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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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,
Attachments:
McLaren Bellett Orig1.jpg [ 143.08 KiB | Viewed 53748 times ]
BELLETT.jpg [ 47.28 KiB | Viewed 53748 times ]
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Sat Jan 08, 2011 2:54 pm |
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PR91
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:54 am Posts: 2544
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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.
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Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:58 am |
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PR91
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:54 am Posts: 2544
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ohh, and yes, McLaren's car and the new one on the dock are definitly one in the same. cheers again.
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Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:01 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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,
Attachments:
Bellett practice.jpg [ 4.95 KiB | Viewed 53718 times ]
1965-Goodwood-112.jpg [ 58.41 KiB | Viewed 53718 times ]
Last edited by Pombellett on Tue Sep 06, 2016 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:49 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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.
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bellett sprinzel.jpg [ 31.75 KiB | Viewed 53717 times ]
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Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:52 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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.
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CRANE.jpg [ 42.15 KiB | Viewed 53604 times ]
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Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:55 pm |
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Stickman
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:29 pm Posts: 1524 Location: Kallangur, Brisbane QLD
Car(s): 3x1965 PR20(Donkey, Jenny n Bundy) 1 1969 PR20(Percy) 2 1968 PR20(Eugine n GT Donor) 1 1968 PR91 GT, 1 1965 Wasp
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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
_________________ 1xB+1xE+2xL+1xE+2xT=BELLETT RUST isn't a crime www.gartdesign.com.au
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Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:21 am |
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randythomas
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 7:52 am Posts: 9
Car(s): Isuzu D-Max
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I've very faschinated on how they bring their cars into the land from the boat. So this is show they shipped cars years ago...
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:00 am |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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. Attachment:
rsz_1easter_meeting.jpg [ 145.97 KiB | Viewed 51929 times ]
To be continued...
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Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:48 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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Here's a better scan of the clip from The Motor April 17th 1965. Attachment:
Bellett_Motor_17-4-65.jpg [ 88.44 KiB | Viewed 51930 times ]
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.
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Tue Sep 06, 2016 2:00 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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. Attachment:
image1 (2).jpg [ 164.12 KiB | Viewed 51901 times ]
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. Attachment:
McLaren%20Bruce_image070.jpg [ 49.98 KiB | Viewed 51901 times ]
Backed up by this shot Attachment:
IMG_45008 cleaned.jpg [ 96.41 KiB | Viewed 51901 times ]
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Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:12 am |
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BULLITT
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 1:03 pm Posts: 2419
Car(s): 1966 TEARDROP ...MANUAL ...
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not seen these shots before ..great stuff
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Wed Sep 07, 2016 10:32 am |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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! Attachment:
REVS_2014-029DELL-BW-1965-b3_13.2_0014.jpg [ 344.84 KiB | Viewed 51854 times ]
AND....check out the number plate, compared to the dockland shot earlier.
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Thu Sep 08, 2016 11:03 am |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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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. Attachment:
Mac%20original.jpg [ 75.99 KiB | Viewed 51850 times ]
This picture gave us the opportunity to set up a similar shot, in the same place at Goodwood, but with our modern copy, Rolie. Attachment:
Bev%20original.jpg [ 148.91 KiB | Viewed 51850 times ]
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Thu Sep 08, 2016 11:58 am |
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Stickman
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:29 pm Posts: 1524 Location: Kallangur, Brisbane QLD
Car(s): 3x1965 PR20(Donkey, Jenny n Bundy) 1 1969 PR20(Percy) 2 1968 PR20(Eugine n GT Donor) 1 1968 PR91 GT, 1 1965 Wasp
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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
_________________ 1xB+1xE+2xL+1xE+2xT=BELLETT RUST isn't a crime www.gartdesign.com.au
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Fri Sep 09, 2016 3:48 am |
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GTtoo
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2009 2:51 am Posts: 1034
Car(s): 1964 GT Isuzu Bellett
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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
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Sat Sep 10, 2016 2:59 pm |
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Pombellett
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:30 am Posts: 487
Car(s): Alfa 33, 1935 Riley Special
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They keep cropping up......somehow I stumbled upon this photo of McLaren at Goodwood on Belgian E Bay. Attachment:
bellett 001 (2).jpg [ 3.77 MiB | Viewed 47771 times ]
It's a really good quality original, with the photographers name and address on the back. A pleasing find.
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Tue Apr 17, 2018 9:10 am |
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1968GT
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:32 am Posts: 1266 Location: MUDGEE. NSW
Car(s): 1968 PR91 Bellett GT. 2014 ISUZU MU-X, 2016 Jayco 22' Starcraft Caravan, 2013 KIA Reo shopping trolley!!
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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.
_________________ BELLETT GT, BELLETT SEDAN, MU-X, D MAX, or ANY ISUZU, or A FORD XR6 TURBO, Premium motoring!!!!
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Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:13 am |
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67GT
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:44 am Posts: 348 Location: central coast
Car(s): 1967 bellett gt, wasp trayback , 2018 d-max 4x4 dual cab LSU, 2016 Focus, 1996 GQ Patrol
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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.
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Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:28 pm |
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BULLITT
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 1:03 pm Posts: 2419
Car(s): 1966 TEARDROP ...MANUAL ...
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i did notice that also maybe they were a distraction getting a flash of all the cars he had left behind him cheers davo
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Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:49 pm |
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