McNab's Jersey
Discussion
Winner 5th Jersey International Road Race (Jaguar C type). First time the race had been won by a sportscar.
Considering the circuit it must have been quite a drive in the 3.4 Jaguar, Ken Wharton was second in a Frazer Nash a car I'd have thought more suited to the race.
Nice one Ian.
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:16
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:17
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:17
Considering the circuit it must have been quite a drive in the 3.4 Jaguar, Ken Wharton was second in a Frazer Nash a car I'd have thought more suited to the race.
Nice one Ian.
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:16
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:17
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Thursday 18th July 13:17
When I first saw this I thought it was about one of my standard dark blue ones with holes in both elbows - I have a collection of them!
The penny dropped when I read it though - it was in Autosport today. I will try to write something unboring later on, because it was a bit of an adventure one way and another.
Kind of you all to be interested in such old stuff - I appreciate it very much.
Cheers,
Ian.
The penny dropped when I read it though - it was in Autosport today. I will try to write something unboring later on, because it was a bit of an adventure one way and another.
Kind of you all to be interested in such old stuff - I appreciate it very much.
Cheers,
Ian.
We appreciate it for the same reason that some of us read and re-read 'Touch Wood' or 'Alf Francis Racing Mechanic', things just ain't like that anymore.
Whilst you're about it Ian any little Desmond Titterington anecdotes would be timely and much appreciated, must have been something about those old Jaguars!
Whilst you're about it Ian any little Desmond Titterington anecdotes would be timely and much appreciated, must have been something about those old Jaguars!
Ken, Des Titterington was the Irish 'clubby' assigned to look after me when the Jaguar team went across to Dundrod for the TT in 1953. The night before the race he told me he knew a restaurant I would enjoy. Five pubs and no food later he dumped me back at my hotel, and I barely managed to get up next morning. I got a puncture, and then broke the gearbox, so it didn't really matter, but that's an example of typical Des humour. Great guy, and he became a very fine driver.
The International Jersey Road Race was my first shot at a 'street' circuit, and probably the most enjoyable drive I ever had. The C-Type was the sixth one they built - three works cars plus a spare, and then three for works drivers who wanted to have a go at events the factory team didn't enter. The one I drove at Jersey was finished with four days to go, and because they were a bit oil-sensitive (3 hour stints at Le Mans were the max oilwise) I had to collect it at the factory and run it in for 1,000 miles before the event.
When I set off the Headmaster's last words were "see you win" and believe me Lofty England's word was law.
The drive to the ferry was a hoot - first time I'd driven one without a crash helmet on, and the noise was shattering. It must have looked shattering too, because traffic just melted in front of it. Not so much fun in Jersey though, with another 800 miles to do before the race, but we managed by working a sort of shift system day and night!
Practice went well, but I was very nervous on race day with the Headmaster's words ringing in my ears. The circuit went along the sea front and up St Helier's main street, with lots of corners in between and lethal pavements everywhere. No Armco in those days either. Never mind. 120 up a narrow High Street was a treat - felt much faster than it was, and as long as you avoided the bus stop at the end you were OK. The bus stop had been collected by someone and the metal post hung out into the road at an angle - it made a good aiming point because there was a blind hump just before it.
The race was a bit too easy - Astons and Fraser-Nashes etc couldn't live with a C-Type in 1952, and the quickest opposition was an HWM with a Jaguar engine, but it hadn't the pace and it expired fairly early on, so no problem all the way to the chequered flag. For some reason I found street racing suited me - I don't know why to this day.
006 was the best of the four C-Types I drove, and it gave me twelve wins - no complaints! So there we are. 50 years ago, and it feels like........precisely 50 years ago!!
The International Jersey Road Race was my first shot at a 'street' circuit, and probably the most enjoyable drive I ever had. The C-Type was the sixth one they built - three works cars plus a spare, and then three for works drivers who wanted to have a go at events the factory team didn't enter. The one I drove at Jersey was finished with four days to go, and because they were a bit oil-sensitive (3 hour stints at Le Mans were the max oilwise) I had to collect it at the factory and run it in for 1,000 miles before the event.
When I set off the Headmaster's last words were "see you win" and believe me Lofty England's word was law.
The drive to the ferry was a hoot - first time I'd driven one without a crash helmet on, and the noise was shattering. It must have looked shattering too, because traffic just melted in front of it. Not so much fun in Jersey though, with another 800 miles to do before the race, but we managed by working a sort of shift system day and night!
Practice went well, but I was very nervous on race day with the Headmaster's words ringing in my ears. The circuit went along the sea front and up St Helier's main street, with lots of corners in between and lethal pavements everywhere. No Armco in those days either. Never mind. 120 up a narrow High Street was a treat - felt much faster than it was, and as long as you avoided the bus stop at the end you were OK. The bus stop had been collected by someone and the metal post hung out into the road at an angle - it made a good aiming point because there was a blind hump just before it.
The race was a bit too easy - Astons and Fraser-Nashes etc couldn't live with a C-Type in 1952, and the quickest opposition was an HWM with a Jaguar engine, but it hadn't the pace and it expired fairly early on, so no problem all the way to the chequered flag. For some reason I found street racing suited me - I don't know why to this day.
006 was the best of the four C-Types I drove, and it gave me twelve wins - no complaints! So there we are. 50 years ago, and it feels like........precisely 50 years ago!!
Thank you, Ian!
