Wednesday 2 March 2022

The Deep Sanderson 301 prototype (2)

We've seen how the Deep Sanderson 301 prototype came about (click here) and LawrenceTune Engines Ltd. then took the car to the 1962 Racing Car Show. From that year's show guide: "The pride of place on the stand goes to the Deep Sanderson rear engined sports car. The car evolved directly from our last Formula Junior car and is of very advanced design. Suspension is all independent by Lawrence trailing link; engine is 1,000 cc transverse mounting; brakes are discs on the front and drums on the rear. The car is primarily for road use and will be sold in kit form at a very low price." The brochure showing the still unpainted car mentioned that price of 951 pounds, included taxes. 

Was that price very low for a kit car? Some of the motoring correspondents visiting the show and writing about the Deep Sanderson must have thought so: 'Construction kit sports car of SIX GRAND' headed a Dutch newspaper, mentioning the price in Dutch guilders. An Italian magazine headed 'KIT COSTS A MILLION', referring to the price in Liras and calculating it more precisely at 1.128.750 Liras. 

At least LawrenceTune Ltd. had nothing to complain about press coverage. Most reports praised the car's technical solutions, taken over straight from the press information, as they mentioned it was due for series production soon. Some of the quotes: "The Chris Lawrence monocoque system is just one of the novelties that mark his diminutive Deep Sanderson for more attention than most sports cars its size ever achieve", "Tiny bomb is said to do 0 to 60 mph in 9 seconds flat with a top speed of 107 mph", "The new Deep Sanderson sports car has stirred up quite a bit of interest at English club racing circles." 

Let's have a look at those racing activities next.


Stand 73 at the 1962 Racing Car Show, showing LawrenceTune's Deep Sanderson 301 prototype 
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And without people... Also on display a tuned Morgan engine plus Ford and Mini tuning parts
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

301 Prototype's engine is a 1000 cc which received the LawrenceTune treatment
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The Deep Sanderson 301 was the first Mini based sports car using the Mini engine at the rear 
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Like the rear, the prototype's front suspension uses the Lawrence Link suspension too
Picture Jeroen Booij archive 

Cockpit: "Probably most spacious ever in a serious sports car of this diminutive dimensions"
Picture Jeroen Booij archive


 
1962 Racing Car Show where the car was launched, like the Butterfield Musketeer seen here
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

The car made it to the international press following the show. This is from US 'Sporting Driver'
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Dutch report was keen to mention the price in guilders: 'Construction kit sports car of SIX GRAND'
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Thanks to Sports Car Graphic we learn that this was the equivalent of 1700 US dollars at the time
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

...Or one million Italian Liras, according to Auto Italiana. The UK price was 951 pounds
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

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