Gateway Relay Vol IV, No

Gateway Relay Vol IV, No. 5 St Louis Sports Car Council January 2015

Council News & Notes Up & Coming  A very Happy New Year to 19 Jan 2015—Tech Session hosted by the MG all, we here at StLSCC cen- Club of St Louis, at All British Car Repair, 2618 tral hope all enjoyed the re- Woodson Rd, St Louis, 7-8 PM. John Mangles will cently concluded holiday sea- lead the session on “What to take along for emer- son and are driving confident- gencies on the road.” ly into 2015. 22 Jan 2015—RUBCO (Retired/Unemployed  Big first-of-the-year news, British Car Owners) Breakfast Gathering, we’re pleased to welcome our Denny’s at 11266 Midland Blvd east of Lindbergh, ninth affiliate club, the BMW 9:30 AM. Email Rich Berger at [email protected] Car Club of America-St Louis if you plan to attend. Chapter. Yup, StLSCC has added a German car club and 22-25 Jan 2015—Annual St Louis Auto Show, America’s Center/Edward Jones we’re thrilled to have them. Dome, downtown St Louis. Adults $11.00, children 6-12 $6, other info including hours at www.saintlouisautoshow.com.  The club dates to November rd 1970 and still has several 24 Jan 2015—3 Annual Gateway VCOA Eagle Spotting Drive, up the original members. Its regular Mississippi River. Meet at Ethyl’s Smokehouse & Saloon, 8505 Veterans Memorial events include dinner meet- Parkway, O’Fallon, at 11:30 to talk some Volvo and enjoy some BBQ prior to the 1 ings, driving schools at Gate- PM departure; “then we scoot up the Seven-Nine with bellies full of swine.” RSVP to way Motorsports Park, social [email protected] by 23 January please so we can get a head count activities, road rallies and for the event. More info at https://sites.google.com/site/gatewayvcoa/. other activities. Club mem- 24 Jan 2015—MG Club of St Louis Annual Holiday Party, at Sqwires Annex, bers also regularly show up in 1415 S 18th St, Lafayette Park. Cash bar at 5:30 PM, dinner at 6:30, cost per person large numbers at June’s Eu- $15 (club subsidized), reservations must be made by Monday, 9 January. Make pay- ropean Auto Show and Cars ments on club web site (www.stlouismgclub.com/) or mail check to Ranney Dohogne, & Coffee. 12970 Ambois, StL 63141.  The BMW club has a great 7 Feb 2015—Overstreet House of Cars Visit and Tour, Jaguar Association of bunch of enthusiasts, we Greater St Louis. Meet at Overstreet, 10263 Baur Blvd, Creve Coeur, at 10:45 AM. hope everyone in StLSCC’s Lunch following at Schneithorst’s. Please RSVP to [email protected] by Thurs- other clubs will welcome them day, 5 February for restaurant accommodations. Info at www.jcna.com/clubs/ to the inter-club drives and main.php?club=sc20&Vref=sc20. events. 8 Feb 2015—32nd Annual SLTOA Polar Bear Run. The traditional start of the driv-  Finally, as can be seen at ing season: all-weather, tops down, heaters on high, over the river and through the right and on page two, the woods to New Haven. Final details to follow including meeting/departure point loca- calendar for the year is rapid- tion and time, monitor www.sltoa.org in the meantime. ly filling up. The schedules are in for Cars & Coffee and 16 Feb 2015—Tech Session hosted by MG Club of St Louis, at British Cars Restora- the Boeing Sports Car Club tions & Services, 2338 N Lindbergh Blvd, StL, 7-10 PM. Tech talk/demo on installing Autocrosses and clubs are the wily MGB top. setting up for the year. (Continued on page 2)  Stay tuned!

Note: Some club driving events restrict participation to club members only, primarily for national/chapter insurance reasons. If interested in joining in on a drive or other event, we recommend you contact the club’s event coordinator in advance for details.

