Merchiston Mews and the D-Type

"Fl1ngstam" (Fl1ngstam) 04/28/2015 at 16:36 • Filed to: None

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Last Friday, I took a trip to Scotland to join in a family birthday party. I decided to rent a car to get me around while I was there, so at the same time as booking my budget air travel, I booked a “Fiat 500 or similar” on the website of a popular vehicular rental agency.

Upon arriving at Edinburgh Airport, I headed out to the rental pick-up point. The lady there was very nice, although deeply confused when I asked her if she accepted this type of driving licence:

She checked with her colleague, who seemed as confused by her question as he was with my “licence”. I had to explain that I was joking (I’d already handed over my real licence). Awkward.

After failing to rent me a BMW X3 for only £90 for the day (my Fiat 500 or similar was going to be £24), she released me into the car park with the keys to a cherry red small car. I got in, started it up and was immediately accosted by an unpleasant noise. Must be a diesel, I thought. However, as soon as I got out on the road I realised something was wrong with this assumption. There appeared to be no torque at all, and the car would only pick up speed if I wound the revs beyond 4000rpm. No way was this a diesel, it must be the 0.9 litre 3 cylinder engine. It’s seriously underwhelming in a 5 door car.

On top of this disappointment, I observed that the stitching on the gearknob appeared to be designed specifically to abrade the skin on the driver’s palm, and the gearchange was so vague and imprecise that it seemed that the cables had been wound around the exhaust a couple of times before reaching the transmission.

Having said that, I did like the colour.

I headed into the City of Edinburgh to wander around aimlessly and try to retrace the routes I took as a student 20 years ago. I stopped by my former University campus, and also stopped a few streets away in a humble little street called Merchiston Mews.

During the 1950’s, Merchiston Mews became famous around the world as the base of the Ecurie Ecosse Motor Racing team. They were a small privateer outfit run out of an assortment of garages in this very street, but they certainly punched above their weight. In 1956, they beat all the works teams to triumph at the Le Mans 24 hours. In 1957, they finished 1st and 2nd.

I had been through the Mews a few times as a student, trying to work out where the garages had been, but I didn’t have enough information to work it out and it certainly wasn’t clear from staring at the buildings (no remaining signage or blue plaques). Recently, thanks to old photos on the internet which I compared to Google Streetview images, I had a better idea. I parked the Fiat 500 or similar outside number 8 and took a look around.

After taking a few photos and having a poke around under the bonnet of the rental car to see where the missing horses were, I got in and spent a couple of minutes pairing my phone to the ICE system before continuing my journey. I’d just finished this when a Land Rover Freelander appeared and stopped right in front of me. Out jumped an older gent with an Ecurie Ecosse badge sewn onto his bodywarmer/gilet. I wondered if he was the current owner of the garage I was parked in front of, but before I could signal my intention to move he had turned and started waving to someone out of sight down the street. There was a loud rumbling sound, and a very familiar shape came bouncing up the cobbles and swung in to park behind me. I was more than a little surprised.

Yes, that’s a 1956 Ex-Ecurie Ecosse long-nose D Type racing car.

Several photographers (one of them still in his school uniform) suddenly appeared out of nowhere, together with various other members of the Ecurie Ecosse club. I thought I might as well join in.

The man in the bodywarmer explained that this car is XKD 603, the very car that came second at Le Mans in 1957. The previous year it was a works entry driven by Mike Hawthorn which failed to finish. Ecurie Ecosse took it on, changed the numberplate and went back to finish the job.

The current owner was driving it, and he had no idea that his little tour would include a visit to the Mews. He seemed pleased to be there, although he was having a little car trouble. The race-tuned engine was slightly overheating due to a malfunctioning fan, and petrol was dripping rather alarmingly out of the carbs.

One gent went off to get some fuses, while another fetched a cloth to try to mop up the petrol. I wandered around in a bit of a daze.

