In Reply to: Lea-Francis engine in Clairmonte Special posted by Peter Ross on October 28, 2001 at 14:27:51:
:
: To: Dennis Kawabata
: From: Peter Ross
: Subject: Jack Turner and the Clairmonte Special
: Dear Mr Kawabata,
:
I came across your web site as a result of surfing the web for Jack
Turner, whose name had been given to me by Barrie Moore of Lea-Francis
: Cars as someone who dealt in Lea-Francis engines in the early 1950s.
:
I am doing research into the early history of the Lotus Engineering
Company, and in 1952 they built a Formula 2 car called the Lotus Mark
: VII for Clive Clairmonte, who intended to fit the six cylinder 2-litre engine from his Riley sports car.
:
The (unconfirmed) story goes that this engine was blown up, and he
decided instead to fit a linered down Lea-Francis engine, and convert
: the car to a sports car, and call it the Clairmonte Special. It raced for the first time in 1953.
: For the 1954 season it was fitted with a 1960cc Connaught engine, and did quite well until being sold in 1955. It still exists. I have photos of it with both engines.
: I think there is a good chance that the Leaf engine was obtained from Jack Turner, and if he is still alive I would dearly love to get a message to him and ask if he has any memories of it in those days. I was around at the time but was not involved with Clairmonte.
: Can you help?
: Yours sincerely,
: --
: Peter Ross (now 72)
: The Birches, Cuckoo Mills, FALMOUTH Cornwall UK TR11 4HZ
: Tel. and FAX 01326 317789 (outside UK +44 1326 317789)
: e-mail PeterRoss@CrystalEngineering.FSBusiness.co.uk
Peter,
Suggest you contact David Scott in UK, his phone No. is 01494 445636.
David is in touch with Jack Turner and would, Iam sure, give you some
information.
Keith, 60/415