Description
The Ratel. This Sports racing car is a unique and fascinating survivor from the halcyon days of Sports-racing car competition in the 1950s and 60s in North-west America and Canada. Originally conceived by well know and successful Formula Junior builder and racer Peter Ray, a contemporary of Bill Sadler who's sports racing cars feature regularly at Goodwood revival in the hands of accomplished historic racer, Julien Mazjub. The Ratel was taken over and developed further by Gord Henderson and raced well into the 1960s. Powered by a 2. 6 litre Ford Straight 6 engine, breathing through triple SU carburettors on bespoke tubular manifolds, built up and tuned by legendary engine builder Bud Child, power was transmitted through a MG TD close ratio box to a matching back axle all modified to take the extra power. The Ratel was immediately both competitive and plagued by reliability problems. The first season saw plenty of development work leading to much improved reliability and performance all to the detriment of clutch and brake linings. Henderson raced all over the region, citing Westwood, Portland International and Riverside as those he remembered most fondly. At the end of his seasons on the Can-Am circuits of the mid 60s after numerous hair raising exploits, Henderson moved on to a successful career as an aerial photographer, flying helicopters all over Canada. The Ratel meanwhile was taken over by his brother in law before being stored in 1969 for over two decades and this accounts for its remarkably original preserved state. The all alloy body hides a well designed and built multi tube spaceframe carrying torsion bar front suspension with live rear axle suspended by transverse leaf spring à la Cooper-Bristol design with telescopic shock absorbers all round, rack and pinion steering and front disc brakes. All suspension and transmission components coming from MG or BMC models of the period. Sitting low in the cockpit between side exhaust on your left and pannier style fuel tank on your right you certainly feel in the heart of the action and the car starts and sounds well. The engine is now silenced for the road but still emits enough cacophony to remind you that you are in a car designed and built to go racing. It is now correctly registered for road use in the uk and can be driven to vintage events quite happily but would probably prefer to be entered for those events for which it was originally designed. Once prepared it should be eligible for such popular series as the Griffith Haig, Stirling Moss Trophy and the Equipe Series not to mention Historic Hillclimb series across the UK and Europe. A test drive is recommended! Offered with a small spares package including the original bottom end ( a fresher engine has been fitted) and the original wide rear wheels banded especially for Henderson to provide extra grip and fitted with period Firestone Green Spots (sadly now rather smooth!)
The black and white header photograph was taken at Portland International Raceway just prior to the Rose Cup races sometime between 1963 and 1968. The Ratel was amongst the most competitive cars in the B modified category that weekend.
