The British Racing Motors (unofficial) information centre.

- Raymond Mays Conversions -

The Raymond Mays Conversion or the Raymond Mays Head

A partnership of Raymond Mays & Partners Ltd. , BRM and Rubery Owen of Darlaston.

Raymond Mays Garage, Spalding Road, Bourne (photo 14/6/2009)
Also see my Flickr album - My Raymond Mays odds and ends

Raymond Mays was perhaps the first great motor sport entrepreneur. His Brescia Bugattis, "Cordon Bleu" and "Cordon Rouge" may have been Britain's first "racing bill boards" in the 1920s. One had "Cordon Rouge" in gold letters on a red background on the bonnet
and the other " Cordon Bleu" in gold letters on a blue background in exchange for support from the drinks company.

Whilst being a major part of the ERA and BRM racing teams he also was involved in a car dealership and developing a road car just before World War Two.

From the 1950s this Raymond Mays & Partners Ltd. garage site was for many years a Ford agency. Raymond Mays Conversions was a way to add performance to Fords at their garage or for sale as kits (and to generate some income!)

Photograph - Copyright unknown)

The conversion packs were available in several versions for use with four or six cylinders and used one, two or three carburettors depending om the versions.

Ford Consul / Zephyr / Zodiac range

-------- from 1951
Consul Mk1 – 4 cyl.
Zephyr Six (or Zephyr Mark I) – 6 cyl.
Zephyr Zodiac (or Zodiac Mark I)– 6cyl.

-------- from 1956
Consul Mk1 – 4 cyl.
Zephyr Mark II – 6 cyl.
Zodiac Mark II – 6 cyl.

-------- from 1962
Zephyr 4 Mark III – 4 cyl.
Zephyr 6 Mark III – 6 cyl.

This advert raises a question of how the work and profits were shared between Raymond Mays & Partners Ltd. , BRM and Rubery Owen of Darlaston.

(Photographs- Copyright Acknowledged -
Practical Classics - April 1993)

Also see my Flickr album -
My Raymond Mays odds and ends

Pages 10-13 cover the restoration of a Mk.I Ford Zephyr-Zodiac with a Mays cylinder head conversion by the Spencer family.

Photograph - Copyright Acknowledged - Chesman Engineering)

Reproduction Raymond Mays Ford Zephyr Head

"The new Raymond Mays cylinder head produced by Chesman Motorsport & Iain Daniels Classic Motorsport has more power than the original,with Bronze Valve Guides, Modern Chamber Design and high grade materials. The pattern equipment was produced by Chesman Motorsport as well as all the machine work and fine finishing."
http://www.chesmanengineering.co.uk/

V1.0 - 1 February 2016 ---- recommended resolution (1366 x 768)

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