WorldRecord attempt

[Gybe]

A couple of my friends are on course to break the world record for driving from Cape Town to London. They hope to get to Marble Arch this evening and have 31+ hours left to get home and set a new record this morning. They passed through the Mont Blanc tunnel earlier today and have been battling through snow in the Alps. It's a charity run if anyone would like to donate.

For any of you intrepid long distance caravanning motorists or car nuts you might be interested to know that there are two records up for grabs, one set with a Range Rover and the other with a Land Rover. Phil and Paul have the records in their sights in a fairly standard
FIAT PANDA 875cc Twin Air

http://www.africarecordrun.com/index.html

Do give the guys a toot of wave if you see them today or pop along to Marble Arch for the big finish if you'r around London

 

[Surfer]

In the 1960's there was a race between a Union castle Windsor Castle mail ship leaving Cape Town for Southampton and a MKII Ford Cortina driven by Eric Jackson and Ken Chambers. Any one remember it? I was at the start point as a very young lad. Didn't see much due to every one being bigger and taller than me!
In 1969 I drove from Salisbury (Harare) in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) to Cape Town a distance fo 2000 miles. We left Salisbury at 4am and arrived in Cape Town the next day at about 12pm. I was driving a Ford Cortina MKII 1300cc.

 

[Gybe]

I remember Eric well and that drive Surfer and I saw him and all the cars off on the London Sydney, as far as I know Eric is still going strong at 88 and he was rallying well in to his 70's. Eric did some epic distance drives and gave up a great drive when he gave his cylinder head to the late great Roger Clark on the London Sydney Marathon
A few memories here Surfer, no doubt a few old Yorkshire caravanners will have bought their Fords from Eric Jackson Barnsley
http://www.londoncapetownrally.com/history.html
http://www.maxadventure.co.uk/news_detail.php?article=173
http://www.squidoo.com/london-to-cape-town-record

 

[Surfer]

I remember Eric well and that drive Surfer and I saw him and all the cars off on the London Sydney, as far as I know Eric is still going strong at 88 and he was rallying well in to his 70's. Eric did some epic distance drives and gave up a great drive when he gave his cylinder head to the late great Roger Clark on the London Sydney Marathon
A few memories here Surfer, no doubt a few old Yorkshire caravanners will have bought their Fords from Eric Jackson Barnsley
http://www.londoncapetownrally.com/history.html
http://www.maxadventure.co.uk/news_detail.php?article=173
http://www.squidoo.com/london-to-cape-town-record

If you look on the article about the Windsor Castle vs Cortina race, the top picture shows a Ford Cortina and the second picture shows someone sitting on the bonnet of what I think is a Ford Corsair! Also although not very clear, the number plates also seem to start with different letters.

 

[Gybe]

New record set as Phil and Paul brought the Panda home to Marble Arch at 5.30pm today beating both records.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21416389

Hi Surfer. I spoke with a couple of old rally hands at Marble Arch. Jackson set the London to Cape Town record in 63 in a Cortina Mk 1 and the Cape Town to London Windsor Castle race was in 67 in a Corsair. The race was declared a draw as they had to air hop one country.
I've just had a look see and that is correct. Eric Jackson's book is available here http://www.damnlongway.com/
plus some record of his drives if you're interested.

 

[Surfer]

New record set as Phil and Paul brought the Panda home to Marble Arch at 5.30pm today beating both records.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21416389

Hi Surfer. I spoke with a couple of old rally hands at Marble Arch. Jackson set the London to Cape Town record in 63 in a Cortina Mk 1 and the Cape Town to London Windsor Castle race was in 67 in a Corsair. The race was declared a draw as they had to air hop one country.
I've just had a look see and that is correct. Eric Jackson's book is available here http://www.damnlongway.com/
plus some record of his drives if you're interested.

Thanks I was not aware of the race with the Corsair although I was living in Cape Town at the time. In 1970 I had a 1965 Ford Corsair with the column gear shift. Nice car at the time with red interior and white exterior!

 

[Gybe]

Some golden car yers for ford Surfer. I remember travelling in a Ford Zepher early 60's, black with lovely red leather seats, and also in a Corsair similar to your decription. My father had the first customer Cortina (estate) in the UK with the eyeball airflow system with rear roof pillar vents in 64. Ford launched the updated model at the London Motorshow, he'd ordered the estate as an export model directly from Ford with some custom deletions and extras. No Chrome side strip, light grey roof with dark blue bodywork, fully undersealed (special order in those days) and other bits that I don't remember.
As a special order the car was handled by the same team that prepared the Motor Show cars for Ford and he got his some weeks before they went on the market with the new features. For the first couple of months we were like media or showbiz stars. People crowded around just to see the new airflow sytem Cortina. When dad booked it in for its first service check at the local dealer the whole dealerships staff went out to see it.
I had a rally driving 'lesson' with my hero Roger Clark in a Ford AVO works MK1 Escort. Great man and and amazing car control. I must have has a mile wide smile for two years after that.