The 1965 season carried on with the 1964 cars, still on their ‘A’ Frame suspension, and it wasn’t until June 1965 that the Lotus Cortina was homologated with leaf springs, and many ‘KPU’ cars were registered by Ford for press, rally and race activities.

However, the cars used for Mont Ventoux Hillclimb in June 1965 and Nurburgring 6 hour race in the same month with registration numbers BTW 297B and BTW 298B were not the original Pre-Aeroflow cars, and were most likely two of the new ‘KPU’ leaf-spring cars being used.

The following were registered to Alan Mann. Some were used in 1965, and some in 1966. Several of them came out of Ford painted in Ford Monaco Red, a colour very close top the Ferrari Rosso that Alan Mann had painted the earlier cars. The cars were…

KPU 384C

KPU 388C

KPU 390C

KPU 391C

KPU 392C

KPU 393C

KPU 397C (originally white/ green stripe and used as a Press Car)

The main leaf-spring cars driven by Sir John Whitmore were KPU 392C (in 1965) KPU 390C (in 1966) , and he won the ETCC championship in 1965.

KPU 391C was raced in 1965 and 1966 as well, with many photographs found. It seems unlikely that KPU 397C was raced in 1965 as it was a converted Press car, still in use as such in early 1966.

As a footnote, I have shown photos KPU 397C run by AMR in white with a green stripe. It was originally a Press car, and converted by AMR later to race specification. It seems that it raced in white at least once, but was soon repainted to the familiar Monaco Red with Gold roof and stripe.

Numberplates and Identifications were mixed up by Ford / AMR / Boreham, and some cars that raced as a given registration number had a different Vehicle Identification Number to that allocated when registered. This has caused a lot of problems over the years when cars have been restored, and when registration has been applied for, it has been found that they already exist! The original vehicle identities and registration numbers are known from original registration records, and the anomalies are still being worked through.

As another consequence of the mix-up, some cars have been raced with the incorrect registration number displayed on the car, and they have been credited, incorrectly with the result of the race. In 1966 the rules changed in the ETCC whereby cars racing had to be recorded by the Vehicle Identification number only, which can make things even less clear.

So, it’s complicated, and it gets worse! In 1966, AMR sends three of its cars out to the USA to run in the Trans Am Series. As 390, 391, 392 and 397 definitely ran in the 1966 ETCC, it is probable that it was 393 and 388 that were sent to the USA. But the third one?

John Whitmore at Mont Ventoux Hillclimb, 6th June 1965. Note that ‘BTW’ is now white, and it’s now the later Aeroflow model. Almost certainly this is one of the new leafspring ‘KPU’ cars. John finished 1st overall.
Peter Procter at Mont Ventoux Hillclimb, 6th June 1965, in another Aeroflow, probably KPU, car. Peter finished 3rd overall.
John Whitmore and Hubert Hahne have a natter before the Nurburgring 6 hour race on 13th June 1965.
Alan requested both drivers of his Mustang and Cortina cross the line together in a ‘Dead Heat’ at the Nurburgring 6 hour race. The Cortina had to slow down to allow the Mustang to catch up! The Mustang was driven by Roy Pierpont and Jochen Neerpasch, with the Cortina by John Whitmore and Jack Sears. Great PR for AMR, Holman & Moody and of course for Ford.

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