Group A Rover 3500 SD1/Vitesse - History & Whereabouts - Page 51

**chunterer** · 28 Feb 2011, 10:29 (Ref:2837879)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncs

Then it could be possible that I have 002 as it was sold as that from the auction at Gaydon, i am only going on the colour around the windsreen that it could have been a marlboro car and what other people said at the time that they thought it was 001! Anyone is welcome to come and see it if they think they might know?

Duncs

Jeez Duncs if it is 002 then you've got one of the most successful and popular cars (on track, if not in the history books due to its disqualification!) and would perhaps best be restored to yellow/red Hepolite livery......

Get a look under the paint again and see if there's any dark yellow!!

As you said earlier more likely it is 001 but maybe better speak to Ken again to have him verify the car one more!!

MG Rover Sport · 28 Feb 2011, 20:09 (Ref:2838116)

I was at Race Retro at the weekend and managed to access the H&H Auction via my media bib. Not only did this get me in to view the auction lots without having to pay for the catalogue, but I was also one of the few individuals allowed to take photographs of them!

As such I took quite a few of what is alleged to be the Group 2 Rover 3500 1980 Tourist Trophy entry. I haven't had a chance to download them off my memory cads yet, but when I do I'll upload some of them here for your pleasure and to promote further debate on the subject. I had heard afterwards that it hadn't sold however.

On another matter, a member of the Rover SD1 Club met a chap called Wayne Burdon who was involved with spraying the cars for TWR. Wayne emailed him a few images, and there is some excellent images there that I am sure will provoke some great debate - including a couple of photos of a crashed No 6 Bastos liveried car (Soper / Thibault / Schlesser posibly?), and photos of a No 3 Marlboro car and B563 AOX at what looks like the 1985 Silverstone TT in the pitlane! I wonder why they were both there that day?

Here is the link and don't say I never do anything for you!...

http://www.roversd1club.net/forum/to...?TOPIC_ID=7351

MGDavid · 28 Feb 2011, 23:54 (Ref:2838200)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

.........
Here is the link and don't say I never do anything for you!...

http://www.roversd1club.net/forum/to...?TOPIC_ID=7351

just be aware it doesn't work unless you're registered on that site...

VIVA GT · 1 Mar 2011, 08:27 (Ref:2838310)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

I was at Race Retro at the weekend and managed to access the H&H Auction via my media bib. Not only did this get me in to view the auction lots without having to pay for the catalogue, but I was also one of the few individuals allowed to take photographs of them!

As such I took quite a few of what is alleged to be the Group 2 Rover 3500 1980 Tourist Trophy entry. I haven't had a chance to download them off my memory cads yet, but when I do I'll upload some of them here for your pleasure and to promote further debate on the subject. I had heard afterwards that it hadn't sold however.

On another matter, a member of the Rover SD1 Club met a chap called Wayne Burdon who was involved with spraying the cars for TWR. Wayne emailed him a few images, and there is some excellent images there that I am sure will provoke some great debate - including a couple of photos of a crashed No 6 Bastos liveried car (Soper / Thibault / Schlesser posibly?), and photos of a No 3 Marlboro car and B563 AOX at what looks like the 1985 Silverstone TT in the pitlane! I wonder why they were both there that day?

Here is the link and don't say I never do anything for you!...

http://www.roversd1club.net/forum/to...?TOPIC_ID=7351

IIRC one of the Bastos cars crashed heavily in practice for a race at Donington Park during the Saturday, (unfortunately I can't remember any details) but returned to race the following day in absolutely pristine condition. I wonder if this was that car?

**chunterer** · 1 Mar 2011, 09:59 (Ref:2838350)

Yes that sounds familiar VIVA?

There was definitely a French racercar at the 85 TT, I posted an image back near the beginning of the thread, you can search for images in threads by clikcing the icon in the thread listing on the History Section front page.

I guess there was a display of some sort if there was also a rally car present but perhaps the Marlboro car was there having been sold and was then taken away after the event?

MG Rover Sport · 1 Mar 2011, 14:02 (Ref:2838425)

Sorry - classic mistake! - I forgot that you have to be registered to access the forums! I'll download the images and upload them to here later - having difficulty accessing their forum at the moment.

MG Rover Sport · 1 Mar 2011, 17:50 (Ref:2838577)

Right then, here is his original post from the Rover SD1 Club forum...

Quote:

I met a guy last weekend in Coventry at his workshop and we got got chatting about SD1's as he had a Triumph 2000 in the yard that he's started work on. This guy runs his own bodyshop and I asked him about his work, he seems to have a good pedigree with SD1's as he was involved in all of the spray jobs for the SD1 Bastos race cars!

I asked if he had any pictures from when he done this and he said he would have a look, he sent me the below pictures.

And these are the eleven photos that the member posted...

