UKDRN

yes there's certainly a few differences between the two cars, I think the tubing gauge could be an optical illusion due to one being yellow and the other red but the engine is sitting lower on the works car as is the driver and the steering arm higher. Maybe when they built them both they did them slightly differently to see which worked best and the works car always performed better than the other one. I guess the only way to be sure is to find the works chassis and compare it to Avanti.

just to add something else into the barrel of idea's, did the Allard Anglia use an engine from one of the dragons, or was that engine built just for the Anglia. Were the engines tried in different rails to offer comparisons. Might the Anglia have "borrowed" from the works car, leading to the rails being put out of the way, and eventually binned.

timetravel wrote:yes there's certainly a few differences between the two cars, I think the tubing gauge could be an optical illusion due to one being yellow and the other red but the engine is sitting lower on the works car as is the driver and the steering arm higher. Maybe when they built them both they did them slightly differently to see which worked best and the works car always performed better than the other one. I guess the only way to be sure is to find the works chassis and compare it to Avanti.

That's very interesting, Nick.
I recently found a mint copy of 'Motor Racing' - the official journal of the British Racing & Sports Car Club, June 1964 issue.
It has a two page track test report from the Dragon Silverstone press day in April and mentions that the 'works' Dragon is some two inches narrower than the other car.
Intriguingly the article also states that 'a couple of Dragons have been bought by drag enthusiasts in the States'.
Can this be true, and are they still out there somewhere?
There is certainly evidence of interest from the USA as shown by this correspondence that recently surfaced on eBay USA.

A few years back I put a couple of magazine scans of the car on here at the 1965 Pomona Winternationals car show and on track at Lions

MrMotormind wrote:

timetravel wrote:yes there's certainly a few differences between the two cars, I think the tubing gauge could be an optical illusion due to one being yellow and the other red but the engine is sitting lower on the works car as is the driver and the steering arm higher. Maybe when they built them both they did them slightly differently to see which worked best and the works car always performed better than the other one. I guess the only way to be sure is to find the works chassis and compare it to Avanti.

That's very interesting, Nick.
I recently found a mint copy of 'Motor Racing' - the official journal of the British Racing & Sports Car Club, June 1964 issue.
It has a two page track test report from the Dragon Silverstone press day in April and mentions that the 'works' Dragon is some two inches narrower than the other car.

2016-01-29 12.50.55.jpg

Intriguingly the article also states that 'a couple of Dragons have been bought by drag enthusiasts in the States'.
Can this be true, and are they still out there somewhere?
There is certainly evidence of interest from the USA as shown by this correspondence that recently surfaced on eBay USA.

$_3.JPG

wv3234a.jpg

Thanks for scanning that, a great article and confirmation that the two Dragons were different.

As Jaytee says the Works Dragon did go over to California in '65 but whether any were bought by US racers remains to be seen. It would be great if one was to turn up at the CHRR...

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

Here's another recently discovered Dragon gem.
Who remembers the Boy's Own Paper?
Good wholesome reading for young lads who have yet to discover girlie mags!
But I digress.
This September 1964 issue has a stunning cover featuring Mooneyes and Mickey Thompson, and the article focuses on the new Allard Dragon whilst also previewing the forthcoming International Drag Festival.

There was an original sales catalogue for Allard Dragons on ebay that just ended today. i bid on it but got outbid in the end.

Another original photo from the '64 Silverstone press day, this time a great engine close up.
I suspect that the jacket and tie immediately behind the car belong to Sydney Allard.

Well, look what turned up at the classic motor show yesterday.
It's a bit different to the one Colin Glass had in '66.
Images sent to me by Rob Brown.