Category: <span>Tales</span>

Tales

“Memorabilia from Ken Fraser”

The late Ken Fraser had kindly lent us a few albums he kept of his motor sport career. I have managed to scan a few of the images and include them below for your interest.
1951 Rallies
1952 Rallies 
1952 Scottish Rally 
1952 R.A.C. Rally
1952 London Rally
1952 Daily Express Rally

1953 Rallies

The 1953 Monte Carlo Rally

The 1953 R.S.A.C. Scottish Coronation Rally 

1954 onwards…..

Ken did continue to compete for a few more years after 1953 but unfortunately, we have no images of these years to display. You can see from the 1954 Monte Carlo Route Book that he got as far as Bourges that year.  Not sure what the problem was.  His name appears as a competitor, along with a few other VSMA members, in the 1958 Scottish Rally Programme below.  I’m sure our rally members will find the PDFs below of great interest.

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Tales

NKC 195

An 1950, 1360cc Cooper Sports MG Prototype

This Cooper Sports has had a fascinating history, almost lost to the scrap yard but for a petrol head who instead of crushing it sold it for £40 .00 to the chap George Cooper bought it from.     John Cooper had made three prototypes during the 1949/50 period.  The first one was a Cooper Vauxhall, a Cooper Rover (In conjunction with noddy Coombs) and then, for himself he built the Cooper Sports MG.  At Goodwood in June 1950 he gave a young Stirling Moss a race, sharing helmets. The first two prototypes have vanished, possibly broken up, and as you will learn the CMG was so close to the same fate before George Cooper of Kilsyth came along.
Several different drivers seemed to give it an airing during its short time as a Works car.   It was seen at Silverstone, reported at Montlhery, Prescott etc. etc.   Backtracking to 1950/51 Ken Wharton got his hands on it, rallied, raced and Hillclimbed it with success (as was reported in the mags of the day).   It was sold to the Reece Cousins of Liverpool, then Francis Dundas of Dumfries in 1953. Frank used it at driving tests, The Rest & Be Thankful and our very own Bo’ness.