Larry's Unipower GT competition racer - a New York street car

I've been in touch with Larry Cieslinski of Rochester in the state of New York since a year now, after he showed me the image of the Unipower GT copied in below. Chatting to Larry is good fun since he traded, bought and sold hunderds of interesting cars, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, the Unipower being just one of them. He added:

"It was one of five factory race cars and had a 1293 engine. I owned a company named Access Foreign Automotive at the time and sold my two Elva sports racers to buy it, one of these was a Mk2 with a Coventry Climax engine and the other a Mk4 I think or Mk5. I bought the car from a close friend of mine, Michael Grey, and used it as my street car just as I had used my Elvas. I owned 750 cars over the years and had another 500 parted out, 60 percent of them were British. We rallied a 1275 Mini and had a perfect Morris Cooper 'S'. I've led a colourful life and it isn't over yet!"

The car appears to be chassis number 23, which was raced by Ecurie Canada back in 1969 and I also found an article in 'Competition Press & Autoweek' dated October 1967 showing the same car on Lime Rock circuit next to another GT. Interestingly, the article mentions Rex Woodgate and Robin Seel as US sales representatives for the Unipower marque. The name of (the late) Rex Woodgate did ring a bell and so I got in touch with his son Chris, who wrote: "Nice of you to get in touch. I really wish I could be of more help but in 1967 I was 3 years old... I do remember seeing a Unipower running and on a trailer a few times, thinking it was 'compact' but super cool! Dad always spoke about them with great affection, but any details I am more than vague on. Mum is 96, but still pretty sharp, I will quiz her when I get a chance for further information. I have copied my Brother Neil. Being a tad older he may be able to add something ? Very Best, Chris."

Unfortunately Neil Woodgate didn't remember much more than his brother: "My recollection is equally vague. There were two of the cars but something differentiated them. Maybe the GT title or one was open top or maybe just colors. One was a mustard yellow I think. Think it was relatively short lived, no more than a couple of seasons. And concur that based on the pose, size, RayBan glasses and hint of a mustache, that’s Rex in the middle. Hadn’t heard the name Robin Seal in some time but recall he was the UK representative partnering with Rex."

It seems that the car, just like Larry, led a colourful life, too. Feel free to ad more info if you like.

Larry's Unipower GT when he owned it in the 1970s. It was formerly raced by Ecurie Canada

Picture Larry Cieslinski

The same Unipower in 1967 with US marque representatives Robin Seel and Rex Woodgate

Picture Jeroen Booij archive