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Classic Cars in
Rhodesia
Make |
ERA
|
History |
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Year |
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Built
for
Pat
Fairfield,
later
owned by Norman Wilson then Reg Parnell in 1942.
Owned and raced by Bob Gerard in 1945. Owned
around 1955/56 by John MacPhee (seen sitting in
the car in the black & white photo top right
below) in Northern Rhodesia. Acquired in late 1956
by Jimmy de Villiers in Southern Rhodesia, where
it was again raced extensively, painted black and
red. Acquired in 1957 by Jimmy Shield who used the
car in Rhodesia and South Africa, winning the
False Bay 100 in 1958. The car appears to have
been re-acquired by Jimmy de Villiers as he
swapped the car with Barry Sargeant for a race
prepared TR3A around 1961. Barry did not have too
much success with the ERA and sold it to Peter
Brewer around 1963. By the mid 1960s the car had
returned to the UK, where it was raced with a
2-litre engine by Sir John Venables-Llewellyn.
Owned in the mid 1990s by PA Mann and Jost
Wildbolz, then from 1998 by just Jost Wildbolz in
Switzerland. Later owners include J-R
Grellet and Nick J. Topliss.
R4A Owners as listed by the ERA Club Website
P G Fairfield 1935 to 1937
N G Wilson 1937 to 1942
R Parnell 1942 to 1945
F R Gerard 1945 to 1955
J MacPhee 1955 to 1956
J de Villiers 1956 to 1957
J Shield 1957 to 1960
J de Villiers 1960 to 1961
B Sargeant 1961 to 1963
F P Brewer 1963 to 1966
Sir John Venables-Llewelyn 1966 to 1996
P A Mann & J Wildbolz 1996 to 1998
J Wildbolz 1998 to 2008
J-R Grellet 2008 to 2012
N J Topliss 2012 to date
|
Model |
R4A
|
Chassis No. |
|
Engine No. |
|
Coachbuilder |
|
Body Style |
|
Colours |
Black over red in Rhodesia
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|
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Registration
Numbers |
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References |
Photo: Mike Taylor, Nick
Wood, www.oldracingcars.com, Mark Sargeant, ERA Club
website -
http://www.eraclub.co.uk/section405354.html, Dave
Evans
|
|
 
Jimmy de
Villiers
John MacFee from Northern Rhodesia in ERA talking
to Peter Whitehead,
Austin Healey 100M behind
     
Barry
Sergeant
Jimmy Shield?
 
Jimmy
Shield
1960, Jimmy de Villiers with 1997cc engine
|
Make |
ERA
|
History |
|
|
|
|
|
Year |
|
1936 works car
with 2-litre engine, painted the works black
colour scheme, raced at Brooklands and Shelsey
Walsh hill climb. Rebuilt in 1937 by the works
to C-Type specification, which included a
1.5-litre engine and long range fuel tank.
Driven by Pat Fairfield at Crystal Palace and
Donington Park. After Pat was killed at Le Mans,
the car was used successfully by various other
drivers. Sold in 1938 to Prince Chula to be
driven by Prince Bira, painted light blue and
yellow White Mouse Stable colours, named
‘Hanuman’. The car was crashed by Bira in 1939
at practice for a race at Rheims, where the car
was badly damaged. Rebuilt on a B-Type chassis
and renamed ‘Hanuman II’. Raced by Prince Bira
post war. Subsequent owners included David
Hampshire and David Murray in 1949 and 1950.
After a number of other owners the car was owned
by Ken Flint of Liverpool, from whom Sam Tingle
of Rhodesia acquired the car in mid 1957 for
£450. This included a spare chassis that was
later built into R12C by Bill Morris. The car
returned to the UK to Bill Morris in 1962. Bill
raced the car till 1999 when it was acquired by
David Wenman. Now with H.R.H. King Bhumibol of
Thailand.
R12B owners as listed by the ERA Club Website
The Works 1936 to 1937
(Converted to R12C over the winter 1936/37)
H R H Prince Chula 1939 to 1949
(Rebuilt as R12B in 1939)
D A Hampshire & D Murray 1949 to 1951
J A Somervail 1951 to 1954
D G Owen 1954 to 1956
K Flint 1956 to 1957
S A Tingle 1957 to ?
A Gillespie ? to 1962
W R G Morris & D N Kergon 1962 to 1974
W R G Morris 1974 to 1999
D H Wenman 1999 to 2007
H.R.H. King Bhumibol of Thailand 2007 to date
|
Model |
R12B 'Hanuman / Hanuman II'
|
Chassis No. |
|
Engine No. |
|
Coachbuilder |
|
Body Style |
|
Colours |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registration
Numbers |
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References |
www.oldracingcars.com;
The Crankhandle Chronicle, Dave Evans, ERA Club
website -
http://www.eraclub.co.uk/section405354.html |
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Copyright © Wayne M. Kennerley
2021
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