The fabulous 5-litre Skoda-Chevrolet S110R coupé was indeed the creation of Stalbridge timber merchant John Turner and based on Formula 5000 Leda running gear. It debuted in April 1974 (practiced only at Snetterton on Easter Sunday but 8th in its first race, without tail spoiler, at Mallory Park the following day) but I saw it for the first time at Thruxton, John's and my local circuit. What JT and his Mike Hann-led crew had exploited was the rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout of the Czech road car which lent themselves perfectly to the Super Saloon racing regulations. Later, others realised that a fibreglass replica of the Skoda shell would drop over a ready-made 2-litre sports racing chassis and many others emerged from workshops up and down Great Britain. The Turner car, always a crowd favourite, gained some support from Skoda GB and was tested at Brands Hatch by 1967 World F1 champion Denny Hulme! It was subsequently sold to Irishman Arthur Collier who had Martin Middleton (Fangio's translator when the Argentinian five-time World Champion was in UK!) install an 8.1-litre big-block Chevy engine. Collier raced hard with Gerry Marshall at Mondello Park and later broke Marshall's lap record at the Irish track, outside Naas. Later with Dave McDonald and ultimately George 'Welly' Potter, I was sad to learn that the Skoda (by then white and orange in deference to Potter's Swinton Insurance backing) burned out in a fire which engulfed sometime Ford Zodiac V8 racer Roy Yates's truck. But the engine survived. BRDC member John Turner went on to race an F5000 Lola T330 and a Chevron B23 sports racer and 40 years on is still interested in racing. PS: Tony Sugden's Skoda was built on a John Leek-crafted monocoque chassis and was powered by a turbocharged 2-litre Ford Sierra Cosworth engine. I drove it at Oulton Park for an Autosport magazine feature - with three other 'Skodas' in 1992.
I have a MK1 3 litre GT ford capri that is now an ETCC ford works touring car replica in blue and white with 16 inch 3 piece split rims and a box arch body kit with a duck tail spoiler. Sounds awesome............
I remember Tony Sugden, the Skoda driver. I watched him race at Oulton Park for many years. He raced that Skoda up to about 2005, when he retired. He was still dominant even though he was 70+ years old.
Remember this lot in Cars and Car Conversions in the seventies,John Popes Aston Powered Magnum was awesome! Great days never to be seen again although I do still enjoy my Jag e type powered mk1 Capri at the tender age of 69😊
Excellent stuff! Surprising Skoda indeed. The more so if you had bought one from your local dealer at the time and found a 5 litre Chevrolet small block engine in the boot.....
+Jack Kallemdjian I quite agree, this looked like everyone was having fun and the driving was to a high standard. Club racing is so, well, intimate, compared to F1. Being able to browse round the pits is such a pleasure. BTW, Does this Skoda Rapid Coupe still exist? I do hope so, but probably cannibalised for parts.
Tricentrol Super Saloon Championship I think. Capri is driven by Mick Hill and the Skoda by Tony Sugden. Cars were split into four classes from under 1000cc upwards. The Capri, Skoda and Corvair were in the largest class with engines generally ex F1 Cosworth DFV, Repco Formula 5000 V8's or similar. Chassis varied, mainly all space frame, the Skoda I think was based on a Chevron B21 or similar. Nice noise (which we can't hear on this) and fast. Others included Gerry Marshalls 'Baby' and 'Big Bertha', Doug Nivens 5.0ltr VW Beetle.
Remember people, a racing Skoda is basically a better version of the Porsche 911. Watercooled canted 4-cilinder in the back, radiator way up front, better weight balance, lower centre of gravity
What a great race. The guy in the Skoda is GOOD! Darn near won and car was not as good as the Capri. What was the older coupe that was out there, engine etc.?
