Dulon LD8 history
Bob Miller in the Dulon LD8 at Thruxton in October 1970. Copyright Ted Walker 2021. Used with permission.
Built for Bob Miller for the 1970 British Formula 5000 series, the Dulon LD8 was a rather bulky car, better suited to Formule Libre races at Llandow than the professional ranks.
Andrew Duncan founded Maxperenco, an abbreviation of Maximum Performance Engineering Components, in 1967 with two friends, John Andrews and Bill Longley. The company built cars under the Dulon name (DUncan and LONgley) and were very successful with the Dulon LD4 Formula Ford in 1968 and 1969. In September 1969, the business moved to workshops at Didcot in Berkshire, and an ambitious set of projects for 1970 included a new Dulon LD9 Formula Ford, a Dulon LD10 Formula 100 and the Dulon LD8 Formula 5000. The LD8 was built for Bob Miller utilising a 289 ci (4.7-litre) Ford V8 engine and ZF gearbox that Miller owned. The car had wedge-shaped bodywork, as was briefly fashionable at the time, but had a very bulky appearance that attracted more than its fair share of ridicule in the motor racing press. Duncan defended the car, pointing out that it was no larger than a Lotus 70, was reliable, and did what was expected of it considering the budget.
Miller used the car in the British F5000 Championship but was a perpetual back-marker, never qualifying in the top ten once all season. It was more competitive at Llandow, where its strength was of benefit on the bumpy surface, and Miller won a Formule Libre race in April 1970, just a week after the car's debut at Zandvoort. Miller retained the car for 1971, when the car was again well off the pace in the F5000 series but able to win at Llandow. The car met its end at Llandow in May 1972, after Miller crashed heavily in practice.
If you can add to our understanding of this car, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
New to Bob Miller (Cardiff) for 1970 and fitted with a Ford 289 ci V8 built by JW Automotive. Miller raced it in the Guards F5000 Championship and in Formule Libre races at Llandow and Castle Combe. Miller bought a Lola T142 for 1971, but only so that he could transfer its Chevrolet engine into the Dulon. He raced it in Rothmans F5000 Championship rounds, as well as Formule Libre races at Silverstone and Llandow. Miller continued with the car in Formule Libre into 1972, but had a massive accident in practice at Llandow on 29 May 1972 and the car was destroyed.
Driven by: Bob Miller. First race: Zandvoort (UK R4), 19 Apr 1970. Total of 29 recorded races.
Acknowledgements
For background on Dulon, see 'They Make Racing Cars - Maxperenco Products' by Andrew Marriott in Motor Sport, August 1972, page 881.
If you can add to our understanding of this car, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
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