Spice C2 Spice SE86 001

According to Ian Briggs and John Starkey the authors of the Golden Era: - “With the single exception of the Porsche 956/962, Spice Engineering was the premier constructor of competitive and IMSA sportscars and during that time the team’s proprietor, , won four consecutive world drivers titles .”

The car was designed for Pontiac and had to resemble a Pontiac Fiero car in silhouette. Spice SE86 001 is the first all Spice Group C car and it has some superb history.

Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm originally raced the car. They won the C2 class of the Group C World drivers Championship in 1986 and 1987. It is in this Cannons / Listerine livery that the car is running in today.

In 1987 the car won the C2 class of the Le Mans 24 hour and also finished in 5th place overall. For the 1987 Le Mans race the car ran in the yellow Dianetique colours of their sponsor. It also raced in the opening races of the ’87 season in Cannons / Listerine colours winning at the Norisring, Nurburgring and Jarama races.

After Le Mans the car raced at the Norisring with Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm before being transferred to Chamberlain Engineering who ran the car for the rest of the ’87 season. The Spice / Bellm combo used chassis 003 for the rest of the ’87 season.

This chassis has contested 5 Le Mans 24-hour races between the period of 1986 and 1990.

Although the car was based on a Pontiac Fiero they always ran with the popular DFL (long stroke) engine.

It is featured in a number of books and has one of the best histories of the Spice Group C cars. Period History

1986 05/5 Silverstone 1000KM 1st in C2 1/6 Le Mans 6th C2 20/7 Brands 3rd C2 03/8 Jerez 1st C2 24/8 Nurburgring 3rd C2 15/9 SPA 2nd C2 6/10 Fuji 2nd C2

1987

22/3 Jarma 1st C2 29/3 Jerez 1St C2 12/4 Monza 1st C2 10/5 Silverstone 2nd C2 14/6 Le Mans 24 hour 1st C2 & 5th Overall 28/6 Nuremburg 1st C2 26/7 Brands 2nd C2 30/8 Nurburgring DQ 13/9 Spa 1st C2 27/9 Fuji 1st C2

Spice Bellm Won C2 Driver Champion Ship 1986/87

Source Golden Era The history of Group C & IMSA GTP & www.racingsportscar.com Period Sponsors Ownership history

Cannon 1986 -1987 first factory Spice C2 car, owned and ran by Spice Engineering Car Mats 1987 – Sold to Chamberlain Listerine Engineering mid season after the race Mouthwash in Norisring at the end of June

1988 – Sold to Graf Racing Jaeger Clothing 1988 – Sold to Pierre-Alain Lombardi

Holts 1990 – Sold to AGS Racing Car automotive products 2000 – Sold to Nigel James for a full restoration Mobil 1 Lubricants 2005 – Sold to Ian Stinton

Pontiac 2010 – Sold to Tommy Dreelan for American car manufacturer – the another restoration and use to this date in Group C car was designed to look like a Pontiac Fiero