Caithness Car Club Hill Climb

Rumster, 27 Aug 1972

Notes on the cars:

1. Brabham BT35X [1] (Iain McLaren): Built for Sir Nick Williamson (Mortimer, Berkshire) for 1971, and fitted with a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVC sports car engine for the British Hill Climb Championship. To Iain McLaren (Broxburn, Scotland) for 1972 and run in the Scottish Hill Climb Championship, and in libre racing. To George Dixon (Norton Disney, near Lincoln) for 1973 and fitted with a 'bitza' Ford twin cam engine for libre racing. Given the lack of any other plausible contenders, it may well be the 1800cc BT35 raced by Bob Leckie (Aberdeen, Scotland) at Ingliston in September 1974. Its history is then unknown until some time before 2001, when it was owned by Chris Roden (Hampshire). He had acquired it in a poor state from a house that was being cleared, and started a restoration. The car was still with Roden in February 2004, but what happened to it next remains a mystery. Roden died in 2014, and it is unclear whether he sold the BT35X before he died.
2. Chevron B15 [F3-69-10] (Kenny Allen): New to Natalie Goodwin's Goodwin Racing for Cyd Williams to race in European F3 from June 1969 onwards, replacing the team's well-used Brabham BT21B. Retained for early 1970 when it was raced by Williams and Ian Ashley, then sold to dealer Bobby Howlings. To Iain McLaren (Broxburn, Scotland) for 1971 and raced in Scottish hillclimbs in the 1300cc single-seater class. To Kenny Allen and continued in Scottish hillclimbs in 1972 and 1973. Unknown after 1973 until advertised by Bobby Howlings' Cheshire Sports Cars Ltd as a rolling chassis in July 1975. The car was bought from Howlings by Simon Price (Shrewsbury), who kept it, unused, for 20 years until selling it to George Jack in June 1996. The car still had its 1000cc F3 engine and Hewland gearbox and Jack completely rebuilt the car. Jack then relocated to New Zealand in January 1988, taking the car with him, and won his class in the 1998/99 Thoroughbred & Classic Car Owners Club (TACCOC) historic championship. He later fitted a 1500cc pre-crossflow Ford engine, and then a Formula B Lotus twin cam and Hewland Mk 5.
3. Hillman Imp (Barrogill Angus): Barrogill Angus (Thurso, Scotland) raced a "Shannon Imp" in Scottish hillclimbs from 1972 to 1974, a Hillman Imp with Shannon-tuned 998cc Imp engine in the under 1000cc special saloon class. In 1973, the car was said to be ex-Tony Charnell (MN 21 Jun 1973 p28).
4. Brabham BT28 (John Barr): John Barr (Edinburgh, Scotland) ran a 997cc Brabham BT28 in Formule Libre at Ingliston and in Scotish sprints and hillclimbs in 1972. In January 1973, he advertised it as a BT28 with bag tanks and BT35 bodywork "fitted professionally by Brabham". It was available as a rolling chassis without gearbox for £920, and a Hewland Mk 6 5-speed gearbox was also available for £195. Barr acquired the ex-Bernard Hunter Lotus 69 for 1973. The subsequent history of the Brabham is unknown.

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.