Beaulieu 1970

[Henry Harris]

Welcome Julian. I'm very interested in your 'Ulster' history. I hope we can hear more about it.

[Julian Pennell]

Hi. Built up from existing racing Ulster parts including Mharle pistons, No. 5 Cozette blower. solid steel clutch plates, works Luvax hydraulic  shockers, home made
hydraulic  brakes, Chromidium block, tulip valves, works pressurised deep fuel tank (large filler and extra capacity sump), Whatma Hewitt cylinder head, an outside fuel hand pump and Eltos remote gear lever.  I even tried a Laystall bolt together crank (dreadful}!! Lots more.
Hope this may be of interest.    JRP            (excuse my spelling)

[JonE]

Julian - what was the impetus for the body - is there any derelict former TT metalwork that you worked up from and still remained within... or was it a 100% replica, and sized-up from which cars of the time?

[Julian Pennell]

Hi. First of all this is a short chassis (up tp 1930).  Second the time of the photo was in the early 1960,s.
The parts are all genuine Austin. The bodywork was completely repaired. Replicas did not nearly exist when this was built.
I have a photo supplied by the purchaser of it hill climbing pre war. I understand it was sold to Ireland and with a later supercharger raced in anger.

I have now come across some detailed history of the car sent to me by a past (or present) owner in 2005 as follows:

JR 3668.    Chassis No. 128927.   Built 1931.  Understood to have raced 1932 at Southport Sands.  Donnington in 1934.   Got flying Kilometer at Southport 84 mph   Registered JR3668 in July 1935   3rd at Saltburn speed trials in 1935   New class record at Wetherby 1936.

Hope this may help somehow.  JRP

[Henry Harris]

Good morning Julian,

Can you tell us more about the other Ulsters that you used to own?

[JonE]

Fabulous! From Henry's excellent annotated Gaydon ledger list, originally Black with red wings, supercharged, and in a batch of 2 with an experimental car. Wonder why it was noted to be re-allocated a B6- car number? So why was it noted as "a replica of a TT" in the 1964 catalogue though?

[geoffharrison]

Years ago , I got to know a Mr Charles Fish who lived close by in Bowdon Cheshire , who had raced Austin 7's  in the 1930's.
He told me that in 1931 he had bought the spare 1929 Ulster Grand Prix car , complete with Cozette supercharger for £90 . He raced it
on Southport sands and Donnington for a few years before exchanging it for Percy Stephenson's supercharged Brooklands Replica in 1935. I've no recollection of the Ulster registration number .
Charles Fish still had all the pre-war entry lists,programmes and his trophies together with his old Herbert Johnson crash helmet and visor in his garage.
No supercharged engine tucked away under the bench unfortunately!
When I mentioned my Ulster NV316 he was most surprised that these cars were still being used competitively and that spares and replacement parts were so readily available.
A couple of years later , John Sutton , when tracing the history of his ex Percy Stephenson Austin 7 'Sand Racer' AOC 215 , tried to
contact Charles Fish , but he had died.
Geoff.,

[Julian Pennell]

Just a little bit more info about my Austin Ulster parts. I purchased what appeared to be a genuine 1923/24 Brooklands Reg. no. XX1225 in pieces. I kick myself to this day breaking it for spares!!!!!    It had a 1 1/8" pressure fed crank with beautifully made copper pipe oil throws.  It had an early mag crankcase but with a water pump cast into the front case running off the high lift cam nose.  No starter but had a choke cable with ring pull through the front radiator shell to use when with starting handle.  A 4.4 rear axle which many people said did not exist!!!  I took it to a 750 club meeting to prove then wrong as it had Brooklands etched on the crown wheel. It also had a huge rev counter.
The camshaft was used in the early John Miles Ulster (raced with reversed inlet and exhaust and solid back axle) I remember it being raced with 'Blood Orange' and the Montlhery Ulster with cowling for the arm on side of body.
Hope this is not boring you all but this brings back many happy memories.   JRP

[Charles P]

Hi. Built up from existing racing Ulster parts including Mharle pistons, No. 5 Cozette blower. solid steel clutch plates, works Luvax hydraulic  shockers, home made
hydraulic  brakes, Chromidium block, tulip valves, works pressurised deep fuel tank (large filler and extra capacity sump), Whatma Hewitt cylinder head, an outside fuel hand pump and Eltos remote gear lever.  I even tried a Laystall bolt together crank (dreadful}!! Lots more.
Hope this may be of interest.    JRP            (excuse my spelling)

Julian

Was that a real Cozette 5 or a replica?

Thanks

Charles

[Julian Pennell]

Hi.It was a real Cozett blower. I even have a photo of it I took building the engine.  JRP