Discussion
Hello folks,
I had one of those good days, a special moment where I have been offered a rare 1960 Formula Junior, called a Lova. Its a Belgium car build by Willy Vroomen, and was raced by him and Bob Bondru. The engine is 1000cc DKW race engine of approx 90HP, the chassis us part of the pipework for the cooling system. This Lova appeared in the Second Grand Prix on 31st July where it finished 14th place. It’s a nice historic racing car eligible for all the prestigious racing events, including Goodwood.
While at David's place, I took some pictures of a little collection he races. Customer's 355 under the cover, a Lola in the dark green is pretty. There's the Lotus 11 Le-Mans car still there. Healey 3000 racer, MGC, and more Lotii.
I had one of those good days, a special moment where I have been offered a rare 1960 Formula Junior, called a Lova. Its a Belgium car build by Willy Vroomen, and was raced by him and Bob Bondru. The engine is 1000cc DKW race engine of approx 90HP, the chassis us part of the pipework for the cooling system. This Lova appeared in the Second Grand Prix on 31st July where it finished 14th place. It’s a nice historic racing car eligible for all the prestigious racing events, including Goodwood.
While at David's place, I took some pictures of a little collection he races. Customer's 355 under the cover, a Lola in the dark green is pretty. There's the Lotus 11 Le-Mans car still there. Healey 3000 racer, MGC, and more Lotii.
mark r skinner said:
JB, what are the bikes at the back?
Mark I wish I could tell you more. I have had an opportunity to buy one of the two wheeled drive bikes this chap developed. Clever old stick, and a lovely bloke.
If you were studying the background you may have noticed the art.
I was talking to our Stef about this car earlier....
www.racecarlivery.co.uk/For_sale/Lotus/lotus.html
Edited by justinbaker on Wednesday 6th September 00:01
pupp said:
mark r skinner said:
JB, what are the bikes at the back? DKW Wankels ? 
Just 'cos you've still got your 'top trump' card set handy Skinner...(look like Jap cruisers to me)
I know my 70s bikes. Mr Frampton (vette) taught me,
back in the day... I reckon Suzuki 250 hustler and a Honda CB750. A potential test for the 'wheel'?
Surely would make a good add showing it's use.
Not a lot of info about this motor.
Scrub earlier comment about 90bhp form 1L it's a 2 stroke, doh!
Bet it sounds amazing but looking at the exhaust predates tuned chambers.
Love 2 strokes, Saab 2 stroke rally car used to sound fantastic.
Is it still about not seen it in Kettering for a while now.
Surely would make a good add showing it's use.
Not a lot of info about this motor.
Scrub earlier comment about 90bhp form 1L it's a 2 stroke, doh!
Bet it sounds amazing but looking at the exhaust predates tuned chambers.
Love 2 strokes, Saab 2 stroke rally car used to sound fantastic.
Is it still about not seen it in Kettering for a while now.
Edited by The_Burg on Wednesday 6th September 09:34
I have committed to buying this lovely little car, being historic realy does fit in with my true character.
you are right Burg, this will be an excellent test for wheeling out the rear body. Lots of guesswork, or more humting down of photos will be needed.
Instead of doing yet more accounts for HM Revenue and customs today ready for PAYE world, I went digging about for further information. The pictures above are of the car in Formula 3 guise. New wheels and slimmer tyres will be needed to re-enter the Formula Junior world.
The Lova was a Belgian machine constructed by Jef Dujourie at Louvain (hence the derivation of its name, the Latin name for Louvain was Lovanium). The first Lova was a 500cc car raced by Dujourie himself in Belgian hillclimbs and in 1960 he built a front-engined DKW powered F Junior which, despite André Pilette having an outing at Monthléry, proved uncompetitive.
A new chassis was constructed, this time moving the DKW engine to the rear and was driven by the wonderfully named Willy Vroomen, a Dutchman from Antwerp and Jean-Claude Franck, a 21 year old from Louvain. Results were still disappointing and even the adoption of a Holbay-tweaked Ford engine did not noticeably improve matters.