My new knowledgeable friend informed us that Ecurie Ecosse had a number of garages, and team owner David Murray had his office above the blue-painted former shopfront that the car was currently in front of. After the car was fixed, I helped to shut the bonnet. However, it wouldn’t latch, and I wasn’t about to apply brute force to someone else’s multi-million pound aluminium monocoque racing car, so I left it to the professionals.

Another random car turned up to join in the fun:

There was a brief discussion about the best place to photograph the car, and they came to the same conclusion as I had, so I moved the Fiat 500 or similar so that the D type could be placed in front of the same doors it had passed through on the way to Le Mans glory 58 years before. As the signage had long since disappeared, an enterprising Ecurie Ecosse chap brought out a large sticker to place on the door. I took one more cheeky snap:

Before making way for a far more impressive vehicle:

In a couple more minutes, they were gone in a haze of petrol and Castrol R fumes, and I was left to get back in the Fiat 500 or similar and take more normal visitor photos...

More photos here (if you haven’t had enough yet):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8103399…

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Brian, The Life of > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:39

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My all-time favorite car from Jolly Old. Damn.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:40

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That’s... really an amazing story, actually. On a possibly-related note, D-type replicas are quite available and sort of on my bucket list.

RallyWrench > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:42

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Just wonderful. If I recall, a number of Ecurie Ecosse’s vehicles sold at auction last year, generating quite a buzz.

Fl1ngstam > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 04/28/2015 at 16:46

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Yes indeedy, although the good ones are still worth quite a lot. Not millions-a-lot like this one, but more than I will ever have in my piggy bank.

Cé hé sin > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:46

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Ooooh, a Fiat 500 or similar!

I hired one of these a couple of years ago in Sweden. I think it was the 1.2 four (I was just told to put in petrol) and it was fine. Not a great deal of go but smooth, quiet and economical.

The red does suit it though.

Sadly I didn’t see either D or E types there.

Fl1ngstam > RallyWrench 04/28/2015 at 16:48

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The Dick Skipworth Collection. Here’s a cheesy video shared by the Auctioneers:

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http://content.bitsontherun.com/previews/AKVt4…

505Turbeaux > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:52

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gawd I can almost hear the noise

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 16:53

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The somewhat acceptable-to-good ones are *only* full-blown new car money. Only. I can imagine trying to wangle a loan for one...
“Yes, I’d like $40,000 as a baseline, I should be able to make up the rest as a down payment. What? Well, yes, it *is* in England. No, no it hasn’t had a full inspection or certification by a dealer. US standards? Well, it’s exempt, it’s a 1950s reproduction. Can I get that certified? Well...”
*click*
“Hello?”

Fl1ngstam > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 17:05

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For professionally-taken images and more background info on this remarkable car, check out this link:

https://grrc.goodwood.com/race/historic/…

Rosco458 > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 19:46

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Great write up and Flickr album, and my god what a machine (not the French thing).

Dr. Strangegun > Brian, The Life of 04/28/2015 at 19:46

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But that’s a French car. Oh wait, you meant...

tapzz > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 19:49

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Renault Clio TCE. Very nice. I’d have that over the not similar – because one class smaller – Fiat 500 any time. Which rental company did you use?

McMike > 505Turbeaux 04/28/2015 at 20:04

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Here she is at Sebring. I can hear it too.

80supra > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 20:05

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I lived in Edinburgh for 4 years and also took the pilgrimage to Merchiston Mews. Unfortunately there was no D-Type on hand when I was there so it was a bit harder to imagine, but it was great to stand there and imagine those men and their plan to conquer the world’s greatest race.

505Turbeaux > McMike 04/28/2015 at 20:07

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good lord

McMike > 505Turbeaux 04/28/2015 at 20:12

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More info

http://www.coventryracers.com/cars/detail/?c…

Which is where I get all my Jaguar data.

Eddie Brannan > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 20:37

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Bloody hell! I would have had to pinch myself. Talk about impeccable timing!

