Centaur Chassis

H Modified, D Sports Racer

H Modified

Wayne Briggs reports, "My Centaur [pictured at the right] was built and driven by Paul Coffield, and then Steve Jank. Steve sold the car to Mike Stamper, and later I bought it from him. Frankly, I don't remember who I sold it to.

It was right hand drive, about 700 pounds, SAAB powered, and driven through a Harley Davidson gear box.

I raced one in late 1960s and early 1970s in the Central Division."

The photos on the right were provided by Wayne, and scanned by Mark Powell.

Paul Coffield finished 3rd in the Central Division Championshipin 1964. He then placed 8th in the H Modified National Championship race of the 1964 SCCA American Road Race of Champions at Riverside Raceway, CA.

Car and Driver, Issue 02 of 1963, has as listed features "Soichiro Honda, love of cars, Scarab construction process, Centaur racecar prototype."

Found on Car and Driver Back Issues for sale page.

"Some guys up here in Michigan built the [Centaur] cars with space frames and I can't remember the drive train. One of the principals, I believe, was a fellow named Dan Deaver and there was an article in Rod & Truck, or Sports Car Graphic in the 1962-65 time frame.
They had some tie in with Borg Warner, I think, and the bodies were going to be vacuum formed ABS plastic. Whether that happened or not, I don't know. I don't remember seeing it at Waterford Hills, which would have been a kind of home track."

"I sorta remember another guy that was involved. His first name was Forbes, I think. The car was pretty trick for the time, as I recall, and probably did have the Saab or DKW engine & gearbox. You could get decent horsepower from those, and the layout was a natural for a mid- engine car, but outboard boat motors were popular also." Dave Craddock

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Centaur Body

This is a T.M. Special Chassis believed to have a Centaur body on it.

DSR

This photo of Rick Brown's DSR shows him autocrossing a Centaur.

This may be a completely different car from the H Modified chassis.