuauto]

There seems to have been two Mike Tyrells with Ensigns? From a post above, the MT refered to was an American who later died in a road accident.
Whilst searching for Brabham history last week, I asked Jimmy Fuller (BT38 in 1973 UK F3) about the Mike Tyrell from Antigua who drove an Ensign in 1973 UK F3 (the same Mike Tyrell who also entered the 1970 London Mexico World Cup Rally with Jimmy Fuller and Bernard Unett in a Hilman Hunter).
The (Antiguan) Mike Tyrell Ensign F3 was shown in MN as entered for the November 73 Guyana races (from a search by Andrew Fellowes for Brabham reports). Jimmy Fuller believed it to have been written off in a Snetterton F3 race (but he could have been mistaken and it was destroyed in 74, when MT, but not JF, continued in UK F3). Either way, chassis seem to have a habit of surviving write offs...
Confused?...I was...

[Derek Lees]

I owe everybody an apology regarding information on Mike Tyrell. I can confirm that he was from Antigua, and he was not killed in a car crash.
The American driver I had him mixed with up in a previous thread was Tom Hilliar, who died in a road accident near his home in Essex, Connecticut. Aged 32, Hilliar did a season in Europe in 1973 with a F3 Ensign

[Anuauto]

Just noticed that, within a report on Brabhams in the region, Mike Atwell of Barbados says the Mike Tyrrell Ensign went to Richard Machado in Jamaica.
We have the Tyrrell car in Guyana, November 73. Two photos of the car(currently copyright - but asking may well release them for here) have just appeared on the Guyana racing forum which seem to be from different years, one being November 73. This suggests the Tyrell car was at the Guyana meeting in November 74 too (pretty sure it wasn't 72) and it appears to be carrying a "Forward Trust" sticker (UK F3 championship). We then have Jimmy Fuller last month recalling it as written off at Snetterton in UK F3. We also have a photo on this thread of the car at Prescott in 74 with Bill Morris (which could have been no later than early September?) in what looks the same colour as in Guyana. Could Tyrrell have had a second car, replacing one sold or written off?
A contact for Mike Tyrrell may become available in due course (but those who may know, will realise why that is not a simple matter...).

[Anuauto]

Further to the above, M. Tyrrell does not seem to have run in UK F3 in 74 with the Ensign and is reported as making his first 74 F3 start at Snetterton on 28 July in the ex-Brise March 733 (and taking 3 poles in August). So no second chassis...and Guyana Ensign photos needs examining to explain 2 different race numbers/car markings as not there 74?

[Anuauto]

The Snetterton heavy shunt for the Tyrrell car was 9/10/72. It is listed at Brands 22/10/72 and begins 73 season at Silverstone 18/3/73 still listed as an LNF372. So no write off. So, after Guyana 73, sold to Jamaica and later to Morris in UK or direct to Morris (and Atwell not correct re-Jamaica).

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Anuauto

We also have a photo on this thread of the car at Prescott in 74 with Bill Morris (which could have been no later than early September?) in what looks the same colour as in Guyana.

1st September 1974 to be precise.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Wasn't that THE accident that led to the car being rechassied and the bent one then ending up with the Morris Brothers in South Wales?

Surely the Morris Brothers in South Wales had the rather bent ex-Mike Wilds F3 Ensign that was shunted at Monaco. This chassis eventually went onto John Page.

[Lola]

Originally Posted by rogboy

I am trying to get as much information as possible on chassis drawings of the Ensign LNF3, I would like to build one for classic racing here in NZ, and would like to use Alfa 1600TC, I know they are a bit tall, but have all the good bits, and go better and longer than Lotus (In my view anyway) have Hewland and all other bits and can build anything, just can't afford a real one, invlved in classic racing here, in single seaters, run a ex FF, now in monoposto spec, but love the look and lines of the Ensign. I can be E-mailed at roganddor@xtra.co.nz

Is the mono car a lolat642e? if so i used to own one. Chassis 49

[Richard Knox]

Hi All,

The Mike Tyrell ensign was sold to Richard Machado ( Jamaica ) and then to Silbourne Clarke ( Trinidad ). As far as I understand from Silbourne the car is still here in Trinidad in pieces. I have told Silbourne about this site so I am sure that he will come on at some time and will be able to give more details.

