Bamtech fronted up to the Festival of Speed as they have done so for the last 24 years but to the Whittlebury-based supercar builder the FoS has quickly become a testing session for the Revival meet and a chance to run some cars that can’t be raced in September.
As an example, Bamtech have brought 3 car transporters to Goodwood and one transporter is full of old British touring cars that aren’t going anywhere near the hillclimb track.
Pictured is the Bamford/Bamtech tent, located somewhere near the back of Goodwood and just out of the way of most Festival attendees, Sitting outside is the 1976 BRC losing Shark GT. After years of historic racing, the 6L V8 powered lead sled is being restored, with the FoS it’s last public outing for the foreseeable future.
Bamford/Teuton Shark GT
1976
Teuton 6L V8 - 541hp @ 6500rpm
1298kg
293km/h top speed
0:00:57:92 Hillclimb
Inside the tent are the 3 new Bamtech Supercars, the 2016 AC-D-E Shark range.
(L - R)
AC Shark
Modern version of 1965 AA Shark Road Car
Bamford Halifax 202 - 353hp @ 9300rpm
958kg
278km/h top speed
0:00:55:10 Hillclimb
AD Shark
Turbocharged Supercar variant
Bamford Halifax 202 Turbo - 805hp @ 9000rpm
1186kg
335km/h top speed
0:00:51:55 Hillclimb
(And even with 395 rear tyres this thing still spends most of it’s time coping with it’s own wheelspin)
AE Shark
Modern Version of AA Shark Race Car
Bamford Halifax 202 - 353hp @ 9300rpm
814kg
284km/h top speed
0:00:52:66 Hillclimb
Bamtech brought four more cars to the FoS for display, the first being a resto-mod of a 1993 IA Advance, with the car being converted from a V6 Auto to a V8 Manual from the 1995 “Tetto Meno” model, this Advance in particular was bought by a Bamtech staff member to drive across America in and was rebuilt over a two month period.
The car was rolled on the Thursday and was hidden behind the Bamtech tent on the Friday with all reports being another rebuild in store for the car.
IA Advance V8
Bamtech 300 V8 - 463hp @ 8100rpm
2152kg
268km/h top speed
0:00:00:00 Hillclimb
The last 3 cars were all significant and successful race cars from Bamford’s history.
The Bamford/Volkswagen HA Shark won LeMans in the 1990’s and in convertible form became a long standing starwalt of the 90’s-00’s sportscar racing scene, the car on show at Goodwood, Number 8 was one of two road cars built for Homologation purposes and comes with a road-tune of the 1976 Teuton 6L V8 which is almost the same engine as the 1976 BRC entry.
Bamford/Volkswagen HA Shark
Teuton 6L V8 - 850hp-7900rpm
1200kg
352km/h top speed
0:00:50:04 Hillclimb
The final two cars had been air freighted from India to attend the FoS.
The Teuton 301 Grp. B was an AWD version of the Teuton 300 from Teuton in India, which was run by ex-Bamford engineer Ranvir Bhatt. Built as friendly competition to Bamford’s Grp. B program, the car was piloted to a 2nd place at Monte Carlo by Paul Meagher and Winston O’ Donnell who were re-united with the car and gave it a blast up the hillclimb track once more for old times sake.
Belching amazing amounts of smoke, the car (which hadn’t been driven for 8 years) was thrown up the hillclimb wearing a borrowed set of worn radials and made a respectable time, though the 301 was built with Tarmac rallying in mind, time had been cruel to the car and it seems to be the next car in-line for restoration after the IA and Shark GT were restored.
Teuton 301 Grp. B
Mongoose V8 Turbo - 715hp-7600rpm
1245kg
281km/h top speed
0:00:58:74 Hillclimb
The car on the other side of the ocean, the Bamford Controller was looked after much better during it’s time in India and the car was seen lapping Goodwood circuit
Derek MacKenzie and Pamela Sales ran the Controller alongside the Teuton and once won a round in Corsica. They too came to the FoS to run the car, with Derek staying on to get some laps in driving his fathers 1967 BRM around Goodwood circuit.
Bamford Controller Grp. B
Bamtech 202 V6 Turbo - 635hp-7300rpm
1193kg
260km/h top speed
0:00:57:75 Hillclimb
Bamtech’s display continued at the Circuit with old Cortinas and Mustangs cutting laps in-between the Supercar testing.
While the non-historic racing employees of Bamtech man the stand and are taking the new Sharks for runs on the hill.