The Rapier began life as a left-hand drive Series 3 in Powder Blue and Corinth Blue. This car and another identical car were modified in 1960 by the Rootes Group Competitions Department for racing in the USA. They were converted to right-hand drive (?), stripped, lightened using aluminium panels and perspex windows, tuned and shipped to the USA.

They were raced first at Riverside driven by Peter Harper and Paddy Hopkirk (see Destination Monte by Peter Harper, page 97), and later in Mexico City driven by Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez (see Works Team by Michael Frostick, page 48). My car is the one driven by Peter Harper/Ricardo Rodriguez. Sometime between Riverside and Mexico City, both cars acquired black tops and side flashes. One of the cars (we think that it is mine) was also raced in a 12 hour endurance event at the Marlboro race track in Maryland.

The car was discovered in Ohio by a friend of mine in 1989, shipped back to the UK and restored. I have looked after it since it came back, and finally bought it last year. The picture shows the car on the grid at Goodwood race circuit and was taken just before the Revival Meeting last September. Unfortunately, We cannot trace the other car.

David Parrott