The Imp Site

The Imp in Trials

Exeter Trial 1965, up Fingle with little trouble. Modern cars were said to experience relatively few difficulties that year - although which year is meant (it being the Autocar of 22 January)... L.F. Davis and his Hillman Imp with stones rattling off his sump guard.   mm
     

Did you know that the Imp is still very active in Trials ? Imps are quite prevalent in class 4 of Classic Trials. There are probably six or seven regular competitors.
Not so many Imps in Production Trials at the moment. Drivers: Stuart Cairney; Steve Courts; Bill Moffatt (Clan Crusader); Jim Scott (Stiletto); Jim Hall (only local events).

The Falcon Motor Brickhill Trial - Oct. 1997:

photo: Michael Leete
The car is a 915cc Imp. Modified for trials by raising the suspension and having a sumpguard fitted. On production trials it runs with 50 kg of lead ballast strapped inside the back bumper. This is removed for classic trials where the power to weight ratio is so important.
The car is owned by Stuart Cairney, although in this picture his son Andrew is driving and Stuart is the passenger. (more photos)
(Brickhill is in Bedfordshire, UK. "Its woodlans withna sandy soil.")


The photo is used with permission, taken from Michael Leete's page on classic and production trials. Imps are often mentioned. To learn more about trials follow the various internal links on his page or check out John Upham's Motorsport page which goes over the basics.

Other names in Production trials:
Robin Howard and Mike Pearson still have their Imps but are currently driving Marlin and Dellow respectively.
Mark and Sharon Chilver haven't been seen out with their Imp since the summer of 1997. (They have a new car as they rolled the last one).
Grahame Pearson's '69 Chamois EPP 6G seen in action at a trial on the rear of Impressions 1982 July.

  
Class 1
front engine, front wheel drive
Class 2
?
Class 3
front engine, rear wheel drive
Class 4
rear engine, rear wheel drive
Class 5
limited short run production cars
Any Imp with the engine capacity over 925cc has to enter this class, as it is deemed to be a Rallye Imp.

BTRDA Championship

(British Trials and Rally Drivers' Association)

Production Car Trial
1st round in 1984, 19 Feb.: Cirencester Car Club

There were twelve entries in Class 4: three Beetles, a Fiat 850 and eight Imps. Three past champions were entered in Imps: Courts, Hazelwood and Moffat. One of the other Impers was Andrew Clarke.

Steve Courts won the trial outright on index.
M. Hazelwood won Class 4.

Motoring News of Oct 13th, 1999 has on p.24 a picture of an Imp competing in a PCT, reg no. ROU 35M.

The Imp Site
   Competitive Impers

Other sites:

  • four PCT photos (Mike Marsh's photo album)
    		•  © Franka