Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HUY

For those interested in competing 4 cylinder Morgans

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Mary Lindsay
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Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HUY

Post by Mary Lindsay »

Pete Mulberry has asked my if anyone can help with some information on his Plus 4

This is a summary of what he knows so far:
1962, October. Built with 2.2 litre. Chassis 5238. Not a recognised supersports. I have a copy of the original factory build sheet.
Ordered by Brian Haslam through Chris Lawrence Motors, and factory fitted with a Lawrencetune engine. Red with black wheels. I was told it was made into a race car from new, so probably started on the circuits beginning of '63. Yet to be confirmed.
Would be a nice bonus if she had period Goodwood history. Time frame fits.  
But, she is one of the few that was factory fitted with the Lawrencetune engine
Owned and raced by Brian Haslam.
Was originally registered VLD 2, now wears 235 HUY.
He sold it to Stapletons in 1971, passed through a few hands, then raced by Will Tomkins, who supercharged it, sold to Aubrey Brocklebank, and was crashed at Croft in '96, then went to Germany for 16 years. Was stripped for rebuild which never happened. I bought her last August, as a pile of bits.


Andy Downes has kindly filled in some information:
After a quick look Brian Haslam was definitely driving a +4 2138cc at Goodwood during 1963 – 1966. It first appears 18tth May 1963 at the 57th Members’ Meeting so that fits with October 1962 build date.


If anyone can help either post on the forum or send me a PM

Thanks, Mary Lindsay
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Mary Lindsay
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Re: Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HU

Post by Mary Lindsay »

I wasn't expecting a deafening silence! :-s
Guy Loveridge
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Re: Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HU

Post by Guy Loveridge »

I was at the meeting at Croft where the car was "written off" - it was the Battle of Britian race meeting. As to period racing, I'll have a trawl through jim tucker's notes and archive, and pictures, see if I can dig anything up in there.
Eddie Singleton
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Re: Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HU

Post by Eddie Singleton »

Are we talking the +4, reg. 235 HYU, and not these other variations of the reg number?
If so, I have already sent via email, some time last year, a picture of the car to Peter Mulberry. I photographed it at Silverstone, Bentley Drivers Club meeting on 24 August 1974. It had just been retrieved from the circuit after an "off", which damaged front near side wing, suspension and steering. Driver at the time I recorded as A.W. Tomkins.
Andy Garlick
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Re: Information sought on Plus 4 Reg. no.: VLD 2, now 235 HU

Post by Andy Garlick »

I do have a bit more information about this car , and I have already been contacted by Peter Mulberry about it.

There was an intermediate owner Mike Ashley Brown (not sure if it was hyphenated) , I suspect he bought it from Brian Haslam? He raced it with a 2.5 litre TR engine throughout the late 60s well into the 70s . He entered events like Nottingham Sports Car Club meetings , so would have been a contemporary of Jim Tucker. It was quite quick but always had issues keeping the head gaskets intact due to the large bores.

Will Tomkins bought the car from Mike (or through a dealer?) The car had an enormous smash at a Silverstone Bentley Driver's Club meeting in 1974 (as mentioned by Eddie in his post) The car was a long time being rebuilt and eventually got sold to Sir Aubrey Brocklebank. He put on a 2 litre Wade supercharger from a kit that John Macdonald had developed for my car (MOG 615)

I understand that he wrote the car off at a Croft meeting and the car found its way to Germany (Matthias ? ) from where Pete bought it back to the UK.

Brian Haslam was one of the stalwart Morgan racers of the period and always had a strong link with Chris Lawrence. He started the development of the LawrenceTune +8 that Tony Howard owns (Owned?) Driven by Robin Gray that car had an epic dice with John Macdonald's supercharged +8 at a later BDC Silverstone meeting.

Andy
Mogman
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