Jesper OH · 1 Mar 2011, 18:46 (Ref:2838606)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Right then, here is his original post from the Rover SD1 Club forum...

And these are the eleven photos that the member posted...

Exciting behind the scenes pictures there. I picked this one out to suggest it was taken at Brno, mainly because of the Skoda RS Coupé parked next to it. Any off at the Czech circuit would likely cause damage.

Jesper

MG Rover Sport · 1 Mar 2011, 18:48 (Ref:2838609)

Well spotted Jesper - but did any of the cars have an off at Brno in 1985?

Another point, why remove the engine / transmission? Surely if they carried a spare car to a race meeting, it would have been a complete working car and hence would not need the engine / transmission out of the crashe car? On the same note, I can't really see them taking a spare shell all around Europe with them? Just in case...

KA · 2 Mar 2011, 07:46 (Ref:2838904)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

Exciting behind the scenes pictures there. I picked this one out to suggest it was taken at Brno, mainly because of the Skoda RS Coupé parked next to it. Any off at the Czech circuit would likely cause damage.

Jesper

Quote:

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

Well spotted Jesper - but did any of the cars have an off at Brno in 1985?

Another point, why remove the engine / transmission? Surely if they carried a spare car to a race meeting, it would have been a complete working car and hence would not need the engine / transmission out of the crashed car? On the same note, I can't really see them taking a spare shell all around Europe with them? Just in case...

Yes, that's definitely a Skoda next to it- I don't think it's Brno though, as the race numbers on the Rover are wrong. '6' was one of TWR's regular race numbers that season, but for some reason, Brno always seemed to use different numbers- the Rovers ran as nos. 3,4 &5 at Brno, rather than their regular 1,6,&7 (A bit O/T- anyone know why this happened at Brno? Most of the regular entries kept the same numbers all year in 1985, with just Brno and the late season Estoril races bucking the trend. Both races fell into line with the others for '86 AFAIK. Was '85 the first year that the FIA tried to enforce consistent season-long race numbers for the ETC, as numbers seemed to change from race to race before then)

I reckon it might be Donington- Viva mentioned a Rover being crashed shunted on the Saturday at Donington a few posts back. Drivers names on No6 in the pic are Soper/Thibault/Schlesser, which fits with the Rover entries at Donington- http://www.racingsportscars.com/cove...985-05-05e.jpg
IIRC it was Soper who shunted the car on Saturday, and a spare car was substituted for the race. David posted some Donington pics a while back, one of which clearly shows that the No6 car raced was an older car (black interior rather than white) in Bastos colours http://tentenths.com/forum/showpost....&postcount=429

Can't imagine why they had the engine out of the bent car at the circuit though- unless the pics were taken back home at Kidlington, after they'd started stripping it for repair?

DPUZEY · 2 Mar 2011, 08:12 (Ref:2838911)

I think the crashed car pictures are probable taken back at Kiddlington. Part of the roll cage is missing in the second picture and also the driver's seat. I think it is also a later spec body shell, ie chassis 14 onwards.

KA · 14 Apr 2011, 20:01 (Ref:2863431)

This was mentioned earlier in the thread, but maybe we can fill in a little more detail. The LHD car (005) which appeared in some 1983 ETC races, sometimes in Barclay colours, also did some races in Holland and Belgium

Looking at the ETCC History website, there are two Rover appearances in the Dutch series in 1983, both at Zandvoort.

First of these was Eddy Joosen in June 83- he was on pole, led the race, but finished 6th after pitting with a puncture
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...e%20Dunes.html

The second was a 2-car entry in September for Joosen and Armin Hahne- a dominant 1-2 finish with Hahne winning
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...efestival.html

There were a couple of pics posted earlier in the thread, which I guess might correspond to these two races:

First this one that Jesper found:
http://www.racehistorie.nl/cpz/pgzvttoerwagens4.jpg
(from here: http://www.racehistorie.nl/cpz/cpz1_m.htm )
I'm guessing this is Joosen at the earlier Zandvoort race- it certainly looks like 005, in a plain white 'Austin Rover' livery.

I'm guessing this might be the second appearance (I couldn't swear that this is Zandvoort from the pic- can anyone confirm it?)
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4...joosensfa9.jpg
The plain car with ARG logos again, so presumably Joosen in '005', but the identity of the second car (presumably Hahne, in an 'Austin Rover Deutschland' entry according to the race result) is interesting- it looks like it's the Hepolite car usually raced by Soper

Jesper OH · 14 Apr 2011, 20:21 (Ref:2863442)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KA

This was mentioned earlier in the thread, but maybe we can fill in a little more detail. The LHD car (005) which appeared in some 1983 ETC races, sometimes in Barclay colours, also did some races in Holland and Belgium

Looking at the ETCC History website, there are two Rover appearances in the Dutch series in 1983, both at Zandvoort.

