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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
 Posted - 28/02/2014 : 14:32:58
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Anyone recognise this ? |
Edited by - graham holdsworth on 28/02/2014 14:34:15 |
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Rob P2000
Netherlands
39 Posts |
Posted - 28/02/2014 : 17:13:27
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Yes Graham,
This is a special bodied MG PB in action on the Spa Francorchamps circuit during the 24-hours race in 1948. Driver: famous motoring journalist/racing driver Paul Frere, who finished with Jaques Swaters in this ,his very first, motorrace !
Rob Koch-P2000 |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 28/02/2014 : 18:03:04
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Thanks Rob for the prompt reply .So much knowledge on this forum.
A nice body, I wonder if it still exists ?
Graham
PB0602 |
Edited by - graham holdsworth on 28/02/2014 18:19:34 |
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Rob P2000
Netherlands
39 Posts |
Posted - 28/02/2014 : 18:22:40
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More about this car may be found in Belgium, because Frere later won the 24-Hours Race at Le Mans in 1956 with Olivier Gendebien in a Ferrari 250TR and Swaters was to become a very wel known Ferrari dealer in Belgium. The Ferrari "crowd" in Begium may therefore be your best source for further info about this MG PB.
Rob P2000 |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1483 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2014 : 10:23:34
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I am sure that Paul Frere wrote many books, but one particular one deals with his early racing career and refers specifically to the mods which he carried out to his PB. I do not own a copy, but I am sure that Pooks or Spencer Elton or one of the other Motoring Book Specialists could help.
Can't remember the title of the book - it was all such a long time ago - but I expect one of our readers will come up with it.
Colin B. |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2014 : 12:09:30
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You are right Colin ,I should have checked my bookcase.Here is the book. The chapter on the Spa 24hrs is fascinating .The PB was the smallest car in the race and although 12yrs old, ran faultlessly ( apart from a broken rev counter cable ) for the whole 24hrs. They finished 5th in class ( all others in the class were 1100cc Simca Gordinis and Fiats o
I wonder if it survived ? Probably not.
[size=1] [/siz
[size=1] [/size= |
Edited by - graham holdsworth on 01/03/2014 12:14:39 |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2014 : 12:18:09
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Save you getting a crick in your necks :)
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Edited by - graham holdsworth on 01/03/2014 12:20:34 |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1483 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 10:27:33
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Graham,
Strangely enough, the book which you show is not the one I had in mind - although possibly the same info regarding the PB appears in several of his writings. The book I recall was, I think "Sports Car and Competition Driving", or even "My Life Full of Cars: Behind the wheel with the World's top motoring journalist"
Colin B.
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Rob P2000
Netherlands
39 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 11:34:28
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My information about this MG PB comes from a book " On the Starting Grid "by Paul Frere, which is a 1957 translation by Louis Klemantaski of Frere`s book :"Un des Vingt au Depart " published in Belgium in 1956.
Frere`s description of this MG PB mentions the following detais:
This car appeared in Belgium in 1936, where a man called Bonneau "had a new aluminium racing shell fitted after having damaged the original body in an accident "
This man Bonneau then entered this car in the 1938 Le Mans 24 hours race co-driving with a certain Mrs.Itier and they finished fourth in their category. The car spent the war years in a garage of friends of the Frere family "where they took good care to preserve it from damage by rust and corrosion "
The night before Frere and Swaters participation in the 1948 Francorchamps 24 hours race,the car developed an irregular tick-over and thick smoke puffs from the engine breather were indication of blow by in one of the cylinders.There was no time to dismantle the engine and there were no parts to repair it so they raced the complete 24-hours race with a sick engine. They then finished fourth in the 1100cc category at a higher speed than any other MG had ever achieved at Francorchamps !
Rob Koch P2000 |
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graham holdsworth
United Kingdom
424 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 11:47:16
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Colin and Rob,
Yes the same details appear in all 3 books ! I think 'Starting Grid to Chequered Flag' was his first book. I met him at the Festival of Speed about 10 years ago. A delightful gentleman.
Fascinating stuff, I will now read the above book again having not read it for about 50yrs when I was a motor racing mad kid !
Graham |
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Rob P2000
Netherlands
39 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 13:51:40
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And your first picture under this heading "What, where, when" ? also appeared in a book "British Racing Green" by Louis Klementaski and Michael Frostick (1957) with a short text: "Paul Frere drives MG "
Rob Koch P2000 |
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What, Where,When ?
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