Tojeiro and Kieft

I’d like to correct a couple of small errors which were made in the articles I wrote on Tojeiro and Kieft cars. The photograph of the Ecurie Ecosse “Tojeiro-Jaguar” was actually the team’s re-bodied “Monzanapolis” off-set single-seater Lister-Jaguar. The body style was based on a Tojeiro which partly explains the error, not even Cavendish Morton, Tojeiro’s stylist of the day picked up the mistake! The registration number, RSF 301, also appeared on the team’s 1959 Tojeiro as well as on at least two other cars. In the same article I expressed a doubt about the team’s claim that the 1962 Tojeiro-Climax had been wind tunnel tested but Cavendish Morton, whom I was able to contact as a result of the article, assures me that he did have a model tested in a wind tunnel. Mr Morton, incidentally, is living in retirement in the Isle of Wight and seems to be in splendid form. I also thought that John Tojeiro’s recollection of the fate of the Jaguar-engined cars disagreed with Doug Nye’s book, “Powered By Jaguar”. Re-reading of the book proves this is not the case, Nye agrees with Tojeiro. My mistake, sorry Doug.

Harry Munday has pointed out an ambiguity in the Kieft article (Motor Sport, January 1985). One sentence could be read to suggest that Kieft assisted Coventry Climax in the modification of the FWA engine for competition. I signalled doubts about this in the article and am now in a position to clarify the matter. Kieft modified FWA engines in the latter part of 1954, after Le Mans. In particular, new con rods were made after breakages in testing, and these were fitted to the car which won its class in the Tourist Trophy. Indeed, Kieft attempted to win a contract from Climax for the supply of con rods but, as we all know, the FWA engine proved mightily successful without them.

On another matter, but related to the above, can anyone settle, with documentary evidence, the question as to when the FWA first ran in competition? The works records and contemporary race programmes suggest that the engine made its debut in a Kieft at Le Mans in 1954. I have a correspondent who insists that it first raced in Dick Steed’s Lotus 8. My article on Kieft was careful not remake the claim for Kieft hut a caption to a photograph (the bane of every writer’s life) does make the claim. Like the foregoing, it may appear to be a minor point but Motor sport prides itself on its accuracy and we do like to be precise in every detail. — M.L.