Category Archives: Inspiration

Triumph TR4 becomes a Dove

By Nigel Matthews

If you think the Dove looks like the Triumph equivalent of an MGB GT you would be absolutely correct, except it predated the latter by two years.

The Dove name derived from L.F. Dove and Co. of Wimbledon, a large Triumph dealership in London whose owner came up with the idea of building the car.

The exact number built is a mystery. But it is widely believed that Dove commissioned coachbuilder Thomas Harrington of West Sussex — the same people who built the Harrington Alpines — to build 100 examples.

Triumph Dove GTR4 - Flickr Photo: Rally Pix

Starting with a Triumph TR4, the craftsmen at Harrington removed the trunk lid, rear bulkhead, tonneau panel and gas tank. With these panels removed, Harrington fitted a full-length roof, rear hatch door, and end panel made out of fibreglass.

The fuel tank was moved into the spare wheel well with a filler neck and cap located in the end panel to the left of the licence plate.

The high roofline and relocated rear bulkhead and fuel tank made room for two rear seats that could seat two small children in relative comfort. With room for a weekend’s worth of luggage in a compartment below the rear hatch lid, the Dove had the makings of a practical family sports car.

The Triumph Italia, built in Italy by Vignale, is the only other Triumph from the ’60s that comes to mind as being this rare. Triumph Italia was built as a left-hand drive car and the chance of an Italia sighting in North America would be that much greater than spotting a right-hand drive Dove.

I am aware of only a couple of Doves in the U.S. and perhaps a maximum of 10 in Europe. Triumph thought that the stylish Italia posed a great threat to their sales market, so the solution was to stop the supply of rolling chassis to Vignale. History often has a habit of repeating itself. The Rootes Group (Sunbeam Alpine), which had a long relationship with Harrington, forced them to stop making the Triumph Dove.

When cars rode in wooden crates

By Nigel Matthews

Wooden shipping crates and automobiles date back to at least 1908.

Henry Ford was a firm believer in wasting nothing. He specified the type of wood and the dimensions of wood for use in the crates in which his suppliers shipped parts to his factories.

When the crates were empty, they were dismantled and wood was used in various areas of the Model T car he was manufacturing. Ford also produced charcoal from the waste wood under the brand name Kingsford — still a leading brand used today in the U.S. and Canada.

Ford Factory c.1914

Wooden crates and the shipping of automobiles from the U.K. led to Billy and Reggie Rootes venturing into the car-manufacturing business. They began taking control of struggling British car manufacturers and built a huge empire producing vehicles under the names Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot, Commer and Karrier.

In 1920, the Rootes brothers were the largest distributors of cars and trucks in Britain. Their U.K .distribution methods were so successful that they moved into worldwide distribution.

By 1927, 6,000 wooden crates were leaving their distribution centre located in Chiswick. The majority of British car manufacturers were using Rootes to export their products, living up to their advertising slogan “cars packed, shipped and delivered to all parts of the world.”

The practice of shipping cars in wooden crates continued until the mid-1960s.

In 1973, Japan’s K Line shipping company built the European Highway, the first roll on, roll off, (RORO) purpose-built car carrier capable of carrying 4,200 automobiles. Today’s car carriers are capable of carrying 8,000 vehicles.

K Line "Thames Highway" Car Carrier

If you look closely at the top image of the Morris Minor packaged and ready for shipping to Vancouver’s Fred Deeley Motors, you will notice that the wheels and tires were removed and placed inside the car to reduce the crate height.

Above the Morris in the picture, you can see the MG sports cars were low enough to leave on the wheels and tires.

Eye Candy: Ferrari 212

Our friend and fellow automotive journalist/enthusiast/cheerleader, Bill Lockwood, lives near a little slice of classic car heaven – Restoration & Performance Motorcars (rpmvt.com) in Vergennes, Vermont. He recently sent over some of his photographs of the gorgeous Ferrari 212 being restored there. Not only is the car a work of art, but their workshop itself is a fine example of where classic cars should live.

This early Ferrari 212 racecar 0086E won the Giro d’Sicilia and burned to the ground soon after. As the only 212 with this body type, it has been restored to exacting specifications by RPM. A Swiss agent working for Ferrari’s Heritage Group has certified it authentic – after some rather bizarre but period-correct modifications.

For instance, the 212 had some additional vents installed near the rear of the car closer to the end of its racing lifespan. Because these modifications were done to the car in the past, they had to be recreated now, even though the earlier version of the car was more aesthetically pleasing.

