Dealer team vauxhall was a racing organisation general. By this means it is perfectly possible to achieve 4litre performance with 2litre economy, he used to sav,tatement he has modified slightly as a sign of the times to 4litre drivcability. Bill blydenstein was a former british touring car championship driver and class champion, having won the class b championship in 1961. I qualified 31st, which was okay but we were all driving well within.
Tony hall historic racing drivers club ocs automotive. Blydensteins 2400 straker bill blydenstein has a passionate belief in large capacity, fourcylinder engines. In 1984, he earned a bachelor of science degree in eecs from the university of california, berkeley. The car had been specially built by bill blydensteins dtv team for the spa race. His race career went back to the 50s as an ecurie ecosse single seater man.
Royale racing which started out in london moved to huntingdon, then to little staughton airfield north of bedford in the marques glory days when rory byrne was designer there. Dealer team vauxhall, usually known as dtv, was a motorsport organisation in the absence of official sponsorship of motorsport by general motors and vauxhall motors specifically, a group of londonbased vauxhall dealers decided to start an organisation to financially support racing and rallying. The repco v8powered baby bertha successor only the centre section and the droop snoot had any resemblance to a firenza a further 30 races and two championships in marshalls hands. Mini driver mike darrieulet was already leading the 1litre class when he switched to the unique mg gnat for the final 5 races and secured the class win. Carlisle first took up racing in 1960, entering a club race in a mini. Bill blydenstein rip vauxhall owners network forum.
Brscc british saloon car championship 1961 standings. Gerry marshalls old nail vauxhall firenza won 59 races over 7 years. William alexander lester iii born february 6, 1961 is an american former professional racing driver who last competed in the grand touring category in the rolex sports car. But as it was, the blydenstein chevette would leave the driver in no doubt that the engine was working hard at high revs. With the dealer pressure building to get going in motorsport, bill had run an hb viva 0cc with reasonable success for a short period in 1968 with the help of this very. The dutchborn aeronautical engineer started his racing career in 1958 in a borgward isabella ts. The late, great bill blydenstein was legendary as the tuning guru of vauxhall engines and as the powerhouse behind the racing success of dealer team vauxhall in the 1970s, but before all that in the early 1960s w. The exgerry marshall, dealer team vauxhall, forward. Vic elford, alan hutcheson, bill blydenstein, peter harper, john aley, edward. Jack aschenbrenner driver darrell dodd driver frank heimerl driver. Old nail, however, apparently earned a special place in his heart because he kept it until his death in 2005. His spirited handling of this unwieldy car led to a works mini drive in 1962. Gerry marshalls old nail vauxhall firenza won 59 races. Brown admits that racing was a hobby for him throughout his career, but one that.
Mini driver mike darrieulet was already leading the 1litre class. Dealer team vauxhall wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Dec 18, 2019 1974 vauxhall magnum dtv ex works rally car will sparrow we will provide free uk delivery on this car. Driver jim blazek driver don goeden driver dave moulis driver pete ostrowski driver bill prietzel driver john quinn founder of cfrn ray toft promoter dave watson driver john ziegler driver.
Register now to join our community of over 125,000 members and gain instant access to all we have to offer. Bill blydenstein did have a go at making the vx competitive in the midsixties but he didnt get far. Jan 16, 2015 clip from thames tvs long running motoring magazine. This new car was a product of smt perth dealer team vauxhall, the scotsman newspaper sponsor, and andrew cowan driver. But the magnum was big and heavy, and even the wizardry of bill blydenstein could not make it an outright rally winner against the allconquering escort. Featuring race driver gerry marshall and tuner bill blydenstein. Blydenstein entered his first bscc race in 1959, joining the field at crystal palace.
Bill brown raced during the 1960s when racing drivers were classed as either semiprofessional or weekend warriors. Bill blydenstein tnfs archive the autosport forums. Nicknamed old nail this is the car that was driven by iconic british driver gerry marshall to the forward trust special saloon car championship win 1972 and 1973, the simoniz saloon car championship in 1974, and with bill dryden driving to the scottish saloon car championship in. Bill bohn driver bay darnell driver gary dye driver. Gerry had practised old nail for the race, lapping 1 second slower than in. Vauxhall cars developed and used for racing and rallying include viva, firenza, magnum, victor, and chevette. Apr 06, 2019 this is one of the most famous examples of the vauxhall firenza in existence, if not the most famous outright. The race was for group one saloon cars, only minor modifications allowed but the vauxhall magnum had been very carefully prepared by bill blydenstein. Bill qualified the autohaus motorsports camaro in the 8th position for the debut grandam rolex series race at the brickyard on friday morning. Marshall continued racing until 2004, chalking up 625 wins in total, spanning saloon car racing, rallying, and formula 1, making him the winningest british motorsports driver. The power comes from a rare bill blydensteindevelpoed lotusvauxhall 904 2.
