Norm Babcock at the 'Ring

Anyway....I wander thru the internet and I find pictures of me and my friends on the Nurburgring back in 1959 aboard the first three Couriers in Germany, doing battle with the big bad Porsches.

Wolfgang Daewel had the LH drive one (car #130) immediately behind the Ferrari, and I was behind him in the RH drive model (car #132). Bill Anderson was in there somewhere with #131. Bill was a tech rep based in Bitburg, just south of the 'Ring. Wolfgang was at that time a car salesman working for the Fiat/MG Dealer in Bitburg.

This craziness all started after doing a tour of duty with the USAF at Spangdahlem AFB ('53-'56). Spang was just down the road from Bitburg, and with the purchase of a '52 MG-TD I became a true-blue enthusiast. After totaling the TD I bought a new Triumph TR-2, which I raced and rallied in club and national events with good results. I returned to the U.S., did a few SCCA races on the Triumph, MGs and Volvo, and finally returned to Europe in hopes of doing some serious racing.

After a visit to Hastings where I bought a 1959-1/2 Courier (curved windscreen and 1600 motor), I took the car to Germany where she was quite a hit. After a couple of wins in club events, I worked a deal with Frank to be the "European Rep", took an apartment in Luxembourg, and was selling Elvas direct to US servicemen throughout Germany, and setting up dealerships (including Metzger). Sales were slow, and with each sale I'd fly over to the Elva works in Hastings and drive/fly the car to the purchaser. Such was the case with the Anderson and Daewel units.

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Excerpted from "Overseas Man" dated September 13, 1959. Story by Pete Pex

Nurburgring, Germany

"The fireworks of the afternoon took place when the only three Elvas in Germany took on the Porsche Supers despite the fact that they were not running in the same class. To prove that this was truly a sporting event, two Carreras ran against the Supers with Gerhard Koch taking first and Wolfgang Seidel second. John Pauly ran into third place in a Super with Ed Kristoff being left out of the money, but running a very steady race. Through some confusion Manfred Ramminger drove the Ferrari 250 UT he recently bought from Seidel and was by himself.



On the first lap of this mixed race, Koch and Carrera wound up leading the pack with Seidel close behind. Next came the Ferrari, followed by the Elvas of Norm Babcock and Wolfgang Daewel. The fantastic acceleration of these MG-powered fiberglas machines stripped the Porsche Supers bare, although much can be attributed to the driving of Babcock and Daewel.

On the third lap the Ferrari finally got around Koch's Carrera. What followed rocked us nearly off our heels. Koch, driving immaculately, provided the crowd with what will probably be the only time they'll ever see a dice between a Porsche Carrera and a Ferrari. Ramminger family got the flister car unwound in the last laps and managed a few lone laps. Despite some criticism that the Ferrari could have been blocking Koch as an un-asked favor to Seidel, we can't conceive of a sportsman permitting a smaller car to push him especially when it's a Porsche and a Ferrari. We think Ramminger was afraid of his tires and that Koch is a mighty fine Porsche driver.



Behind this scene Babcock displayed what can be accomplished between a true racing sports car and a real driver. Not at all far behind the Carreras, Babcock in an Elva led another Elva driven by Daewel ahead of the Porsches of Pauly and Kristoff.

As far as we're concerned the Germans are just too brutal with racing machinery. Daewel has a style of rakishly throwing a machine through a corner at its maximum point of adhesion and leaving the getting out part to maximum acceleration. While this does not win many races, it sure makes a good spectacle for onlookers. And, if the car is able to stand the gaff, Daewel and his breed find their names up on the finishing columns. Unfortunately it was a brand new Elva, and the engine blew leaving Daewel out on a limb.



Norman Babcock won the Elva race with Bill Anderson taking second just because he was there. Andy is a fine driver and has shown well in his MG days. The Elva is a new experience for him and we expect big things from him later on this season or next year at the very least.


Thanks to Norm Babcock for providing a little personal history.



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