The fabulous 5-litre Skoda-Chevrolet S110R coupé was indeed the creation of Stalbridge timber merchant John Turner and based on Formula 5000 Leda running gear. It debuted in April 1974 (practiced only at Snetterton on Easter Sunday but 8th in its first race, without tail spoiler, at Mallory Park the following day) but I saw it for the first time at Thruxton, John's and my local circuit. What JT and his Mike Hann-led crew had exploited was the rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout of the Czech road car which lent themselves perfectly to the Super Saloon racing regulations. Later, others realised that a fibreglass replica of the Skoda shell would drop over a ready-made 2-litre sports racing chassis and many others emerged from workshops up and down Great Britain. The Turner car, always a crowd favourite, gained some support from Skoda GB and was tested at Brands Hatch by 1967 World F1 champion Denny Hulme! It was subsequently sold to Irishman Arthur Collier who had Martin Middleton (Fangio's translator when the Argentinian five-time World Champion was in UK!) install an 8.1-litre big-block Chevy engine. Collier raced hard with Gerry Marshall at Mondello Park and later broke Marshall's lap record at the Irish track, outside Naas. Later with Dave McDonald and ultimately George 'Welly' Potter, I was sad to learn that the Skoda (by then white and orange in deference to Potter's Swinton Insurance backing) burned out in a fire which engulfed sometime Ford Zodiac V8 racer Roy Yates's truck. But the engine survived. BRDC member John Turner went on to race an F5000 Lola T330 and a Chevron B23 sports racer and 40 years on is still interested in racing. PS: Tony Sugden's Skoda was built on a John Leek-crafted monocoque chassis and was powered by a turbocharged 2-litre Ford Sierra Cosworth engine. I drove it at Oulton Park for an Autosport magazine feature - with three other 'Skodas' in 1992.
I have a MK1 3 litre GT ford capri that is now an ETCC ford works touring car replica in blue and white with 16 inch 3 piece split rims and a box arch body kit with a duck tail spoiler. Sounds awesome............
I remember Tony Sugden, the Skoda driver. I watched him race at Oulton Park for many years. He raced that Skoda up to about 2005, when he retired. He was still dominant even though he was 70+ years old.
This video with sound would ve perfection
Remember this lot in Cars and Car Conversions in the seventies,John Popes Aston Powered Magnum was awesome! Great days never to be seen again although I do still enjoy my Jag e type powered mk1 Capri at the tender age of 69😊
Excellent stuff! Surprising Skoda indeed. The more so if you had bought one from your local dealer at the time and found a 5 litre Chevrolet small block engine in the boot.....
Location is Thruxton.
this is the pinicle of motor sport not bloody F1.just look at the masterpieces on the grid
+Jack Kallemdjian
I quite agree, this looked like everyone was having fun and the driving was to a high standard. Club racing is so, well, intimate, compared to F1. Being able to browse round the pits is such a pleasure. BTW, Does this Skoda Rapid Coupe still exist? I do hope so, but probably cannibalised for parts.
These cars were mainly built at home buy some really ingenious people the white Capri was built by three telephone engineers .
Tricentrol Super Saloon Championship I think. Capri is driven by Mick Hill and the Skoda by Tony Sugden. Cars were split into four classes from under 1000cc upwards. The Capri, Skoda and Corvair were in the largest class with engines generally ex F1 Cosworth DFV, Repco Formula 5000 V8's or similar. Chassis varied, mainly all space frame, the Skoda I think was based on a Chevron B21 or similar. Nice noise (which we can't hear on this) and fast. Others included Gerry Marshalls 'Baby' and 'Big Bertha', Doug Nivens 5.0ltr VW Beetle.
Remember people, a racing Skoda is basically a better version of the Porsche 911. Watercooled canted 4-cilinder in the back, radiator way up front, better weight balance, lower centre of gravity
But this one has a 5 liter Chevy V8...
What motor was the Corvair running...?
What a great race. The guy in the Skoda is GOOD! Darn near won and car was not as good as the Capri. What was the older coupe that was out there, engine etc.?
No sound
Fair racing in those days unless gerry marshal was about, not like todays driver where they think can just push somebody off at a corner.