The very first Mk1 Lotus Cortina off the production line?

[robin2c4]

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum. I'm doing some research into the 1950s and 1960s rallying exploits of 2 brothers, William (Bertie) and Ian Sutherland, from the County of Sutherland in the north of Scotland.

I know that Bertie had a Mk1 Lotus Cortina when the cars were first launched, and somebody has told me that he owned the very first car off the production line.

This is obviously quite a claim - and I'd be fascinated to know whether there is any way of verifying this - or otherwise. If he didn't have the very first car, perhaps he had the first car to make its way to Sutherland, or one of the very early cars?

Unfortunately I have no documentation or photographs (yet), so I can't help by providing the chassis number or car registration number.

I know that it was white with a green stripe - but hey, weren't they all!

I'd be grateful for any help, evidence, or pointers.

Many thanks,

Robin

[Lashman]

Hi Robin,
Welcome to the forum,
Do you know what rally's they competed in that year? That may be a good way to trace a reg number and track it from there.
Cheers
Louis

[robin2c4]

Hi Louis,

Sadly, no. A lot of their rallying was done in the 50's - Monte Carlo rally mainly - in Rileys. Not sure if the Lotus Cortina ever did more than local car club rallies - I'll keep you posted if I find out more.

Cheers,

Robin

[Steve 155C]

Robin - it might also be worth trying the guys on the autosport forum , in the nostalgia section. Their knowledge is first class on historical motorsport:

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?s ... owforum=10

[flyinghorse]

Robin,
You dont state where you are based ,but Ross Murray (Strath Haladale)(on this board) lives in Sutherland and may know more-however its a big county!

There are also 2 car clubs up there that have older members who might remember (one is reputed to have a lotus 11 that was raced all over europe in the 1960's).




http://www.caithnesscarclub.co.uk/
http://www.csvvc.org/

Graham

[robin2c4]

Thanks Steve & Graham for your thoughts - I'll chase up the weblinks you suggest.

I am just back from a weekend in Sutherland today (Golspie, east coast), and I spoke to a couple of people about Bertie Sutherland and his Lotus Cortina.

It now transpires that the Lotus Cortina may have belonged to his brother Ian who was based in Wick (and certainly was involved in the Caithness Car Club).

There is also a suggestion that the car may have had registration number ASK 1 which was a number Ian had on a few cars.

Again - if this rings any bells, please let me know.

Cheers,

Robin

[flyinghorse]

I picked up some history on the plate ASK1 today. (I am in Thurso this week)

The story goes that Alex Grant (Norfrost refridgeration) apprenticed with one of the Sutherland brothers, and he got the plate from the widow for a new Renault Clio.

He had it on a bentley, but Norfrost went into financial difficulty and was consumed by Russels in Glasgow, who got the plate.

Reputedly Aurthur Askey had tried to buy it.

No sign of the cortina however!

Graham

[cortina321]

I rember when i would have been about 10 or 11 years old (1962/63)being at Scrabster in Caithness at an autocross and Ian Sutherland driving straight off the main road and competing in the event , and won i think , and then jumping into the car and driving away as if it was an everyday car , covered in mud
Money did`nt seem to be a object with him , he was a bit of a show off , well , if you had plenty of money you could do that
I`m afraid at that age , and it being so long ago i can`t rember the number of the car but i do remember the occasion
I think Ian was killed in a road accident
I will ask questions locally and see if i can find out more , some of my friends are sons of people in that era that new the family
will keep you posted
robinc2c4 or flying horse if you PM me your telephone number i can give you a call
cheers
Rossy

[robin2c4]

Hi there,

I've now been in touch with people who knew Bertie and Ian Sutherland up in Golspie, and was recently given a copy of a photo featuring 3 Cortinas - quite possibly 3 Lotus Cortinas, although I don't know enough to be able to confirm this from the front-on view in the photo.

The three car registration numbers are all from Caithness; SK 5499 (I think, it's very blurred), ASK 1 and ASK 875. Link to photo below:

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4194 ... rtinas.jpg

I am told that the men standing around the cars are mechanics from Alexander Sutherland & Co, and that the photo was taken in Golspie. I don't have a date for it.

I know that Iain Sutherland drove ASK 1, I also know that Alexander Sutherland & Co. owned Dunnets Ford Garage (in Wick?), so it's very likely that all 3 cars were owned by members of the firm - perhaps Iain and Bertie and another brother?

