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Remembering Otto Linton

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Otto Linton passed away on January 3, and we have lost one of the true pioneers of sports car racing in America. He was born in Vienna, Austria on May 12, 1917. He studied engineering at the University of Vienna and immigrated to the United States in 1938. During the Second World War he worked as an engineer and machinist converting factories to war production in Philadelphia. As a youth he was attracted to cars and racing, and after he arrived in the US he was instrumental in the creation of post war racing, helping form the SCCA in the Philadelphia region.

Otto was a keen supporter of VeloceToday from the beginning, and over the years helped us on many stories, including his OSCA and experience with the ex-George Lymber BNC. Both Carl Goodwin and John Wright wrote about Linton’s racing experiences. For this article, we have taken excerpts from articles about Linton which previously appeared in VeloceToday, and in Carl Goodwin’s excellent book “They Started in MGs”. [Read more…] about Remembering Otto Linton

Interview with Otto Linton

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By John R. Wright

From the archives, October 31st, 2007

Otto Linton was one of those rare and colorful characters who participated in the beginnings of sports car racing in the United States. Linton drove a number of rare Italian cars, including the ex-Cabianca OSCA.

In 2005, I interviewed Linton at Watkins Glen. Linton, along with Denver Cornett, another early competitor, told to me about those early, post WWII days of sport scar racing which began at Watkins Glen. [Read more…] about Interview with Otto Linton

The Saga of the Caswell BNC Part 2

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At left, Tony Lymber with John Gianella, who had so carefully and thankfully preserved the Caswell BNC. George Lymber photo.

A Franco-American Hybrid

By Eric Davison

No one knows how George Lymber’s BNC reached America. We do know that a legendary figure of the early days of sports car racing, Otto Linton, (who was of great help in writing these articles) was a close friend and business associate of George Caswell, who purchased the car from motorcycle dealer George Taylor sometime in the early 1940s. Since both Taylor and George Caswell have both passed along to the great racetrack in the sky, there are no details to be had about the arrival of the BNC to these shores.
[Read more…] about The Saga of the Caswell BNC Part 2

Chapter from “They Started in MGs”: Otto Linton

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otto linton oscaAbove: Otto Linton in the rare 2000S OSCA serial number 2006.

Special Notice:Otto Linton will be the guest speaker at a VSCCA Luncheon, December 4th, in Somers NY. Contact frankrighetti33@aol.com for details.

“I raced an MG in 1948 at Watkins Glen,” says driver Otto Linton. “It was a J4, the only one in the United States and it’s now back in the UK. “ As described in the book The Story of the MG Sports Car, the 1933 J4 was “too fast for most drivers.” The car had essentially the same body that would cover MG frames until 1955, except no doors. Mechanically, it had a 4-cylinder OHC engine of 750cc displacement, supercharged, with one large SU carburetor and a four speed transmission with a remote shift lever and lock-out reverse. It was built in 1933 in a special production of only 9 cars, at the same time as the more famous K3 Magnette with the same design engine but of 6 cylinder configuration – 30 of these were built and only sold to customer competition drivers.

MG-J4

Linton's MG J4 in 1945.

Like many other drivers in that first race of the new sports car era – Bill Milliken, race organizer Cam Argetsinger, Denver Cornett and George Weaver, Otto posted a DNF in the event, with Haig Ksayian going on to take the win in the MG class. “I just had that one race in ’48,” says Otto, “plus a couple of hill climbs in 1949.” [Read more…] about Chapter from “They Started in MGs”: Otto Linton

The Winningest OSCA

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October 31st, 2007
Story by Pete Vack

Oh, what you will be missing. This is just one of hundreds of articles from our archives, which are available only if you subscribe to our premium service. This week, it’s updated and free. For a while.

Jim Kimberly at Watkins Glen in 1114. He placed second in class. Photo by Alix Lafontant.

From 1948 to 1955, OSCAs won hundreds of class victories in Europe and the United States. But one OSCA in particular was responsible for more than its share of wins. Built as a an early spider, OSCA number 1114 was completed just in time for the 1951 Mille Miglia. It was designated a factory team car, and was one of the first OSCA MT4s with the dual overhead cam head, but the displacement was still just under 1100 cc. In the 1000 mile race, 1114 placed second in class driven by Franco Bordoni.

Otto Linton's trophies--4 places out of 5 races, Harewood Acres, Canada. Otto Linton photo.

In June a young man from Verona by the name of Giulio Cabianca bought the car and registered it on tags VR 28745, and had it painted red over blue. Cabianca immediately embarked upon a six month campaign with his new race car. Almost every weekend Cabianca entered an event, and small as they were, the competition was fierce in the extremely popular 1100cc class, but the OSCA won almost every time out. From June to the end of October, Cabianca and 1114 achieved a remarkable 14 class victories along with nine 1st overalls.

For the 1952 season Cabianca had the old body modified by Coriasco to equip it with outboard headlights and additional lights in the oval grille. It’s looks were unique and the car can be instantly recognized as being the Cabianca OSCA. Otto Linton, who later owned 1114, told John Wright…”The work on my MT4 was done for Cabianca, the OSCA factory driver. Because it had run the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio and had been set up for LeMans, it had big headlights in the grille.”

