British F1 GTR road legal pics

[tk_f1627bhp]

Hi, Im Tk and im new to AF forums and thought as a greeting gift, id share some photos i took some years back. Ill spare you all the life story but thought id just give you an idea of who i am...

I'd been an F1 fan since i was a 7 year old and used to play "top trumps" cards in the playground back in the day when the F1 beat everything except the dodge viper on engine capacity. As i grew older i became more and more interested in the car to the point im at now where im willing to part with £70 of my well earned wages for a 1:18 F1 Gt model! I owe alot to the F1 because reading Driving Ambition and researching the story behind the car has been partly responsible for inspiring me to apply for a degree in Transport Design at Coventry Uni, starting next year.

Anyway, the pictures! Going back about four years now, i went, with my dad, to the Heritage Motor Museum at Gaydon in Warrickshire. We looked round the museum and then went upstairs to the cafe. I reached the top of the stairs and stopped dead in my tracks. There in front of me was the car of my dreams (well id prefer a standard F1 but lets not be picky). I emptied a whole film on the GTR and the curator of the museum let my go under the cordon and perch on the door sill. Ill never forget the day i first saw and touched a McLaren F1...

Im not sure what number this baby is, however it looks to me to be awfully similar in colour to one of the "FINA" livery GTR's. I would look on my chassis history but the poster is the other way round on my wall and i cant be arsed to take it down! Im sure you guys will know anyway. According to the curator, the owner at the time was a well known British racing driver, but he wouldnt say who. Me and my dad wonderd if it could be Nigel Mansell from the registration?

I may possibly be able to scan these in at better res, hope there ok,

Enjoy!

[Peloton25]

Great shots - thanks for sharing.

The GTR you saw is #16R. It competed at the 1996 Silverstone round of the BPR Global GT series and then participated in the 1996 24Hrs of LeMans, both times wearing the complete FINA livery.

At the time you saw this car it was owned by Ray Bellm who actually raced some of the Gulf McLarens in the BPR and FIA GT series throughout the late 1990's. Not as famous as Nigel Mansell, but still a well known name in racing circles.

The car has been through some changes since you saw it and is now painted Papaya Orange, giving it the look of an F1 LM. It's current owner is our own mr bridger. You can read more about him and the car in this thread:

Now this should be exciting - McLaren versus Enzo on 5th Gear...

Welcome to the forum.

>8^)
ER

[ArchangelGTR]

Thanks for sharing those TK.

Hopefully you will be seeing more of the McLarens!

[hurstg01]

Not bad for a first post!!

[F1 monster]

Great pics, thanks for sharing. Mr. Bridger, now you know where the paw prints came from!!!

[tk_f1627bhp]

Thanks for that, i always wondered who it belonged to. I wish id seen it in the papaya orange - i saw that fifth gear episode and had no idea that id actually seen that car.

[hurstg01]

That reminds me, I really have to go in my loft and get down my old photo collections - there must surely be some gems in there....

[pimp349]

Grat pics, thanks! What does that say by the way "at 200mph one thousandth of a second equals ____"

[mini magic]

Looks like "At 200mph one thousandth of a second equals 9cm"