The ultimate Hillman Imp

You may be wondering why I am placing this remarkable car on my blog? the reason is easy to explain,I have seen the car and the hill climb race car we are building right now for a customer will be painted in the Alan Fraser race car colours.

Alan Frasers racing logo.

For more on this car check out

http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia/killeen_book/node14.html My thanks to Bob Alan for the work he has done this far,also Robin Human for buying the car,Robin visited us here In Hout Bay a few years back when we had a braai (barbacue)

Roy


Fraser Le Mans GT Prototype K9 (1, 1967)

The ultimate Imp based car must surely be the Fraser GT, also known as the Killeen Monocoque. It was designed by Tom Killeen and directly followed on from the previous sports car designs, the K4 and K7. It combined in one car all the essentials of monocoque car construction, following some 13 years of successful racing of the original K1, with highly developed suspension and aerodynamic body styling. Many of Killeen's innovative ideas were patented during that period. The prototype model is shown above in a photograph from Tom Killeen. Below are two original press photos from 1966.
 

Photo which I have showing car from side with John Barton working on it

Alan Fraser (center) with the car,an on looker and mechanic.

The K9 was powered for testing by an 1150cc Imp unit which benefitted from tuning experience gained during Alan Fraser's long racing career. The very definate aim in producing this car was to have a GT prototype car of up to 2 litres capacity, complying with the Group 6 and Le Mans regulations of 1967-8. It is possible that an Imp based 2l V8 unit was to be built. It is thought that Killeen may have become associated with Fraser following the Rootes' Asp sports car development. Killeen, at the time in 1962, worked as a consultant for Jensen Motors, who were chosen by Rootes to built the Asp as they had worked on the Tiger before. The project was eventually turned over to Fraser.

The GT car was announced at the Racing Car show in 1966 with the stated aim to compete in Group 6 race events. It was in direct competition with the Costin-Nathan unveiled at the same show.

[photos from Autocar]

The quality of this fabrication is probably the reason why the car is still around today?

Sound engineering,which would be heavy by todays standards but at least its easy to repair.

Fully clothed,this race car could have made good as a production car.

The 1967 Le Mans 24 hour race was held on 10-11th June 1967 and the 1968 race on 28-29th September, the June date in 1968 being cancelled owing to strikes in France. The Fraser GT was to be run with backing from the Rootes Group, manufacturers of the Hillman Imp, who had a works rally team but no racing team, so always looked to Alan Fraser to represent them at international racing events. A special requirement was that the car should have exceptional cornering ability, even at the expense of maximum speed. It was considered that the two most successful innovations in post-war racing cars were firstly the extemely rigid and light monocoque construction, as patented by Tom Killeen in 1952, when he was also an engineer with Jensen and aircraft designer; secondly ultra-low profile tyres. Whilst stressed monocoque principles were established by 1966 and even used in production cars such as the Imp, no car so far had achieved the potential of the low profile tyres.

The pictures that follow were taken in Warrington,England in September 2002,Bob who owns the car is in the process of a detailed reconstruction,he tells me the work is going forwards.

My daughter Janet stands next to K9 in Bob Allans garage,this was mid 2002,work sounds to be well underway now.Bob is the spares man for the Imp Club  www.theimpclub.co.uk

Roy

K9 with the rear engine bay cover lifted.

K9 front view.

Side view showing the Saltire cross painted on the roof,Fraser race cars were normally identified like this.

The photo is from Bob Allans web site and was taken in his garage where we saw the car.