Racing Sports Cars

Firenza GT

Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Firenza GT » Sun 16 Mar 2008, 12:25

ZA race scene should once a year when they are priviledged to host these cars take note that the cars 30-40 years later although would have some more modern components or replaced stuff, they have not "re-designed" these cars.

And this is exactly where the problem lies here where the excuse of scarce stuff causing to "change" and still be "legal" is becoming a lame excuse.

I say if you want to change as the cars are being changed in some cases spend the money in an anything goes class. Clubmans. Production cars if you need to spend some money.

One blessing with regards in the sports car class those Bailey Edwards cars are a good example of what can be done with a replica and still not look out of place amongst the megabuck real ones that they raced against. Here they built a replica from the ground up and end up like this.

But the saloons, something over the last few years has gone off track. They take a full complete car and derange it, re-invent it something like that. Man leave the old crocks as they were. They looked nice with their little trimmings and old fittings. I'm not refering to some cars that have been around for many years but new-builds from cars that still were complete probably road cars. The saloon car crisis chickens have come home to roost because of this where the fundemental rule of classic race car-ethics was overstepped.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Hi-Fi » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 09:34

I think Peter Bolton was definitely part of the South African theme. There were lots of guys who went and built their own cars.

Taken that he played an intergral part in the construction of Adrian Pheiffer's APM Sports, based closely on the lotus 23B. That car we have seen nowadays, thankfully due to the fact that it's current owner has had the foresight to restore it and put it back on the track. See how it evolved.

Other interesting builders were Eric Brockhoven and his famous Lollettes, Steve Mellet and his Mirages, George Van Straaten who drove a Barracuda and so many more.

I remember the APM Sports to be red and white.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Hi-Fi » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:08

Bobby Olthoff became a true legend once he had started his overseas campaign driving Austin Healeys and MGA's with British saloon car champion Sir John Whitmore. They raced at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona.

Then he became involved with Willment Racing Team for which he drove Cobras and later the evergreen Galaxie. The majority of us know him from that time on.
Attachments
BOB OLTHOFF IN THE WILLMENT AC COBRA AHEAD OF ADRIAN PHEIFFER, LOTUS 23 OUT OF MALMESBURY BEND AT.jpg
BOB OLTHOFF IN THE WILLMENT AC COBRA AHEAD OF ADRIAN PHEIFFER, LOTUS 23 OUT OF MALMESBURY BEND AT.jpg (12.82 KiB) Viewed 2941 times
Last edited by Hi-Fi on Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:35, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by zahistorics » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:12

Careful with those APM pics - you will get Lino all excited - it is the first proper racing car he saw

The APM is still alive - it ran at Killarney in February EDIT: Doh - I see the top photo is recent.
Last edited by zahistorics on Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:43, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Hi-Fi » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:36

Sorry there seem to be double postings. Don't know how that happened!

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by FairmontGT » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 20:45

Fixed - happens to me sometimes too.
Yes we did build muscle cars in RSA!!!!
http://www.africanmusclecars.com

Firenza GT

Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Firenza GT » Mon 17 Mar 2008, 21:37

Hi-Fi wrote: I think Peter Bolton was definitely part of the South African theme. There were lots of guys who went and built their own cars.

Taken that he played an intergral part in the construction of Adrian Pheiffer's APM Sports, based closely on the lotus 23B. That car we have seen nowadays, thankfully due to the fact that it's current owner has had the foresight to restore it and put it back on the track. See how it evolved.

Other interesting builders were Eric Brockhoven and his famous Lollettes, Steve Mellet and his Mirages, George Van Straaten who drove a Barracuda and so many more.

I remember the APM Sports to be red and white.


Wow man incredible ! Where as I can't remember detail coz I was a laaitie but i remember that little sort of screen I could't see through because I was too short.

Now I don't know who should be demoerin, Adrian Pheifer for some youngster hopping around in this race car while he was not there or me. Because what followed in the years to come after those vroom-vroom sessions in the back of the Old Mill Garage is another story. I am alost sure at some stage there was another such sports car there at the same time which could have been a Lotus 23.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by zahistorics » Tue 18 Mar 2008, 00:33

Hi Fi: in that pic of Ohltoff in front of Phieffer - is that really a 23, or is it the APM?

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Hi-Fi » Tue 18 Mar 2008, 08:51

Hi ZA

It's definitely a 23. Have a look behind Pheiffer's head. There's no hump. When he first built the APM he had a hump which was later removed. Perhaps this is the 23 that the APM was based on.

Notice in the background the banks on the outside of Malmesbury Bend. Isn't it incredible how things regarding safety have changed? A car sliding into that lot would have been launched into the crowd.

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Re: Racing Sports Cars

Post by Killarney Racer » Tue 18 Mar 2008, 09:03

Pheiffer raced a 23 before he built the APM, which as Hi Fi mentioned he modelled on the 23. I am not sure why he built the APM when he had a Lotus 23 already.

I always though APM stood for Adrian Pheiffer Motors. Then I read it could also be from the names of the guys who built the car Adrian (Pheiffer) Peter (Bolton) M (also well know but can't get it right now).

I which it was painted its original colours, it looks like a noddy today, but still very nice.

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