Eezep > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 20:52

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Sometimes life is just awesome. I shall drink a dram in honor of this story.

wlb50 > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 21:38

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Love this video of Mike Hawthorne in his D-Type showing Le Mans - in 1956

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emmjeebeejeetee > Fl1ngstam 04/28/2015 at 22:40

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I have a D-Type oil pan hanging on my wall!

TheStigsGermanCousin > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 00:07

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I like it.

Fl1ngstam > wlb50 04/29/2015 at 01:41

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Same car!

Fl1ngstam > tapzz 04/29/2015 at 02:21

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I was with Europcar, although all the rental companies at Edinburgh share the same facilities. They also had real Fiat 500s on the fleet, although I kind of wished they’d offered me the Porsche Cayman as an upgrade rather than the X3

tapzz > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 05:00

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Grand, thanks. I occasionally rent cars around there, and I’m always trying to avoid the Vauxhalls and get something like that Clio.

RaggedMile > wlb50 04/29/2015 at 06:02

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A whole different type of slower traffic in that video.

David242gt > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 08:00

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Did you ask for a free sticker?

Battles > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 08:16

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I used to live a couple of streets from there, I had no idea about the Ecurie Ecosse connection. My wife and I used to love walking up and down that street rather than the main road because it was a much nicer street.
Excellent timing with your visit, I’m so glad you didn’t get a better car because you’d maybe have headed out of the city to enjoy it instead of going directly to the Mews.
We almost bought a flat across the street from there (Merchiston Ave) but didn’t after my wife was put off by the the history of the house - previous occupant was murdered and buried in the garden.

Fl1ngstam > David242gt 04/29/2015 at 08:58

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Nope. That sticker was given to the teenage son of the present owner of the garage, and it’s now attached to the inside of the door...

FiveLiters1 > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 09:06

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Great article! Was curious... what,if any,is the relationship between this and a Jaguar XKSS like Steve McQueen’s?

Fl1ngstam > FiveLiters1 04/29/2015 at 09:20

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Good question. An XKSS is a short-nose D-Type converted for road use. Other than the hood and windshield it’s pretty much the same car.

morkie > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 10:48

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You went to Napier/Merchiston in 1995ish? Fond memories of going to Napier 92-95 over at Craiglockhart. Miss my old home!

Fl1ngstam > morkie 04/29/2015 at 11:04

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I was there ‘93-’98

Seth Adams > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 11:12

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Excellent story - thanks for sharing!

Instagram Cracker > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 12:49

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Considering what happened to Mike Hawthorn in the D-type in 1955’s LeMans, it’s remarkable he ever raced again. Dude had to have balls of steel.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_M…

wlb50 > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 14:23

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I think they only made 20 or so XK-SS until the factory burned down, destroying all the tooling for D-Type production. Bit of trivia I learned just recently - the Lister-Jaguar is the “continuation” of the D-Type after the factory burned - getting the factories full co-operation.

Fl1ngstam > wlb50 04/29/2015 at 14:34

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16 XKSS survived. Unsurprisingly, they’re quite valuable...

Fl1ngstam > 505Turbeaux 04/29/2015 at 17:33

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Oh look, I also took some video footage of the car’s departure. Turn it up!

505Turbeaux > Fl1ngstam 04/29/2015 at 18:48

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oh hell yes!

Battles > Fl1ngstam 05/06/2015 at 07:00

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I found this video that seems to have been filmed either immediately before or after you saw the car in Merchiston. A photographer I follow on social media was at the event, the dates seem to broadly match yours.

Fl1ngstam > Battles 05/06/2015 at 13:54

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Oh yes, good find! The car had just come from promoting The Concours of Elegance to be held at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh in September, and was on it’s way to the Highlands to take part in Jaguar’s preperations to take part in this year’s Mille Miglia. Highland roads and Italian provincial roads apparently are quite similar.