Solved - MJW #1134 - W.E.V. Stan Goldthorpe at Silverstone 1962

[woodinsight]

Identify what this car was called, the approximate year it was built and the size of engine fitted for one point.

I might award a second point if you can tell me at which circuit the car was racing at, the name of the driver/constructor and what the name of the car meant.

[woodinsight]

Moving up.....

[nicanary]

Austin 750cc?

[woodinsight]

Austin 750cc?

Not an Austin 750.......the engine is a bit larger than that

[nicanary]

Ford 1172cc?

[woodinsight]

Ford 1172cc?

It's possible but I'm not sure.
This car was raced in the Formula 1300 class.

The constructor was a director of the 750 Motor Club....

[Hiawatha]

Yimkin engineering, BMC one litre engine, circa 1960?

[nicanary]

You kindly said it was entered in something called Formula 1300 - this means nothing to me, but an educated guess would say it was based on a Ford 1300 pushrod engine. What baffles me is the position of the engine - the front nosecone looks too low to contain a motor, which is why I guessed incorrectly it was an Austin 750, and the exhaust exits by the driver's side. If it's rear-engined the exhaust must be in the reverse position.

This is complex engineering for a home-built special. Is the engine inclined?

That looks like Woodcote corner at Silverstone circa 1960'62.

[woodinsight]

Yimkin engineering, BMC one litre engine, circa 1960?

Not a Yimkin

[woodinsight]

You kindly said it was entered in something called Formula 1300 - this means nothing to me, but an educated guess would say it was based on a Ford 1300 pushrod engine. What baffles me is the position of the engine - the front nosecone looks too low to contain a motor, which is why I guessed incorrectly it was an Austin 750, and the exhaust exits by the driver's side. If it's rear-engined the exhaust must be in the reverse position.

This is complex engineering for a home-built special. Is the engine inclined?

That looks like Woodcote corner at Silverstone circa 1960'62.

Yes, it's Silverstone in 1962.
I'm trying to find more details on this particular car and will post them later as a clue here.
The car was competing against the likes of the U2, Terrier, Rejo, Lolita, Warwick, etc. in 1962.

[nicanary]

For some reason I keep thinking about a Mike Costin connection - I have idea why. Was he involved?

[woodinsight]

For some reason I keep thinking about a Mike Costin connection - I have idea why. Was he involved?

Sorry but I really don't know

[woodinsight]

Pros?

[Allan L]

You kindly said it was entered in something called Formula 1300 - this means nothing to me, but an educated guess would say it was based on a Ford 1300 pushrod engine.
That looks like Woodcote corner at Silverstone circa 1960'62.

F1300 was the replacement for the 1172 Formula when 750MC needed to redefine it around an available engine. IIRC your guess re Ford is right.
Oh and I'd say the corner was Copse, not Woodcote.

[woodinsight]

Here's the original photo I cropped it from -

[Allan L]

I'd now say it's Becketts Corner

[woodinsight]

I'd now say it's Becketts Corner

You may well be right Allan - my source doesn't reveal that....

Time for another clue - the constructor/builder's name commenced with a 'G'

[D-type]

Is it a Ginetta?

[woodinsight]

Is it a Ginetta?

No, time for another clue -
I should have made my reply clearer - the constructor's surname commenced with a 'G' but the name of the car commenced with a 'W'

[nicanary]

It looks a little bit (and I mean Little) like Tony Goodwin's car.

[Allan L]

I'm sure I remember this car, but I'm blowed if I can remember what it was called.
Perhaps it's the Widi Mk 1 (which wouldn't have been called that until the Widi Mk 2 existed!).

[faksta]

Being Widi would have made it Belgian, although we are still not sure whether the car is actually British. Is it?

[Allan L]

Being Widi would have made it Belgian, although we are still not sure whether the car is actually British. Is it?

The Widi specials I remember were British, and I think we may assume that a F1300 racer at Silverstone in 1962 would have been British.

[Carnut]

Being Widi would have made it Belgian, although we are still not sure whether the car is actually British. Is it?

The Widi specials I remember were British, and I think we may assume that a F1300 racer at Silverstone in 1962 would have been British.

Widi cars were made by Belgian Mr Willy Widar, in Belgium as far as I know.
Although they used Climax engines and many proprietary British parts I don't know that they are ever referred to as anything but Belgian?!

[faksta]

Being Widi would have made it Belgian, although we are still not sure whether the car is actually British. Is it?

The Widi specials I remember were British, and I think we may assume that a F1300 racer at Silverstone in 1962 would have been British.

Indeed, like Canut said Widi cars were built by Willy Widar in Belgium, so I was following exactly the same thought you provided - F1300 car was most probably going to be British (even though I don't know a thing about this category apart from what is posted above).