OSCA, La Rivincita Dei Maserati, by Luigi Orsini and Franco Zagari was produced as the definitive OSCA book and remains so to this day. For a very good reason, OSCA 1114 was pictured on the cover.

By June, Cabianca had also purchased a 1350 cc OSCA engine, and during the ‘52 season swapped the engines to race in either the 1100 cc class or under 1500cc classes with the new 1350. Again, he was successful, totaling up another 8 wins. Before he sold it to a Philadelphia tire company executive by the name of Al Garthwaite in August of 1952, Cabianca had driven 1114 to a total of twenty two wins in less than two years.

Garthwaite lost no time in getting the OSCA back on the track. He entered it in the Watkins Glen Grand Prix to be held on September 21. Literally fresh off the dock and driven by Jim Kimberly, the OSCA placed second in class, beaten only by Bill Spear in the very latest OSCA 1350 MT4 (the build date on the Spear car was August 19th 1952). In October, Garthwaite, a good driver in anyone’s book, took the car to second place at Albany NY. The next summer, before selling 1114 to Otto Linton, Garthwaite, who would also head Algar (AL GARthwaite) Motors in Philadelphia, drove the aging OSCA to a first in class at the tough Bryfan Tyddyn course.

Linton at the unique Bryn Fan Tyddyn track garnering another first in class. Linton Collection.

Linton told VeloceToday correspondent John Wright that “.. In Pennsylvania, we had a good track called Bryn Fan Tyddyn. Now that course was just wonderful; it ran around a senator’s estate. It was a perfect track for my OSCA, and (if I remember correctly) I won there three years in a row until the last year it was in operation. That was when John Edgar came out from California with his great big trailer with Jack McAfee’s 550 Porsche and a Ferrari. So, the 2 liter Ferrari and the Porsche were slightly faster than my 1342cc OSCA.”

Linton also trailered 1114 to Sebring in 1954, where he took a third in class behind Stirling Moss, who won the event overall in another OSCA. For the next three years, Linton campaigned his OSCA up and down the east coast, entering the old warrior in ten more events. The last competitive appearance of 1114 was on July 25th 1956, when Linton took a second in class at Brynfan Tyddyn.

Cabianca’s Record
1951 1100 cc class
June 2 1951 Coppa Della Toscana Cabina Zanelli, 1c
June 26 1951 Coppa Del Pasubio 1c 1o
June 29 1951 Corsa Sulle Torricelle Cabianca 1c 1o
July 1 1951 Lecco-Ballabio Cabianca 1c 1o
July 8 1951 Bozano-Mendola Cabianca 1c 1o
July 15 1951 Coppa D oro Delle Domiti Cabianca 1c 1o
August 12th 1951 Circuito De Senegallia Cabianca 1c
September 2 1951 Vittorio-Veneto Cansiglio Cabianca 1c
September 9 1951 Bologna-Raticosa Cabianca 1c 1o
September 16 1951 G. P. Vetturette, Monza Cabianca 1o
September 23 1951 Tieste-Opicina Cabianca 1c 2o
September 29 1951 Coppa Gallenga Cabianca 1c
October 10 1951 Treponti-Castelnuovo Cabianca 1c 1o
October 28 1951 Messina-Colle Sand Rizzo Cabianca 1c

1952 1100 cc class
March 23 1952 Corsa Sulle Torricelle Cabianca 1c 1o
May 4 1952 Mille Miglia Cabianca-Roghi 1c
June 12 1952 Giro Dell’Umbria Cabianca-Roghi 1c 1o
June 22 1952 Circuito de Caserta Cabianca 1o
July 13 1952 Coppa D oro Delle Dolomiti Cabianco, 1c
August 10 1952 Circuito di Senegallia Cabianca 1c

1952 1350 class
June 29 1952 Targa Florio Cabianca retired
July 6 1952 Bolzano-Mendola Cabianca, 1c
August 3 1952 Giro Delle Calabrie Cabianco-Roghi 1c

OSCA 1114 in America
September 21 1952 Watkins Glen, John Kimberly, 2c #57
October 12 1952 Albany, NY, Garthwaite, 2c
July 24-25 1953 Brynfan Tyddyn Garthwaite, 1c
March 8 1954 Sebring, Linton/Beck 3c, #61
May 2 1954 Andrews AFB, Linton, 3c, #61
July 24 1954 Wilkes Barre, Linton, 1c, 1o, #23
August 8 1954 Lockbourne AFB, Linton, 2c, #23
September 18 1954 Watkins Glen Linton, 4c, #23
March 13 1955 Sebring Linton/Stetson, R #73
September 9 1955 Thompson, Linton R #13
June 24 1956, Road America Linton, 5c #196
July 7 1956 Beverly Linton R #196
July 25 1956 Brynfan Tyddyn Linton, 2c

Next from the Archives, a Talk with Otto Linton.

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