A gleaming red racing car

A gleaming red racing car ready to be wheeled out of the workshops at Aylesford High School, Warwick today for its first trials in the school playgound. At the wheel is 16-year-old Robert Coombs, one of 10 boys who have built the Lotus-style car under the supervision of their metalwork master, 23-year-old Mr Paul Freestone. The project, which cost only 10, has taken nearly 14 months to complete. The engine, a 250 c. c. Gogomobile, was rescued from an old car abandoned at a Leamington scrapyard and has been overhauled and re-assembled by the boys. The body was shaped from 19 disused oil drums and the car's up-to-date features include an air cooling system and aero foil. Local firms donated the brakes and bucket seat. Mr Freestone, a keen follower of motor racing' said: Originally two of the boys suggested we built a go-kart. But then we decided it would be much more fun to have a go at a full-scale racing ear. I think it will be capable of about 30 m. p. h. We hope to give it a full trial at Wellesbourne airfield in the near future. This has been quite an achievement. I have not heard of any other schools where the boys have done anything quite so ambitious. Spurred by the success of this venture, the boys are shortly to start work on stripping down and rebuilding an old Morris saloon. Several other projects are planned and we hope to have a go at building a hovercraft next year, said Mr Freestone. 8th January 1969. (Photo by Coventry Telegraph Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)