Canadian Bill Sadler was one of the great privateer racers/constructors in North American sports car racing during the 1950s. He was the first to race a Chevrolet V8-engined sports racer in Europe and in the fall of 1960 conceived a machine that was the first in a long line of great USRRC and Can-Am racers. Known as the Sadler Mk 5, it was the first sports car with the Chevrolet small-block mounted amidships. With the backing of newly obtained sponsor Comstock Construction, Sadler was for the first time able to field a two-car team during the 1961 season. Unfortunately, the Sadler Mk 5 proved to be as unreliable as it was quick and no notable results were scored. The Comstock funds dried up and Sadler walked away from racing at the age of just 29. Today, several Sadlers still remain and are a tribute to the talented Canadian's engineering capabilities. Among them is the first of the two Mk 5s, which is also the only survivor of its type. We captured the car in action during the recent Goodwood Press Day in what may well have been the Mk 5's public debut on this side of the Atlantic. Certainly eligible for both events, we do expect the rare Sadler to star at least one of the 'Goodwoods' later in the year.
Also out on the hill earlier this month was Morgan's 'all-new' Plus 8. Still boasting the classic lines, the first V8-engined Classic Morgan in almost a decade is significantly different compared to its predecessor and also the rest of the line-up. It is powered by a BMW-sourced V8, which did not fit instantly in the familiar chassis. To accommodate for the 367 bhp German engine, the whole car was widened quite a bit. The Morgan engineers nevertheless managed to keep the weight of the Plus 8 at just 1,100 kg. This gives the new machine a very impressive power-to-weight ratio and accordingly equally impressive performance figures. We have today updated the Morgan Plus 8 article with pictures from its world debut in Geneva and its dynamic debut at Goodwood.

Enjoy the links:

2012 Morgan Plus 8 - Images, Specifications and Information

1961 Sadler Mk 5 Chevrolet - Images, Specifications and Information