In 1962, Bob purchased a Brabham Formula Junior, which used either a Ford or BMC engine. The BMC engine was not competitive, so Bob left BMC and ordered two Ford engines. When Ford withdrew from the engine deal because of short supply, Bob was left without a ride. He sold the Brabham to Frank Williams and returned to racing MG’s, Austin Healey’s, and a Mini Minor. He ran a Sprite at Le Mans in 1963 and suffered a terrible crash, the worst of his career.
For that same 1963 Le Mans, AC prepared two factory Cobras. The cars were essentially standard Cobra roadsters fitted with Dunlop racing wheels and tires and the wheel arch extensions necessary to cover them. The standard 289 engines were fitted with four twin throat Weber carburetors. Both cars had the rare “Le Mans Hardtop”, an early attempt at aerodynamic improvement. The hardtops increased the top speed 10 to 15 mph down the famed 3.5 miles long Mulsanne straight. The Sanderson/Bolton car (39 PH) took first in the over 4 liter GT class and seventh overall behind six Ferrari prototypes. A stunning success for a production car.
Back in England and recovering from the Le Mans crash, the now unemployed and hungry Bob Olthoff successfully “interviewed” with the Willment team. The interview consisted of some hot laps around the track with the fastest driver getting the job. John Willment’s JW Automotive was the largest Ford dealership in England and sponsored the Willment racing team. The Willment team acquired the two Le Mans Cobras and a third car, the “Le Mans Prototype” developed by AC at the same time but not run at Le Mans. Bob set about upgrading them to full fledged racing cars. The three cars had long and successful racing careers in Europe and South Africa, primarily in the hands of Bob Olthoff, Jack Sears, Frank Gardner, and Paul Hawkins.
After the 1963 European season, Bob Olthoff and Frank Gardner went to South Africa to contest the Springbok Series. They brought quite an arsenal - a Willment Cobra roadster, a Lotus Cortina, and a great thundering Holman-Moody prepared 427 Galaxie to contest the sedan series. The South Africans, already infected with V8 fever were now infected with Cobra fever. To date, no cure has been found.
Returning to Europe for the 1964 season, Bob raced roadsters at Nurburgring, Zolder, Portugal, and all the British circuits.
He gained points for the World Manufacturer’s Championship in a Cobra roadster at the British Tourist Trophy.
In 1964 the Willment team decided to build their own version of the Daytona Coupe. Willment had approached Shelby about a Daytona Coupe but was turned down flat. John Olsen, who had been badly burned in the first Coupe’s outing at Daytona, had returned to England and as luck would have it was working at Willment.
A set of Daytona Coupe plans was sent to England and with John Ohlsen’s first hand experience a new body buck was constructed. Frank Gardner did the re- engineering of the new version, which had slightly less frontal area, the result of a “chopped top”. Geoff Gilbert and Frank Shattock built the car. Their car was visually similar to the Daytona Coupe, the primary difference being a nearly horizontal rear window, which resulted in a larger truncation at the rear end. The Willment Coupe was not ready in time for Le Mans, but it eventually went on to a long and successful career.
At the end of the 1964 European season, the Willment team again returned to South Africa to run the Springbok Series, this time with a Cobra roadster, the Willment Coupe, a Lotus Cortina, and the Holman-Moody prepared 427 Galaxie. The performances of Bob Olthoff and Jack Sears with this stable remain a part of South African racing lore.
Bob Olthoff
Olthoff’s 1963 Le Mans Sprite also took substantial advantage of the Appendix J rules.
39 PH with Le Mans hardtop and Willment team colors
The Willment 427 Galaxie leads a Mustang Coupe at Kyalami in South Africa.
The Willment Coupe at Wembley Stadium in South Africa. The chopped top, nearly horizontal rear window, and larger rear truncation can be clearly seen in this profile. In the 1970’s, the large rear window was replaced with a smaller, lighter, but less aerodynamic vertical rear window.
After returning to South Africa, Bob drove a Weber carburated Capri V8 to two South African championships. The Capri / 302 conversion was developed and marketed by Basil Green (standing) and Ron Rosen.