Vroomen took part in several early F3 races, where the Lova reverted to a DKW engine in what would seem to be the F Junior car converted to F3. It only ever appeared to run towards the back of a handful of races and then vanished as the racing became more serious.
Thanks to Stefan Örnerdal for additional information.
Drivers:
1964 Willy Vroomen.
1965 Roger Béguint, Willy Vroomen.
1966 Willy Vroomen.
Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen
April 23, 24, 25, 1965
Spectators: ca. 50.000
Weather: Cold, at times (heavy rain)
Notes: The Formula 2 and 3 races are combined into one 20-lap race. That of 226 participants, only 106 finished
Here's qualifying:
Position Driver/car Time
1 Mike Spence - Lotus 35 3:05.2 = 150.59 km/h
2 Peter Revson - Lotus 32 3:07.4
3 Chris Irwin - Merlyn MK 9 3:08.1
16 Willy Vroomen - Lova-DKW ?
17 Alan Taylor - Alexis MK 6 ?
18 Gianfranco Padoan - Cooper T65 ?
The actual race it seems it Did not finish.
XII Int. Autobahnspinne-Rennen Dresden1963
position 11 Willy Vroomen Lova - DKW 18
Solitude 1961, came 10th not so bad.
you are right Burg, this will be an excellent test for wheeling out the rear body. Lots of guesswork, or more humting down of photos will be needed.
Instead of doing yet more accounts for HM Revenue and customs today ready for PAYE world, I went digging about for further information. The pictures above are of the car in Formula 3 guise. New wheels and slimmer tyres will be needed to re-enter the Formula Junior world.
The Lova was a Belgian machine constructed by Jef Dujourie at Louvain (hence the derivation of its name, the Latin name for Louvain was Lovanium). The first Lova was a 500cc car raced by Dujourie himself in Belgian hillclimbs and in 1960 he built a front-engined DKW powered F Junior which, despite André Pilette having an outing at Monthléry, proved uncompetitive.
A new chassis was constructed, this time moving the DKW engine to the rear and was driven by the wonderfully named Willy Vroomen, a Dutchman from Antwerp and Jean-Claude Franck, a 21 year old from Louvain. Results were still disappointing and even the adoption of a Holbay-tweaked Ford engine did not noticeably improve matters.
Vroomen took part in several early F3 races, where the Lova reverted to a DKW engine in what would seem to be the F Junior car converted to F3. It only ever appeared to run towards the back of a handful of races and then vanished as the racing became more serious.
Thanks to Stefan Örnerdal for additional information.
Drivers:
1964 Willy Vroomen.
1965 Roger Béguint, Willy Vroomen.
1966 Willy Vroomen.
Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen
April 23, 24, 25, 1965
Spectators: ca. 50.000
Weather: Cold, at times (heavy rain)
Notes: The Formula 2 and 3 races are combined into one 20-lap race. That of 226 participants, only 106 finished
Here's qualifying:
Position Driver/car Time
1 Mike Spence - Lotus 35 3:05.2 = 150.59 km/h
2 Peter Revson - Lotus 32 3:07.4
3 Chris Irwin - Merlyn MK 9 3:08.1
16 Willy Vroomen - Lova-DKW ?
17 Alan Taylor - Alexis MK 6 ?
18 Gianfranco Padoan - Cooper T65 ?
The actual race it seems it Did not finish.
XII Int. Autobahnspinne-Rennen Dresden1963
position 11 Willy Vroomen Lova - DKW 18
Solitude 1961, came 10th not so bad.
Edited by justinbaker on Wednesday 13th September 12:36
justinbaker said:
I have committed to buying this lovely little car, being historic realy does fit in with my true character.
Wow JB! A real piece of motoring history, if a little obscure. I can't wait to see it in the flesh.
Are you going to give us all a materclass in using "the wheel"?
I'll offer my services as vaguely capable grease monkey to help put this in some sort of order.
If you're thinking of putting it on the track then it'll need a driver though.
Hmmm
I think I may know who'd volunteer for a Blip in it!
great project Justin, good luck with it. Wish i had the space and time to do something like that.... find myself becoming more and more interesting in classic racing, maybe its an age related thing 
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