Just A Mix Of Pics - Ray Green Collection

[ERC]

Wow! When did you take this photo Ray? Where is this car now?

1966 Steve - as per my post above, I name all pics by date taken as far as I can. Dating some of them is proving to be a major mission, but I keep chipping away. Often, correctly dating just one pic can confirm the dates of others based on location and even clues such as the state of the foliage in the background or the condition of the track. Programme collectors are often a useful source of info too but so far, some of the marque clubs have been less useful than you'd think.

Chaparral was 1988, when I made a fleeting visit to the UK. Sorry, I have no other details.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ray. Loving these pics!

[Steve Holmes]

i was at silverstone about 20 years ago, and david piper, and chris rea were running a 250lm (i assume this car). Chances are he may still own it

Thanks Roger, great memory! You've triggered some recollections for me too. I also recall being at Silverstone in 1994 (Coys Historic Festival) and seeing David Piper and Chris Rea teaming up in a Piper Ferrari. I went and unearthed the programme and it has them entered in a 275LM, which I assume is the 250 fitted with a bigger motor? Also, from memory the car at Silverstone was fitted with 5 spoke magnesium wheels rather than the Borrani wires.

Incidentally, Piper had also entered a Ferrari 330 P2, 365 P1, Porsche 917 and Lola T70 MkIIIB in the same race. Nice!

And, noting Ray's thread regarding the recent passing of Jem Marsh, Jem and Chris Marsh were entered in the same race in a Marcos GT.

[Jac Mac]

Useless info-The 250/275 etc in a Ferrari refers to the individual cylinder capacity in cc.... eg a twelve cylinder car with 250cc per cyl will be 3000cc all up.

[Steve Holmes]

Useless info-The 250/275 etc in a Ferrari refers to the individual cylinder capacity in cc.... eg a twelve cylinder car with 250cc per cyl will be 3000cc all up.

Huh, OK, thanks Jac. Maybe it was a different car I saw. It was a long time ago.

[rogered]

Huh, OK, thanks Jac. Maybe it was a different car I saw. It was a long time ago.

Just did a quick google, and found him running no less than 3 different 250lm chassis's in the 60s, as well as a few 250gtos, a P3 and most other significant models of the era. I recall him at another meeting in a 330p. So i assume he was just running a few of his old cars he must have tucked away.

[ERC]

Chris Staniland's Multi-Union. (The original photograph wasn't so good, so needed a fair bit of cleaning up, hence the delay.) I had to Google the correct spelling - i.e. one word or hyphenated. Although I know the car from these and other period pics, I didn't know that it was effectively a P3 Alfa Romeo. Needless to say, it has not survived in this form, but has been converted back to a P3 Alfa. There has been some debate about recreating it, using the left over bits.

Those of you who saw James May's TV Toy series and the Scalextric recreation of Brooklands, may just have glimpsed that some of the streets were named after Brooklands' drivers, one being Staniland.

When you see pictures like this, you can understand why modern racing cars (almost identical anyway) with totally hidden drivers, look so bland.

[ERC]

The car is well known, but driving lights and a spot light? Maybe it was driven on the road to the track?

Always a cigarette on the go...


Helmet - check; roll over bar - check; seat belts - check; overalls - check; starting handle to stab the guys in front - check... Well, 1 out of 5 isn't too bad.

[Grant Ellwood]

Ray, post 528, middle pic, is that Prince Bira? Also the guy on the right looks a lot like Reg Parnell. Looking closely at the logo on his overalls though, could be Bira's White Mouse team logo so might be his mechanic. Or I could be completely wrong....

[khyndart in CA]

I hear Prince Bira had plenty to smile about as he had a reputation as being an earlier version of James Hunt (off the track )!

[ERC]

Ray, post 528, middle pic, is that Prince Bira? Also the guy on the right looks a lot like Reg Parnell. Looking closely at the logo on his overalls though, could be Bira's White Mouse team logo so might be his mechanic. Or I could be completely wrong....

As stated earlier, if you run your mouse over the pic, it will give you the date and maybe another detail. Yes, Bira chatting to Raymond Mays and without researching, I have no idea who the White Mouse mechanics were.

Not 100% sure of the date for this one, (Dad hadn't dated this print) as Mays appears to be wearing the same tie as the other pic, so it could be a year out out. Could be 1938 or 1939.

I wasn't aware of Bira's reputation (even in NZ!) until I was either chatting to someone, or it was mentioned by another poster.

[Oldfart]

I hear Prince Bira had plenty to smile about as he had a reputation as being an earlier version of James Hunt (off the track )!

Wasn't called "Drainpipe" for nothing

[ERC]

Some people really are blessed aren't they!

[GD66]

[Grant Sprague]

Ha ha great humour lads love it.. check....hey what about those semi slick tyres they were on to it ........ Thank you for sharing these

[Grant Ellwood]

[QUOTE=ERC;45846]As stated earlier, if you run your mouse over the pic, it will give you the date and maybe another detail. Yes, Bira chatting to Raymond Mays and without researching, I have no idea who the White Mouse mechanics were?

Apparently one of the White Mouse mechanics was Rat O'Toole from OZ.

[Jac Mac]

Given the tone of some above posts with a name like that he would fit right in!!

[QUOTE=Grant Ellwood;45860]

As stated earlier, if you run your mouse over the pic, it will give you the date and maybe another detail. Yes, Bira chatting to Raymond Mays and without researching, I have no idea who the White Mouse mechanics were?

Apparently one of the White Mouse mechanics was Rat O'Toole from OZ.

[ERC]

LOL!

'Lofty' England and Stan Holgate were White House mechanics. Without reading "Bits and Pieces" or some such book, maybe others may know more?

Interesting that Bira trained as a sculptor and was commissioned to do fellow ERA driver Pat Fairfield's memorial.

[khyndart in CA]

Prince Bira of Siam. Ardmore. 1955. ( 2nd NZ Grand Prix )
Waiting for his Maserati to be wheeled to the starting grid, before going on to win the race.



(photo courtesy of the New Zealand Herald )

[ERC]

Roycroft meeting Hampton Downs, Saturday only.

Two or three pics posted on the Roycroft Thread. No doubt Nigel will be posting there too!