I've had a look around the web, and found some interesting stuff about your C-Type
C at 1953 Goodwood Nine Hours race
www.motorsnippets.com/cars/Douglas_Eatwell_2/index.asp
Your C in model form:
www.autofanatics.com/ctypleman191.html
I've had a look around the web, and found some interesting stuff about your C-Type
quote:
XKC 006 Engine n° E1008 Body n° K1008 Reg. N° JWS 353 Delivery 4/7/52 Colour Dark Green Sold to lan Stewart, UK, and run under Ecurie Eeosse; 1952 Jersey Road Race, 1 st; Charterhall, 1st x 2; Boreham, spun off; Crimond, 1st; Turnberry, 1st in heat, 3rd in final; Wakefield Trophy. The Curragh, 1st; Goodwood, 1st; Castle Combe, 1st; Charterhall, 1st; 1953 repainted in Ecurie Ecosse metallic blue; Easter Handicap, Goodwood, Sanderson, 6th; Charterhall, 1st; Ibsley, 1st; Silverstone, 1st; Charterhall, 4th; Thruxton, 2nd; Snetterton, 1st; Isle of Man, DNF; Snetterton, 1st x2; LeinsterTrophy, Wicklow, Scott-Douglas, Cnd. Silverstone, 5th; Charterhall, Sanderson, 6th; sold to Hans Davids (Holland); 1954 Spa, 1st; Zandvoort, 1st; Amiens, 2nd; sold to Bryan Corser (Shrewsbury, UK), square boot lid fitted to tail; 1955/6 sprinted; sold to Anthony Barrett-Greene, (Staffs, UK); sold & shipped to USA; owners included Robert Allen; 1974 re-imported; 1974/75 rebuilt by Lynx for the late Bill Lake (Sussex, UK).
www.classicscars.com/chassis/Ctype.htm
C at 1953 Goodwood Nine Hours race www.motorsnippets.com/cars/Douglas_Eatwell_2/index.asp
Your C in model form:
www.autofanatics.com/ctypleman191.html
Bodo, thanks for the info re 006. It's amazing to find these things on the internet, and this one is fairly accurate. I can't be sure about the results when I was 'away' driving for the works team, but by and large the rest is near the mark except for two firsts - I had twelve, not fourteen.
An unusually lucky car, and it would be interesting to know if it still exists. I have to own up to the fact that although it was allocated to me it actually belonged to a finance company before being purchased by Ecurie Ecosse. But that's another story!
Photo is works lightweight 053 at the Goodwood Nine Hour race in 1953 - finished 3rd, on the same lap as the winning Astons, and should have done better!
The model represents works lightweight 052 as it was at Le Mans in 1953 - fourth overall, and again should have done better. I did the last three hours and got black-flagged due to bits flying off it. Allowed to continue after pit stop to cut away the offending bodywork, but terribly disappointed not to finish third as had been intended.
An unusually lucky car, and it would be interesting to know if it still exists. I have to own up to the fact that although it was allocated to me it actually belonged to a finance company before being purchased by Ecurie Ecosse. But that's another story!
Photo is works lightweight 053 at the Goodwood Nine Hour race in 1953 - finished 3rd, on the same lap as the winning Astons, and should have done better!
The model represents works lightweight 052 as it was at Le Mans in 1953 - fourth overall, and again should have done better. I did the last three hours and got black-flagged due to bits flying off it. Allowed to continue after pit stop to cut away the offending bodywork, but terribly disappointed not to finish third as had been intended.
Thanks Ian, I had only heard sanitised stories about Des T, yours gives a nice perspective. I'd imagine a session with him, Duncan Hamilton and Innis would be a good way to kiss off this mortal coil. My favorite Innis story was when he arranged to meet a jorno arrived in his fishing boat and promptly put it into a spin saying he couldn't break the habit.
During the eighties I was out with a friend in the Ashdown Forest when his 100/4 broke down, we had reached the scratch head and kick tyre stage when a DB4 driven by a chap in a DJ stopped. Without any hesitation he disappeared under the bonnet and sorted out the problem, his parting words were to recommend a nearby pub. Nice one Innis.
Did you ever meet Cliff Davies? I used to clean cars for him in exchange for rides in some good stuff, if only I had been old enough to have a licence. Strangely his nephew built my current daily driver, small world isn't it.
I have previously posted about my veneration of the C type, it was amazing how competitive the ex Moss C Type was against a host of specialised cars at the 65 Blackbush dragfest, a really versatile motorcar. I've often cherished the thought of building a replica, if I copied your Nurburgring car I'd could transpose two of the registration numbers and it would be my initials, what vanity!
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Sunday 21st July 19:05
During the eighties I was out with a friend in the Ashdown Forest when his 100/4 broke down, we had reached the scratch head and kick tyre stage when a DB4 driven by a chap in a DJ stopped. Without any hesitation he disappeared under the bonnet and sorted out the problem, his parting words were to recommend a nearby pub. Nice one Innis.
Did you ever meet Cliff Davies? I used to clean cars for him in exchange for rides in some good stuff, if only I had been old enough to have a licence. Strangely his nephew built my current daily driver, small world isn't it.
I have previously posted about my veneration of the C type, it was amazing how competitive the ex Moss C Type was against a host of specialised cars at the 65 Blackbush dragfest, a really versatile motorcar. I've often cherished the thought of building a replica, if I copied your Nurburgring car I'd could transpose two of the registration numbers and it would be my initials, what vanity!
>> Edited by gnomesmith on Sunday 21st July 19:05
quote:Reading this reminded me of an account of Jim Clark driving an unsilenced Lister Jaguar through Huntingdonshire and scaring various USAF types witless. Can anybody tell me which book it was in, I'd love to add it to my already groaning bookshelf.
When I set off the Headmaster's last words were "see you win" and believe me Lofty England's word was law.
The drive to the ferry was a hoot - first time I'd driven one without a crash helmet on, and the noise was shattering. It must have looked shattering too, because traffic just melted in front of it
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