In Print The December 2014/January 2015 issue of Road & Track offers up the 2015 Perfor- mance Car of the Year, with competition between 14 different vehicles including the BMW M3, M235i and Jaguar F-Type R Coupe (ah, but the Porsche 911 GT3 took the title). The 22 December issue of Au- toweek contains a pretty eclectic mix: an article on the Austin-Healey “Bugeye/

(Continued on pg. 2) 1

Up & Coming (Continued from page 1)

19 Feb 2015—Gateway VCOA Social, at The Fountain On Locust restaurant and ice cream bar, 3037 Locust St. Details to follow, monitor https://sites.google.com/site/gatewayvcoa/. 16 Mar 2015—Tech Session hosted by the MG Club of St Louis, at All British Car Repair, 2618 Woodson Rd, St Louis, 7-8 PM. Tech topic TBD, monitor www.stlouismgclub.com/. 21 Mar 2015—Terry Fanning Memorial Rally & Picnic, hosted by the MG Club of St Louis, 10 AM-2 PM. Details to follow, monitor www.stlouismgclub.com/. 21 Mar 2015—Gateway VCOA Tech Session on brakes, 10 AM at Integrity Automotive, 9741 Gravois Rd, Affton (314)717 -5556. Details to follow, monitor https://sites.google.com/site/gatewayvcoa/. 4 Apr 2014 – Annual Gateway Healey Association Wash-Up/Tune-Up, in advance of the Forest Park Easter Con- cours. Details to follow, monitor http://clubs.hemmings.com/gatewayhealey/. 5 Apr 2015—54th Annual Forest Park Concours/Easter Car Show, in the Muni upper parking lot, Forest Park, hosted by the Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri. Information at www.hccmo.com/. The event includes the 7th Annual MG- Triumph Challenge; monitor www.stlouismgclub.com/ and www.sltoa.org for details/preps/boisterous commentary scurril- ous language and good-natured thinly veiled threats. 18 Apr 2015—Cars & Coffee returns! Westport Plaza, I-270 and Page, 8:30 AM. 18-19 Apr 2015—Annual Missouri Endurance Rally, hosted by the MG Club of St Louis, details to follow, monitor www.stlouismgclub.com/. 19 Apr 2015—Start of the Boeing Sports Car Club autocross season, Family Arena, St Charles. Show about 9-9:30 for tech inspection and course walk, $35 for six runs, AM and PM sessions. Any questions or to get on the email event listing for future autocrosses, contact Racer Steve at [email protected]. 20 Apr 2015—Tech Session hosted by MG Club of St Louis, at British Cars Restorations & Services, 2338 N Lindbergh Blvd, StL, 7-10 PM. Tech talk/demo on “the fine art of joining metals.” 2-3 May 2015—Fling in the Spring, hosted by the MG Club of St Louis. Drive to Big Rock (IL) State Park, stay the night, Sunday brunch at the lodge. Details TBA, monitor www.stlouismgclub.com/. 9 May 2015—BSCC Autocross No. 2, Family Arena, St Charles, 9-9:30 show time. For info contact Racer Steve at [email protected]. 16 May 2015—Cars & Coffee, Westport Plaza, I-270 and Page, 8:30 AM. 16 May 2015—Gateway VCOA Route 66 Drive, on the Mother Road in Illinois. Details to follow, monitor https:// sites.google.com/site/gatewayvcoa/. 17 May 2015—3rd Annual Gear Head Grape Stomp Classic Car/Truck Show, at Cedar and Main in Washington, MO. Registration 8 AM to 11 AM, $20 per car, awards at 2 PM including class and special awards. Car show held in conjunction with the 34th Annual Art Fair & Wine Fest, all proceeds benefit Grace’s Place Crisis Nursery. Info at www.gracesplacecrisisnursery.com under the events tab. 28-30 May 2014—4th Annual British National Meet, in Hot Springs, AR. Large number of events and standout cars, this annual event draws cars and LBC enthusiasts from all over the US. More information is available at www.britishnationalmeet.com and on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/All-British-Marques-The- National-Meet/201070176584388. 30 May-7 Jun 2015—British Car Week. Drive em! Cruises: http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/lakerscarclub.

In Print (Continued from page 1)

Frogeye” Sprite Mk I plus something akin to a celebration over two new additions to the magazine’s long-term fleet: a Jaguar F- Type R Coupe and BMW M3. The December issue of Classic & Sports Car has info for both Volvo and Mini owners, starting with an article with road test of the short-lived Volvo PV60, the predecessor to the PV444 (it’s said the PV444/544 look like a ’46 Ford? The PV60, developed during the late 1930s, looked like a 1938 Chevy). Elsewhere, a test of two Mini Mokes, the “tent on wheels.” Moving into January’s magazines, Car & Driver does a road test of the M235i, picked as one of the magazine’s 10 best cars for 2015. Elsewhere in the magazine is a test of the BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe. Over at Classic Motorsports, the January edition includes the latest installment of “Project Mini” (body repairs and painting) along with two pages of tech tips for owners of the 59- 67 Austin-Healey 3000 and two more pages on the MG T series (“Pure Sports Car Enjoyment”). Pretty much something for everyone in the January Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, starting with a cover article on the 14th Jaguar E-Type roadster built for the American market and continuing with coverage of British Invasion XXIV, held in Stowe, VT, in late September; an article on the Volvo 480 (“The coolest Volvo you never saw!”); one owner’s experiences with a 2000 BMW 528i wagon; and a buyer’s guide for the 1996-2002 BMW Z3. Finally, over at Octane, the “ultimate TR3,” a new-build TR3-Beta, the car Triumph once planned to manufacture to bridge the TR3 and TR4. Basically a TR4 chassis with TR3 body and interior, the car has 200bhp and 130+ mph capability. 2

