Len Bailey

Leonard Bailey (25 July 1926 - 23 June 1997) was a British automobile designer.

Career

Leonard Bailey became an apprentice at Austin at Longbridge in 1942 which at that time were building Short Stirling for the Royal Air Force of World War TwoBuilding up his experience at Daimler and Rover in Coventry before moving back to Austin which became part of British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1952 to work in the engine department.He moved to the USA and by mid 1956 was working at American Motors working on that companies first in house V8 after a deal to buy Packard V8 became too expensive.In 1958 he move to Ford head office at Dearborn Michigan working in their engine department but was moved to the Experimental Department by Roy Lunn. He worked on prototypes under him including the development of Ford turbine cars and he was part of the design team that built a two-seat Ford Mustang I in 1962

Ford Racing

With Ford taking a more pro active motor spot stance in 1963 he was moved back to England to a position of chief draftsman as part of the design team for Fords new GT40 sport car with Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd FAV department in Slough.
Lola had completed a Ford-powered, mid-engined sports car in 1963 this would form the basis for the Ford assault on winning Le-Mans, the new project was to be based at FAV . They would have responsible for the engineering of the chassis, body and construction of the cars. Eric Broadley was initially responsible for the overall design, but Len Bailey later took care of the chassis reengineering it from Aluminum to Steel for more durability in the 24 hour Race. Ford felt it was also necessary to cope with the added weight of the more powerful all aluminum, dry-sump Ford Fairlane .By 1966 he was based at Alan Mann Racing base in Byfleet Surry although still employed by Ford of Europe.Early in 1966 several chassis were shipped to United States to be fitted with the larger, more powerful engine in preparation for Fords third attempt at taking that elusive Le Mans win. These seven litre cars are we now referred to as Mark IIsNo fewer than eight GT40 Mark IIs were race prepared for the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although entered by three different privateer teams All Factory Ferraris had retired by 17 hours of the race, as had nine of the Fords, but three held together long enough to score an historic photo staged 1-2-3 finish

For 1967 Ford USA decided to concentrate its resources on a second Le-Mans win they fielded the GT40 Mk IV, a newer car redesigned in the USA with a different chassis and a different body Bailey redesigned the two GT40s entered by John Wyer of JW Automotive for the manufacturer’s championshipThese were lightweight variations of the GT40 slimmer windscreen and roof line, cut off tail, and lighter aluminum body panels. Entered as the Mirage M1 with Gulf Oil sponsorship. Ford left the Mirages and Privateer GT-40’s to represent them in the intervening championship events at Monza, Spa,Targa Florio and Nurburgring.

In late 1966 he completed the design of The Honker II a 1967 Can Am car, built by Alan Mann Racing, and run by Holman Moody. (It was named after John Holman, who liked to use the air horns on the big-rig trucks he drove). Powered came from an injected 351 cubic inch engine for its First Race at Bridgehampton New York where it qualified 17th and finished 8th and a 377 cubic inch for Mosport Ontario where it qualifued 17th but didn't start painted metallic it never raced again.

For The 1968 the FIA redrew the rules for championship sports car racing. Engine capacity was limited to 3 litres for prototype Group 6 sports class, Bailey was charged by Ford Europe to create a car for this championship resulting in the Ford P68 of 1968 redesigned the P69 for 1969 built and run by Alan Mann Racing

While at Alan Mann Racing Bailey designed the bodies of a pair of gullwing cars, used in the Gerry Anderson in 1969 science fiction film Doppelgänger constructed of aluminum, the cars were assembled over a six month period on modified Ford ZodiacMk4 platforms fitted with Ford Escort engines and gearboxes. Two cars were also used in the Gerry Anderson UFO (TV series)

During 1967-68 he did the suspension and brake work (developing rear disc brakes) on the new Ford Escort for rallying and racing, Alan Mann having a contact to run in the British Saloon Car Championship for Frank Gardner who won the championship in 1968 and 1969

Alan Mann wound up his operation in late 1969 and Bailey began a freelance career although Ford work was a large part of it.

Freelance

As a freelance he designed his first single seat racing car in 1969 for Frank Gardeners longtime supporter,The 2.5 Mildren-Alfa Romeo V8 For The1969/70 Tasman series in Australia and New Zealand who then commissioned a F5000 car based on the monocoque intended for the Gardner to race in 1970 UK season, but Gardner signed to Lola instead .He also worked with Gardner to develop the ex-Bud Moore 1969 TransAm Boss Mustang bought for an assault on Group 2 in the 1970 British saloon car championship. In 1970 Bailey had set up his own design office at Gomm Metal Developments in Woking During the summer and autumn of 1970 he worked on a secret Ford Rally Project for would result in the iconic but unused Ford GT70 rally car

He followed this with more design work for JW Automotive the Gulf Mirage M6 sportscar for 1972 was powered by a Ford DFV and used in World Sports Car Races of that year and 1973. Frank Williams came calling in 1971 and Bailey drew the underperforming Politoys Ford FX3 of 1972 and the Iso Rivolta Ford FX3B of 1973

He continued to do consultancy work throughout the 1970s which included working with .

Ford Fiesta Group 5 Rally Car (1978)

Magnum 813 F3 car (1981)

Ford C100 Group C car (1982)

EMKA C83-Aston Martin Group C car (1983)

EMKA 84-Aston Martin Group C car (1984)

Ac Ace Chassis (1996)

References

On-Line

* http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-bailen.html
* http://www.theautochannel.com/publications/magazines/sci/dec-jan-97/pg70.frame
* http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/UFO_Car/ShadowCarTop.htm
* http://www.ponysite.de/transam_gardner.htm
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/martin.essam/history.htm
* http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=18720
* http://www.research-racing.de/PolitoysFord.htm

Print
*BRITISH WAR PLANES OF WORLD WAR II Daniel J March ISBN 1-87402392-1
*FORD GT: THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE Larry Edsell ISBN 978-0760319932
*FORD ESCORT Mk1 Graham Robson ISBN 9781845840402
*CAN-AM Pete Lyons ISBN 0-7603-0017-8
*Formula 5000 in New Zealand & Australia Wolfgang Klopfer ISBN 3833431016
*Autosport February 26th 1970
*Autosport April 20th 1972