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by worksminis » 13 Apr 2017, 19:08

Monte Carlo Rally January 66. Aaltonen/Ambrose. Group 1. Excluded after finishing provisional second on scratch (and on handicap).

Used for test at Strata Florida, exact date unknown (photos – Pike – at Strata Florida and being made roadworthy at roadside afterwards). Price refers to a March 66 test at request of Engineering at Longbridge to address concerns over the stiffer hydrolastic units causing struts to jump out. Not clear whether this was the same test.

Could potentially have been used as a recce car earlier (Sweden? Flowers? February). GRX5D was the selected Gp1 competing car for Flowers and Tulip. Fall's Flowers recce car (which might have been expected to be one of the other Group 1 cars, as he was to drive GRX5D in Group 1 spec.) is described in press reports as “stuffed” during recce. The other Group 1 car GRX555D was recce car for Tulip and Acropolis.

Circuit of Ireland April 66. Hopkirk/Harryman. A new Group2 car. Destroyed in major shunt and written off.

...Leaving a battered but intact original Group 1 car for disposal....with or without the number.

Browning description of "written off" could apply to either of the two GRX55Ds. With the reg number having been on the Circuit of Ireland car which was destroyed comparatively near to home (rather than in some remote corner of Europe) it may have been politic not to keep it "live". Correspondence revealed in the research of GRX309D suggests the original GRX55D may have been disposed of as a rolling shell without its reg number.



Strangely a “restored” GRX55D has since appeared in Group 2 form, with both 65 and 66 auxiliary light arrangements seen in photos (GRX55D was never in 65 spec) but not in Group 1 form.

by worksminis » 29 Aug 2018, 13:28

Recently discovered photo of a stuffed recce car from 66 Flowers has EJB55C on the (65 spec) bonnet (see EJB55C thread).

(All the 65 RAC full works (as opposed to works loaned) cars, which were most likely to have been used as recce cars early in 66, were older B and C registrations and all but DJB93B were Gp3.

by davidscothorn » 29 May 2017, 16:07

DVLA AUSTIN 1966 1275 DOR 3/86 SORN MOT X

Images

Quite separate from all the stuff about restorations vs re creations, I have to say that I find it utterly bizarre and almost beyond belief that there should be a Group 2 looking GRX55D around carrying the number and rally plate of the Group 1 66 Monte car, when the only Group 2 GRX55D was the obviously new Hopkirk 66 Circuit of Ireland car that was totally destroyed on its first outing. I cannot immediately think of any other make/model where such a complete anomaly would not be greeted with a massed chorus of WTF.

The owner of this car was a member of the Southern Mini Owners Club in the late 80s and early 90s. I remember it as apart from anything else the owner agreed to drive my new wife and I away from our wedding reception in the car (1993). Unfortunately I don't recall examining the car in great detail on that occasion or my marriage might have got off on the wrong foot.

I do remember the owner telling me on a previous occasion that it had been built from boxes of bits although I don't recall the details or whether a shell was involved. What I can remember is consistent with the sketchy details given here: http://www.theitalianjob.com/worksminis_GRX55D.htm The link from there to the owner's website no longer works.

WTF....

Bad luck

1966 Monte

Great pics of the Gp 1 Monte car Stu.
Could the car that currently wears the registration be THIS car, wrongly dressed as the Gp 2 Circuit of Ireland car that was totalled ? ..........or is it something else ??

Following Dudley Pike's book we have a better chronology, with photos there not only from Strata Florida but of how to rebuild a front corner at the side of the road whilst wearing a blazer.
That test fits with Price's description of post Monte testing of hydrolastic because a trumpet had come unseated (with the suspension pressurised) and the factory production people didn't know which way to go. These were red/double red units and maybe blue/double blue was the direct result, as these became available later in 66.
Yes it is possible for the front trumpet to appear sideways with the knuckle still attached. I had it happen to my 998 Cooper straight after fitting silver units.

Fall is then said to have "badly" rolled his Flowers recce car and that it was GRX55D. That would normally be the end, since the reg no was used on the Hopkirk Circuit (of Ireland) Gp2 car which was visibly totalled and not even BMC Comps could have had the front to make it appear again as a new car. The Gp1 car then seems to have been sold (to mechanic Jonny Organ) as an unregistered rolling shell. That raises the question of its exact condition.
"Badly rolled" in BMC Comps terms might in reality mean "just a bit rolled" to anyone else and to JO it might have been a good "fixer upper" on a different reg. no. for a shopping car (did we have supermarkets then?).
(I can't actually find the "Works car found" thread to check).

So it's not impossible the car carrying the number now with the Monte plates and number but, ridiculously, with Gp2 arches etc. is the original Gp1 car. (We'd need it on a ramp to check for hidden holes for the external pipe channelling etc). But why for pity's sake make it look Gp2 if it really was the Monte Gp1 car???

Mmmmmm….. interesting..I’d take some convincing……..

1966 Circuit of Ireland

And some people still believe this could have been a re-prepared knackered old Gp1 car...

1966 Monte

Testing that suspension, post Monte

Is that the usual testing route of Strata Florida ?

Is that a crease in the N/S wing , and a Morris grill.

It looks to be the watersplash that appears in many other Strata Florida photos - but who is driving? It doesn't look like Tony Fall or Geoff Mabbs (who seem to have been regulars for tests there).
The roadside photo on the way home in Dudley Pike's book shows a second mechanic barely visible beside the front nearside but clearly shows a mop of curly hair. Mick Legg? Is that him driving? A fuller face than any regular driver? It seems perfectly reasonable for mechanics to do part of such testing there.
Monte photos show Bob Whittington (RIP a couple of weeks ago) straightening the nearside wing into something like in the photo above.