Roadwork: Die Neue Klasse Goes Racing

Among cult cars, the BMW 2002 is an obvious favor- BMW found itself under severe financial duress. Driven to des- ite. Sure, it was the car that put BMW on the map in peration, in 1959 the company’s management considered a North America, beginning a timeline that leads directly sale to Daimler-Benz. The proposal failed; according to BMW to the company’s current status as a universally re- historian Nicole Bergmann, spected manufacturer of high-performance street cars. …for the company’s core business, the automobile For that matter, the 2002 probably did much to forge and motorcycle program, the management and board the appeal, if not the concept itself, of the European searched for an industrial partner. Correspondingly sport sedan – Terry McGean BMW started discussions with Ford, Fiat and also They’re fun but durable, like an Alfa GTV that traded Borgward, all of which explorations came to naught. a little romance for a dose of build quality and practi- Based on these developments it became clear that cality…it introduced this country to BMW as a brand, BMW would have to redefine itself from within as an sparking a half-century of growth and a host of imita- independent enterprise. tors. The Germans always claim to have invented the Under the leadership of majority shareholder Dr Herbert sports sedan with this thing, but that’s a fib. In reality, Quandt, the company regrouped and started working on a fol- they took the Italian blueprint and perfected it – Sam low-on to the reasonably successful BMW 700 compact: a new, Smith, Executive Editor, Road and Track mid-sized sporting sedan. The BMW 1500 debuted to near Der Bayerisch Motoren universal acclaim at the 1961Frankfurt International Motor Werke has a long, proud – Show. According to Bergmann, “these “Neue Klasse” sedans and occasionally harrowing, represented a totally new development with no connection to primarily for financial reasons the technically outdated V8 sedans of the 1950s.” The “New – history, including a strong Class” vehicles constituted a major success – vehicle sales record in automotive competi- jumped an incredible 47 percent – and guaranteed BMW’s fi- tion. For example, BMW nancial stability for the first time since 1945. 328s dominated in several races on the European conti- nent during the late 1930s, including first place finishes at the Eifelrennen Nürburgring in June 1936; Grand Prix des Frontières, Grand Prix Bucharest and Eifelrennen Nürburgring (again) in 1937; Hamburg, Avus, Hockenheim and Grand Prix Nurburgring, Germany, Anvers, France, and Grand Prix Bucharest in 1938; and Zandvort in 1939. A streamlined hardtop 328 driven by Huschke von Han- stein and 3 took the outright win at the 1940 running of the Mille Miglia. Other BMWs finished third, fifth and sixth in the event, held on 28 April 1940…some seven months following the start of World War II. During the war, BMW functioned as one of Germany’s pri- mary aircraft engine and motorcycle manufacturers, turning out the R75 cycle and legendary BMW 801 twin-row radial, which powered the Dornier Do 217, Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and Junkers Ju 88/188/288/388, among others. However, the bombing campaign of the US Army Air Forces and Royal Air The 1500 offered a 1499cc 4-cylinder engine which devel- Force all but destroyed the company’s plants in Munich and at oped 75bhp. BMW followed up with 1600 (1574cc, 85bhp) and Eisenach-Dürrerhof. Postwar, the allied powers occupied 1800/1800 Ti (Turisimo Internationale; 1773cc, 90bhp) models. what was left and stripped the factories of the surviving heavy The company also produced 200 1800 Ti/SAs (Ti/ industrial equipment, while placing tight limits on what the Sonderausführung, or “special edition”) specifically for competi- remnants of German industry could manufacture. . tion use. The engine featured larger valves, 10.5:1 compres- sion ration, two 45DCOE Weber carbs and a different camshaft The company – good for somewhere around 150bhp – as well as a five- survived – barely speed gearbox and disc brakes at all four corners. – through the production of kitchen BMW wound up selling just about every 1500/1600/1800 it utensils, pots, could produce and had to scramble to boost production. Imme- pans and the like, diate racing success also boosted demand for the car; Hubert until it received Hahne, driving a suitably modified 1800 Ti, took the German authorization to Championship for Touring Cars in 1964, winning 14 of 16 resume motorcy- events. Competition led to production changes, resulting in the cle and car pro- 1966 debut of the BMW 2000 with 100bhp and a top speed of duction, in 1948 170 kmh/105 mph. BMW 501 with a Lufthansa Constellation and 1951 respec- providing the backdrop. Source: Flickr Over in the states, BMW’s increasing popularity – and suita- tively. The first bility for competition – came at a good time. In 1966, the four-wheel vehicle Sports Car Club of America initiated two new pro driver/ to come out of the rebuilt Munich factory was the 2-liter, six- manufacturer championships, the Can Am Series for Group 7 cylinder 501 (aka “The Baroque Angel”). BMW followed up sports cars (Group 7 meaning, “There are no rules”) and the with the V8-powered 502 and 503, along with the license-built Trans-Am for sedans. The latter series had two components, Isetta microcar and larger 600 variant, the rear-engined 700 for cars over and under 2.0 litre displacement. BMW enthusi- and 3.1-liter V8 BMW 507 sports roadster, designed specifi- asts, who had seen a few (very few) 507s compete in SCCA cally for the US market. club racing into the early 1960s, along with the more numerous Unfortunately, while the cars were technologically sound, (Continued on page 4) they didn’t sell particularly well and by the end of the 1950s, 3

