Atlantic Ford Smith CSR

The Atlantic Ford Smith C Sports Racer - by Dave Rosenwinge, with some additions from Eli Solomon

Ford M. “Bud” Smith, a long time racing fan, decided to start racing at the age of 49. He first raced his Austin Healey in sports car races. He graduated to bigger, race-only machines and at the age of 54, decided to build his own racer.

In 1968, Smith submitted a design to engineering friend and former driver Robert Bataille. They rejected the first design, came up with another, and built a cardboard mockup. Happy with the results, they decided to go ahead with the project.

The car was manufactured at Smith’s Atlantic Automotive Performance garage in Fanwood, New Jersey. Using 8’ x 12’ Aluminum sheets they formed the lower half of the body, which in its rigid state, also serves as the chassis. Over 7,000 aircraft rivets hold the sheet aluminum together. Jim Warren of Denver supplied the fiberglass body, which they altered severely, including widening the body four inches. Smith had no estimate of the time spent building the car, but noted that even mounting the rearview mirror took eight hours.

Original power was supplied by an Alfa Romeo Veloce engine and was transferred through a Hewland Mk6 transaxle. Front uprights are Triumph with Armstrong shocks. Rear suspension uses generic Formula Ford uprights with Koni shocks. Wheels are from Monocoque Wheel Company of Santee, Ca. Ford noted he spent more than us$4,000 on material (present day equivalent of ~us$20,000) but that doesn’t include labor of the two men.

Smith raced his Atlantic on the East Coast for three years, first at Watkins Glen in July 1971, on the old 2.4-mile circuit where he averaged 90mph, with a top speed of 135mph at 9,600rpm earning him two 2^nd place finishes against the likes of Bob Sharp and Bob Tullius. In his class he raced against Lotus 23 and 23B’s, Elva Mk6 and 7’s and Merlyns.  Smith got a first in class at Pocono that year and also raced at Bridgehampton on Long Island in the North New Jersey Regionals. He had plans of racing national events in California, Georgia, West Virginia, and Maryland with his goal of winning at Atlanta, the road race of Champions.

The Atlantic then saw time in hill climbing with a Type 4 VW power plant before disappearing for a period of time till Dave Rosenwinge bought it from Keith Forrest in February 1992. Dave raced the CSR with a 1300 Ford Cosworth BDH engine and Lucas Fuel injection, the engine having come from his Ensign F3 that was run as a center seat C Sports Racer (but is now back in Formula B trim and winning races in Colorado). Dave sold the car to Bob Nikkel in 1998 and I purchased it off Bob in early 2004. Dave rebuilt the engine for me and has gotten the car back up to spec – including a fresh paint job.

Links:

1 -Engine/Chassis pictures

2 -Early History of the car

3 -US Sports car racing in the 60s & 70s

4 -Racing in New Zealand 2005

Teretonga Raceway, 2005

Finally showing what it's all about - powering out of Castrol Corner. Teretonga has one of the longest straights in NZ and inappropriate gearing of the Webster box meant that the car was at the rev limit BEFORE the start/finish line.

Photo by Fiona Michels -Canon EOS300D, f/6.3 300mm

Denver, Oct04

Dave with the CSR on ramps. The nose of the Brabham BT18 can just be seen under the rear right tyre of the CSR.

Photo by Bob Alder - Minolta DiMAGE 7i, 1/180, f/2,8 200ASA

Denver, Oct04

Without Bob's help and ramps used from his 2004 Southern Festival trip, the cars would probably never have made it out of Colorado.

Photo by Bob Alder - Minolta DiMAGE 7i, 1/250 f/4 200ASA