Ledbury News
Motor sport enthusiast donates car to pupils
3:00pm Sunday 5th February 2012
A MOTOR sport enthusiast from Bromesberrow, near Ledbury, has donated a racing car for engineering students in the West Country to restore.
Nick Winter bought the Gideon Formula 750 car in 1998, intending to rebuild it himself for racing.
It had been built by period racer Oliver White in 1975, and hadn’t turned a wheel for more than 20 years when he bought it.
Formula 750 is a grassroots racing category for one-off homebuilt cars, which is run by the 750 Motor Club, founded to promote racing and hill trialling based on the legendary 750cc Austin Seven.
But work, domestic commitments and lack of time meant that Mr Winter never got around to restoring the car, which languished untouched in a neighbour’s barn.
However, when he heard that fellow enthusiast Ewen Constant, who teaches motorsports engineering at Wiltshire College near Chippenham, was looking for a project for his students to undertake, he realised what he had to do.
“Courses like that weren’t around when I was leaving school otherwise that’s what I’d have done, no question,” said Mr Winter.
Upon graduating, the college’s students have the opportunity to become part of the UK’s multimillion pound motorsport industry. It is also hoped that when the project is successfully completed, the Gideon will be back on the racing circuit.