The dutchborn aeronautical engineer started his racing. Bill blydenstein was a former british touring car championship driver and. Bill and his team had been racing, among other platforms, vx490 since 1963, so vauxhall provided new hb viva coupes. The borgward factory embarked on an ambitious competition programme, but, instead of using their. Bill bohn driver bay darnell driver gary dye driver glenn haddycar ownercar builder woody klug driver randy markwardt driver robbie reiser driver joe roe driver russ scheffler driver al tietyen driver 20 inductees. Dealer team vauxhall first with coburn improvements managing the rallying and blydenstein the racing, then just blydenstein was the mover behind the effort. It was known as dtv and set up in january 1971 the programs were principally run by bill. In 1976 blydenstein became responsible for both racing and rallying, with the focus changing to rallying from 1978.
This is the list of cars and drivers mentioned in goodwood remembered. Bill blydenstein racing career profile driver database. To this end he approached bill blydenstein who was already running the dealer. Vauxhall blydenstein chevette 1500 unique cars and parts. Hello lads i wonder if there is anyone out there who can recall any motor racing connection with my home county of bedfordshire. Reading the many articles about gerry marshall it seems 1969 was the year he and the bill blydenstein vauxhall vivas came good. David frost, tv personality is to drive in the first motor race at brands hatch on saturday july 1975 john whitmore bill blydensteins mini cooper in motor six hours race at brands hatch, england 6th october 1962. Im not sure if this is the right thread to post on and please someone put this in the correct thread where it is due but i had some very bad news this evening about probably the straightest person you would ever have met in motor racing and probably the best ever engineer to never make it into f1 through his morals. Following that outing, i met bill blydensteins widow, francesmary. The 34year old irishman had a busy 1969 season racing in every round of the british saloon car championship aswell as several redex rounds. After success racing production based cars, dtv turned its attention to the freeforall category of special saloons.
Gerry marshalls old nail vauxhall fir hemmings daily. Motor racing cars and drivers at goodwood during the 1940s. Car championship in 1975 over 1,300cc class, with bill dryden driving. Bill blydensteins isabella the isabella was used in salooncar racing by drivers all over the world, but nowhere to better effect than in britain where the dutchnorwegian driver bill blydenstein took his isabella to countless victories.
Sep, 2007 sadly, i have to report that tuning guru and cylinder head expert bill blydenstein, one of the legends of the vauxhall marque, passed away on wednesday september 12th. Six years later, his family sold it at auction, and it has. This is a category for racing drivers who were killed while driving a racing car, either in competition or during testing. Sadly, i have to report that tuning guru and cylinder head expert bill blydenstein, one of the legends of the vauxhall marque, passed away on wednesday september 12th. Fortunately, a dutch aeronautical engineer named willem benjamin blydenstein, who began racing borgwards in 1962, had taken up an interest in racing the vauxhall viva five years before and had demonstrated an ability to wring massive horsepower out of the vauxhall 2. Clip from thames tvs long running motoring magazine. Bill truly was a great engineer, a bloody good driver and a lovely man. Dtv dealer team vauxhall entered this bill blydenstein prepared vauxhall magnum in the 1977 spa 24 hour race, with two legendary drivers, gerry marshall and australian champion peter brock. To add a bit of whumph the engine was modified with an upgraded 150bhp 2.
Previously, ive talked about there always being one corner at a race track that makes. Carlisle would race other cars in various sports car championship races before she started racing her mini in the bscc, taking part in the second half of 1961. Gerry remains the uks winningest club racing driver in history long after his death. After a few years it was clear that he could handle this unwieldy car and he was given a works mini drive in 1962. The car was originally built by john taylor in his spare time at dealer team vauxhall at luton owned by bill blydenstein at royston in 197374. Vic elford, alan hutcheson, bill blydenstein, peter harper, john aley, edward lewis, bill aston, chris kerrison. Vauxhall tuning specialist william bill blydenstein, who managed to. Bill blydenstein, the famous vauxhall tuning and cylinder head expert, died on september 11 aged 78. Bill commenced his racing career in 1958, starting a three year relationship with an unlikely racing car in the form of a self prepared borgward isabella ts. Oct 25, 2007 rare footage of team dtv gerry and berthas creator bill blydenstein.
