The OSCA factory mechanic makes some last minute adjustments on the Gordon-Bentley rent-a-ride. Note the NART shield on the OSCA.
By Jack Gordon with Pete Vack
Photos courtesy of Jack Gordon
Forty-nine years ago, John Bentley and John “Jack” Gordon bought OSCA 750, chassis 769, and entered it at Sebring, where they placed 12th overall and won the Index of Performance. On a roll, they decided to go to Le Mans and try to duplicate their amazing success at Sebring. Jack Gordon picks up the narrative here in this exclusive for VeloceToday.
With Sebring packed away it was time to plan the next move.
It was now late March and we were informed that all the entries for Le Mans were closed and they wouldn’t give us a late entry. It would have been nice to repeat the dual Index wins of de Tomaso.
[In 1958 Alejandro de Tomaso won the Index at Sebring with his wife and Elizabeth Haskell, driving OSCA chassis number 760. Then he won the Index at Le Mans a couple months later, driving OSCA 750 chassis 762 with Colin Davis]. But in any case there was too little time to tear down and recondition our car for a 24-hour event.
Gordon’s OSCA number 54 waiting for the start. Next to the OSCA, number 53 is a streamliner-bodied OSCA 750, chassis 761, driven by Laroche/Simon. I was under the impression the front body section was an after-market modification done in France, as i had never heard of any original Morelli bodies having this configuration.