I'd be interested to know if anyone remembers any of these cars or numberplates. From the DVLA database, it doesn't appear as if any of these numbers are currently on vehicles today.

Thanks,

Robin

[flyinghorse]

Robin,
These dont look like lc's to me.
No quarter bumpers(standard on UK car),the grilles also identify them as post airflo mk1's (pre airflos had separate lights) and I cant see any LC badges.

Most likley are GT cortinas.

The mk1 LC's also were in White with green stripe unless Alan Mann racing colours (red with gold stripe).

Great photo however and some other members may be able to add more.

Thanks for posting the photo up.

Graham

[robin2c4]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the info.

I was pretty sure that ASK 1 was on a Lotus Cortina at some stage, my father remembers the car which was white with a green stripe. May have been an earlier (or later) car than the one in the picture I suppose - difficult to tell from the murky photo whether the car in the middle is white or not - it's certainly a light colour.

Any other info gratefully received.

Thanks,

Robin

[Bruce]

I just came across this site last week and thought I would add some details:-

Bertie Sutherland had a white Mk1 Lotus Cortina with green flash registration number NS25 in 1965-66. He had NS25 on a Corsair GT 67-68 and a 1600E 69-70.

Ian Sutherland's Mk1 Cortina ASK1 was a pale green Willment Super Sprint which he ran from about 1965 to 69. He then had ASK1 on at least one red Mk2 Lotus Cortina.

The last rally I know of either of them entering was the Snowman Rally in 1964 which Ian won single handed in his wife's Mini. Ian entered the 1966 or 1967 Monte Carlo Rally with his Cortina but withdrew some time before the event.

Bruce

[robin2c4]

Hi Bruce,

Many thanks for the additional information.

I have been trying to find out more from the Caithness Car Club, but no luck so far I'm afraid.

Do you know any more details about the cars which either Bertie or Ian ran, and/or the numberplates?

They rallied Rileys in the 1950s and took part in several Montes for which I have a good number of photographs, but I have nothing (apart from the photo already posted of ASK 1) to tell me what they were running in the 1960s or later - although clearly there were a few Cortinas.

I'd be very grateful for any more info. Robin.

[Bruce]

Robin,

Bertie and his family had Numbers NS25, NS2525 and NS3535 on various cars from the 1950s. Ian had ASK1 on various cars from about 1964 when it was first issued.

In the late 50s and early 60s they both ran a selection of Jaguars and Aston Martins. They just moved on to Fords when their company bought the Caithness Ford dealer Wm Dunnet.

After the cars I listed Bertie I think ran various British Leyland cars (I don't think anything of great interest) as they no longer had an interest in Dunnets. Bertie died in 1992.

Ian ran 3 litre Capris through the 70s until he died in 1979, in his later years he was involved more in vintage cars with several friends and he himself rebuilt a 1920s Rover Doctor's Coupe. Ian still had his interest in motor sport (in the early 60s he was involved with the Ford Rally Team and co-drove in the RAC Rally with Graham Hill in a Ford Zephyr) and Roger Clark with the development team used to visit Ian when they were long distance testing the 70s Escorts. Ralph Stokes who rallyed with brothers in the 50s also used to visit when he was putting mileage on Sunbeam Lotuses for their Rally Team.

I understand that a niece of Ian's has his trophys, photographs and records and is trying to arrange and exhibition in Wick for a charity in the near future.

I think thats about all I can tell you, Bruce

[robin2c4]

Hi Bruce,

That's really helpful - thanks very much.

I had heard about a Graham Hill connection, but couldn't find it anywhere - if it was the RAC I might be able to find the year etc. Thanks for that.

I knew Bertie and I now have registration NS 3535 myself, which is why I started exploring which rallies the number had taken part in - NS 2525 was on a 2.5 Riley which Bertie started rallying with in the early 1950s, but what I didn't have was any note of their activities after 1959, so many thanks for the back story.

My father had Golspie Motors in the 1980s, and you are correct, Bertie had an MG Metro with NS 25 on it at that time and his wife ran NS 2525 (can't remember what vehicle).

I'm giving a talk on Bertie & Ian and their Monte exploits to the Golspie Heritage Society in March next year. The family have kindly loaned me Bertie's archive of photos and documents from which I will build the talk, but I'm always keen to fill in the gaps - your post (and others on this string) have been really helpful.

If there is any move towards an exhibition in Wick of Ian's memorabilia, I'd certainly come up for that. If you hear anything would you post it on here?

Many thanks again, Robin