Now who ever said the Broadspeed GT was never available as a kit?
Thanks to Pete Flanagan
Bargain sale: ex-works Broadspeed GTs for 950 and 999 GBP o.n.o.
Thanks to Pete Flanagan
Friday, 23 November 2012
Build your own Broadspeed GT (or buy an ex-works car)
Over to the 'Ads from the past' category, from a time in which some desirable Mini derivatives were very affordable but no one seemed to want them! It looks like Broadspeed Engineering was all at a sudden fed up with their Mini based GT. We're talking 1968 1966 here. Yes, Ralph Broad just signed a deal with Ford, had BMC pissed off and had to move from his Birmingham works premises as a new ring road was laid out there. And so he sold the remaining GT roofs as kits for the enthusiastic DIYer for 299 GBP. Not bad. But perhaps the ad that appeared one month later was even more tempting. Broadspeed than also offered the demonstrator as well as the GTS racer for 950 and 999 GBP respectively. For some cool footage of the racer and Broad himself, click here - and here to see where it finally went.
What a great opportunity, to own both the demonstrator & the GTS.......I'll take them both!!
ReplyDeleteChris
;-)
DeleteI'm sure '68 must be a typo as by then both cars had long been sold by Broadspeed....
ReplyDeleteI don't know from where these ads are but i htink the issue year will have been 1966.
Please tell us where they are from.
That's right these ads are from mid 66, the GTS EOP88D didn't sell from this ad & ended up in Holland around May67. The GT demonstrator EOP89D didn't sell until 67 as well.
DeleteBy 1968 Broadspeed had moved to Southam & the GT project had long finished.
Chris
Chris do you still have WUX 421 ??? Can you contact me on thebaytree.stonehouse@btinternet.com please
DeleteAh, thats more like it.
ReplyDeleteAs Broadspeed was forced by BMC to swap to FORD in '66 it couldn't make any sense that they held on to those cars until 1968.
Quite a lot of Broadspeed cars ended up in Holland, both BOP teamcars of 1966, Fitzes Anglia UEV 664E, the GTS and at least one Escort.
Thanks for the reply mr Wooden.
Thanks for setting the facts straight mr Wooden.
1966. Check. Amended now. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBoth BOP team cars couldn't have ended up in Holland seeing as one of them was totally written off late in the '65 season. You can stick a number plate on anything. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDear mr Anonymus,
ReplyDeleteHandley used 242C on the 18th of september 1965 at Oulton and came in second in class (competition number 75) it was the final race of the BBSCC that year.
BOP242C was badly damaged at Oulton park on 3 april 1965, driver John Handley competition number 77
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/images_3/Copy%20of%20Eddie%20Whitham%20003.jpg
BOP242C had a class win at the 24 hours at Spa on the 24th of juli 1965 with drivers John Terry and Andrew Hedges competition number 85
http://touringcarracing.net/Pictures/1965/1965-Spa-85.jpg
So the car was rebuilt and raced after the crash of april.
In the Autocar of 17 december 1965 Broadspeed offered both the BOP cars for sale, 243C was subject to a roadtest and 242C is mentioned
as the cart hat had a class win at Spa.
A Dutch team called “Stichts Racing Team” bought both of the cars and airlifted them to Holland on the 4th of februari 1966
http://www.hetutrechtsarchief.nl/collectie/kranten/un/1966/0205
The driver destined for 234C Hans Oskamp travelled together with Ralph and his wife on the Carvair
http://www.oud16hoven.nl/attachments/Image/BUAF_0001_NEW.jpg
In the newspaper artikle you can see the driver destined for 242C behind Ralph at Zandvoort on the 5th of februari.
His name is Ben Huisman who later became the racedirector at Zandvoort for the Grand-prix and he was the one that resignd after the GTP of 1973 when
Roger Wiliamson was killed during the race.
After the 1966 seizon Huisman made 242C a lightweight with alloy doors, bonnet and boot and continued to use the car in the Formule Libre still with a 999CC.
So the car that had a class win at Spa and the car that was tested by the Autocar both came to Holland (still in their Maroon and Silver) and were painted white
with a red, white and blue stripe as that were the teamcolours of the SRT.
Jack
Sorry just noticed, the piece about the cars coming to holland is on page 9 of the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteon the rh side just klik "volgende pagina" until page 9 comes up
Jack
and a picture of car no 85 after the Spa 24 hours;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/images_3/BOP242C+JohnTerryAndrewHedges.jpg