PMO200

1961 (See lower down the page for John Sprinzel's own version of the story) 2006

According to Tom Coulthard in his (and John Sprinzel's) book "Spritely Years" there were 6 Sebring Sprites with alloy bodywork created by Williams & Pritchard. The first of these was a black car, which was displayed wearing the registration PMO 200 at the 1961 Racing Car Show. It featured a double-curvature windscreen rather like that of the Speedwell GT, and the roof line differed slightly to that on the subsequent 5 examples built. It is not known what happened to this particular car but it did not appear in competition during the '61 season.

The basis for the Williams & Pritchard bodied alloy coupe, registered PMO 200, that did compete from 1961 onwards, was originally built during 1960, from parts salvaged from John Sprinzel's previously wrecked car - X221 - and built up using a new, standard black Sprite Mk 1 body-shell (see picture left). The steel rear bodywork was replaced in alloy, along with an alloy Sebring bonnet, but used a black works (high side-screen) glass fibre hardtop. In this initial form, its first event was the 1960 RAC Rally. It later raced at the Brands Hatch Boxing Day meeting, with Pat Moss at the wheel, but now with a white works hardtop.

(PMO pictured below in the Brands Hatch pits, August 1961) (and right, - Paul Hawkins in PMO leads Andrew Hedges in EAO, also Brands Hatch, Aug 1961)

Over the winter of 1960/1 this black car was converted by Williams & Pritchard Ltd., to full alloy coupé specification in readiness for the Sebring 4 hour event in Florida, USA, when Stirling Moss drove the car. At this point PMO was repainted silver grey.

Following Sebring, PMO was prepared mainly for international rallying, but also raced with great success, made all the more impressive because it was 60kg heavier than most of its rivals which typically weighed less than 600kg. Halfway through the '61 season John had the car repainted Alfa red. PMO also doubled as John's road car and customer demonstrator.

The 1962 Monte Carlo Rally was PMO's last international appearance, after which it was sold into private hands, - by now it had a glass-fibre Sebring bonnet and a 'bootlid' let into the alloy rear. The PMO registration was retained by John Sprinzel & was subsequently seen on many different competition cars. The Williams & Pritchard coupé was then re-registered and continued to be raced until the late 60's or early 70's passing through several owners including John Aley of Aleybars and Ted Walker of 'Ferret Fotographics'. At some point the bodywork was modified, to give it a fast-back style and chopped, kamm tail style.

The car then disappeared from view until the 1980's, when it ended up in the collection of Tony Elshoff who stripped it in preparation for a full restoration. At some time during this period the roof of the barn where it was stored collapsed, completely flattening the car down to level with the door tops. Due to Tony's ill health the restoration never happened and following his death the car was consigned to auction in September 1999 along with most of his car collection.

The current owners, Paul and Sharon Woolmer, acquired the car at the auction, still bearing the 248 BXN registration and they reunited the car with its original registration a short time later. The restoration has taken 6 years. The main aim was to re-use every original component which could safely be salvaged, regardless of cost or time. (Right:: the car as purchased at auction)

The re-built car, in rally trim, was reunited with John Sprinzel at his old base in Lancaster Mews in the West End of London, in November 2005, the first time he had seen the car since 1962. "Octane" magazine produced a feature article about John & PMO's reunion in their issue of February 2007.

Sir Stirling Moss was also re-united with the car he had driven 45 years earlier, at Sebring, and drove it in the Fordwater Trophy race at the Goodwood Revival race meeting in September, 2006. Despite his advancing years he did some respectable times around the Sussex track, bringing the car home 11th out of 19 finishers.

(The above text was put together from Paul Woolmer's own handout produced for the Goodwood Revival, adapted slightly using Tom Coulthard's "Spritely Years" and with the advice of Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird , Sebring guru.)

PMO in Goodwood Paddock Paul Woolmer Another paddock shot Sprinzel & Moss Moss leads the pack! At full chat!!

