Solved NIC#1099 - Garford Mk 2 Formula Junior

[nicanary]

What is this car?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[Willie McCrum]

I'm sure it isn't, but it looks portly enough to be the Hume Cooper

[nicanary]

I'm sure it isn't, but it looks portly enough to be the Hume Cooper

I can see the resemblance, but it's not that car.

[tobytwirl]

UK Hillclimb car?

[nicanary]

UK Hillclimb car?

It's from the UK, but I think the car took part in circuit races as well as hillclimbs.

[Willie McCrum]

Fairley Climax ?

[nicanary]

Fairley Climax ?

Not that. Even more obscure.

[tobytwirl]

Does it have a Climax engine ............. or is it a Mercury V8?

[nicanary]

Does it have a Climax engine ............. or is it a Mercury V8?

Neither - not even one of my beloved Mercurys.

[tobytwirl]

under 1500cc?

[nicanary]

under 1500cc?

Yes.

[tobytwirl]

MG powered?

[nicanary]

MG powered?

No.

[tobytwirl]

Ford engine?

[nicanary]

Ford engine?

Yes.

[tobytwirl]

1172?

[nicanary]

1172?

No.

[tobytwirl]

Aha .. a clue! The front suspension is early Fiat 500 as found on most 500cc racers, which I would have thought placed this car as early-mid 50s - well before the later 997, 1340, 1498 Ford engines. The Consul engine however was 1508cc, so is ruled out. That leaves the early 933cc Anglia engine doesn't it?

[nicanary]

Aha .. a clue! The front suspension is early Fiat 500 as found on most 500cc racers, which I would have thought placed this car as early-mid 50s - well before the later 997, 1340, 1498 Ford engines. The Consul engine however was 1508cc, so is ruled out. That leaves the early 933cc Anglia engine doesn't it?

Well worked out, but the engine was fitted long after the chassis was built. I don't know the exact spec of the engine, but I think it was an MAE.

[gte4289]

Geoff Gartside's Garford Mk2. According to the source, your photo was taken at the 1961 Castle Howard Sprint.

[gte4289]

Geoff Gartside's Garford Mk2. According to the source, your photo was taken at the 1961 Castle Howard Sprint.

At least one source describes Gartside's original Garford (1959) as "a Ford-powered adaptation of a 500cc Cooper." As you can see in the 1961 Autumn Sprint program below, the "Garford Junior" (which I assume was the Garford Mk2 Formula Junior) was powered by a 997cc Ford motor.

[nicanary]

Geoff Gartside's Garford Mk2. According to the source, your photo was taken at the 1961 Castle Howard Sprint.

Well found, and thank you for the extra information. My reference books only mention one version of this car, although the caption does indeed read Mk2.  It was obviously a homebuilt attempt at a Formula Junior car - I should imagine with an excess of power over roadholding.

You beat tobytwirl to the point!

[gte4289]

Thanks for the point!