Williams & Pritchard Register - Deep Sanderson 301

the prototype Deep Sanderson 301 in January 1962 outside of the Olympia Racing Car Show

The Deep Sanderson 301 production prototype is the only 301 made in alloy (the moulds for the fibreglass bodyshells used on subsequent cars were taken from it by Microplas) and has an extensive blue chip competition history, powered by a series of specially built Downton tuned A-series engines. The car is currently owned by Guy Loverage, who says:

"I also own a "one off" W&P car - the Prototype Deep Sanderson 301. This is the car that was shown at the Olympia [Racing Car Show] in January 1962, went to Le Mans in 1963 and 1964 and Spa, the 'ring etc. It was the first and only one made at W&P in metal, they then took the moulds from it to make the "production car" - this is how Chris [Lawrence] has been able to confirm it as "real" as it is all metal, bar the rear engine cover, as that blew off, causing a crash, at Le Mans practice in 1964."

The history of the car and its development is covered in great depth in "Morgan Maverick", Chris Lawrence's book (pub. Douglas Loverage Publications 2008) in Chapters 6 and 9. The pre-production prototype car had originally worn a rather ugly, functional body with a high rear, nicknamed the "perfume delivery wagon", which had been built by Charlie Williams at W&P to accomodate the tall mini engine positioned behind the driver. This was run at the Nurburgring 1000kms in 1960. Subsequently the chassis was revised and W&P comissioned to produce a new coupe body from a clay model. At page 96 of "Morgan Maverick", Chris says:

"We went about creating our new coupe body and when we were happy with our lump of clay, we took it along to Charlie Williams to see what he thought. He was quite impressed I think, and told us to go away and make up a chassis complete with a plywood eggbox master for him to make an aluminium body on. We ... took the whole lot up to Edmonton where Charlie worked his magic. Good to his word, it was finished and painted in time for the Racing Car Show in January 1962 ... it was painted primrose yellow."

We hope to have further images and more about the history of the car from Guy, its current owner, in due course.

from Len Pritchard's photo collection, above:the prototype Deep Sanderson 301 in the snow in January 1962 outside of the Olympia Racing Car Show, and below fresh in its primrose yellow paint

below: the body takes shapes in the W&P workshop in Edmonton during 1961

Many thanks to Chris Lawrence for these two black and white images of Chris and Charlie Williams discussing progress on the 301 body.

As an aside, note the tantalsing glimpse of the dark coloured slightly dusty Gordon GT parked next to the 301 - this car was the pre-cursor for the Gordon Keeble, with body shell designed by Giugiaro and built by Bertone in Turin in 1960. W&P were subsequently commissioned in 1964 to produce an "improved" body, from which the production moulds were made, and they supervised production of fibreglass bodyshells in-house at Gordon Keeble until the company (in that guise) went into liquidation in 1965 losing W&P a lot of money. Presumably in 1961 the Gordon GT had been entrusted to W&P for viability / research purposes.

Guy Loverage his multiple Le Mans entry Deep Sanderson 301