152 | GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE
A passionate participant of the Mille Miglia Lisman would complete
seven of the retrospective events between 2002 and 2008,
before regulations tightened that year to allow only cars that had
campaigned the event in period. At this point the Bonhams team
handled its sale for the second time, passing his custody onto its
current ownership, that of another long term enthusiast and racer.
In the last 15 years EPE has added participation in numerous events
to its roster. These have included racing at the Monterey Historics at
Laguna Seca, a series of Lime Rock Park meetings in Connecticut,
Lagonda Club and Vintage Sports Car Club of America meetings
and noted Hillclimbs at Mount Equinox in Vermont and Hunnewell in
Massachusetts, where, true to form it took fastest time of the day.
Its maintenance has continued to be handled by RPM of Vergennes,
Vermont.
In this tenure, favouring one particular chapter of the car’s history, its
owner has had the car brought to resemble that of its racing in the
most famous endurance race of all - the 24 hours of Le Mans. It is
badged with the ‘3’ that the car wore that day, and while carrying out
this exercise, his restorer noted that the rear tube tail lights remain of
the same pattern that once sat atop its tail at Le Mans to illuminate
its rear racing numeral, albeit now mounted on the chassis. It is quite
possible that they are the self same items.
This is an enormously charismatic classical British sports-racing
car which is extremely easy and rewarding to drive. It is capable
of terrific open road performance by the standards of the time,
and still surprises many drivers of modern motor cars today as it is
absolutely capable not only of sailing past them, but of maintaining
extraordinarily satisfying average speeds on all kinds of road.
It drips with history, having been handled in period by so many
prominent personalities of British and European motor racing lore.
It has tremendous presence. It is good looking with its distinctively
streamlined tail, and has been much-loved and well maintained in
its recent ownerships. And it began life as a carefully tailored Fox &
Nicholl team car.Today Bonhams welcomes ‘EPE’ back to the UK and appropriately
to Goodwood where it ran in 1948, we are honoured to have been
entrusted once again to secure a new home for this mythical pre-
war racer. Its role call of major events places ‘EPE’ in that much
lusted after category of not only being eligible by model for many
of the world’s most prestigious events, but having competed there
in period, putting it at the top of the pile. Attesting to this history
and assisting future competitive use, the car was one of the earliest
and few that ever were granted an FIA Heritage certificate before
the process was recalled. It has also held FIVA and FIA certificates,
however owing to the fact that these apply to both car and owner
these would need to be reapplied for by a new owner.