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| 1971 Datsun 240Z (East African Safari Rally, 1971): Datsun/Nissan had a very successful outing at the 19th East African Safari Rally in 1971. In it's first entry the 240/Fairlady Z won the Over-all Victory, Class Victory, Team Victory and Manufactures Championship. Edgar Hermann and Hans Shuller finished first in this car with team cars finishing second and seventh overall. Considered to be the world's toughest rally, the East African Safari routes through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Model by IXO 1/43 |
1970 Datsun BRE 240Z (SCCA C Production Champion 1970 & 71): Pete Brock's BRE Racing began its successful association with Nissan with the Datsun 2000. This led to development of the new 240Z. BRE and drive John Morton won SCCA's C Production championship in 1970 and 1971. From there, BRE moved on to the 510 and Trans Am, but Bob Sharp kept the Z car in the winners circle much of the next ten years. Model by DEL PRADO 1/43 |
BRE CHAMPIONS! |
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| 1971 Datsun 510 (1971 & 72 Trans Am U2.5 Champion): BRE,in close conjunction with the Datsun factory, used their Datsun 2000 racing experieince to dominate the Trans-Am 2.5L class in 1971 and 1972. Powered by a 1.8L four-cyl.engine producing 150 hp, John Morton drove the sole car for the team in 1971, beating out John Weston in his Alfa Romeo for the class championship. Three cars were prepared for 1972, with Morton again taking the Championship. Model by EBBRO 1/43 |
1971 Datsun 510 (1971 & 72 Trans Am U2.5 Champion): BRE on pre-grid at PIR Trans Am, 1972 |
1972 Datsun 510: Actor Paul Newman became an accomplished race car driver, winning several national championships in SCCA competition. He ran a Bob Sharp prepared 510 in the mid-70's. While qualifying at the SCCA Runoffs in 1973, he crashed heavily. The remains were put on a truck and hauled to Sharp's race shop, where after a few hours it was repaird and taken back to Atlanta for Newman to race. He finished 9th that year, 6th in 1975 and 3rd in 1976 in this car. Model by TRUESCALE 1/43 |
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| 1971 Datsun 510 (Riverside, 1972): BRE built five Datsun 510's to run in the Trans Am Two Five Challenge in 1972. One car was the regular ride of Trans Am Champion John Morton and BRE ran two additional cars at select events in the Under 2.5L Trans Am Championship. Peter Gregg who was already starting to establish a name for himself with his Brumos Porsches was one of the drivers who "guest drove" for BRE during the season. Model by GREENLIGHT 1/43 |
1971 Datsun 510 (Riverside, 1972): Gregg raced this car four times in 1972 and stood atop the podium twice as winner at both Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. While he didn't finish the Donnybrooke round of the series, he finished 2nd after qualifying 4th at the season finale at Riverside. Model by GREENLIGHT 1/43 |
1971 Datsun 510 (Laguna Seca, 1972): NASCAR great Bobby Allison sat behind the wheel of this car for two rounds of the SCCA Trans Am Two Five Challenge in 1972. BRE raced this car three times during the 1972 season with Hershel McGriff, another NASCAR legend driving at Portland (2nd) and Allison at both Laguna Seca and Riverside when Trans Am races didn't interfere with his stock car commitments. Allision was an accomplished road racer and did well in Can Am, IROC and Trans Am racing. Model by GREENLIGHT 1/43 |
1971 Datsun 510 (Laguna Seca, 1972): While Allison did not finish at Riverside, he did finish 3rd at Laguna Seca behind John Morton who won the race. The 1.8L SOHC 4-cylinder 510's, which put out 190 HP, dominated the Under 2.5L class in Trans Am racing. They effectively drove away the competition and sadly the end to that class in Trans Am racing. Model by GREENLIGHT 1/43 |
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| 1986 Nissan GTP ZX-T: Using a Lola T810 chassis, Electramotive Engineering developed the GTP ZX-T for Nissan to compete in the IMSA GT Championship. The GTP ZX-T was named due to its shared engine with the production Nissan 300ZX, a turbocharged 3.0L V6. The GTP ZX Turbo engine was highly modified for racing. 1986 was a development season for the team, with the car showing signs of the competitive form it would take on in subsequent seasons. Tony Adamowicz, Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Don Devendorf drove this car (#T710-3) at the inaugural race for the GTP ZX-T at the Lowenbrau GP of Miami in 1986 and finished 10th. It was raceed through the 1990 season, winning the Miami race in 1987. Model by TRUESCALE 1/43 |
1988 Nissan R88C: Using a March designed body work and aluminium chassis, Nissan developed a new engine for its Group C car in 1988. Using a 750 bhp twin-turbo V8,the new R88C was better than the previous R87E, but still off the pace of the Jaguars and Porsches which dominated Group C. For Le Mans in 1988, Nissan entered this car driven by our friend Mike Wilds, Win Percy and Allan Grice. They finished in 14th position overall. Model by EBBRO 1/43 |