Bill had the g2 blydenstein viva for club and the british saloons supporting gerry marshall for 1970 but fared better the next year with dtv focusing on club racing and gaining the 2. Mar 16, 2005 bill blydenstein was based at shepreth in cambridgeshire. Sep, 2007 sadly i have to report that tuning guru and cylinder head expert bill blydenstein, one of the legends of the vauxhall marque, passed away on wednesday september 12th. R to a 10th place finish at indianapolis motor speedway. Unfortunately, the considerable cost of racing became too expensive and the. Brscc british saloon car championship 1961 standings driver. Bill blydenstein classic cars april 1991 united kingdom borgward. Gerry marshall enjoyed a 40 year career as a racing driver. Bills family has advised that the funeral is at 2pm on friday the 21st at therfield church, therfield, just outside royston, herts. Mar 25, 2019 fortunately, a dutch aeronautical engineer named willem benjamin blydenstein, who began racing borgwards in 1962, had taken up an interest in racing the vauxhall viva five years before and had demonstrated an ability to wring massive horsepower out of the vauxhall 2. We have no idea who made the decision to create a hot chevette it may well have been bill blydenstein himself. But it was a saloon car racer that gerry excelled, proving virtually unbeatable during his time with dealer team vauxhall in the 1970s.
Show all driver photos 1987 rallye du condroz erc belgium. William alexander lester iii born february 6, 1961 is an american former professional racing driver who last competed in the grand touring category in the rolex sports car series for autohaus motorsports. Individual driver statistics for the 1961 brscc british saloon car championship. After disposing of old nail at the end of 1974 bill blydenstein received funding from dealer team vauxhall to create a new super saloon based on a 4 door vauxhall ventora saloon shell and fitted with a 476 hp 5 litre 302 cui repco tuned holden v8, borg warner t10 gearbox, salisbury power lock differential, ap racing disc drakes, double wishbone suspension on the front with 12. Rare footage of team dtv gerry and berthas creator bill blydenstein. Sadly i have to report that tuning guru and cylinder head expert bill blydenstein, one of the legends of the vauxhall marque, passed away on wednesday september 12th. You are currently viewing the fiat forum as a guest which gives you limited access to our many features. The programs were principally run by bill blydenstein, an engine tuner and racing driver, and chris coburn for rallying. The car was built specially for northern ireland rally driver bertie law. It includes drivers who were killed immediately, as well as those who were not killed immediately but succumbed to their injuries some time later.
Bill blydenstein and gerry johnston prepared the car, which included lowering the front suspension and widening the wheel arches to incorporate wide slick racing tyres, for gerry marshall to drive in the 1972 barc forward trust championship which he promptly won outright. Where would vauxhall be now if he hadnt have had the foresight to develop the viva in 1966 and start racing with dad gerry marshall in 1967. In the 2litre class bill aston in his quick vauxhall vx 490 harried peter jopps sunbeam rapier for much of the race and held off peter harpers works car right to the end, roy salvadori closed up on baillie again and passed into third place behind parkes and sears on the penultima lap while baillie spun at clearways in his efforts to get. Blydenstein was already a seasoned racer with connections to a number of gm dealerships, so he conspired to persuade his contacts to circumvent the ban by having dealers sponsor his racing endeavorand it worked. B blydenstein was also a successful saloon car racing driver usually to be found behind the wheel of an immaculately presented and highly tuned vauxhall fb vx490. This is one of the most famous examples of the vauxhall firenza in existence, if not the most famous outright. Dec 09, 2007 bill blydenstein was a former british touring car championship driver and class champion, having won the class b championship in 1961.
The car was built to group 2 specifications using rallydeveloped parts from dtv and bill blydenstein, outsourcing the brake modifications from girling, initial supply of lotus parts were direct from lotus sport, and the. Registration is fast less than 2 minutes, simple, absolutely free and. So thats one novice driver in a totally uncompetitive overweight car without a clue on where to start. Bill blydenstein was the brains behind the dtvs engine and. This overlooked race car made history at spa petrolicious. Sep 12, 2007 bill blydenstein posted in tnfs archive. Blydenstein was already a seasoned racer with connections to a number of. Bill adams parents immigrated to canada from scotland when bill was just a weeladdy he remembers little of his early life in his birth country and considers himself a proud canadian and has displayed mat pride at car races around me world. Blydenstein competed in the bscc for years, and was a respected figure in the paddock, later known for helping the vauxhall challenge get off the ground in the late 1960s.
Bill and his team had been racing, among other platforms, vx490 since. It is taken from the index of the book, and gives a good idea of who and what was being raced at the goodwood circuit in the 1940s and 1950s. Christabel carlisle is a former british saloon car championship driver, known for being one of the few women to have raced in the series. Contentsshow background little is known of blydensteins prebscc career, only that he.