Vauxhall Magnum Special Saloon John Pope 1975

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Sick Cylinder

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Sick_Cylinder
900 bhp twin turbo Aston Martin V8 powered Vauxhall Magnum Special Saloon race car

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In the UK in the early 1970's Special Saloon racing (sometimes known as Superloons) was one of the most popular types of Motorsport. Gerry Marshall with his Dealer Team Vauxhall entered cars was one of the big stars (especially in the Repco Holden V8 powered Vauxhall Firenza Baby bertha. Gerry was a neighbour of John Pope who built and raced one of the wildest of all the special saloons - he modified a Vauxhall Magnum to take the engine and suspension of a crashed Aston Martin DBS V8. After completing the 1974 race season he decided that he needed more power so with the assistance of Aston Martin his engine was fitted with twin turbos which when run at maximimum boost (18psi) produced 900bhp. NB Aston used the same spec engine in the Bulldog.

Below John Pope with cigarette explains the car to his neighbour and 650 time race winner big Gerry Marshall. Middle John discussing engine installation with Aston Martin Engineer. Right below John taxed the car for road use in 1975 (it was registered with the DVLA as "John Pope Special") - presumably so that he could get some extra testing and shake down runs done on public roads before the 1975 race season started!

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Baby Bertha has already been suggested and if that was included it would be nice to race against it in the John Pope Special.

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Above right period race shots. Above left the car has been restored and is now ready to race again in historic events or drive on the road.

It was featured by Top Gears online magazine as their ad of the week:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/classified-ad-of-the-week-aston-martin-vauxhall-magnum-2012-07-11

Youtube video of the car after restoration and without its race stickers:

 
....Hell yeah. 👍👍 Can't imagine 900+ horses on primitive cars like this. Must've been real "Balls of Steel" type of car then. :lol:
 
Famine
I'm not even sure I want to know why, but no part of that is part of this.
Click to expand...

I have looked at the guidance again and changed it to Vauxhall Magnum Aston Martin John Pope Special Saloon 1975. I hope that is in line with the guidance and apologise for errrors.

Vauxhall Magnum [Chassis], Aston Martin [Engine], John Pope [Builder / Tuner], Special Saloon [Race Series] 1975.
 
Sick Cylinder
I have looked at the guidance again and changed it to Vauxhall Magnum Aston Martin John Pope Special Saloon 1975. I hope that is in line with the guidance and apologise for errrors.

Vauxhall Magnum [Chassis], Aston Martin [Engine], John Pope [Builder / Tuner], Special Saloon [Race Series] 1975.
Click to expand...
You've combined pretty much everything, for some reason...

Vauxhall Magnum is [Make] [Model], not [Chassis]. [Chassis] [Engine] doesn't combine with [Tuner Details], nor does [Tuner Details] with [Series/Level if applicable], which is in the wrong place anyway.

Are you classing it as a race car or as a tuner car?
If the former it's [Make] [Model] [Series/Level if applicable] [Team] [Year]
If the latter it's [Make] [Model] [Tuner Details] [Year]

In neither case do the words "Aston Martin" appear.
 

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