First of these was Eddy Joosen in June 83- he was on pole, led the race, but finished 6th after pitting with a puncture
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...e%20Dunes.html

The second was a 2-car entry in September for Joosen and Armin Hahne- a dominant 1-2 finish with Hahne winning
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...efestival.html

There were a couple of pics posted earlier in the thread, which I guess might correspond to these two races:

First this one that Jesper found:
http://www.racehistorie.nl/cpz/pgzvttoerwagens4.jpg
(from here: http://www.racehistorie.nl/cpz/cpz1_m.htm )
I'm guessing this is Joosen at the earlier Zandvoort race- it certainly looks like 005, in a plain white 'Austin Rover' livery.

I'm guessing this might be the second appearance (I couldn't swear that this is Zandvoort from the pic- can anyone confirm it?)
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4...joosensfa9.jpg
The plain car with ARG logos again, so presumably Joosen in '005', but the identity of the second car (presumably Hahne, in an 'Austin Rover Deutschland' entry according to the race result) is interesting- it looks like it's the Hepolite car usually raced by Soper

Regarding the last picture, my thought was the breaking zone for the La Source hairpin at Spa-Francorchamps.
If so, this might well be the Belgian GP support race on May 22, 1983. Joosen won, Soper 35th (from 41 starters), with Marc Duez, being the only Camaro in the race, finishing 33rd. Can't remember the source, but will get back to that.

Jesper

KA · 14 Apr 2011, 20:58 (Ref:2863452)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

Regarding the last picture, my thought was the breaking zone for the La Source hairpin at Spa-Francorchamps.
If so, this might well be the Belgian GP support race on May 22, 1983. Joosen won, Soper 35th (from 41 starters), with Marc Duez, being the only Camaro in the race, finishing 33rd. Can't remember the source, but will get back to that.

Jesper

Thanks Jesper- I had a nagging doubt that it didn't look much like Zandvoort...

An early-season date, such as the Belgian GP support, would make sense for the Joosen car being in that plain white colourscheme with Austin Rover logos- it ran in those colours at the Donington ETC round and at Zandvoort in June, but was in Barclay colours for the Spa 24 hours

**chunterer** · 15 Apr 2011, 08:32 (Ref:2863610)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

If so, this might well be the Belgian GP support race on May 22, 1983. Joosen won, Soper 35th (from 41 starters), with Marc Duez, being the only Camaro in the race, finishing 33rd. Can't remember the source, but will get back to that.

Jesper

The finishing order of Soper and Duez perhaps suggests an altercation? They're right behind joosen in that image......

Jesper OH · 15 Apr 2011, 14:26 (Ref:2863782)

I think you're right, chunterer. This is the site I was trying to remember yesterday, but can't find the relevant pdf-file: http://www.gtv6-156gta.be/LaGTV6comp....html#circuits

Jesper

**Peter Mallett** · 15 Apr 2011, 14:57 (Ref:2863794)

I've been puzzling about those wider arches. Saw one of the TWR cars at Ken Clarke's a few weeks ago. It seems that Rover produced wider front arches for African models due to the amount of gravel and grit that gets kicked up. These were used to homologate the Group A bodywork hence they are wider than the standard UK version.

BTW, the car is now owned by a Belgian Gent who is running it in Belgian Historics this year.

**chunterer** · 15 Apr 2011, 19:48 (Ref:2863942)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I've been puzzling about those wider arches. Saw one of the TWR cars at Ken Clarke's a few weeks ago. It seems that Rover produced wider front arches for African models due to the amount of gravel and grit that gets kicked up. These were used to homologate the Group A bodywork hence they are wider than the standard UK version.

BTW, the car is now owned by a Belgian Gent who is running it in Belgian Historics this year.

Do you mean 019, not one of these two illustrated here Peter?

Whichever one he's got, I hope he's been invited to enter the race at the Donington meeting at the end of this month!!

**Peter Mallett** · 16 Apr 2011, 02:29 (Ref:2864088)

Didn't think to ask the chassis number. It was entered at Donington but it's now running at Spa (I think) that weekend.

**chunterer** · 16 Apr 2011, 08:11 (Ref:2864154)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Didn't think to ask the chassis number. It was entered at Donington but it's now running at Spa (I think) that weekend.

Think it's the one bought from Jeff Allam?

basmsport · 18 Apr 2011, 10:19 (Ref:2865585)

Look who's enjoying being back in 019!

**chunterer** · 18 Apr 2011, 11:01 (Ref:2865613)

Quote:

Originally Posted by basmsport

Look who's enjoying being back in 019!

What happened to the beard?!!

thebullet · 18 Apr 2011, 14:08 (Ref:2865747)

An appearance at last weeks test at Mallory Park

Matthew

**chunterer** · 18 Apr 2011, 18:42 (Ref:2865952)

Well done sir!

Which chassis is this one again folks?

basmsport · 18 Apr 2011, 18:47 (Ref:2865956)

019

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