For the 1961 Formula 1 season, Tim Parnell appeared with a Lotus 18 powered by the ubiquitous 1.5-litre Coventry Climax FPF engine. Visually, it looked very different to the car owned by his father Reg and entered by Yeoman Credit Racing in early season events in New Zealand and several InterContinental races in the UK during 1961. I’m reasonably sure that the Yeoman Credit car was 18-904, originally delivered to Reg Parnell in 1960 as a Formula 2 car with a 1.5-litre FPF engine but upgraded to a 2.5-litre engine for 1961 and there are a lot more visual similarities between Reg’s 1960 and 1961 cars than there are between Reg’s 1960 car and Tim’s 1961 car.
This is my mystery: one of these cars, probably Tim’s, is a car I cannot explain, in terms of where it comes from. There are no Lotus build records which fit the specification of this car and, seemingly, no cars that are unaccounted for.
Let’s look, by means of photos, at Tim’s 1961 season with the car.
The start of the non-Championship Lombank Trophy at Snetterton, 26th March 1961, confirming that Tim Parnell’s 1.5-litre Lotus 18-Climax FPF was a standard slab-sided 18 (of course, at this point, this was the only type of Lotus 18 there was). The race ran as a joint InterContinental/F1 event, with the 2.5-litre cars streaking off into the distance, leaving the 1961 Formula 1 cars to circulate way behind. Tim finished 5th in the F1 section of the race. (Revs Digital Library)This shot, also from the Snetterton race, shows Tim Parnell in his 1.5-litre Lotus 18-Climax alongside the similar UDT-Laystall car of Henry Taylor. (Motorsport Images)On 3rd April 1961, Tim took part in a Formule Libre race at Mallory Park, where he finished second to Brian Naylor’s JBW, which was fitted with a 2.7-litre Maserati engine compared to Tim’s 1.5-litre Climax FPF. This shows Tim (left) in the #76 car, being out-dragged at the start by the more powerful JBW of Naylor. (Autosport)Grand Prix de Bruxelles non-Championship Formula 1 race, 9th April 1961. Andre Pilettte – who along with Tim Parnell and Gerry Ashmore made up ‘The Three Musketeers’ at the wheel of Tim’s Lotus 18. Note only the fuel filler is visible, whereas the oil filler (roughly where the bottom of the number roundel is) is covered up. This contrasts to the car run by Yeoman Credit, which is in the 1960 specification with the fuel and oil filler caps both visible. The rollover bar is also non-standard: the bars on 1961 customer Lotus 18 Formula 1 cars had a distinctly triangular shape. (Revs Digital Library)
A rare colour shot of Tim’s car in the paddock at the Aspern airfield circuit near Vienna, where the Preis von Wien non-Championship race took place on 16th April 1961. Note the tiny (and non-factory specification for 1961) rollover hoop fitted to the car. Tim and his friend Gerry Ashmore had founded the Parnell-Ashmore Racing Partnership, with two Formula 1 Lotus 18s and two Formula Junior Lotus 20s and with some backing from BP. They travelled to races together in the converted bus transporter and entered races under the ‘Three Musketeers’ name. That is Gerry’s car in the background. Tim’s father Reg and Gerry’s father Joe were also good friends and had been business partners, buying up old racing cars and storing them during the second World War, ready for when racing resumed. (Bruce Richardson)
The full team line-up! #49 is the Lotus 20 Formula Junior driven by Andre Pilette, with Gerry Ashmore’s wife Yvonne sitting on the rear wheel, then Chris Ashmore sitting on the rear wheel of the #48 Lotus 20 Formula Junior, Gerry’s Formula 1 Lotus 18, Gerry sitting on the step of the bus transporter and David Whitehurst (who went on to become a respected Climax engine preparer) standing by the rear wheel of Tim’s Formula 1 18. (Bruce Richardson)
Tim Parnell’s 1961 Lotus 18 (#10) with Gerry Ashmore’s 1961 Lotus 18 (with the chequered nose) in the background, flanked by a pair of Lotus 20 Formula Junior cars. Note the difference in the shape of the rollover bars between Parnell and Ashmore’s cars. Ashmore’s was built and supplied by Lotus Components, whereas Parnell’s rollover bar has a whiff of the ‘home-made’ about it. (Technisches Museum Wien)This photo shows Tim’s car on the far right, with cars 48 & 49 being the Lotus 2o Formula Juniors. (Technisches Museum Wien)Racing in the early 1960s was a very relaxed affair: no seat belts, a cashmere pullover and off you went! Tim on the grid at Aspern. (Technisches Museum Wien)Tim during the race, in which he finished sixth. He seems to have offloaded the pullover before the race started! (Technisches Museum Wien)
This photo is captioned as being on the way to the Naples Grand Prix in May but, unless they went a very long way around to get there, and given the fact that it says ‘Polizei’ on the front of the police motorbike, I think it must have been taken on the way to Vienna or on the way back. The policeman (or woman?) looks quite happy to have their photo taken with Tim and David so it can’t have been too serious! (Bruce Richardson)
The next event for Tim was the non-Championship Aintree 200 at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool on 22nd April. I don’t have a photo of Tim at this race, so all contributions welcome…
A fortnight later was another big home meeting for the British drivers, the non-Championship International Trophy at Silverstone, on 6th May 1961. This was held to the short-lived InterContinental Formula regulations, which ran with engines of 2.5-litres and upwards.
