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Unread postby worksminis » 12 Mar 2017, 09:33

1275GT

London-Mexico World Cup Rally, April 70. Handley/Easter. Non-homologated spec. Retd.

Scottish Rally, June 70. Hopkirk/Nash. Group 6. 2nd O/A.

Unread postby Cooperman » 05 Dec 2017, 16:28

I did a fair few rallies with Chris and he was certainly a very capable and competitive driver. A very nice guy as well. You don;t get to get the results Chris had without being both very capable and determined.
Our crash on the Scottish in 1969, after we had been leading overall in an old Cortina-Lotus on Day 1, was our 'near death experience'. A few feet either way and the result could have been very different. We still always mention it when we are together. The car was truly 'Donald Ducked'!
Sally is indeed a lovely lady, and fancy you mentioning Sally Gould. I just sent her an email about 10 minutes ago to her home in Tasmania where she lives with Rod Cooper (of Supersport/David Sutton Cars fame).
Now by a fantastic coincidence my son has just bought a house in a village near Daventry and it turns out that the lovely Jill Robinson (later Sutton, but not any longer) lives in the same road and my grand-kids are now taking her dogs for walks. So when I visit my son & his family I get to spend time with Jill. We are going to get her driving my son's Escort RS2000 rally car soon.

Unread postby worksminis » 04 Dec 2017, 22:55

Cooperman wrote:
Chris Sclater's book is worth buying if you are a true rally enthusiast.
I got a free one for my contributions to it!


I didn't! (but I got a free copy of The Welsh Rally for my contributions!).
I didn't even know it was being written until quite recently and I fear some may give up attempting to buy by C/card when a PayPal account is still demanded. Not a lot for Mini enthusiasts (except for his first road car - a Mini van he fitted with Cooper running gear).
A bit OT but I would be interested to hear your assessment of him as a driver. I was a massive fan in pre-Escort days and viewed him then as the one man about to eclipse Albert.
KPU381C of 69 Scottish fame appears in the background of my photo of DJB93B on that thread at the start of the 66 Gulf. The radio aerial from Elford's days with it seems to have survived your aerobatics!
I was also jealous back in the day when he married Sally Kemsley. What with admiring Sally Gould too, I must have had a fixation on that name in my youth.....

Unread postby Cooperman » 04 Dec 2017, 21:40

Chris Sclater's book is worth buying if you are a true rally enthusiast.
I got a free one for my contributions to it!

by worksminis » 24 Nov 2017, 19:44

Chris Sclater's "Memories of a Rally Champion", just published, reveals he drove Phil Cooper's XJB308H in a Jamaican rally as replacement for Brian Culcheth.

by graeme1293 » 04 Jul 2017, 10:29

XJB308H in the Asean rally - it was driven by a local driver. Brian Culcheth won the rally in an ex BMC Cyprus Marina. I think both cars were loaned by Phil Cooper - the Mini went back to the UK but the Marina was sold to NZMC - the NZ part of BMC. The Marina is possibly still in NZ.

Unread postby davidscothorn » 29 May 2017, 16:51

DVLA LEYLAND CARS 1970 1293 DOR 4/70 SORN MOT3/13

Unread postby worksminis » 27 May 2017, 16:09

Sold to Phil Cooper.

Welsh International Rally May 71 Phil Cooper/ Co-driver N/K.
RAC Rally Nov 71 Phil Cooper/Chris Lord (XJB?)

XJB308H in MN Rallies with Phil Cooper:
(Cilwendeg Sep 70 believed RJB326F)
Plains Sep 71
Illuminations Oct 71
Targa Rusticana Dec 71?
Peak Revs Aug 72
Illuminations Oct 72
Plains Oct 72? (entry list as OTH891J but that believed to apply to next car)
Shenstone Nov 72?
Stocktonian Sep 73?
Illuminations Oct 73?

Images

As seen at Race Retro 2010

Image

Just to add some information to the entry for the Plain Rally. OTH891J was an orange mini clubman driven by Eric Davies and navigated by Allan Jones. Both from West Wales. If any one know the location of OTH891J please let me know. Cooper1293.

Great pics Stu. Thanks for sharing.

Just stuck World Cup Rally 1970 into my usual search engine and they turned up in the images.

It's possible that I am in the stadium shot as my dad took us to see the start at Wembley.

1970 Scottish

1970 World Cup

1971 Welsh Phil Cooper