London Trophy

Crystal Palace, 29 May 1967

All cars are 1.6-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. McLaren M4A [M4A/1] (Bruce McLaren): Entered by Bruce McLaren Motor Racing for Bruce McLaren in F2 in 1967. Sold to Jim Palmer (NZ) 1968, then to Tony Osborne's Argo Racing in Australia July 1968, driven by Peter Macrow in 1968 and then Alfredo Costanzo from 1968 to 1971. To Ken Hastings mid-1971, who swapped the FVA for a Ford twin-cam for 1972, and the to John Sheppard August 1973. Fitted with a 1300cc Toyota Corolla engine by Geoff Kennett 1974. Later Tony Armstrong (Victoria, Australia) in November 1982 and rebuilt around 1985. At Christie's Melbourne auction 1990 where it was sold to Art Valdez (Torrance, CA). It remained in Valdez' collection for many years, until sold to a UK consortium in 2017.
2. Brabham BT23 [4] (Alan Rees): Roy Winkelmann Racing for Alan Rees in F2 1967. To Walter Habegger (Oberönz, Switzerland) 1968 for Swiss championship events. To Gérard Pillon (Geneva, Switzerland) 1969 and used in Swiss national events and French hillclimbs. (Although one source gives this as the car of Enzo Corti at Rheims and Albi in 1969, that identification looks highly doubtful.) Crashed at Côte de la Faucille on 7 September and not seen again. In 2009, Walter Habegger recalled that Pillon had an accident in the car and that it was badly damaged.
3. McLaren M4A [M4A/2] (Piers Courage): Entered by John Coombes for Piers Courage in F2 in 1967. Crashed at Brands Hatch in August 1967 and believed to have been rebuilt on a new tub before its next race at Albi four weeks later, but Autosport makes no mention of a rebuild nor of it being a new car. Raced by Piers Courage in the 1968 Tasman series. Sold to Niel Allen and raced in Australian events in 1968 until Allen crashed heavily at Lakeside in July, reportedly requiring another new tub to be fabricated. Raced again by Allen in 1969, then to Pat Burke for drivers Len Goodwin 1970-71 and Warwick Brown 1971. Sold by Burke and Peter Malloy to Erol Richardson but bought back by Pat Burke around 1982. Restored by Molloy for Burke and retained until sold to John Hugenholtz. To David Coplowe (England) by 1994. Raced in the HSCC Historic Formula Racing Car Championship in 1995. Raced by Coplowe until 2010, and sold to Gareth Williams (Oxfordshire) in 2012.
4. Lola T100 [SL100/6] (John Surtees): New for John Surtees to drive for Lola Racing at Mallory Park in May 1967, fitted with a Cosworth FVA engine. Surtees won at Mallory, and the next race at Zolder. This was then the team's main FVA car, as SL100/2 had been rebuilt in narrow-track form, and SL100/4 had been sold to David Bridges. Raced by Chris Irwin from July onwards, then by Andrea de Adamich at Enna. Raced by Irwin in F2 in early 1968, but after Irwin was badly injured in sports car race in May, the T100 was sold to Escuderia Nacional CS to replace SL100/8 that had been wrecked by Alex Soler-Roig. Raced by Soler-Roig for the rest of the 1968 season. To John Watson (Craigavad, County Down, Northern Ireland) and fitted with a Ford twin cam for local libre racing in 1969. To Dave Furlong (Dublin, Ireland) for 1970, then to John Burke (Dublin) for 1971. It was raced by Richie Conroy for Burke in 1972, then by Burke again in libre racing in 1973. Advertised by Burke, still with Ford twin cam engine and Hewland FT200 gearbox, in November 1973. Subsequent history unknown, but said by a later owner to have been owned by Bob Eccles (Oldbury, West Midland) in the late 1970s. If that is correct, it would be the second T100 that Eccles acquired as a source of spares for his main car. It is then believed to be the car raced by Pat Speer in HSCC events in 1985. Ted Walker then had two Lola T100s, probably the two ex-Eccles cars, and one remained in pieces while he had them, logically this one. According to a later Bonhams sale description, this car was owned by Speer in the 1970s, and was acquired by Louis Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 1989. Bernat died in 1997, and the car was advertised by his son Robert Bernat (Chicago, IL) in 2005, bought by Paul Busby, and returned to England. Sold at the Bonhams Brooklands auction in December 2011 to Robs Lamplough, but later sold back to Busby in 2015.