For the International Trophy InterContinental formula race at Silverstone on 6th May, a 2.5-litre Climax FPF engine was fitted, with 58DCOE Webers protruding from the side instead of the more normal 45DCOEs run with the 1.5-litre unit. Tim crashed in the race but the damage can’t have been too bad as he was racing in Naples, Italy eight days later… (Revs Digital Library)
Tim and Gerry had a long trip down to their next race, as it was the non-Championship Naples Grand Prix on the Possilippo road circuit. They had an eventful journey, as the brakes failed coming down off a long mountain pass but thankfully were able to effect repairs and continue with the racing cars undamaged.
The Parnell-Ashmore Racing Partnership transporter off the road after the brakes failed on the way to the Naples Grand Prix. (Gerry Ashmore)
Tim finished 8th, while, his team-mate, Gerry Ashmore, took pole position and finished 2nd.
The colour is a bit off in this shot but it shows Tim’s #8 Lotus 18 on the right, alongside his team-mate Gerry Ashmore’s similar car. Gerry started from pole and finished second, while Tim started on the back row of the grid. (Bruce Richardson)
I struggled to correctly identified this image but concluded that it must be the Whitsun meeting at Mallory Park, 22nd April 1961. That is mechanic Bruce Richardson standing alongside the car. Tim too pole position and won the race. This provides another good view of the derisory rollover hoop! (Bruce Richardson)
In the paddock at Brands Hatch prior to the non-Championship Silver City Trophy race at Brands Hatch on 3rd June 1961. That is Tim’s mechanic Bruce Richardson sitting in the car. (Bruce Richardson)
Tim’s friend Ray takes his turn for a photo opportunity at the wheel, while Bruce Richardson and Reg Parnell’s secretary Gillian Harris look on. (Bruce Richardson)
This is in the pit lane at Brands Hatch during practice for the Silver City Trophy race. Tim and Bruce discuss how the car is handling (not great by the look of Tim’s gesture!), while Tim’s fiancee Ginny looks on. (Bruce Richardson)
Tim rounds Paddock Hill Bend in his Lotus 18 during the Silver City Trophy race. There were a host of this type of non-Championship Formula 1 races in that era, not just in the UK but in Europe too and it was perfectly possible for a private entrant to sustain their season through the starting and prize money offered by the organisers of these events. Tim finished 7th. Note the car has gained a scoop/cover over the fuel filler. It was a requirement of the 1961 Formula 1 regulations that fuel fillers be covered, so this was probably a modification made in anticipation of Tim taking part in his home Grand Prix the following month. (Revs Digital Library)
Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of Tim’s car at the next two events, which is a bit odd, as they both took place in the UK. If anyone can contribute any pics, I’d love to hear about it.
The non-Championship British Empire Trophy was a round of the InterContinental formula series at Silverstone on 8th July, where Tim – as he had done at the same circuit in May’s InterContinental race – spun off, so was a non-finisher.
Tim during the British Empire Trophy. (Unattributed)
Then the wet British Grand Prix – Tim’s first World Championship event with the car – took place at Aintree on 15th July, where unfortunately he retired early on with clutch issues. Sadly, I don’t have any photos of Tim’s car at the this race, which is a bit odd, as it took place in the UK. If anyone can contribute any pics, I’d love to hear about it.
Next, Tim ventured to Ireland for the non-Championship Phoenix Park Grand Prix, where he looked set to finish 2nd before a misfire set in late on in the race and he slipped to 3rd.
A trip to Scandinavia followed, taking in the Kanonloppet race at Karlskoga in Sweden, where Tim finished 5th.
This lovely Peter Nygaard photo, showing Stirling Moss (Lotus 18/21) and Jim Clark (Lotus 21) chatting away, was taken in the assembly area of the Roskildering in Denmark, prior to one of the heats of the Danish Grand Prix. For my purposes, the significance of it is that Tim’s car is just visible in the background at the top of the shot. Tim finished 5th on aggregate in the race, which consisted of three heats. (Peter Nygaard)
Due to complex qualifying rules, which guaranteed starts to a set number of Italian drivers, Tim did not qualify for the non-Championship Modena Grand Prix, which took place on 3rd September, although oddly enough I have got a photo which purports to show him on the grid…
This photo apparently shows Tim Parnell on the grid for the Modena Grand Prix. Although the number appears to be correct for the event (#48), I can’t verify that this was taken on race day. (Unattributed)
His next race was the second World Championship Grand Prix of his career, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 10th September. After qualifying 27th, Tim kept going to the finish and came home 10th, no doubt the prize money coming in useful after the non-start in Modena.
