Description:

50's front engine sports cars are among the most enjoyable cars to race. Here is an apportunity to acquire a rare car that is very pretty but also very competitive for a fraction of the price of its main competitors the Lotus XI and the Lola MK I.

One of only two cars to run in international Appendix C specification.
• Professionally prepared, fitted with a potent 1220cc Coventry Climax engine, long-range bag tank, and accompanied by an extensive spares package.
• Fast, and highly competitive; you wont find a better value entry in to the wide array of prestigious 50’s sports car racing.

Smaller capacity sports car racing was going from strength to strength in the 50’s and early 60’s and Rod Easting was one of the leading lights alongside Eric Broadley (Lola) and Len Terry (Lotus/Terrier). So much so that he was paid the ultimate compliment when Colin Chapman invited him to join his Formula 1 design team. Easting politely declined the persuasive offers of the foremost racing car constructor of the period explaining that he wanted to keep his race car
designing and building as a hobby.

The name Rejo derives from the initials of Rod Easting and John Osbourn who originally met while both Young amateur cycle racers. In 1957 Rod bought a second hand Lotus 6 and soon started tuning the engine helped by Jim and two local brothers Ron and Dave Inglis.

During 1957 Rod soon found himself a front runner in 1172 racing. It wasn’t long before he laid down plans to build his own car, but before he sold the Lotus he drew a copy of the frame and helped build it. Dubbed the Rejo MK1, he used wishbone front suspension rather than the Lotus swing axles.

The Rejo MKII followed soon after and was the first one-off built with fully enveloping body, a rugged space frame chassis, and independent rear axle. This was raced in 1959 and was also used on the road. At about the same time the foursome made another car for the Inglis brothers. This was different in that it had a restyled rear end and became the first Mk3. This did not last long before one of the brothers wrote it off. 

Two more MKIII’s were built for the Inglis brothers and Rod. The Inglis brother’s car had a fully independent rear end using an Elva diff casing and A35 internals. Both cars competed competitively during the 1960 and 61 seasons and scored wins in the 1172 Championship. Contemporary race reports comment on the high standards of turn out of the little team. At the end of the season the decision was made to thicken the body shell and the body sections were offered for sale at £55 a pair plus £7.10 for a windscreen. Six sets were sold, one of them to the USA.

Pat Ross-Tuppin purchased this car from Rod Easting in 1959, but taking until 1961 to complete it. This and one other car were raced under Appendix C regulations for the 1962 season.

Both fitted with 1,100 cc Coventry Climax FWA engines and Gemini independent rear end rather than the Elva. One by a South End dentist John o’Sullivan and the other the aforementioned Australian Pat Ross-Tuppin.

These were MKIII’s slightly modified to accommodate Appendix C; i.e. with a spare wheel carrier in the rear and opening doors that would allow the regulation block of wood to pass through. As such they became the MKIV.

The 1962 season saw 5 Rejo’s running with Rod Easting (Rejo 3), Ron Inglis (Rejo 2), and Pat Ross-Tuppin (Rejo 4) take 1-2-3 in class in a Sports and GT race at Snetterton.
On the same day Rod won the 1172 Championship race and set a new lap record.

The TRIO meeting at Brands Hatch saw Pat Ross-Tuppin in this car (Rejo 4) matched against class opposition which included Terry Bone in the successful Gilby Climax, Flying Officer (later Lord) Angus Clydesdale in a Lola MK1 and Peter Gethin in a Lotus. The exciting race developed into a wheel to wheel battle between the Rejo and the Lola (see period picture), for the entire race leaving the rest of the field behind. While leading the Rejo spun at Clearways on the
second to last lap leaving the Clydesdale Lola to win followed by the Gilby Climax and the Gethin Lotus.

This car went on to be raced in 1963 by George Symonds with the ex-Brian hart Championship winning 100E engine. He sold the car at the end of the season due to work pressures to a young lad from Gordonston called Nick May. He did two races in the car before selling it to Jeff Ward. Jeff enjoyed six seasons of competitive racing in the car, winning his first 1172 race in 1966, his last in 1970 and finishing 3rd in the Championship in 1967. He raced the car in countless other events, including six hour relay races and various sports car events. He owned the car for over 30 years before selling it to Grant Wilson.

Well known on the formula Junior circuit Grant fully re-built the car with a beautifully prepared 1,100cc FWA engine by Bill Bonner (ex-Westlake Engines). The car was bought fresh from restoration in 2006 by William I'Anson who enjoyed three successful seasons racing, including winning the Denis Ganley Memorial Trophy in the BRDC 50’s Sportscar Championship in 2007, numerous class wins and a very respectable showing in the Madjwick Cup at the Goodwood Revival in 2011.

In its current ownership it has continued to be raced with great effect, humbling many of the larger cars on the grid. 

Professionally prepared by TTP performance for many years, the very potent 1,220cc Coventry Climax engine was rebuilt by David Whitehurst Racing and only has a few running hours. 

An impressive amount of time, money and effort has gone into the set up of the car.

Very light, fast, agile and responsive to drive, accompanied by an extensive history file, its brand new FIA HTP papers (validity until 2034) and an extensive spares package.

You will struggle to find a car that is this competitive in such a large number of events for anyway near this sort of money.

The car can race with

- Equipe 50's and Libre

- MRL Stirling Moss Trophy

- GTSCC

- Peter Auto

...

The car was last raced in July 2024 at Zandvoort with great success. Two third places during the Equipe Libre races of 40 minutes with a field of more than 30 cars. It was just behind the Lotus Elans 26R and the AC Cobra.

You can still join many races this summer and this autumn...

The car can be viewed on appointment this week-end during the Goodwood Revival.

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