Motorsport Trivia

[Ex-Jagboy]

Yes he did, the last person to do so (another good trivial question, already answered).
Others have switched cars and came close, Stewart in 1970, also Peter Gethin who switched from McLaren to BRM in 1971 and won his only race, the Italian GP. I think John will hold onto this one, hard to see it happening today. Probably is illegal now.

Don`t forget Stirling Moss won the opening event in 1958 at the Argentine GP in Rob Walkers cooper, then his remaining victories that year were with Vanwall.

[D28]

Yes, and also Fangio. I was referring to the period since John Surtee's feat.

[D-Type]

Something bothered me:



Production of the FPF ceased in 1966. The only reason I know this is that there was an Eagle T1G at the automotive museum in San Diego, and the casting date could be seen on the engine block.
~

Was the car you saw Climax FPF or Weslake V12 powered? The T1G's used both engines at different times

[Don Capps]

There was NEVER EVER an Eagle "T1F" or "T1G" except in Len Terry's imagination -- these being designations given by Terry and not Gurney which Road & Track first used and which subsequently (much as the incorrect Auto-Union "letter" types) passed into lore. Dan Gurney never used that designation for his cars, he being rather vague on the point of names of the cars for some time; with the serials of "101" to "104" for the cars built for formula one racing, these were essentially the "Mark 1" cars with the first of the "Indy" type cars being the "Mark 2" Eagles.

The name Gurney used -- when he was asked on TNF -- was something along the lines of "All American Racers Gurney Eagle Formula 1" -- although that is probably not exactly it, it gives you the clear idea that it was certainly not "T1F" or "T1G" -- which he also clearly denied were the designations.

The production of the original FPF came to end about 1961, the few built being for sports car or Inter-Continental Formula racing while the FPF "Mark II" engines ceased the same year, the FWMV taking its place. Not surprised to see a "1966" date on a block, which would not necessarily mean an entirely new block -- unless it was one that Repco built, of course -- but that it may have been rebuilt that year.

[D-Type]

Don, isn't this really a trivial matter of semantics? These are simply convenient names so we know what we are talking about and have no real significance. If Len Terry who designed them thinks of them as "T1F", "T1G" etc that's good enough for me. Cooper type numbers are similar, then there's the Cortina "MkV", the Ford GT40 etc.

Surely it is analogous to saying that "There was never a First World War" a when people and historians in the 1920's gave a name to the 1914-18 (1916-18 for Americans and 1914-19 for Italians) conflict, they named it the "Great War" and only retrospectively named "The First World War" post-1945 when people and historians named the 1939-45 (1941-45, 1939-44 etc) conflict "The Second World War".

Cooper type numbers are similar, then there's the Cortina "MkV", the Ford GT40 etc.

The different naming of cars and engines is almost worth a thread of its own.

[D28]

Ex-Jagboy: Meanwhile do you have a question, you would like to post?

[Don Capps]

Don, isn't this really a trivial matter of semantics? These are simply convenient names so we know what we are talking about and have no real significance. If Len Terry who designed them thinks of them as "T1F", "T1G" etc that's good enough for me. Cooper type numbers are similar, then there's the Cortina "MkV", the Ford GT40 etc.

Surely it is analogous to saying that "There was never a First World War" a when people and historians in the 1920's gave a name to the 1914-18 (1916-18 for Americans and 1914-19 for Italians) conflict, they named it the "Great War" and only retrospectively named "The First World War" post-1945 when people and historians named the 1939-45 (1941-45, 1939-44 etc) conflict "The Second World War".

Cooper type numbers are similar, then there's the Cortina "MkV", the Ford GT40 etc.

The different naming of cars and engines is almost worth a thread of its own.

Sorry, but I beg to differ. I simply let it go at that given that it is evident I would be wasting my time.

[52Paddy]

Here's one just to keep us moving while we wait on Ex-Jagboy: Which former ABBA drummer raced in F1 during the early 80s and with what team?

[D-Type]

Slim Borgudd with ATS (7 starts and 5 DNQ's)and Tyrrell (3 starts).

He wasn't that bad a driver - 3rd in the European F3 Championship and a best GP result of 6th. I think he later went truck racing with some success.

[Ex-Jagboy]

Ex-Jagboy: Meanwhile do you have a question, you would like to post?

Ok, here`s a couple for you

Which well known F1 and sportscar driver of the late 1950s -60s, upon retirement from racing located to Holland becoming an Amsterdam diamond merchant.

Which extremely rapid and promising driver of the same era was popularly nick-named `Leadfoot Londoner`