Nostalgia

Our sport has been around a lot longer than the internet, so browsers of this site can use this page to contribute reproductions of period articles from the printed matter available at the time, or even write something original, on a nostalgic theme...

Contributions can be a report of a great race meeting, a driver interview, what have you?

 

A personal memory of Colin Reed
Hot Rod 366
by Alan Savage

I first met Colin when I started to work in a body-shop in Fulham, not too far from Stamford Bridge, around 1969. He was the manager, and the first thing he said to me was “Don’t touch my racing car, or else!”

When I saw the black and yellow Emery Imp I recognised it straight away, as I used to go to Wimbledon fairly regularly. Although I'm not sure of the deal, I think Paul Emery supplied it free of charge.

I became part of the team, and Colin was a red-top driver for most of the time that I helped him. The car was transported on an old Thames 400E which had a crew cab, an extended chassis and a straight-6 Zephyr lump fitted.

We used to do Aldershot on a Thursday night, Walthamstow on a Friday night, Wimbledon on a Saturday night and Cross in Hand or Eastbourne on a Sunday afternoon. Then there was Ipswich, Wisbech, Great Yarmouth, White City and Lydden Hill to fit in, as well! We also did at least one trip to Ringwood for the Good Friday meeting. From London, this journey seemed to take ages as it was mostly just A roads then. Colin never got up to Hednesford or Cowdenbeath.

I remember Bob Howe broke down on one trip to Wisbech. Colin stopped and towed Bob’s car and trailer to the track so he could still race, and then towed Bob’s car back to London after the race meeting. The drivers at the time seemed to have a great team spirit and all got on very well. There were a few heated discussions if there had been a coming together on the track, but most issues got sorted out. There were however, always one or two grudges that carried on from season to season. Some things don't change in Hot Rod racing...

Colin was fairly consistent with the results and gave the “Big 3” a bit of a run for their money now and again. It was though, really good to see a different car on the track as most of the cars were Anglias, then Escorts and the odd Mini. The Imp was fitted with a 1150cc full race lump that Paul Emery used to produce for his Rallycross cars. Paul, at this time, was competing in an Imp-powered Dastle Midget, with which he dominated that formula for a while.

Ultimately, the deal with Paul Emery supplying the car came to end, and for a while Colin was without a Hot Rod. So with just his own limited funds, Colin built a full-race Cooper 'S' Mini. It was painted metallic purple and yellow, and he raced this for a few years. I can remember it was fitted with a full race camshaft and a Jack Knight limited slip diff. The engine was bored out to 1293cc, and was fully balanced and lightened.

Both the Mini, and the Imp before it, were well ironed up, with gas barrel pipes fitted in the bumpers of the Imp. The Mini had a glass fibre front end – the picture shows one of the many fronts we had to fit - with a lot of angle-iron fitted in the engine bay. There were also metal bars behind the bumpers, there was a lot of pushing and shoving in those days! I do wonder how heavy the cars were - they never got weighed back then.

Colin's best result was when he won every race at a very wet Cross In Hand meeting. He did have some very sticky Dunlop wet tyres fitted on that occasion though, these helped a great deal on the day.

Colin finally had to give up racing due to the lack of funds and went back to contenting himself with a few practice outings on his old Bultaco scrambler. Sadly, he lost his life during one such session on his motorcycle in the Avery Pits that were very close to Arena Essex. Alan Savage

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