Mike Costigan

I have a couple of duplicate plates, one black and white, one reflective, that are surplus to requirements; I'm just up the road from you in Warsop, so we cane meet up easily.

The white car at the top is a Simca 1000. My guess is the compound of an auction house; apart from the MkVII Jaguar in the top left they are all early to mid-1960s, and not a reflective plate in sight so probably taken around 1968/69 when they were all about five to seven years old.

It's easy to forget just how popular the BMC 1100 range was - the best-selling car in the UK for eight years between 1963 and 1971. Over two million built, compared to perhaps half a million Heralds, nowadays the Herald probably outnumbers them two-to-one!

Shiply: https://www.shiply.com/

The Works cars were run under Ken Richardson's control; he was well-known for insisting his cars were completely standard, so I doubt they were fitted with additional straps. Static shots show the back-end set very low, so presumably the rear spring was set to give minimal ground clearance thus reducing the amount of camber in these circumstances. Had it been 'Tiny' Lewis' car I would be less convinced - he was equally well-known for his individual approach to preparation!

Apologies for my absence over the last few weeks. I've been pretty heavily involved in the Austin Seven Centenary Rally. Anyway that's now all behind me, and so I can return to this thread, although I am beginning to run out of piccies (I've still got lots, but many of them are almost-duplicates, or are of rather poor quality, which may get a bit boring). So, let's see what I can manage today; here are three similar shots all taken at Pardon corner at Prescott during the 1959 RAC Rally, and show Tiny Lewis in TL5, Peter Bolton in YRW 266, and Keith Ballisat in YRW 267:

Back in the 'sixties we used to print the British Rabbit Association's handbook; the secretary at the time was known as 'Bunny' Labbit.

Yup; I can confirm that when painted white they were Triumph White code 19.

Well, there's at least half your problem!

Three photos from the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally today; the Paris-registered coupe of Gilbert Albadi and Bernard Salmon at the Paris start: The same car looking well-travel stained on the harbour front in Monaco at the end of the rally: Also at Monaco at the end of the rally, the Works-entered coupe YWK 534 of Annie Soisbault and Annie Speirs:

I have the Herald version which I bought new in the late-1980s or maybe early 1990s - I think it was couple of pounds at the time from an autojumble stall; I agree with Clive on value, too. I think I'd want a hallmarked gold one for £95!

Windows and suspension were big selling points at the time. Corgi, of course, had had windows from the mid-1950s, but the Herald was one of the first Dinkies to have them. I remember being fascinated by the suspension and experimenting to see how much could be added under one wheel before one of the other wheels lifted off the ground - great play-value!

Three shots of the Mike Sutcliffe/Roy Fidler TR4, 6VC, on the 1962 RAC Rally:

Seeing Unkel Kunkel's thread on the Michelotti-designed bus reminded me I have these Michelotti drawings which may not be familiar: The first two are his early Zobo designs which Harry Webster dismissed as 'too dumpy', whilst the third is the final design which we can all recognise.

One of Michelotti's designs for that Scammell: