Le Mans Grantura Award

Following our announcement on Saturday night that Ian Massey-Crosse's Le Mans Grantura has today been placed 2nd overall in the Best in Show at the Bristol Classic Car Show, we are now pleased to show the pictures of Ian receiving his award. Once again, many congratulations to Ian for a fantastically presented and unique car. The car was only narrowly beaten by a Lancia that in Ian's own words: "deserved to win".

Owing to the organisers allegedly changing the time of the awards presentation, as far as we can tell, none of the prize winners at the Show received their awards officially. However, the TVR Car Club was fortunate enough to have LMES and British GT Driver, John Hartshorne on the stand and he was delighted to present the award to Ian.The Grantura was the first model that TVR built in production quantities, beginning in 1958. By 1962, approximately 400 Granturas had been made. In March 1962, TVR introduced the Grantura Mk3 with a new multi-tube chassis, designed by John Thurner, under a slightly lengthened bodyshell.

TVR set up a competitions department in 1962, under Ken Richardson, and YFR 751 is one of a batch of three lightweight cars they built for the TVR works team. It raced at Le Mans in June 1962, driven by Peter Bolton, but sadly succumbed to engine overheating. It also raced in the Tourist Trophy race at Goodwood in August 1962. In the hands of Tommy Wood, its first private owner, it competed in the first Harewood hill climb in September 1962.

The Le Mans Grantura was used as a road car from the mid-sixties. By the late seventies, despite its early promise, it was just another old sports car and in 1978 it was exported to Canada, where Gill Baker raced it at Hamilton and Mosport. It went to Kansas in the USA in 1985 where Tom Newcomer prepared it for SCCA racing. It was repatriated from Kansas to the UK in 2000 in very poor condition, and over the past three years it has been restored as closely as possible to the original 1962 specification, with the addition of safety modifications to comply with FIA Appendix K regulations.
The MGA 1622 cc engine has a HRG Derrington crossflow aluminium cylinder head and two twin choke Weber 45DCOE carburettors. The close ratio gearbox and differential are also MG sourced. The all-independent suspension uses coil springs and wishbones, supplemented by an anti-roll bar at the front. The brakes are Girling discs at the front and drums at the rear, operated in a split system with adjustable balance.
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Since the restoration was completed in May 2004, the Le Mans Grantura has covered over 3000 miles. Its recent travels include participation in the TVR Car Club Continental Meeting at Zolder, and track days at Cadwell Park, Oulton Park and Pembrey.
(Photos Paul Shrimpton/Duncan Simey) 

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