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Some of you may know this car, which I see from a DVLA check still exists. But you may not know its history. This is from my friend Graham Gauld, photographer and motor racing historian:

Back in 1951 Falkirk dentist and certified madman Roy Clarkson did one of those odd deals with Franco Cornaccia who was the Ferrari distributor for Milan and a great Ferrari racer in those days, to buy/lease a Ferrari Berlinetta of all things. He did the Tulip Rally with the car and had Maurice Gatsonides as co-driver but he thought the car was crap and it went back to Italy, though it appears Gatsonides was part owner because it went to him before going back to Italy

It was a rare 195 Inter with coachwork by Touring of Milan. and he liked the styling but not the engine or the gearbox or the clutch for that matter. However, Roy did the RAC Rally and the Tour de France with it and raced at Silverstone and Snetterton with it so it could not have been too bad.

Roy by now had moved to Essex set up his dental establishment and proudly had two sections, one for patients who wanted gas blown into them to knock them out and a second one for patients whom he hypnotised!

He wanted better reliability, so he bought a Morgan with the TR engine, took off the body and got a local to use photographs and copy the body, so ending up with a Forgan or a Morrari.

At the time - it was now about 1956 - I was in my second year as sports editor of Motor World magazine. I used to navigate on events with my pal Sandy Forrest. Sandy decided his Thames Van with Handa Overdrive was really a bit odd for rallies and so bought the Morgan from Roy. He and I went all the way to Essex to pick it up and I drove his MG Magnette and he drove the Morgan all the way back to Scotland. The car squeaked and rattled like the Santa Maria in the Southern Trades and he soon got rid of it and bought a Peerless which was just about as bad.

Incidentally, Maurice Gatsonides is famous for two things: he invented the ‘Gatso’ speed camera and he was the first driver to be issued with a ticket for speeding because of it. Served him bloody right, I say!

I have a photo, also by Graham Gauld, of the Ferrari of Roy Clarkson (no relation as far as I am aware) at Silverstone in 1951. If I can work out how to post it here I shall do so...

Is it possible? If so, how?

Now owned by Vic Champness of Black Fey fame. Now usually referred at the "Morgnari"

It does appear at occasional Morgan meetings, looking nice and tidy , but with bags of patina.

As real a "special" as it gets.

Andy

Also known as Vino!!

Arwyn

Great post Peter. Very interesting, and I loved the snippy aside about Gatso.

For Madman I would put Eccentric! Thank god they still exist! Like people who drive a open top car with the roof down when it's raining, minus 0° or colder or at midnight etc.