Marcos Visit 2002

Driving!

As I sat in the warm California sunshine, sipping a beer and thinking this was really one of those days which makes life worth living, I heard Ned�s wife, Linda, talking to Tom.

She was saying "He�s come all the way from England to see the car. We should let him have a drive". Well, I was the only one to come from England, so she must mean me!!! They realised I�d heard and she asked if I�d like to drive it. Would I? "Of course!", I replied, "but I�d fully understand if you don�t want me to. It�s great just to have seen and ridden in the car".

Tom said he didn�t mind, but the car wasn�t his, so Linda went over to Ned and a short version of the conversation was repeated. I�m not sure Ned was entirely convinced this was a good idea, but he asked me if I�d like to drive it. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was going to take it if possible, but at the same time I didn�t want him to feel pressured, so I said "I�d love to, but I�ll understand if you don�t feel comfortable about it" adding that I, at least, was used to right hand drive (of course being a racing car, the gear lever is where it would be on a LHD car, which somewhat negated my experience).

"OK", he said. "Come with me, then", I said, hardly able to believe that I was going to be one of a tiny handful of people who could have ever have driven this car. "I have to die too?", Ned replied in a rare show of American irony (I don�t think he was serious, as he smiled as he said it) and we climbed aboard. Ned turning it round, so that I could take a straight line out.

Getting in was tough � Jem couldn�t have found this an easy car to drive! � but I got it started fairly easily this time.

Ready for the off!

I think I stalled it once, pulling away as the clutch was quite sharp (but not especially heavy) and it needed quite a few revs.

We traversed the narrow and rutted road out of the Morris�s home and pulled out onto the main road.

Yes! That REALLY is me driving! - Photo Courtesy of Don Lattimer.

The accelerator was stiff and the driving position (for my 5� 10" frame) very cramped and twisted slightly to the left. I can�t imagine how the 6� 4" Jem Marsh raced this car in the wet at Spa! A firm prod on the throttle made the car surge forward and it was time to change gear. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH � up and down changes were hard with the full-race gearbox and I only really started getting to grips with down-changes (double de-clutching) as I finished my short, but memorable, drive.

Despite the car needing restoration, it felt supremely competent on the road. The brakes were confidence inspiring (the match of any road car I�ve driven) and the car responded instantly to any input on the steering, throttle or brakes, but never felt twitchy or nervous. I�ve never driven a race car on the road before, but I didn�t expect it to feel so refined.The ride, especially, impressed.

I don't know how fast we travelled at any time, but as we returned I wasn't hanging around (although we had been faster with Ned driving and I suspect Don's freeway experience was the fastest!), but the car felt solid, stable and as responsive and safe as you'd imagine a race car to. It felt like a fairly modern sportscar in most respects, except the noise and the terrible driving position.

The rear view mirror is mounted on the roof and you look up at it through a small perspex window in the roof. At first this feels highly unnatural, but once you get used to it (and it doesn't take long) it provides a useful, and impressively stable, view.

The journey was short (about 10-15 minutes, I�d guess), but I know it was a privilege to drive this car, making me one of a tiny handful of people who would have done so and I�m incredibly grateful to Ned and his family for the chance to drive it and, especially, to his wife for talking him into it!

Ignore all the words in this article - that expression says it all! - Photo Courtesy of Don Lattimer.