Inside Race Retro with Roy P. Smith

Indy-Offenhauser-McLaren-of Peter Revson.

In the Rally Hall, there was a stunning collection of Metro 6R4s marking 30 years of rally action but it was out on the purpose built rally stage where these iconic cars came to life. They performed alongside Group B and C rally cars including Rauno Aaltonen’s Mini Cooper, the Rothmans Audi Quattro, the Brookes Sapphire and ex-Auriol Ford Sierra Cosworths, and the ex-McRae Lotus Cortina. (see Jonathan Sharp’s story, Outside Retro).

While other Lancia went outside to play, the WRC 037 stayed inside.

Other motorsport greats including Touring Cars’ Win Percy, World-renowned navigator Willy Cave, Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis, multi-championship titleholder Barry Lee, World Sidecar champ Stan Dibben and the ever-popular Barrie Whizzo Williams.

Motor-cycling Sprint hero Alf Hagon's bikes

On Sunday afternoon it was all go as the competitors on the Retro Challenge, heading to the South of the UK, and the Winter Challenge five-day rally to Monte Carlo drove off the start line into their first test on the rally stage before hitting the open road.

Silverstone Auctions was also busy as its Retro and Classic Sale came to a close with 65% of the lots sold for £1.6million, including Ayrton Senna’s Honda NSX, which sold for £85,000.

Around 300 traders offered everything needed for the coming season, from racing suits to motorsport memorabilia, will initial feedback of a successful weekend.

Race Retro, sponsored by Peter James Insurance and Stewart Miller Insurance, returns to Stoneleigh Park from 20th to 22nd February 2015. For the further updates, visit www.raceretro.com

Abarth Osella and Jorge de Bagration

Jorge de Bagration's Abarth Osella

I first came across the name Jorge de Bagration years ago, and then again when researching for Alpine Renault – The Sports Prototypes. He was driving a factory Alpine A210, with Mauro Bianchi also in an A210, as part of a private entry by Escudería Montjuic in the Madrid Grand Prix of 1967. The Spanish scuderia dominated the finishing places, with Alex Soler-Roig winning from André Wicky, both in Porsche 906s. Bianchi in the Alpine was third and our man Jorge in fourth on the same lap.

Then at Race Retro this year, it was that name that again caught my eye on the superb Abarth Osella PA2 in the familiar Escudería Montjuic colours.

Jorge de Bagration’s ancestors in Southern Georgia can be traced back to the 3rd century BC. From that time his family, the Bivritiani, provided the rulers of that part of the world. They continued in this vein until in the 10th century AD, one of the sons, a certain Bagrat Bivritiani, Guaram I Kurapalate, centred his branch of the family on the Bagrationi. Bagrat III (978-1014) is shown as King of the United Kingdom of Georgia. The Bagrationi Royal Dynasty of Georgia had been established. This incredible pedigree continued through the centuries, until we reach 1944 and the birth of Jorge de Bagration in Rome; he was the eldest son of émigré Prince Irakli Bagration-Mukhrani, a descendant of the Mukhraneli branch of the Bagration royal family who had gone into exile in Italy following the Bolshevik Revolution, but retained his claim to the throne of Georgia. With his high-born pedigree, Jorge was in a good place funds-wise and was able to follow his dream of getting involved in motor sport. He started with motorcycles, but then got into rallying, hill climbing, circuit racing and even had a go at F1. Jorge would become extremely well known and there is tons of stuff on the web and a book about the Escudería. An interesting guy, interesting family; Jorge died too young in 2008 .

A name one might recall seeing.

And the cars – wow! The Escudería Montjuic had some great cars through their hands. This one, the Abarth Osella PA2, is the original 001, a modified PA1 chassis built in 1973 and delivered to the Escudería Montjuic in 1974. One of two Escudería Montjuic Ossella PA2s, this one runs an Abarth engine (the other ran a BMW). It was driven in the 1974 European 2 Liter Sports Car Championship by de Bagration, who finished 7th (the championship was won by Alain Serpaggi in the Alpine Renault A441).