Davrians

cirrus · 24 Nov 2003, 18:58 (Ref:793181)

I have a particular fondness for Davrians. In the mid-seventies I used to work for Gordon Spice, and I remember well a guy from Croydon Race and Rally Centre turning up in a green Davrian. I had a sit in it, and it felt like a mini GT40 - wide sills, reclining seat, general claustrophobia.

When I started racing, those little devils turned in times uncomfortably close to the ones we were doing in single seaters with similar power, and all they had was the Imp trailing arm setup, and no wings.

Undoubtedly they had some very good drivers, Bob Jarvis, the late Pat Longhurst and Jim Adamson spring to mind, but best of all, they frequently humbled much more powerful opposition.

Does anyone have any memories to share?...... (and if Dan Rear takes more than 30 minutes to respond, he's not the man I think he is!)

**Tim Falce** · 24 Nov 2003, 19:23 (Ref:793195)

Do you mean one of these?

Tony_Simpson · 24 Nov 2003, 19:41 (Ref:793205)

Have a look at:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...G/homepage.htm

http://uk.geocities.com/davriangallery/photoindex.html

cirrus · 24 Nov 2003, 21:13 (Ref:793294)

Quote:

Do you mean one of these?

Yes, indeed, but that nearside front wheel should be at least 24" further off the ground.

cirrus · 24 Nov 2003, 21:29 (Ref:793309)

Well, maybe I exaggerated, but at least two wheels should be off the ground as a minimum.

ss_collins · 24 Nov 2003, 21:36 (Ref:793314)

still loads rallying

cirrus · 24 Nov 2003, 21:40 (Ref:793318)

But not necessarily always on the same side of the car.....

These pictures appeared in Martyn Morgan Jones' book "Davrian to Darrian" - Highly recommended to those who appreciate a spirit of adventure.

**Tim Falce** · 24 Nov 2003, 21:43 (Ref:793323)

Yes, indeed, but that nearside front wheel should be at least 24" further off the ground
He was playing games with me

Dan Rear · 25 Nov 2003, 13:32 (Ref:793970)

Alan/Cirrus

Sorry for the delay!!

They were brilliant you're right, wasn't Jarvis sponsored by a certain " O Magazine" for a time, I wonder what that could have been about ? Modsports in the mid-late 70s was great, the smaller cars always seemed to beat the larger ones, ie 1800 Elans beating 3litre + Porsches/E-Types etc. Tony Wingrove had a fantastic looking 911, very slow though.

The Davrians quicker than the 1300 Midgets, it all seemed odd to me, but I suppose, as they say, 'size isn't everything'. John Pugsley also went very well in one,

Anyone remember Harry Phillips Stingray, lovely looking but not at all quick. Or a certain Mr Palmer starting out in that lovely big Marcos. Or in earlier days still, the Cobras of Shaun Jackson and Richard Taft, and John Pearsons XK 120. I remember aswell a big MG with 'Vote Conservative' on the back, just before the 79 election, which struck a chord with me, Richard Skentlebury from memory.

Finally, before I even bore you Alan, does anyone else remember the Nicky Ellis Cowgate Elan in 1980, it went round Mallory quicker than any saloon, even the Skoda clones. That was a very quick car/driver, don't know what happened to him in later years.

Anyone ???

Tony_Simpson · 29 Nov 2003, 13:27 (Ref:798221)

The Davrian's (one so far) are still doing some giant killing, in the SR&GT series, (http://www.srgtc.org.uk/), especially as that series does not have any minimum weight limits only a class structure on BHP/Tonne.

One of the reasons that they have done so well over the years is the fact that with 110bhp+ (from the 998cc Imp engine) and weighing as little as 550/600kg, they go some, especially with 10" wide slicks on the rear, when they touch the ground anyway!!!

btw, as far as I know not many of them are still rallying SS Collins, I think you mean the Darrien not Davrian.

I would love to find one of the Mk8's with the Ford CVH in and then fit a more modern engine. It could upset some modern sports car

Ed_Newman · 29 Nov 2003, 21:36 (Ref:798445)

The Davrian shown with two wheels in the air is the one that was raced by Jim Adamson. It has changed hands a few times in the past couple of years and is now in a good home being stripped down and restored.

The Davrian's were particularly succesful in Scotland. My one was raced by John Kirk and in his final season with it it won it's class in every race it entered including taking on Jim Adamson's one!

One that is still doing well is an ex-Agra Engineering car. Now raced by Ken Banks for the occasional sprint and hillclimb. That one with imp engine in weighs in at about 450kg including driver!

My dad drove the very first prototype Davrian but decided that it was too flexible and weak. When we picked my one up (mines a Mk5) he commented that if that first one had been anything like it he would have bought it! When I have a spare minute I'll post a couple of photos.

SimonV8ster · 12 Aug 2008, 20:56 (Ref:2268069)

Well i'm only 5 years too late !! I use to go around with Bob Jarvis and Pat Longhurst when I was a lad. Also Julie Thwaites was racing a Davrian along with Steve Roberts, Steve Radcliffe, later on Ron Greenfield, etc, loads of Davrian racers. Even owned a road going Mk8 myself for some time. I'll try and post a picture up later.