Tim during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It was a tragic and eventful race. Jim Clark and Wolfgang von Trips collided in the early laps, von Trips’s Ferrari going into the crowd and killing 15 spectators as well as the likeable German, while Tim’s team-mate Gerry Ashmore had a fiery crash on the opening lap of the race, his life only being saved by a brave Italian policeman who pulled him from the wreckage. (Motorsport Images)Tim stays low down on the Monza banking, used for the 1961 edition of the race, as he is passed by the Porsche 718 of Dan Gurney. (Motorsport Images)
On his way back to the UK, Tim took in the Flugplatzrennen at Zeltweg Airfield in Austria. This bumpy circuit was the forerunner to the permanent Zeltweg circuit, better known as the Österreichring and known today as the Red Bull Ring.
Tim unclips the front body section of his Lotus 18, ready for it to be filled with fuel in the paddock at the Zeltweg circuit. (Technisches Museum Wien)This shot gives a really good view of the rudimentary and slightly home-made-looking rollover bar fitted to Tim’s car for the 1961 season. This alone is one of the factors making me think that his car must have been a 1960 model, otherwise if it had been supplied as a customer car in 1961 it would have been fitted with the standard triangular rollover hoop found on all the other 1961 cars. I’m wondering whether this photo shows Tim shortly after he’d caught his finger in something! (Technisches Museum Wien)According to David Whitehurst, who is Reg Parnell’s nephew and was a ‘gofer’ on the team at several events in 1961, Tim employed two Australian mechanics. Thanks to my friend in Australia, Ray Bell, I’ve been able to establish that one of them was Bruce Richardson but unfortunately the name of the other is lost in the mists of time. I think this photo shows them both. (Technisches Museum Wien)Tim strolls to his car, which is waiting on the grid prior to the start of the Flugplatzrennen. He would go on to finish 7th. This is probably the best photo I’ve seen of the The 3 Musketeers logo, which is visible on the sticker just behind the front wheel. (Technisches Museum Wien)I believe this is Tim Parnell’s friend Ray at Zeltweg, alongside John Surtees. (Technisches Museum Wien)Tim’s car in a busy pit lane at Oulton Park at the Gold Cup meeting, 23rd September 1961. Tim’s friend Ray in the peaked cap is visible again, lifting the engine cover, while John Bolster strides around the car wearing his deerstalker hat. I was told by David Whitehurst that the mechanic looking straight at the camera, stood by the right front wheel, is Bill Jones. (Revs Digital Library)Tim finished his season with a morale-boosting 2nd place in the Lewis-Evans Trophy race at Brands Hatch on 1st October, although it was a woefully thin field. He is shown here pursuing the BRM of eventual race winner, Tony Marsh. (Autosport)A better shot of Tim rounding Druids hairpin at Brands Hatch during the Lewis-Evans Trophy race. (Ferret Fotographic)
By this time, Tim had already begun advertising his car for sale, with two adverts appearing in Autosport in late September.
As for the ‘mystery’ aspect, I’d like to know where this car came from. I can think of three possibilities:
It was a crashed 1960 Team Lotus car, rebuilt. One potential candidate would be chassis 370, the car crashed fatally by Alan Stacey during the Belgian Grand Prix. The car was not that badly damaged and returned to the works after the event. However, another possibility is 369, the car crashed by Mike Taylor, also at Spa in 1960, which also appears, from a photograph I have seen, to not have been too badly damaged, even though Mike never raced again. I have also found a reference, in Sports Car & Lotus Owner magazine, August 1960, which says that “The Taylor & Crawley team are taking delivery of a new rear engined Lotus, to replace the car written off at Spa.” However, there is no record of such a car in the build cards.
It actually was chassis 904, as some history books suggest, even though it looks quite different to the car entered by his father. This would mean that the car entered by Reg and Yeoman Credit Racing in 1961 would have to be a different, as yet unidentified, chassis number.
It was a Parnell-built copy, using his father’s car as a template.
It was a car originally allocated to another customer in the Lotus build records but Parnell came along with cash and was able to buy the car. The most likely would be Ian Burgess’s Maserati-engined 18-905, which reportedly went back to the works at the end of 1960 to have modifications made to take a Climax 1.5-litre engine for him to drive in the Camoradi team as part of a two-Lotus 18 line-up. However, a car matching 905’s description was advertised ‘brand new and unused’ in Autosport in September 1963, so it is unlikely to have gone to Parnell in 1961.
If anyone has any knowledge, suggestions or theories which might help me solve this mystery, please get in touch.
