Lost Olympics
While at a Classic Car Show recently I had a long and interesting conversation with Derek Argyle who is Technical Secretary of the Wildcat Owners Club (replica Jaguar ‘E’ Types), now it seams that in 1963 Derek owned Olympic Phase 11, 589 CCJ, which was destroyed in a RTA in 1983. In the conversation Derek was telling me about Motor Sport magazine and Denis S Jenkinson,s (D.S.J or Jenks : Denis S Jenkinson was for over 40 years the continental correspondent of MOTOR SPORT the reason why myself and many others read Motor Sport and the passenger/navigator with Stirling Moss in the 1955 Mille Miglia) involvement in his Olympic and the Olympic Phase 1, 90FHO, of Dick Cawthorne.
This made me think about my article on the 2 lost Olympic,s at Blackbushe 1964, because I knew D.S.J. was entered in a Allard Dragon Dragster, so I sent Derek a copy of the 2 photos, below is his informative reply.
Dear Tony,
LOST OLYMPICS
When I got married to Maureen in Nov 1961 we came to live in Camberley, Maureen subsequently took a job with ‘Motor’ magazine as secretary to the editor Joe Lowrey who, within a year or so, retired and handed over to Charles Bulmer who at the time, was the technical editor. Fate plays wonderful games and it so emerged that Charles also lived in Camberley. Charles made us particularly welcome to the friends and acquaintances he had made over many years and these included Peter Garnier, Denis Jenkinson and, in time, all the Motor road test staff including Bowler, Dron, Cardno, Curtis, Bell etc.
A Mini had suited me fine for two years or so, by which time I hankered for a faster, streamlined yet reasonably economical ear, as near to the true GT concept as possible. I sought pamphlets on every chassis and fibre-glass body and where possible viewed such components only to realise. that one would invariably end up with what is generally known as a ' special.' At all costs, the car 1 built must look virtually if not wholly ' production finished.' Finally a road-test of the original Phase 1 Olympic appeared in a popular weekly and after a little chat with Charles Bulmer I decided that no other car at a similar cost could offer such speed, good looks and economy.
Unfortunately, I couldn't really afford a new one even in kit form, with mortgages and expensive wives to run, so we searched around the sporty motoring mags, and within a month were fortunate to see three such cars within a 120 miles radius. Now D.S.J. was visiting Snetterton and Debden that following weekend and he readily agreed to look at these Rochdales and take me motor racing at the same time. One of the cars was fitted with a Ford 105E engine and, though well finished, was struck off the list as underpowered. The second was a somewhat tatty, cream- coloured model belonging to a ' flying type ' but one which certainly did motor, with an M.G.A. engine. Car three had been assembled so that it was just about in a roadworthy state and was a Phase 2 with 117 miles on the clock. I immediately fell in love with this and just had to have it. It was being sold because of the death of its doctor owner and so I found myself making an offer, with a £50 loan from Jenks I paid £550 for this effectively new Rochdale.
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April 1963 collecting 589 CCJ from Luton, with Dick Cawthorne behind in 90 FHO
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589 CCJ after respray (note spotlights in nose)
Jenks managed to borrow an Allard Dragon dragster powered by a 1500 pre cross-flow Cortina engine running with a blower and I went to Blackbushe to assist at the Festival. Much of the final preparation of the dragster was made by Colin Glass who can be seen in the picture on the right hand side wearing white overalls. I am kneeling in front of the dragster speaking to him and do not remember this picture being taken at the time. Dick was at the venue and the picture show his red car clearly . His car was powered by a 1500 Morris engine, the early B series, out of an Oxford I believe. ( Olympic Phase 1 ( 90 FHO )
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589 CCJ-- Blackbushe 1964 (note spotlights in nose)
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Blackbushe 1964- 589 CCJ Steel Gray on the top left (note spotlights in nose)-
90 FHO Red on the top right- Derek Argyle kneeling bottom left- Colin Glass
in white overhalls- plus Allard Dragon No 116 driven by D.S.J. (44years ago)
Tony, if there is anything else I can help you with, memory obliging, I shall be pleased to write again. Once more thank you for the mail and those pictures of wonderful days gone by.
Derek Argyle
Dick Cawthorne : " The first I knew about the Olympic was a newspaper photograph that I spotted in South Australia. I thought it was beautiful and decided there and then that, if at all possible, I would have one when 1 got back to the U.K. The looks did it, but fortunately the specification fitted too - the right amount of accommodation for our two-and-a-half family, cheap spares, etc. All the difficulties of home building seemed to matter little to an inveterate special builder, but I had never before invested £500 in such pastimes and I was some time saving up to take the plunge. Meanwhile Rochdales were busy having a fire which destroyed their moulds and caused them to move to bigger and even filthier premises. Then Charles Bulmer (Motor Sport editor) took me out in the road-test car and the die was cast. Having decided that it had to be a Rochdale, I found that the firm at that stage only produced body shells, and I set about collecting the mechanical bits as cheaply as possible. The engine and gearbox came from Edinburgh in the back of the Renault Dauphine and the back axle from a breaker in Rainham and so on. After months of waiting, D.S.J. and I (that man again) collected the body and new front suspension from Rochdale with John Derisley's trailer behind the faithful Dauphine.
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L to R Nan Cawthone, Unknown, Colin Glass, young Frankie Cawthorne, Derek Argyle, Mike ? (Jenks help) and the legendly Denis S Jenkinson
This is a never before seen photo of Jenks copyright Derek Argyle
I feel envious of Derek Argyle, Dick Cawthorne and their two Olympic,s and there unassuming relationship with ‘Jenks’ I suppose with hindsight 589 CCJ could have been rebuilt instead of been cut up and 90 FHO is still around in Devon.
And a quote I found on the internet to end this article on
<span style="color: #FF0000">The 1955 Mille Miglia was won by Denis Jenkinson in a chauffeur driven Mercedes-Benz 300SLR</span>
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