That Davrian website is one that I created a few years back !!

maguire imp chassis no1 · 3 Jan 2010, 12:44 (Ref:2607625)

well done with posting,have you any old pictures of david halls imp or perhaps do you know were it currently is,any help would be great

Keith

SimonV8ster · 3 Jan 2010, 13:00 (Ref:2607628)

Sorry don't remember David Halls Imp - what colour/spec was it ?

davyboy · 3 Jan 2010, 14:36 (Ref:2607652)

Quote:

Originally Posted by maguire imp chassis no1

well done with posting,have you any old pictures of david halls imp or perhaps do you know were it currently is,any help would be great

Keith

David Hall's Davrian Imp, a very famous car in Ireland, was raced extensively by Vivian Candy during the mid to late 1970s in Marlboro Captain America colours. Its alive and well today and driven by Leo Nulty in the Irish Historics Championship. Here's a picture of it taken late last year.

Leo's a regular contributor here and an authority on Irish modsaloons/modsports/GTs. I'll get him to post some more info on the car.

col rooney · 3 Jan 2010, 16:47 (Ref:2607683)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davyboy

David Hall's Davrian Imp, a very famous car in Ireland, was raced extensively by Vivian Candy during the mid to late 1970s in Marlboro Captain America colours. Its alive and well today and driven by Leo Nulty in the Irish Historics Championship.

I think you will find this is not the david hall's davrian imp ,i once owned this car and had it have been davids old car i would have held on to it

col

davyboy · 3 Jan 2010, 18:27 (Ref:2607717)

Quote:

Originally Posted by col rooney

I think you will find this is not the david hall's davrian imp ,i once owned this car and had it have been davids old car i would have held on to it

col

Many apologies Col... I didn't realize that you had its full provenance and definitive proof it wasn't the Hall/Candy Imp.

Ignore my earlier post.

col rooney · 3 Jan 2010, 21:42 (Ref:2607762)

I only know because the diagonal in leo's car is the wrong way around to hall's old car

col

p261brm · 5 Jan 2010, 17:43 (Ref:2608506)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cirrus

Does anyone have any memories to share?...... (and if Dan Rear takes more than 30 minutes to respond, he's not the man I think he is!)

Ah yes 65 North Street Clapham SW4 that motor racing mecca of South London, Albert Betts and his Jaguar Mk 1???. Mark Konig and the Nomads, later the Wheely dealer, Bob Evans and Palliser,[Dick Atkins now at Hall & Hall worked for them at Clapham] Bob of course the Davrian lightbulb and a pretty quick one, Adrian and David not forgetting Speedy the dog. Producers of great little cars and not forgetting E type bonnets used by many all bearing the same registration number WOO 11. Still have a copy of the works cartoon, though I fear it would not re-produce too well here.
Memories and pretty good ones, my marra Eddy Jukes [used to lay up glass fibre] at a Streatham Baths Jazz dance, chat up lines in a false but plausable Aussi tone 'heh Pete come over n' meet the sheilas' and the reply in an un-mistakable South Lambeth accent 'woduwant' in reply. Happy days.

p261brm · 18 Jan 2010, 11:55 (Ref:2615063)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Simpson

Have a look at:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...G/homepage.htm

http://uk.geocities.com/davriangallery/photoindex.html

Tried both, both out of commission, though lower sites content available via http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

driftwood · 23 Jan 2010, 14:45 (Ref:2618083)

Davrian also built 3 or 4 Imps for special saloons with Davrian floor pan imp shell on top
1st car was John Homewood in 77 then david hall ordered a car im sure Jim McGaughy had 1 in scotland
however the imp shell was used on 2 or 3 space frame cars so its easy to get confused looking at a photo
The Homewood car was written off by Terry at Lydden in 79 or 80 backwards across the line dicing with my father- i think it was 1 of the races my fathers wife filmed on video- I will investigate further

col rooney · 24 Jan 2010, 21:48 (Ref:2618799)

I think there was more than 4 davrian imps made nearly sure i had a list from the davrian register years ago and it said around 15 full glass davrian imps were built ,i will check to see if i still have it

col

driftwood · 27 Jan 2010, 23:59 (Ref:2620690)

NO WAY 15 davrian Imps built more like 4
cars where heavy Maguire came along and built a better car

col rooney · 29 Jan 2010, 18:42 (Ref:2621883)

The Davrian register shows that there was 12 cars made 2 of which had bda engines fitted plus then there is quiet a few full spaceframe davrian saloons were built,i dont ever recall a maguire beating david halls davrian in mondello

col

driftwood · 29 Jan 2010, 20:42 (Ref:2621951)

Mondello is NOT the centr eof teh universe try brands donington silverstioen snetteron oulton once the Maguire came along no other Imp got a look in until teh Bery Ray bilt Imps in 86 ish

I certainly do not recal mor ethan 3 or 4 Davrian floor pan Imps
teh space frames where NEVER davrina built cars they where only utilising the boxy body shape

John Homewood had the first imp davrian floor pan car 1 litre motor
then David Hall 1220 motor
Im sure Jim McGaughy had 1 in scotland
Brian Davis had davrian body Imp BDA at Lydden cannot recall what chassis poss space frame] fred hendy had space frame Imp 850 motor spaceframe chassis ( i think this car went to Steve Holland to race at Lydden) now i am struggling to think of any other cars/ drivers with the davrian body
i may need to dig out my old fotos