Date	Event	Driver/Co-driver	Result
21 to 26 Nov, 1960	RAC Rally	John Sprinzel/R. Bensted-Smith	1st class, 2nd overall
26 December 1960	Brands Hatch	Pat Moss	9th overall
The car was fitted with Williams & Pritchard aluminium coupébodywork over the winter period
24 March, 1961	Sebring 4 Hour GT Race	Stirling Moss	5th overall
2 to 6 May, 1961	Tulip Rally	John Sprinzel/Mike Wood	2nd class, 17th overall
24 to 28 June, 1961	Coupe des Alpes	John Sprinzel/Willie Cave	2nd class, 17th overall
7 August, 1961	Silverstone BRSCC Peco Trophy	Paul Hawkins	3rd class
12 August, 1961	Silverstone 750MC 6 hour Relay Race	John Sprinzel/Team Sebring	1st overall
6 to 10 Sept, 1961	Liege-Sofia-Liege Rally	John Sprinzel/Sam Actman	retired
16 to 17 Sept 1961	Godiva Trophy Rally	John Sprinzel/John Brown	1st overall
22 to 23 Sept, 1961	London Rally	John Sprinzel/Mike Wood	5th overall
4 to 5 Nov, 1961	Regent Rally	John Sprinzel/John Brown	12th overall
13 to 18 Nov, 1961	RAC Rally	Paul Hawkins/Vic Elford	retired
6 to 7 Jan, 1962	Welsh Rally	John Sprinzel/Graham Robson	retired
20 to 27 Jan, 1962	Rallye Monte Carlo	John Sprinzel/Christabel Carlisle	4th class, 94th overall
9 to 10 Feb, 1962	Yorkshire Rally	John Sprinzel/Graham Robson	7th overall
3 to 4 March, 1961	Targa Rusticana	John Sprinzel/Graham Robson	1st class, 1st overall

John Sprinzel tells the story of PMO the Second:

"I sold 'PMO the First' to Speedwell, as it had become their first GT prototype (all in alloy for the moulds). It was on the champions’ display at the Horticultural Hall BRSCC Racing Car show, alongside the F1 and other winners – being the '59 RAC Rally Championship winning car. With the money, I bought a beige Sprite from Albon’s garage in East London. Peter Albon was a good pal and the source of our Austins before we got a franchise. This was one of the three steel Sebrings we built to race while at Healeys. H221 for David Harris, S221 for Cyril and PMO 200 – which was raced as X221 ( as we entered under team 221) X221 was actually the number on my Lambretta which served as parts vehicle in Grosvenor Street. (You would love the stories from our Oz mechanics back in the day!) The team had been started using Borgwards, where Cyril was sales manager. We used those Borg’s as tow cars for their racers! Cyril and I had been pals since we were about 16 or so.

I actually raced the car at Goodwood in the Fordwater Trophy, in 1960. Bob Domey crashed this car while my co-driver on the Acropolis Rally, and Car Mart of Hendon ( to become our Austin Distributors at the Mews) rebuilt her with a new black body shell (yes, you could get them from BMC in black) and fitted all the original bits except radiator, carbs and manifolds which had been damaged by the tree which Bob placed neatly alongside the motor, It was Bob’s Left Hand drive Sprite that we used as a pretend PM0 200, on the Alpine rally as PMO was still en route back from Greece by Russian tramp steamer. On completion, the black car had the prototype alloy bonnet (again, used as the mold) and came 2^nd on the RAC Rally. Pat Moss raced this car at Boxing Day Brands, and the next day it went to W & P to get the full alloy top as the first Sebring, sprayed metallic silver to match S221, and shortly the same colour as the cars of Ian Walker and David Seigle Morris. I think Andy Hedges car was also this gray. This PMO, Stirling drove in the 61 four hour race at Sebring.

After Sebring, Paul drove it a couple of times, as did I, including winning the six hours at Silverstone with the car now sprayed red. After its last win on the 62 Targa in March – I sold the car to Mike “Spike” Ducker, who raced it a bit before selling it on, but obviously without the reg. number. I did rally a couple of other cars during that period with PMO – at times when the original was being prepared for another event, which is why the tales of “many” Sebring PMO’S comes from. One was Eric Davis’s yellow and black car other I don’t really remember. We were not really wealthy enough to have more than one car at a time – so I fear that the stories which have grown were not really very accurate.

I bought a TR3A to rally, as I had joined Triumphs, and couldn’t really rally a Sprite any more, could I?"

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