(Richard Taylor)
Terry Cornelius unleashing all of the Kieft De Soto’s 350 V8 horses, blasting the car he co-constructed along Eastern Creeks long main straight…
Regular readers may remember the article I wrote some months back about the Kieft De Soto… https://primotipo.com/2016/06/03/kieft-de-soto-v8/
A few days ago Terry Cornelius, builder of the cars curvaceous body got in touch with a photo and this anecdote, I’ve put it into the article, but wanted to share it as well rather than just ‘lose it’ in the archive.
Here tis…
‘I got to be part of the Goodwood Revival Team with the two cars (Kieft Coventry Climax GP car and Kieft De Soto Sportscar) and its something I’ll never forget!
Your article told how upon return from Goodwood, the Kieft De Soto raced in the Eastern Creek ‘Summer Historics’, and perhaps understandably did not mention that Victoria Morris very kindly put yours truly behind the wheel in the regularity events, with Greg Snape at the wheel in the races.
I had driven the car on the road, but this was a new experience in spite of having accomplished many years of motor racing, mostly in the Historic arena.
The start of Regularity events is a casual affair, and its ok to go as fast or slow as you choose, preferably regularly! I found myself, in the last of my events, at the rear of the field with a beautiful C Type Jaguar replica just in front. Well, I knew what I had to do, and I felt I had come to grips with the Kieft after the previous couple of events. At the end when the chequered flag eventually dropped, I had a substantial lead on the Jag.
So what? I hear you say. Well, let me explain…
When Bill Morris (the driver/engineer/entrepreneur who owned and reconstructed both Kiefts) was weighing up the pros and cons of the resurrection project of the Kieft sportscar, he took into consideration the method used by the English authorities to separate the various historic classifications. It seems that the Kieft, via its drum brakes, would fall into a category which was being dominated by the C Type Jags, also drum braked. Bill felt at the time, taking that booming V8 engine into consideration, he could well be on a sure winner. Little did he realise that he wouldn’t be around to enjoy his prophecy.
I think its only fair that I be allowed to feel that I had brought some poetic justice home in Bill’s memory’…
Credit…
Terry Cornelius, many thanks
Richard Taylor photo
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