BMW 700, quickly realized the company’s sedans were highly BMW finally appropriate for the new series. broke into the win column later The initial Trans-Am in the season, race took place at Se- with Peter bring International Schuster taking Raceway on 25 March the 31 May Bryar 1966, a four-hour run Motorsports Park held the day before the event and Bert traditional 12-hour race Everett winning for prototype, GT and at Mid-Ohio on 7 sports cars. This first June. Schuster sedan race featured a followed up with rather eclectic mix of a hard-fought vehicles, in both clas- Sebring 1966: the John Ryan/Linn Cole- BMWs and Alfa Romeos through the Cork- third place at 20 ses: Dodge Darts man 1800 Ti/SA pushing AJ Foyt . screw, Laguna Seca in 1970. Source: June’s Bridge- (including one entered Source: Gwadagone. BMW2002FAQ.com hampton race by Group 44), Plym- and took second outh Barracudas, Chevrolet Corvairs and Ford Mustangs in in the 19 July Road America contest. Don Pike finished second 02L and Alfa Romeo GTAs, Mini Coopers, Saab 93s, Volvo at Kent, Washington, on 20 September. 122s and Renaults in U2L. Four BMW 1800 Ti/SAs compet- ed; one, driven by John Ryan and Lin Coleman, finished in 9th In 1971, the SCCA altered the classes to over and under 2.5- place, behind a gaggle of Alfas including the race winner, en- liter and Datsun entered the series with 510s, under the auspi- tered by Autodelta and driven by Jochen Rindt. The Group 44 ces of Brock Racing Enterprises. Now facing two factory ef- Dart, driven by Bob Tullius and Tony “A2Z” Adamowicz, fin- forts, the privateer BMW drivers carried on but in the end, Dat- ished second. sun took the U2.5 championship in its first season, followed by Alfa Romeo and BMW. The pattern pretty much repeated in The Trans-Am season ran through seven events at various 1972. tracks around the country, culminating at the legendary River- side International Raceway in Southern California. Generally, The 1972 season marked the effective end of the original or the factory-supported Alfas ran the table although Lotus “classic” Trans-Am. In the under 2.5-liter class, both Alfa Ro- Cortinas managed to win two events. BMW co-drivers Herb meo and Datsun dropped out; factory participation in O2.5 also Swan and Bob Birne finished 13th in an 1800 Ti/SA at St Louis’ waned, as Porsches returned to duke it out with a gaggle of Mid America Raceway on 12 June. privately-run Chevrolet Camaros, plus the occasional sedan (?) oddities such as the De Tomaso Pantera, Ferrari Dino and At the fourth race, 31 July, Virginia International Raceway, even a Sunbeam Tiger. The series itself went into decline, with Danville, Reid and Marianne “Pinkie” Rollo attracted attention only six races in 1973 and three in 1974. BMW 2002 Tis con- when they ran their 1800 Ti/SA to eight place. Something of a tinued to run in the 1973 events, albeit in small numbers and celebrity, Pinkie’d usually towards the back of the pack. been featured in a 1964 Sports Illus- However, bigger trated article which things were coming, her- referred to her and alded by the 1972 for- regular co-driver mation of BMW Motor- Patricia Mermone sport, which enabled as “…the two best greater factory involve- women racing driv- ment in sedan, prototype ers in the U.S.” and formula racing. The Rollo was also nota- year also saw the en- The Rollos at Virginia International. ble for running the trance of the Schnitzer Source: BMW2002FAQ.com 1960 Sebring 