Blydenstein Elan

[Quart Meg Miles]

In 1970 my brother-in-sin ran a Blydenstein tuned S4 with a claimed 140 bhp. It was royal blue with a gold coachline down its length and it came to mind when Craven mentioned that power being achieved with a L1 cam (in the recent thread "camshaft Specification"). I've never heard of another Elan from that tuner, he was a Vauxhall exponent, has anyone else?

[elans3]

Bill could well have modified a TC in that period. Whilst I've never seen any articles on a BB tuned Twink, that doesn't mean he never did one. '68 - 70 would be when he was starting to run the HB Vauxhall Viva GT's for
Gerry Marshall, and I think that before he got indelibly linked with VX, he would have been applying his experience to almost anything that came along.
I have personal experience of his cylinder heads and camshafts back in the 1970's when I was road rallying several Firenza / Viva / Magnum 2300's, and swear that it was the best stuff I've ever bought. The guy was a genius in my book.
Might just be worth seeking out his long time manager Gerry Johnstone. It may have been just before Gerry's time, but may know about such a modification.
I know Gerry is on FB.

[Quart Meg Miles]

Might just be worth seeking out his long time manager Gerry Johnstone. It may have been just before Gerry's time, but may know about such a modification.
I know Gerry is on FB.

Thanks for that. Unfortunately I can't bring myself to join FB and the like but his name pops up in the auctions of Blydenstein prepped cars.

I've lost track of the car's owner, Tony Morris, a half Swedish photographer who rallied an Escort for a while until he realised he was close to death and reverted to a Jensen Interceptor as a daily car.

[Slowtus]

I believed that Vauxhalls were either overly flourished with American design 'boats' (naturally, given the parentage) or dull plebian conveyances for the masses.

And they were.

Then along came Bill Blydenstein/Gerry Marshall/Bertha and...

A glorious time back there, back then - I was living in London at that time so had easy access to so many tracks/circuits as to be spoiled for choice. Once saw the weirdest thing...a Vauxhall "race" car. No idea they existed until educated otherwise.

Then saw them all too many times but/and having lived within walking distance of Crystal Palace and having seen 'Big Gerry' and Bertha in various guises on that circuit left a massive impression.

Was Blydenstein involved in developing the Lotus Twincam on a singular basis? No idea but I would not be at all surprised if he was.