If you are wondering what a one of kind Ferrari is worth in this kind of condition, you probably aren’t in the buying demographic. It should fetch between $4.5 and $5 million at global auction.

These are pics of the car, just prior to receiving some finishing touches, like the leather straps to hold the hood down, etc.

The 212 will be tested at a racetrack in early March, in preparation for the trip to Italy to race the 2010 Mille Miglia that will take place from Wednesday, May the 5th (optional), to Sunday, May the 9th.

To see more about the 212 and other Ferrari Restorations, see the FerrariCraft blog at ferraricraft.com

1965 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport

Photo: Rob North via Canadian Motor Sport History Group

The Canadian Motor Sport History Group on Yahoo is a treasure trove of Canadian racing knowledge and nostalgia, and The Garage Blog recently posted a collection of Rob North’s contact sheet scans from the 1965 Grand Prix at Mosport, in Ontario. Names like Hobbs, Hall, and McLaren all pop up in these photos, and it is fascinating to compare the scenery and layout compared to today. Just the growth of trees in 40 years drastically changes the sight lines and look of the place!  Check out the full gallery, and more great history and stories at The Garage Blog.

Photo: Rob North via Canadian Motor Sport History Group

Car Movies: Un Homme et Une Femme

Although the classic French movie Un Homme et Une Femme (A Man and a Woman) is essentially a love story between the character Jean-Louis and the young widow, Anne, the former is a racing driver and the movie features a lot of great cars. From Mustangs on the road to a Brabham and GT40 on the track, this movie is a must-see for all classic car fans.

Directed by none other than Claude Lelouch, of C’Etait Un Rendezvous infamy, the movie was a critical success, being awarded a Grand Prix at the 1966 Cannes Festival, and a Golden Globe for the soundtrack. It features the rich visual style of Lelouch, a quirky French cinéma style, and the now-uncommon trait of telling the story through images instead of constant dialogue.

Enjoy this trailer for the movie, and an extended race car scene, and be sure to find the full film if you haven’t already!

Paddocks of the Past: Silverstone 1973

Yardley McLaren Transporter, Silverstone 1973

Yardley McLaren Transporter, Silverstone 1973 (Click to Enlarge)

Yardley McLaren team members start to unload their team transporter at the 1973 John Player Special British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Compared to the multi-level transforming ‘hospitality suites’ the F1 circus has now, the transporters of 1973 were little more than a shed on wheels.

The two McLaren M23 F1 cars epitomize the “wings and slicks” era. With their massive whale-tail wings, aeroquip hoses, and tall airboxes, they look impressive, with the car on top for Jody Sheckter, and the bottom for American racer, Peter Revson. Revson would go on to win the Grand Prix that weekend, after a huge startline pile-up forced a restart (see video below). Can’t quite figure out what the man with the headset has in his hand, and what the two people on the ground are up to.  Perhaps a TV crew?

Classic cameras for classic cars

When I started shooting action sports and mountain biking movies about 10 years ago, my first camera was an old Bolex 16mm camera. Shooting on film was a great learning process, and certainly made you focus on the task at hand. With only two minutes (and $60) worth of film on each reel, you learned to get things right the first time. Set and check exposure with a light meter. Choose focal length, shutter speed and frame rate. Roll camera (clackity-clackity-clack), and cue action! If all went well, you’d find out in a few weeks or months – whenever you got the film developed – whether that shot worked out. Pretty soon, the switch to digital video was made and I’ve never looked back.

Lugging modern high-definition cameras around at a vintage meet somehow seems to defeat the purpose and aesthetic of these events. We immerse ourselves in the atmosphere and culture of a bygone era – especially at events like Goodwood – and yet you rarely see vintage camera gear. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no luddite and the new video and photo gear is amazing, but I’ve been thinking about dusting off my old Bolex H16 to shoot some historic racing this year. Today’s video post on the always wonderful Chicane Blog has me convinced to give it a go:

Filmmaker Dikayl Rimmasch shot some great footage of the 2006 Rolex Invitational at Lime Rock testing two historic film cameras, a Bell & Howell 70 KRM (the KRM was the military model, this example was from the Vietnam era) and a 1930’s Cine Kodak. The beauty of these cameras is that you can achieve a very vintage look (grain, light flicker, etc) without having to fake it in post-production. The result is a gorgeous piece of film who’s technique does a service to the subject matter. Great stuff.