Club Arnage

JCB seem to be intersted in buying Jaguar if ford sells it, see the following

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1857844,00.html

So does that mean, JCB would be soon seen on the back of Jags, and does that mean JCB could stand for Jagaur Car Buisness.

With there record breaking diesel car, could that mean, JCB/Jaguar could be at Le Mans with a great diesel entry?

It seems to me that the whole story is a load of hydraulics!

Having a tractor maker as an owner never hurt Aston Martin!

The Bamford family have very strong links to motorsport owning a large collection of classic racer's as well as supporting quite a few teams and drivers so a return to Le Mans would be a possibility.

Lambo have fairly humble orgins as well.

No agreed, but it certainly hurt the tractor maker, David Brown had to sell out to CASE.

Come to think about it, Aston under DB's guidance did'nt flourish for very long either before falling into the clutches of a variety of chancers and ner' do wells.

Chancers and ne'er do wells indeed Nordic, except for the late great Victor Gauntlett, who it has to be said pretty much saved the day single-handedly.

Co-incidentally, wasn't one of the Bamford (JCB) family a founding director of Aston Martin?

The company was registered in 1913 and originally named after its two founders, Bamford and Martin. Whether he was part of the JCB Bamford’s I am not 100% sure, but I think it has to be likely

There is nothing on the JCB web page about any connection between Joseph Bamford, the founder of JCB, and the Bamford who is being linked to Bamford and Martin.

But it is possible. He started JCB in 45 from a garage so it seems possible.

Ahh the late great Mr Gautlett, I think he had a partner with a Greek sounding name and between them they did pull it all together for a while. Even found the money for the Nimrod Grp C car that nearly did so well and started the later AMR/RMR cars as well I think before Ford canned it.

The nimrod was a lovely sounding car, and in the silver and green looked good as well. However it was never going to match the Porsche 956.

Spot on sound wise Nordic it was indeed beautiful, I saw it and heard it in 1985 I think it was and I think they actually led the race for a very short period during the first hour as a result of some clever early pit stops ;D

The Nimrods ran earlier than that, in fact they ceased production in 1983, and last raced at La Sarthe with a fiery exit on Mulsanne in '84 (one car hitting the other which was already on fire).

In '85, the EMKA Astons were running, and it was one of these (No 66 - Dow Corning) that led the race for a stunning 9 minutes due to a clever re-fuelling strategy.  It eventually finished 11th that year, and was driven by Steve O'Rourke, Nick Faure & Tiff Needell, the same line up as raced the first EMKA car in '83 (they didn't race in '84)


EMKA
(http://muchos.co.uk/members/delboy9/Emka.jpg)

Nimrod
(http://muchos.co.uk/members/delboy9/aston03.jpg)


Mr Gauntlet's partner was a Mr Robin Hamilton - don't know his nationality, but I don't think it was Greek!!

Del

Hamilton was the main moving force behind the Nimrod, Gauntlet (and others) where partners and it was independent, at first, from the works.

His main partner in Aston Martin was a shipping magnet named Livanos

His colouful life is recounted here.

http://www.users.myisp.co.uk/~climengs/mvgauntlett/mvgauntlett.htm

I think we could do with a few more people like him.

The date is right, but as I understand it the Aston Martin company name came from a combination of its founder, Lionel Martin, and the name of the village in Buckinghamshire, Aston Clinton, where he competed in hillclimbs with the first car that he built.

MG Mark

The founder of JCB, Joseph Cyril, was born around 1913 and had no connection with motor sports when he set up the company so the connection is unlikely.

I knew it, I just knew it!! That old Clinton Lionel rusting away at the back of my garage must be worth a fortune now.
H

The date is right, but as I understand it the Aston Martin company name came from a combination of its founder, Lionel Martin, and the name of the village in Buckinghamshire, Aston Clinton, where he competed in hillclimbs with the first car that he built.

MG Mark

MG, I think (but only think) that is not quite right, but nearly is. My understanding is that the Aston part of the name came from the fact that the hill climb hill was called Aston hill and can in fact be found just outside the village of Wendover. I dare say however the hill itself was named after Aston Clinton which is about four/five miles away.  ;) ;D

The Nimrods ran earlier than that, in fact they ceased production in 1983, and last raced at La Sarthe with a fiery exit on Mulsanne in '84 (one car hitting the other which was already on fire).

In '85, the EMKA Astons were running, and it was one of these (No 66 - Dow Corning) that led the race for a stunning 9 minutes due to a clever re-fuelling strategy.  It eventually finished 11th that year, and was driven by Steve O'Rourke, Nick Faure & Tiff Needell, the same line up as raced the first EMKA car in '83 (they didn't race in '84)


EMKA
(http://muchos.co.uk/members/delboy9/Emka.jpg)

Nimrod
(http://muchos.co.uk/members/delboy9/aston03.jpg)


Delboy, you are of course absolutely correct, thanks for putting me straight on this. :D

I think you have added the final piece of the jigsaw, in that the Aston Clinton Hillclimb was so named because it went up Aston Hill, near the village of Aston Clinton.  A pretty good description, with pictures of the past and present at the venue, OS maps and what it looks like today, together with the commemorative plaque put there by the AMOC and AML are at:

http://ox.mx5oc.co.uk/events/AstonHill/Aston_Hill.htm

Results from each year (and there are some famous echoes of the past listed there) are at:

http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/hca1.htm

Looks like a "must visit" next time in the area...

MG Mark

Would Raymond Mays be anything to do with Mays Motors which used to to be based in Dorking.....????

Mr Termite was in the same class at school as his (the garage owner's)daughter and thinks not.

Mr Termite was right (sound of teeth grinding), Raymond Mays was from Bourne, Lincs and was based there throughout his career.

As if by magic:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5302310.stm

Now I can see more logic in JCB buying Aston ,whereas the Jag thing never made sense. Hello LMP1?

A bright yellow diesel LMP1 Aston.....noooooooooooooo!!!!!!! :o

Bright yellow diesel LMP1 Aston that goes like the thing at the Salt Flats.

Oh yes, that'll do...

Now, just got to make it go round corners


 ;D ;D ;D