5. Brabham BT23 [3] (Frank Gardner): Motor Racing Developments entry for Frank Gardner in 1967. To Squadra Tartaruga for Xavier Perrot (Zürich, Switzerland) to race in F2 in 1968. Retained early 1969 but damaged at Nürburgring 27 April by a Porsche landing on top of it. Sold via Jo Siffert in 1969 to Jacques Joliat (Porrentruy, Switzerland) who raced it in French and Swiss hillclimbs in 1970 and 1971, before replacing the FVA with a FVC for 1972. Unknown in 1973 and 1974, then to Michel Salvi (Malbuisson, France) and raced with a 1300cc Renault Gordini engine in 1975 and 1976. To Alain Ribager (Mulhouse, Alsace, France) in 1977, and raced by him until 1979. In 1980, Daniel Coquet raced a 1300cc Brabham a few times, and advertised it in October that year as a BT23 with 1300cc Renault engine. Then in 1981 and 1982, Jean-Pierre Mutel raced a Renault-engined BT23 which is very probably the same car. Found by Gérard Gamand in 1984 near Valence, France with March bodywork but still with a Renault engine. To Michel Champelovier 1989 then 'Hollinger' then Thierry De Mortier by 2006. To Max Pearson (Queensland, Australia) 2010.
6. Lola T62/T64 [SL62/8] (Robs Lamplough): John Surtees' 1966 F2 car according to Lola records, and raced only at Karlskoga in August 1966. To Robs Lamplough (London) at the end of 1966 and raced in 1967 F2 and libre, when it was described as having been updated to T63 specification. Then to John L'Amie in Ireland for 1600cc class racing. Sold to the US in Sep 1968, and almost certain to be the car imported by Pierre Philips of Pierre's Motor Racing (Portland, OR) and raced by Robert Schmidt (Portland, OR) for Formula B in 1969. From Schmidt it was sold to Sans Thompson (Banks, OR), who in turn sold it to Robert 'Bob' Tracy (Hillsboro, OR), who raced it in local Formula B in 1973. While owned by Tracy, the Lola was crashed by David E.B. 'Deb' Ward in 1974 at a driving school at Kent. Many years later, it was acquired by Lawrence Hayes, still in Tracy's livery, and sold by him via Rob Shanahan in February 2012 back to Robs Lamplough.
7. Brabham BT21/23 [BT21-30] (Chris Lambert): This BT21 was built to F2 specification with a Cosworth FVA engine and BT23 suspension for Alan McKechnie Racing and raced in 1967 by Chris Lambert. It was later damaged in a trailer accident but evidently repaired and is believed to be the car that Don O'Sullivan (Western Australia) bought for 1968, fitted with one of his 2.5-litre Climax engines, and used in libre events at Caversham. If so, the car was sold back to the UK at the end of that year and would then be the "ex-Lambert" car that was used as the basis of a "new" BT21B for Dr Joseph Ehrlich's team which was being built up for F3 in April 1969. Presumably then the car raced for the team by Roger Keele in September 1969. Raced again in 1971 in Formula Atlantic by Johnny Dimsdale (London) with an RES twin cam and advertised by him at the end of that season as a BT21C. Presumably the same car that Bob King of Bob King Motorcycles (Bedford) entered as a BT21C in Formula Atlantic races in 1972 and which he later advertised with a RES Ford twin cam in October 1972, mentioning that it was red. This would then be the red BT21C with RES engine entered by Nick Overall (East Horsley, Surrey) in a Jaybrand libre race at Silverstone in March 1973. Subsequent history unknown.
8. Cooper T82 [F2-1-66] (Peter Gethin): Run by Bob Gerard as a quasi-works F2 team in 1966 for driver Bob Anderson, but also raced by Mike Beckwith towards the end of the season. Rebuilt with a Ford twin cam for the new 1600cc F2 in 1967 and driven by Beckwith, Peter Gethin, Alan Rollinson and others. Presumably this is the car that was next seen in 1969 when fitted with its original Cosworth SCA engine and being raced in hillclimbs by Donald L. Gray (Rotherham, South Yorkshire). Gray continued to pick up class award with this car into 1972. Subsequent history unknown but a "ex-Rollinson, ex-Gethin" Cooper T82 was raced by Ronnie Haines with a Ford twin cam engine in FORCE races in 2003 and in HSCC racing since then.
9. Cooper T83 [F3-1-66] (David Darby): New to Clive Baker for 1966 and entered for him in British and European F3 by Stockbridge Racing. Not seen again after May. To Graham Owen and fitted with a 1.4-litre SCB for Formula 2 racing and libre events in 1967, where it was driven by Brian Myers, David Darby and Peter Gaydon, but it did not actually start any of its F3 races. It was taken out to the Macau GP in November, where Gaydon took pole position but did not finish. It returned to England was was sold to Maurice Boswell (Northampton), then to John Corbyn (Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire), who bought it without the SCB and fitted a supercharged engine. He sold it to Derick Sharman and it then went to David Butlin. Subsequent history unknown, but a car claiming the F2 history was advertised in 2019.
