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THE BALDWIN “PAYNE”
SPECIAL
This car is probably the most memorable
“Sports Rod” of the early days of the sports car movement in America, being
a typical example of a late 1940s "California Hot Rod", carried a step
beyond what the normal hot rodders were doing at the time. Known
in the States as an AV8, i.e. an A Type Ford chassis housing a Ford V8
motor.
In 1947, my late father, Philip Payne,
drove across the States in a Brooklands Riley, before working at Roger
Barlow’s ‘International Motors’ in Los Angeles. He became interested
in the local sports car and hot rod scene and was an early member of the
California Sports Car Club, as well as The Glendale Sidewinders (SCTA).
He purchased this Special (91 S 663)
in November 1947, from Willis Baldwin of Santa Barbara – the “father” of
road racing specials. Baldwin built this, the first of four specials, in
1947, using the frame of a 1932 Ford. My father quickly replaced the Cadillac
side-valve, installing a hot 4.4 litre (268.4 c.i.) Mercury Flathead with
an Iskenderian track-grind cam, Evans 9:1 heads and triple-carb intake
manifold, producing some 175 bhp @ 5,000 rpm. Drive is through a lightened
flywheel, 10 in Mercury clutch and three-speed Ford Pilot transmission
with a home-built remote shift linkage to a 3.78:1 rear axle. The cowl
covers a split-centre Ford radiator whilst the grille consists of curved
lengths of welding wire. The bonnet is of 20 guage alloy and the air scoop
is from a North American aircraft, whilst an Auburn dash is used. Front
cycle-type wings were made from spare wheel-cover bands.
The “Baldwin ‘Payne’ Special” proved
very competitive and successful in many Southern Californian events, ranging
from circuit racing to hill climbs and dry lake trials. Returning to Portsmouth,
England in October 1950, my father continued to sprint the car (FTP 348),
gaining successes at Southsea Motor Club events, held at the famous Goodwood
circuit, as well as Gosport Automobile Club speed trials. Bill Boddy wrote
a very favourable ‘The Editor Encounters A Hot-Rod’ article in “Motorsport”
of January 1952, having previously been very sceptical of the performance
of Hot Rods – this lead to a very heated exchange of transatlantic letters
in that magazine!
Naturally, the car has a very special
place in the Payne household (Philip’s widow Vicky, and son Stephen), and
is superbly maintained by Alan Collins, the Jaguar specialist, of Maldon,
Essex. An overhaul was completed prior to the car’s appearance at The Cartier
Style et Luxe at the 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed, keeping the car as
original to its’ illustrious sports rod heritage.
Competition record of Philip Payne
in the "Baldwin Special".
California Sports Car Club 26 Oct 1947
Tujunga Hill Climb, Winner Class 1, Best Time of Day
CSCC 28 Dec 1947 Palos Verdes Sprint,
Winner Class 1, Fastest Time of Day
CSCC Summer 1948 Tommy Lee Shea Castle,
Dirt Sprint, 1st
CSCC/Russetta 10 Oct 1948 El Mirage,
? mile, #543, 8.8 sec, 102.27 mph
Davis Motor Company 5 Dec 1948 Van Nuys
Proving Grounds, Class II, 1st
12 Dec 1948 Gold Cup Race, Sports Cars
v Hot Rods, Winner
CSCC 7 Aug 1949 Goleta, Santa Barbara,
Class III, 1st Place
Sports Car Club of America 14 Aug 1949
Gold Creek Hill Climb, 3rd Place
Gosport Automobile Club 29 Apr 1951 Brockhurst
Speed Trial, “1950” Cup (FTD Unsupercharged Sports Cars)
Southsea Motor Club 11 Aug 1951 Goodwood
Speed Trial, Class V, 2nd
SMC 15 Sept 1951 Goodwood, Class 3, 2nd
GAC 16 Sept 1951 Speed Trial, Class 7,
FTD Sports Car
(3-11-13) From Robert Miller:
"I stumbled across three pictures of
Philip Payne and his Baldwin Special in a driveway: The
first three pics in this Picasa set." |
