HARRINGTON COMPETION HISTORY

The 1961 Le Mans Harrington Alpine 3000 RW - B9102730

3000 RW is best known for it's special body work and Thermal Index trophy win at Le Mans in June of 1961. Prepped by the factory works department and modified by Harrington Ltd with a sleek bob-nosed front-end this may possibly be one of the most sought after Sunbeam's in the world. Originally a Wedgewood Blue car, it was re-painted to Seacrest Green at the time of conversion. After being driven to victory by Peter Proctor and Peter Harper the car was sold and converted for street use. Years later it was discovered in a barn and restored back to it's original competition glory.

 The 1962/1963 Le Mans Kamm-tail Alpines

Harrington Ltd undertook the bodywork modifications for the Alpines that ran at Le Mans in 1962 and 1963. These three Le Mans race cars are a great example of the different type of work Harrington Ltd was capable of. The Kamm-tailed design is the most obvious alteration to the appearance of these cars, but a closer inspection will reveal quite extensive aluminum body modifications making these cars very special indeed.

 The 1962/1963 Sebring Harrington Alpine - B9106097

Some of you may remember the Italian N.A.R.T. racing team owned by Fillipo Theodoli. Theodoli, an airline executive with Air Italia, had a passion for fast cars and took a liking to the Harrington Alpine. After taking personal delivery of the car at the Harrington factory, Theodoli would enter the car in the1962 12-Hour Sebring endurance race. This Carnival Red Harrington Alpine is documented as B9106097 and was most likely factory prepped for competition. This famous Harrington Alpine competed in only a few races before being converted back to a street car by a Rootes Dealership called D&H Classic in New Hampshire. It could possibly be one of only a very few Harrington Alpines to be built in LRX configuration.

B9106097's first known race was the 1962 Sebring event where it proudly wore the number 44. Unfortunately, it's race was cut short by a blown engine resulting in a DNF. After receiving a replacement engine it was entered in the 1963 Sebring event as car number 55 where it finished 4th in class. B9106097 has also been documented racing at an SCCA event in Vineland under the number 86. (Warming up the new engine for Sebring? Maybe.) In 2012 it was found that the car had been reshelled with a Series II Alpine body and was missing some items from the original. The car today is therefore a reconstruction with the original roof and other components. We understand that it has had further restoration work that has fully restored the car to its full Sebring configuration.

 The 1961 Harrington Alpine 6969EL

This Harrington Alpine was driven by Mary Handley Page with Patricia Ozanne as co-driver. They raced in the 22nd Alpine Rally and was placed 2nd in Coupe' Des Dames and 3rd in class. This car competed as an Alpine the previous year and is likely to have been one of the earliest private conversions. The Harrington afforded more stowage space which may have been considered useful for rallying. The car is now Red and was the subject of an article called "Brighton Belle" (with registration LJT39) and has its own modern history of rallying in the hands of Nairn Brown with its latest registration USY266.

 The 1961 Harrington Le Mans 2 EGG - B9108952

Read about its story at "Features" RAC Rally 1962. This car "disappeared" into Irish hands for many years but reappeared in Green and was sold at the NEC a few years back.

 The 1961 Harrington Le Mans MEL 63 - B9108953

MEL63 is documented to have raced in the Veedol Trophy race in March 1962 by Jerry Hodgson, entered by Alan Fraser where it suffered a substantial front near-side crash. It also raced at the August 1962 Tourist Trophy driven by Ellis Cuff-Miller, entered by Alan Fraser and the November 1962 R.A.C. Rally by the Grant/Pillsworth team, where it co-incidentally experienced another substantial near-side crash. - Photograph(s) reproduced with kind permission of Coventry Transport Museum. Around this time it had its wire wheels swapped for steels. It was discovered again in Belgium where restoration work revealed underlying race/rally features confirming the car to be MEL63. The story is told in the Members Features section.

 Additional Racing Harringtons

You can still find Harringtons that are being used for competition today. Below you will find some pictures of different Harringtons and their drivers. (see Racing and Rallying page)

 Peter Harper's Le Mans medal, photo courtesy of George Sutherland who obtained it from the family of Jim Ashworth, Chief Engineer in the Rootes Competition Dept. after the 1962 race.