12- Motorsports 2800CS at hour with Denise Le Mans, followed by the Still popular in vintage racing: Steve McCluggage in a development of the 3.0 Walker in July 2014’s event at Port- Camoradi Racing Osca 187S. She and McCluggage teamed CSL for international land, OR. Bill Wagenblatt/Sports Car Digest up again at Sebring in 1967, this time driving a Ferrari 275 competition. In the GTS/4 for the North American Racing Team (NART). states and internationally, BMW went on a competitive roll which continues to this day. At the end of the inaugural Trans-Am season BMW placed third in the under 2.0-liter manufacturers’ championship, be- The Neue Klasse cars—which remain highly popular in vin- hind Alfa Romeo and Ford of Britain. In 1967, American man- tage and historic racing—provided the foundation. ufacturers responded to the growing popularity of the series Sources: Sam Smith, “I’m racing this restored Alpina 2002 and started fielding additional factory teams. For whatever in Monterey,” Road & Track, 6 August 2014; Dave Friedman, reason, that season also marked the debut of the Porsche 911 Trans Am: The Pony Car Wars, 1966-1971 (Minneapolis: MBI as an under-2 liter “sedan,” by decision of the SCCA. Por- Publishing Co., 2001); Sports Car Digest; Terry McGean, sches dominated in 1967, 1968 and 1969, although the 1968 “BMW 2002 FAQ,” Motor News, July 2008; Kurt Ernst, “Newly season did see the US competition debut of the 2002 Ti, driv- restored, BMW’s 1970 Alpina 2002ti returns to the track in Mon- en by Herb Swan and others. terey,” Hemmings Motor News, 12 August 2014; Barbara H. The 1970 season was a big year, with at least four 2002 Tis LaFontaine, “The Furious Fun of Pinkie and Pat,” Sports Illus- battling it out with the Alfas. At the 18-19 April season opener trated, 24 August 1964; “BMW 1500 (1962),” NetCarShow, at Laguna Seca, Nels Miller finished second in his 2002 to Lee www.netcarshow.com; “Motoring Icons: A Tribute to BMW’s Midgely in a GTA…and was promptly disqualified for having 1500/1800/2000 series, Carscoop, 6 April 2011; Concept- oversized valves. Second place then went to Don Pike who’d Carz.com; Rob de la Rive Box, ed., Encyclopaedia of Classic finished on the same lap as Midgely and Miller. Heinz Eck- Cars: Sports Cars 1945-1975 (Godalming, Surrey, UK: Rebo hardt placed third in his BMW, followed by Terry Enk in sixth Productions Ltd., 1998); Nicole Bergman, “Annual Meeting and Carl Fredericks in 8th. 1959 – a new beginning for BMW,” BMW Vintage & Classic, September 2009.

Featured Events contd Annual Deer Creek Club Gala JAGSL—10 January 2015

Photos by Amy Stoffel Smith/JAGSL

Rear View Mirror

The Hemmings Daily blog (http:// blog.hemmings.com) has been running a series of street scenes for the past several months. The one to the right showed up online the week of 11 January. Submitted for your considera- tion: Sports Economy Cars of St Louis, apparently taken during the early 1960s. Per the comments this dealership stood on Chippewa across the street from Donut Drive- In (6525 Chippewa), about a block east of Ted Drewes. The selection included Jaguars, Mercedes, Triumphs, Volvos, VWs, Hillmans, Peugeots, Renaults, Porsches...and at least one Lancia. The cross street is apparently Sutherland; Schaefer’s Auto Care now occupies the lot.

Featured Events Annual Christmas Party GHA—13 December 2014

Photos by Jim Reiter, GHA

Holiday Lights Tour MGCStL—13 December 2014

Photos by Pete Westbay, MGCStL