1994 Nissan 300ZX (Le Mans 1994): Coming off outright wins against the prototypes at both Daytona and Sebring, Cunningham Racing hoped to vie for an outright win at Le Mans in 1974. However, they had overestimated the amount of downforce needed and their cars had too much drag, only managing a top speed of 184 mph. Not enough top-end speed to keep up with the prototypes on the Mulsanne Straight. Powered by a 3.0L DOHC V6 that produced 700 bhp, the two Cunningham entered cars were capable, just not fast enough at Le Mans. This was the driven by Paul Gentilozzi to the win at Daytona, who was joined with Eric van der Poole and Shunji Kasuya at Le Mans. A fire during morning warm-up led to ignition system failure during the 4th hour. Its sister car, despite drive belt failure, finished 5th overall and took the class win. Model by SPARK 1/43 |
1998 Nissan R390 GT1 (Astec-TWR): Satoshi Motoyama, Takuyo Kurosawa and Masami Kageyama brought the Nissa Motorsports entry home in 10th place, 9th in class at Le Mans in 1998. Nissan had four of their GT1 class cars place in the top ten at Le Mans that year. Powered by a 3.5L VRH35L twin turbo DOHC V8, producing 641 bhp. The car's styling group was led by Ian Callum, and the mechanical and aerodynamic design led by Tony Southgate, both of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). Model by VITESSE 1/43 |
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| 2011 Oreca 03-Nissan: French team Signature Racing obtained one of the five Oreca 03's built in 2011 and combined forces with Nissan to create Signatech Racing. They campaigned this car together in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at Le Mans. Powered by a Nissan 4.5L V8 producing a regulated 460bhp, the carbon fibre monocoque car proved to be competitive from the beginning. At Le Mans in 2011, the team drivers Franck Mailleux, Lucas Ordonel and Soheil Ayari placed 9th overall and second in the LMP2 class. Signatech campaigned the car again in 2012, finishing 10th overall at Le Mans and 4th in class. In 2013, Signature combined with Alpine and this car was rechristened as an Alpine A450 in homage to the great Alpine Le Mans cars of the early 70's. Used primarily as a second team car, Signatech-Alpine entered the cars once more at Le Mans in 2015. Unfortunately during the sixth hour, it was crashed at Mulsanne Corner and effectively ended the cars racing life. Le Mans 2011 was the team's best finish. Model by SPARK 1/43 |
2013 Oreca 03R-Nissan: In 2013 Oreca made a ‘Le Mans kit’ available to their customers which took advantage of new regulations and the evolution in aerodynamics, to modify the 03’s front and rear bodywork. Modified cars were designated as 03R’s. Murphy Prototypes is a Dublin based team started by ex-racer Greg Murphy in 2012. Campaigning the Oreca in the European Le Mans series in 2013, they finished 4th overall in the LMP2 class and had a strong performance at Le Mans, finishing 12th overall and 6th in class. The car upgraded to 03R specs raced at Le Mans again in 2014 as seen here. Nathan Berthen, Rodolfo Gonzalez and ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok qualified the car in 15th position. Unfortunately, on lap 73 in heavy rain they were crashed out of the race by another LMP2 competitor. At Le Mans in 2015 with Chandhok and Berthan driving, they took the car to 13th overall and 5th in class. The car ultimately raced at Le Mans five times and five seasons in ELMS. Murphy put the car up for sale at the end of the 2017 race season. Model by SPARK 1/43 |
THE SIGNATURE PROJECT & RACING DIORAMAS
THE TRIPLE CROWN OF ENDURANCE RACES:
THE 24 HOURS of LE MANS 1923-2019
THE 12 Hours of SEBRING WINNERS
THE 24 HOURS of DAYTONA WINNERS
GREAT AUTOMOTIVE MAKES:
ABARTH
ALFA ROMEO
ASTON MARTIN
AUDI
AUSTIN HEALEY & HEALEY
BMW
CHAPARRAL
CHEVROLET POWER
DATSUN/NISSAN
FORD POWER - GT40's, MUSTANGS, MIRAGE & MORE
LANCIA
LOLA SPORTS CARS
LOTUS
McLAREN
MASERATI
MERCEDES BENZ
MG CARS
SHELBY'S COBRAS, DAYTONAS, FORD GT40's & MUSTANGS
TOYOTA
TRIUMPH
RACING, RALLYE, SPORTS, GT & CLASSIC CARS
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1945 to 1959
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1960 to 1969
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1970 to 1979
RACING SPORTS, GT & PROTOTYPE CARS 1980 to Current
LAND SPEED RECORD CARS
SPORTS. GT & TOURING CARS
VETERAN, CLASSIC & SPECIAL INTEREST CARS
DRIVER TRIBUTES:
THE OLD IRISH RACING HALL OF FAME
JUAN MANUEL FANGIO TRIBUTE
STIRLING MOSS TRIBUTE
DAN GURNEY TRIBUTE
JIM CLARK TRIBUTE
WORLD DRIVER & CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONS 1950 - 1985
GREAT RACING TEAMS:
BRUMOS RACING TEAM
CUNNINGHAM RACING TEAM
ECURIE ECOSSE
GROUP 44, Inc.
OLD IRISH AIR FORCE:
HISTORIC AIRCRAFT
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PLEASE NOTE: From 1968 into the 1990's tobacco companies sponsored many significant race cars. We don't promote tobacco use, rather we stronly discourage it. However, we do promote historical accuracy, Old Irish Racing chooses
to display models in our collection as historically accurate as possible. While seeing a tobacco advert on a car gives me no more desire to go smoke than seeing a car makes me want to go
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