Scamp Porter X128 Renault Gordini

[ZA Perana]

A legend in its own time and probably/arguably the start of the Renault racing empire in SA.

Some specs.
Capacity: 1296
Compression ratio: 12.1
Cam: Iskanderian
Pistons: Renualt Alpine....used Borgward in the begining
Carbs: std
Crank: std

Power: 110 bhp
Peak revs: 8000rpm

Gearbox: Formual Renault Junior

Other modifications included an oil cooler, heavier ani roll bars, upgraded Koni shocks, increased track, widened wheels.

Its interesting to note that even back then the mods were fairly extensive and interesting to note that to the casual person the Gordinis that race today seem to look much the same and mods seem to be fairly similar

Some performance figures...
Top speed 120 mph
0-60mph:7.3 seconds

It must be said the car was still road legal and had numberplates fitted. Thought it appears the car was trailered most places....apparently fell off the tralier once and a new body had to be sourced....

[Killarney Racer]

Without doubt Renaults punched way above their weight. X128 was not considerably slower than the Escort / Alfa GTA and was giving away a good few hundred cc. Mortimers 1000cc version took on and generally took apart Gordon Briggs' Broadspeed Anglia, easily the quickest car in its class in the UK at the time.

Look at the success of the Gordini's in the Springbok endurance races. They always outperformed themselves.

Mostert's hill climb Gordini was in a class of its own. Scheckters R8 and later a blown version was a freak of a car (mind you so was the driver!).

Remember Conchie and Adler is their various R8 and R10 blown and unblown cars. Jeez where are these things now?

And it continued with Spencer Schultz, Bruce Huntly, Rodger Harridene. In fact anyone who had a decent Renault seemed to do well. Check at Cindy Evans today (yes, I know, not true to the historic spirit, but lovely anyway).

Great cars. See what you pay for a Gordini today!!

[Gunter]

Firstly Tiaan, please ignore the e-mail...i just remembered my login password(not as sharp as i used to be).
Unfortunately i don't know much about Renualt and its racing history in SA,(to be honest,not a big Renualt fan) only bit i know is the lovely stories Pam Scheckter told me about her and Jody...i remember something about his Gordini being damaged that they towed somewhere.....apparently the car on the trailer would appear next to her(passenger side) and then a big jerk and the car + trailer would appear next to Jody(driving the tow vehicle!)....the mother of all "tank slaps!".....

Anyway, the real reason i e-mailed...Killarney Racer mentions the Broadspeed Gordon Briggs Anglia...probably THE most famous Anglia in the world(it won the 1966 British Touring car championship with John Fizpatrick)....with the help
of HenryK i tracked this car down a few years ago - still in one piece!...just a pity the owner wants to hide it from everybody - it took me a load of convincing just for him to let me see it...

[ZA Perana]

Without doubt Renaults punched way above their weight. X128 was not considerably slower than the Escort / Alfa GTA and was giving away a good few hundred cc. Mortimers 1000cc version took on and generally took apart Gordon Briggs' Broadspeed Anglia, easily the quickest car in its class in the UK at the time.

Look at the success of the Gordini's in the Springbok endurance races. They always outperformed themselves.

Mostert's hill climb Gordini was in a class of its own. Scheckters R8 and later a blown version was a freak of a car (mind you so was the driver!).

Remember Conchie and Adler is their various R8 and R10 blown and unblown cars. Jeez where are these things now?

And it continued with Spencer Schultz, Bruce Huntly, Rodger Harridene. In fact anyone who had a decent Renault seemed to do well. Check at Cindy Evans today (yes, I know, not true to the historic spirit, but lovely anyway).

Great cars. See what you pay for a Gordini today!!

I beleive the Moster Gordini is still around, a few years I was in Paarl and at the time I didnt realize how significant the car was, only when I saw a road test of the Mostert car did I realize it was highly probably the same car I saw..

Good question what happened to these cars, largely forgotten, just like the Gordon Briggs Anglia...

There is a famous story that in 1994 there was a race, on a quite road and there was one guy that cleaned up, beat everything and of course as he won he ego swelled, anyway in the crowd was an elderly gentleman, who used to work on the Scamp Porter car, he himself bought a brand new Gordini...which be built to racing spec but the car was seldom used.

Anyway on that evening he went up to Mr big ego and told him he wanted to race and went home, took the blanked off the Gordini. Of course when he arrived people laughed and joked, many of them not knowing what this funny looking car was.

The race took place up a twist hill and the Gordini destroyed Mr ego...in fact whereis most guys that lost returned to the start line he didnt, kept driving into the sunset....

[Killarney Racer]

Gunter

I thought the Briggs Anglia was returned to the UK. The car that you saw, did it have all the markings of Briggs' car? Who owns it now, is he a motor racing type and why is he so reluctant to let anyone see the car. Are you sure it is Brigg's car? I am not doubting you at all but it is suspicious why someone would want to hide a car like that.

[vanz2]

Some more pics

[ZA Perana]

Amazing pictures.....very rare so see colour pictures of the era.....

[ZA Perana]

Just needing some education, I know very little about the Biggs Anglia, did he prepare/build it himself and what made it so quick? Presume it must have been a 1640?

Did it ever race against either the Swanepoel or Roy van De Sandt Anglias?

[Killarney Racer]

No Briggs' Anglia was imported directly from Broadspeed in the UK. Gunter suggests it was Anita Taylor's car, the quickest chick in racing, probably in the world, at the time. So the car was developed by Broadspeed who were the Meissners of the UK and did hot conversions on anumber of makes, but mainly Fords.

It used the 997cc engine and raced in the W class (less than 1000cc) in SA against his main rival Geoff Mortimer Renault R8, Bob Kelsey (Hillman Imp), Coenrad Spamer (DKW), George Armstrong (Mini) amongst other.

I had sort of forgotten Roy vd Sandt. Good driver. He raced an Anglia, I think it was a 1200, and he also raced sports cars, I'd have to check up what makes, but possibly a Lotus 23 and home-grown special. How did you remember him? He was certainly a name at the time.

[Killarney Racer]

Back to Briggs' Anglia.

When the car arived in CT harbour it went straight to Killarney and raced with UK number plates. I thnik it retired from its first race.

It was painted as the pictures show. Together with Olthoff's Fairlane, Gough's Escort and Clarryo Taylor's Escort, his car was painted in the matching blue with white side stripes and backed by Ford. Eventually Briggs lost the Ford backing for reasons I don't know and he painted the car red with white side stripes. Pictures in this colour scheme are very rare, I may not have seen any. Then the car disappeared.

Lovely pics vanz2, well done! Note Clarry Taylor's Escort 1300 prepared by Meissner and Koos Swanepoel's similar Windsor prepared (both class X - under 1300cc)car on each side of the colour pic of Briggs' car. Do you have other pictures to share.