oogle’s directions went on Sunday. There are no names carved into it started life as a one-off. Birkin founder, forever. Right, left, left, right on yet but they will come as research identifies John Watson was born in Wales, the son single track roads across open those that took off and never came back of a vet who, when John was just four country that became increasingly to land. It’s a noticeably quiet, windswept months old, emigrated to Rhodesia (now silent as I moved further away place and standing there, it wasn’t hard Zimbabwe) where John grew up. During Gfrom junction 17 of the A12. Eventually to imagine a far off time when ears were his military service, he found a very beaten THE SPRINGBOK I came to a gate that I had to open and tuned to pick up the first faint murmur of up Lotus Seven S2 which he set about close behind me and having driven an engine heading for home. Ears that restoring. When in 1978, the political through, I came to the sign proclaiming could gauge the mechanical health of the situation in Rhodesia became threatening, the entrance to Stow Maries airfield. There aircraft and judge whether the emergency John was fortunate to secure a position are ghosts here.As well as the HQ of RS vehicles would be needed. It’s a major with his employers in South Africa. The only Performance and Birkin Cars, it’s also ongoing project for Russell and his business problem was that Rhodesian emigration the only remaining WW1 airfield in the partner, Steve Wilson, but it’s not purely laws limited leavers to one vehicle which country and in recent years, Russell Savory self indulgence but one ultimately aimed had to be the family car so the Lotus was SEVEN has ploughed a very great deal of money, at honouring the men who risked all and left behind. Once settled in South Africa, energy and expertise into restoring it to how often made the ultimate sacrifice for their the hankering for a Lotus remained strong it was in 1917. Many of the buildings have country. I greatly look forward to returning so John approached Caterham Cars with been completed including workshops, the to Stow Maries as time moves on to see the a view to building their cars in South Africa blacksmith’s forge, the ambulance station, full transformation of a unique place. And I but the idea never got off the ground, nor the squadron offices and a good deal will be going back and so will many of you could he simply buy one as South African more. There are replica WW1 vehicles for as well as emerging as a piece of living import duty then stood at 110%! So he did dotted about and the hundred-acre site history, Stow Maries will also be playing a what many have done when faced with has also restored the two grass landing significant role in the kit car world as the such a problem; armed with every book on strips. There are no aircraft yet but the HQ of the European arm of Birkin Cars. Of engineering and the Lotus Seven he could The Birkin name comes from Bentley Boy, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ ghosts are there, although not in torment. I course Birkin Cars has been here before find, he decided to build his own. As news took a stroll during the morning and as the but for various reasons, none of which of the project spread, other enthusiasts buildings peter out, there’s a path down to concerned the car’s quality or ability, it visited and one car soon became two, Birkin, a distant relative of Birkin founder, John Watson. a new memorial. It’s a massive, polished didn’t quite work out but if I was a betting four and more as the financial benefits of rock and beneath the legend the ‘Their man, I’d put money on its success this time economies of scale reduced the financial It’s also a brilliant car from South Africa that is once names liveth for evermore’ are several round. The Birkin hails from South Africa cost of the car that would be John’s own. again available in the UK from an equally outstanding poppy wreaths laid on Remembrance where it first appeared in 1983 having In this way, a personal project turned into company. Ian Hyne tells you what they’re offering and what the future holds. This time the European arm rests with legendary bike tuner, team manager, WW1 airfield restorer and man of many more hats, Russell Savory and his RS Performance company. While many may be unaware of Russell and his glittering career, they will certainly be aware of the Caterham Levante, the Top Trump to beat all Top Trumps as the statistics add up to an ultimate Caterham specification that will never be surpassed; a 2.4-litre, 40-valve RST V8 supercharged to develop 500 plus bhp @ 10,000 with 300 lbs ft @ 8,500 transmitted via a six- speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift option. It also has traction control, launch control, a wet weight of 520 kgs, a 0 – 60 time of 3 seconds and a top end limited to 150 mph! And it’s indirectly due to Russell’s engine development that the tie up with Birkin has come about. RS Performance is engaged in many projects but all related to this engine and more recent developments. There’s a much cut and shut Ford Ka in The bootbox represents the result the workshop with an RS V6 in the back, is back in the UK. That said, Russell is fully of going the extra mile to create a there are several Caterhams undergoing committed to the car’s promotion and sale space that’s as large as possible in engine transplants, a couple of completed as a top end, kit-form car quite apart from addition to being very well made restoration jobs on Russell’s Ariel motorbike its test role for his engines. and fitted. The interior is snug, comfort- and a vintage Humber but the hub of And before we leave Russell’s engines able and supportive with a the place is the engine building shop. In there are just a couple of words to say. great driving position. There’s respect of the engines and their future They’re not bike engines. He built his first handle. The result was the Levante, all a small console on the tunnel- development, Russell was on the lookout small capacity V8 over 20-years ago. It was eight cars built having been sold. From top under the main dash while for a car that would serve as a regular test a 2-litre unit that was fitted to a car called there he has moved on and the latest bed and which had the necessary strength, the Lightning jointly designed with Chris engine to emerge is a 2.3-litre V6 They overall quality, fit and finish is rigidity and quality of engineering to meet Craft and Gordon Murray. He resurrected may share technology and various design exemplary. his exacting standards and which could the design about 6-years ago when he aspects with current bike engines but their accept the strain exerted by his engines decided to quit running motor cycle racing performance is very much designed for a viable business that has thrived ever since four-pot recruited for kit car service and the had bought and for which they made their and through a tie up with John Watson, he teams as the strain of finding ever larger cars rather than bikes. The latest 2.3-litre with many cars exported from South Africa engine wasn’t manufactured in South Africa own crownwheel and pinion sets. The found that car in the Birkin thus the Birkin sums in sponsorship became too much to unit is a more compact V6 developing to Australia, the United States and various thus all that had to be done here was to only downside to the experience was that other far flung corners of the globe. In respect fit the power plant. I borrowed Stephen’s the ECU failed half way through the event of the UK, Birkin entered the market very demonstrator in 1999 to contest the second and apparently the only other car using that quietly in 1998 when John’s son Stephen set Guild of Motor Endurance international particular box of tricks at the time was a up Tradelink International in Northampton event, the 7,000 km Liege Targa Liege taking Ferrari F40. Well at least we were in the right and ran the company whilst also pursuing in much of the Monte Carlo rally route, the country to find a replacement but it was not a motorsport career. At the time he was the Monaco GP circuit, the Miile Miglia in two to be so our event was cut short. Thereafter, test driver for the Arrows Formula 1 team halves separated by crossing to Sicily for I drove the car a few more times but as well and was also chasing drives in Indy cars and the Targa Florio, Pegusa circuit, and back to as Stephen’s time being too tightly stretched for Le Mans. The upshot was that there just Liege taking in the Coppa Bruno hillclimb, for administration, it was also stretched in weren’t enough hours in a day and a move Pisa, Mount Etna, Venice, the Schlumph finding time for development.