On Tue, 11 Mar 1997, Bob Lang wrote:
> ...As for the swing axle setup, the '65 Spitfire Triumph works
> entries were swing-arm, and they corner pretty darn well from the videos
> I have seen of that event. In fact, I'd venture to say that in a couple
> of the shots the Spitfires had higher speeds in the corners than some of
> the big bore cars.
ISTR it was mostly a very stiff, very decambered rear transverse spring in
the back of the LeMans Spitfires. There was one works Spitfire fastback
built later with a Lotus Elan-like rear strut suspension, but I don't
think that setup ever made it to LeMans, at least not under factory
auspices.
> At any rate, my comments really have to do with vidoes of Triumphs.
> Now, there is another film called Triumphs at Lemans. This was the '65
> LeMans and the factory backed Spitfires. Great film, lots of good shots
> of the folks sliding the cars around. Highlights, Triumphs changing the
> oil coolers during a stop. Paddy Hopkirk doing a really intense
> 4-wheel-drift in an MGB. The Rover Turbine car. David Hobbs driving one
> of the Factory Spitfires!
And one can also catch a very quick glimpse of at least one of the LeMans
Spitfires (one sees a wrecked Spitfire on the side of the track; it might
be Mike Rothschild's car, but I don't remember at the moment) in the movie
"A Man and a Woman."
--Andy
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