10. Brabham BT23 [6] (Robin Widdows): 1967 Whitley Racing Services for Robin Widdows. Sold at the end of the 1967 season to Mitsubishi Motors and shipped to Japan. May have been used by Kouichi Satou in 1973 and Masaru Tanaka in 1975
11. Brabham BT18 [F2-5-66] (Andrew Fletcher): David Preston ran a Brabham with a 1.6-litre Ford twin-cam engine in libre racing throughout 1966. The car was generally described as a BT14 but that may just be because comentators were used to the twincam Brabham being a BT14. His season was punctuated by a serious accident at Silverstone on 25 Jun and he was not seen again for eight weeks. Andrew Fletcher then raced a Brabham BT18 in F2 and in libre in 1967, the car being identified by Motoring News as one that had been raced in libre during 1966. Then, in January 1969, when Fletcher traded up to a Chevron B8, his BT18 was described as being ex-Preston. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.
12. Brabham BT16 [F2-23-65] (Brian Redman): The F1 Register show this car as being entered by Bob Anderson's DW Racing Enterprises for Anderson at Brands Hatch in August 1965 and at Oulton Park three weeks later but it may have been part of the Lythgoe operation. Lythgoe then enters this car for John Taylor and then Mike Beckwith in F2 in 1966. According to a profile of Rob Leeson in CT&T Feb 1969, this car was bought late in 1965 by Lythgoe, was used in libre with a 1.4-litre version of a SCA in 1966, went to David Bridges for 1967 and then to Leeson for 1968. The chassis number is derived from comparing that history with F1R F2 records. Its exact racing history in 1966 libre is hard to determine due to fluctuating descriptions but it seems to have been Rollinson's libre car from August until the end of the year with a F3 car travelling as backup. A profile of Rollinson in Autosport 6 Jun 1969 p19 gives more detail on the car and on other Lythgoe entries. MN reports that David Bridges borrowed the BT16-SCB for Brian Redman to race in early 1967 F2 rounds. Leeson took the BT16 back to his native Canada where he won the 1968 championship. Despite reports that it had gone to Bob Constabaris (West Vancouver, BC), Leeson sold it to Pierce Isaacs for 1970 and 1971. Later sold to Kevin Skinner (Langley, WA), by which time it has BT21 rear suspension, and raced by him with a Ford twin cam engine in FB. Sold by Skinner to Simon Gardner (Burnaby, BC, Canada) in July 1978, and raced in ICSCC events. Then sold in November 1979 to Jerry Ives, who used it for racing school in Canada. Sold by Ives to Bob Micheletti in February 1985 and rebuilt for history racing. To Christopher Leggett at the start of 1988, then later to David Long. Then unknown until 2017, when it was owned by Steve Davis.
13. Brabham BT14 [FL-4-65] (Freddie Smith): New to Freddie Smith (Forton, near Garstang, Lancashire) and used in libre racing, sprints and hillclimbs, fitted with a 1600cc Ford twin cam engine. When Formula 2 changed to a 1600cc limit in 1967, Smith was entered for several F2 races in the car by David Bridges Motor Sports, finishing seventh at Hockenheim. Used in hillclimbs again in 1968 then sold to fellow hillclimber Peter Kaye for 1969 but sold on mid-season to Willie Green. Next seen a few months later with dealer Bobby Howlings (Congleton, Cheshire) for libre racing at Croft, then on to Bill Creasey (Dunstable, Bedfordshire) for libre in 1970. Then via Howlings again to Geoff Lambert (Burnley, Lancashire) to replace a Brabham BT18 written off at Ingliston, and raced in libre events in 1971 and early 1972. Geoff's son John reckons the car went back to Howlings yet again in part-exchange for a Chevron B17. Subsequent history unknown.
14. Brabham BT14 [FL-7-65] (Ian Raby): Bought new by Jackie Epstein for 1965 and used in both Formule Libre (with a Ford twin cam) and Formula 2 (with a Cosworth SCA). Sold at the end of the season to Ian Raby (Brighton, Sussex) who raced it in November 1965 and then in F2 through 1966. Converted back to its Ford twin cam engine for 1967 and continued in F2 up to Zandvoort in July when Raby suffered the injuries from which he later died. The BT14 was rebuilt and Tony Barchou of Ian Raby Racing in 1968 and then, as a BT14/18, in rounds of the European F5000 series in 1969. Engine and transmission sold to Alan Jones and rolling chassis to Rob 'Tiny' Littler but he did not use it and eventually sold it to a collector in California. Nothing further known until a car with this claimed history owned by Don Orosco (Monterey, CA) c1995. Subsequently via John Zuppan (Portland, OR) and Jim Schnell (Seattle, WA) to Jonathan Burke (San Francisco, CA) early 2005.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.