[RAP]

I made contact with Nick Crossley who was 1974 F4 champion with an Ensign. He has no record of a chassis number but recalls he acquired it from Stan Matthews. The Ensign then was raced by Bruce Coate-Bond in F4 in 75 then Bill Cowling in 76, all prepared at Nick Crossley's Horseless Carraige Co. Right at the end of 76 Cowling got a Delta and the Ensign was raced a couple of times by Patric Capon.

John Finch also raced an Ensign in F4 at this time.

[Racesport]

Hi all!

At the end I bought the LN7.

This is the ownership history as per FIA Papers and documents:

1972-74 John Littler (formula three internationals races)
1974 Brian Robinson
1974-75 Bob Howlings
1975-79 Cliff Sayer
1979-85 Bob Berridge
1985-92 Malcom Carter (Classic F3 winner on 1988)
1992 Barrie Maskell
1992-2008 Richard Dawson (Classic F3 events)
2008 Len Selby
2008 Carlo Maria Del Conte.

Back on track on 2009!

[fyrth]

Mike Wilds in the Dempster Developments LNF3.

[eflachbart]

I have recently purchased an Ensign LNF3 here in the states. It is chassis number 7. One of the early cars based upon where the trailing arms are located. I found this site researching anything I can find on the car. Interesting that RSQ had the same car several years ago in England. I know from there it went to France and then here to the states in 2003 or thereabouts. Any other info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Eric

[allenbrown]

Doesn't sound like the same car from what you say Eric

[tomtecno]

Allen,
I believe that there were some F3 cars sent to Italy - don't know what chassis numbers they were but I'm told they ran in all black livery. do you know anything about them?
Cheers
Tom

[allenbrown]

No, but I bet Chris does.

[tomtecno]

I think they were imported during 1972 by a company called Delta but only ran two or three races as they were considered to be uncompetetive in the Italian F3 series. It would be interesting to know what happened to them after that.

[eflachbart]

I was going by the chassis number 007 which RSQ indicated he had. Mine came to the states in around 2003 from France. The FIA papers were processed in 1989 and list only that the car competed at Bretagne.

[tomtecno]

Originally Posted by allenbrown

No, but I bet Chris does.

Chris,

Any ideas?

[FC1]

Hi Guys,

Only just discovered this forum following a Google search about Ensign in an idle moment.

Can I add my twopennorth and fill in a bit more of LN1s history?

I bought LN1 off of Hugh Price back in the 1979 and ran it in F4 until the mid eighties. When I was a young lad Bev Bond was my hero so I was over the moon to have had the opportunity of racing LN1 during my ownership.

Originally I ran with a Holbay MAE until it grenaded on the top straight at Brands following an expensive rebuild (yes, I did run it in properly prior to it going bang). I then ran with a Messer built Ford 1300 until I gave up motor racing in 1984/5 following an incident involving local thugs who broke through the roof of my lock up in SE London, thieving all my tools and damaging the car.

During my ownership I tried to keep the car as original as possible but did run with a gearbox mounted wing instead of the dolphin engine cover and separated the nose from the cockpit cover as I couldn’t afford to replace all the bodywork in the event of a knock. This did enable me to get moulds made of the nose by a local bath manufacturer.

The car and myself appeared in a TV ad for a new biscuit bar called ‘Winner’ in the early eighties. Regrettably the title could not be applied to me! I got this little job through Miki Dee who was a front runner in FF1600 at the time and a bit of a wheeler dealer. The ad was filmed at Brands Hatch if anyone remembers it and a small photo appeared in Autosport.

I sold LN1 to Richard George who at the time ran a marine/aviation business at Dartford, Kent. I believe he had a few outings running in sprints and hillclimbs including the Brighton Speed Trials and Jersey Hillclimbs with his daughter Amanda.

I also bought what I believe was the last ever Ensign F3 too. This was purchased as a bare partially skinned chassis and boxes of bits from Clive Alexander from somewhere up near Holmfirth if memory serves me correctly. This too went to Richard George.

I saw an advert for the car a few years ago for an auction but the old girl didn’t make her reserve. I would be interested to know where she is today if anyone knows.

Jim Seager

[Steve Wilkinson]

Just re-posting a couple of photos that have 'disappeared' due to the old website where I hosted them having kicked me off!

Above: Bill Morris in "Ensign LN1" at Prescott in 1974


Above: David Franklin in the ex-Dempster Ensign that now belongs to Fyrth Crosse.

[Racesport]

Hi!
here is a photo of my LNF3 at Monza Coppa Intereuropa!