You all have seen this first picture, but a mate of mine found the second one, which I think is very interesting.
The title claims that its being unloaded on the 15th March 1966 to be used in several competitions in the UK.
Now, I understand that if it is Kiwi Bruce's racecar the date must be wrong, but to my knowledge, except for a GT a year later, no other sedan has been campagned over here.
Maybe the clear view of the number plate will help, also look at the Nippon Racing sticker on the screen and compare with the finished car,

i think the date u have there for the unloading is right.
i have a funny feeling i have a newspaper photo with caption showing the GT in the unloading sling dated april 1966... but i'll check.
i know i have some other pics of the GT and sedan together, with a promo model, and details of the importer that brought them into the UK too.
also, remember that the car shown is a 1965 model, and they were replaced by the updated model in early 1966, so i dont think isuzu would have had time to build one and export it to the UK from Japan in that time frame too.

the 1 GT and 1 sedan that were imported to the UK were the only ones ever there.
there is a story behind why they are the only ones that reads like a "who-done-it" novel, and if youre unaware of it, i'll be happy to write it up for u and post it.
btw.... the sedan disappeared after bruce mclaren drove it a couple of times (i have a pick of him in practice at crystal place in it), the GT was later prepared by Brabham's race shop, and driven by John Sprinzel. it still lives, but is now back in Japan.
cheers.

ohh, and yes, McLaren's car and the new one on the dock are definitly one in the same.
cheers again.

If you could post the story that would be terrific. I spoke to Sprinzel and he said he equalled the qualifying time of Jim Clark (in a Lotus Cortina) at Crystal palace. Now that's not bad for a newly slung together team.
Still don't get these dates though, Mclaren was definitely at Goodwood in Apr 65, see pics,

Thought you might like this as well....a very cool pic of a very fast and very stable looking GT at Crystal Palace with Sprinzel at the wheel.

I don't know if you guys have seen all these photos before, apologies if you have, but here's another of what we think is Mac's racer being unloaded in the UK.
It looks like it was brand new before Don Abrams and his crew butchered it and then DIDN'T complete a single race lap. Sad really.

That photo would make a fantastic poster.

Check out the dude in bottom left corner... Right o lads, move right along, there's nothin' to see 'ere

Having found a few more decent photos of the McLaren PR20 at Goodwood, I thought it would be a good time to resurrect this thread...

First a brief history of the short (and not that sweet) PR20 racing campaign here in the UK. Bear in mind this was 50 years ago, and may not be completely accurate.

A guy by the name of Paul Wakefield (who was intending to become the UK Isuzu distributor)managed to persuade the Isuzu Export Department to part with a new PR20....and this is, indeed, the one being lifted from the boat earlier in this thread. (photographic proof to follow)

We think with the help of Rob Walker Racing, the car was hastily prepped for the Easter Meeting at Goodwood....I imagine they aimed at this meeting as it had a very high profile, and there were plenty of top named drivers already there, available to drive the 'lesser' cars.
Here's a scan of the original programme.

To be continued...

Here's a better scan of the clip from The Motor April 17th 1965.


This photo must have been taken prior to the meeting, since the date the car should have raced was Bank Holiday Monday April 19th (and the grandstands are empty, and there's no race numbers on it)

It makes me now wonder whether the first (and most famous) photo at the top of this thread was taken at the same time....maybe at Goodwood...the surface the car's sitting on looks MOD to me.

Anyway, it appears they got the car into some sort of shape, and it did, at least get out onto the circuit to qualify.
In Tony Gardiner's excellent book 'Motor Racing at Goodwood in the Sixties' this picture is featured...and it is the picture that got the whole Rolie project started.

Interestingly the book and the race programme state the car as being beige, but clearly from the earlier colour photo and one I shall post later, the car was painted red for the race.

Sadly the car was to only complete a few laps before grenading a piston, but remarkably a few pictures were taken....
....I think this goes to show how 'novel' this little Jap racer must have been (I have a late 70s race car which competed at a seriously high level, and there's far less photos of it in period!)
This rather grainy shot shows that it must have rained some way through qually.

Backed up by this shot

not seen these shots before ..great stuff

Sadly we don't know how many laps were completed, or more interestingly (to me at least) what the times were....one day we'll find out.
But evidently enough laps were put in to have a few snaps taken.....this is my favourite, taken from the other side of the chicane, looking down the start/finish straight...look at all the activity in the pit lane!

AND....check out the number plate, compared to the dockland shot earlier.

History has it that the fun wasn't to last...and the last shot is the car sitting forlornly alone in the collecting area, presumably waiting for the team to pick up their broken car.

This picture gave us the opportunity to set up a similar shot, in the same place at Goodwood, but with our modern copy, Rolie.

They are awesome photos.
I guess it's fortunate that the Bellett was such a rarity at the race otherwise there may never have been any taken.......

They would make great canvas prints for the shed wall

Oohhaaww, too right Sticko. Those grainy pics with the windies thrashing and Mac's getting sideways into the staight. Also how she landed on the dock...stunning. Not to mention Sprinzel's GT pulling attitude lke that....

Beautiful, Magnificent,

Cheers Pom

They keep cropping up......somehow I stumbled upon this photo of McLaren at Goodwood on Belgian E Bay.

It's a really good quality original, with the photographers name and address on the back. A pleasing find.

Great shot this one Mark, it travelled so fast it blew the mirrors off the stems on the guards!!!
No, Magnificent photo, stored for posterity! A Deluxe and all.

I noticed that earlier Dave. The very first picture in this thread is the only one with mirrors. If you look at the picture of it coming off the boat it only has the stems.

i did notice that also maybe they were a distraction getting a flash of all the cars he had left behind him cheers davo