1984 Royale RP37/38 Sports 2000

Serial Number: RP37/3 and RP38/5 Logbooks: none Condition: excellent restored condition, race ready Price: EUR 20,000.- (about UK£ 12,500 or US$ 18,000) Location: Belgium
Description This car was the subject of a thorough restoration over the last few years and is in pristine condition and race ready. It was raced only once since restoration and would be a very serious contender in Sports 2000 races.

History

Alan Cornock hired the services of Bob Martson who used to be Lola's Chief Designer, where he had been responsible for Lola's T490, T492 and T590 chassis.

Royale's first Sports 2000 appeared at the end of the 1981 season and was known as the S2000. It was Royale's first monocoque design and shared the majority of its running gear with the then current single seaters. The RP37 introduced in 1984 was the evolution of the S2000 and was very successful both in Europe and America. Introduced in 1985, the RP38 incorporated a new bodywork together with sides radiators. The final evolution of the breed was the RP42 introduced in 1986. It had a more radical body design with fully enclosed front and rear wheels and a very low line. It did wonders in the Sports 2000 series in the hands of Mike 'Fulmar' Taylor. This particular example is the only RP38, of 8 cars built, supplied to the UK by Royale, all the other RP38s went to America. It was originally built as RP37/3 in 1984 and uprated by the works in 1985 to RP38 specification (and given the new chassis number RP38/5).

The car passed to Richard Redgrave (UK) in 1989 who only kept it a few weeks. It went to the Jim Russel's Racing School (UK) the same year and was used for piloted laps for VIPs. Around 1990 Marcel Junod (UK) bought the car and used it for hillclimbing. It went to France in 1993 and was purchased by the current owner in 2000.

Recent Competition History

Engine

• 2 litre Ford Pinto NE to Sports 2000 specification
• Single downdraught Weber 32/36 DGV carburettor
• Dry sumped
• Electronic ignition
• Rebuilt by Bernard Goubet Moteurs (BGM) - France
• One race since rebuild

Fuel System

• Mechanical fuel pump
• Foam filled rubber fuel cell (8.5 US gallons capacity)

Oil/Water System

• Rebuilt water side radiators
• Original oil tank
• New oil cooler

Electrical System

• Total loss 12V system
• Master switch
• Rain / tail light
• Stop lights

Gearbox

• Hewland Mk9 4-speed blueprinted gearbox
• Ratios : 16/35 - 19/32 - 22/28 - 24/26

Final Drive

• Hewland in unit with gearbox
• Free differential
• 10/31 CWP

Body

• Fibreglass bodywork with covered rear wheels

Chassis

• Alluminum monocoque in excellent condition, reinforced by Mike Pilbeam around the engine bay
• Dampers: gas-filled Bilsteins front and rear
• Front Suspension: double wishbone, coil overs, fabricated steel uprights with detachable steering arms, tubular anti-roll bar
• Rear Suspension: lower wishbone, top link, upper radius rod, coil overs, aluminium cast uprights, tubular anti-roll bar
• Steering: proprietary rack
• Brakes: 10.25" dia. non ventilated front discs, 9.25" dia. non ventilated inboard rear discs, Lockeed (Metro) steel 4 pot front calipers with new pistons and seals, Lockeed 2 pot FF rear calipers with new pistons and seals, new Girling master cylinders, Mintex 1144 brake pads, cokpit controlled balance bar, Aeroquip hoses, cooling ducts
• Wheels: centre locked Compomotive split rims, 6" x 13" at the front and 8" x 13" at the rear, Bridgestone slick tyres
• Weight: tbd

Interior

• Jones mechanical revcounter
• Racetech and Lucas gauges
• New SPA dual chamber electrical fire system
• Steering wheel with quick release
• New Willans 6 point safety harness

Spares

• Compomotive split rims with Bridgestone wet tyres
• one complete standard Pinto engine and almost a second one in bits