Mike's Unipower memories

Over to Mike Lousada, the former Unipower GT owner I got in touch with last year: "I bought it from a man named David Pringle, who'd raced it previously. This was in 1972 or 1973 and I remember I paid 500 pounds for it. It was white and I remember the radiator was removed from the front and two smaller ones had been refitted to the rear intake ducts on the engine cover. This modification was carried out by Harvey Postlethwaite, who at the time was working for Hesketh Formula 1 team. I found out that the payment for carrying out the modification was that when he went to collect the car it was plastered in Hesketh teddy Bear stickers. Harvey said you have to race the car with all these stickers on, instead of paying us!"

"It came with an 998 Cooper engine when I got it, probably the one that was fitted to it when new. However, I did change the engine on several occasions, which was so easy to do. I could do it in an afternoon. I was very fond of that car, I loved it. I did sprint it several times at Silverstone and Snetterton but never raced it. I had two engines in boxes ready for it, these were 970 'S's built up by Ripspeed, and I still have one of them. I blew up an engine once, though, which must have looked very dramatic as oil was spilled over a hot exhaust. There was even a report in Autosport magazine mentioning it!"

And that's not even all. More recollections from Mike are soon to follow.