1962 Dailu MKII

Canadian-born David Greenblatt and Luigi Cassiani were the individuals who created the Dailu Racing Specials. A total of five would be created, beginning with the MKI and ending with the MKV. The name of the company, Dailu, was derived from the Welsh spelling of David 'Dai' and Luigi 'LU', the company's two founders.

Greenblatt had experience in road racing, winning the Quebec Racing Drivers Championship during the 1960 season. Cassiani had experience working as a mechanic; his resume included working for Alfa Romeo as a factory works technician. Greenblatt raced in a Sadler MK IV during the 1960 and 1961 seasons, so it was understandable that the design and inspiration for the first Dailu Racing Special were derived from the Sadler. The Sadler did have a few flaws which the Dailu would rectify.

A design was created by Greenblatt, with Mike Saggers being tasked with creating the aluminum bodywork. The project transpired over the winter of 1961, beginning with the creation of the chassis using a common space frame tubular setup. It was designed by Luigi, as was the rear suspension. Compared to the Sadler, the Dailu had a stronger frame; the Sadler's lightweight frame often flexed, resulting in poor handling. The Dailu was given an independent rear suspension, unlike the Sadler, which had a solid rear axle. The front suspension, however, was similar to the Sadler. Another shortcoming of the Sadler was its brakes, which had been inadequate for the car's power and weight. The Dailu was given power-assisted brakes, and much effort was made to ensure the brakes were adequate and effective.

During one of the car's first initial test runs, the car was driven off course and causing suspension issues. Subsequent lap times were slower. As is the case with most cars, fine-tuning and modifications were continuously made.

The Dailu MKI, commonly referred to as the Dailu-Bardahl Special, was designed for Group 7 competition. It had a powerful Chevrolet V8 engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. It was to make its racing debut in 1962 at the Players 200 but an oil leak kept the car from competing. During practice and qualifying, the car had been driven by Oliver Gendebien, a three-time winner at LeMans and a Formula One driver. Gendebien saw the oil leak, climbed from the car, and left the race. Some say that he later admitted that the reason for not racing was the car's extreme speed and aggressive acceleration. It was a drastic change from his European rides, and this apparently gave him discomfort.

So the car's official racing debut came a week later at the St Eugene Circuit where it was piloted by Greenblatt to a new lap record.

John Cannon, an up-and-coming driver, drove the car for most of its early career, often outpacing the competition. A highlight was in 1962 when Cannon drove the car to first overall at Mosport; another overall victory was had at Riverside.

IN 1963 the MKI was burned in a fire at Nassau. In 1977, the car was rebuilt, but using many new components as there was little left salvaged from the fire. The original chassis was copied, in some cases using photographs, in very strict detail. David Thornton of March Formula One fame was commissioned to build the chassis. Upon completion the car was registered and certified for road use by the Quebec Motor Vehicle Department.

The MKII
After successfully building one competitive racer, it was only natural that it was followed by another, more advanced, and modern example. The MKII, later known as the Shrike, had a chassis identical to its predecessor. It was given a fiberglass body, a Jaguar XKE rear suspension, and a 437 horsepower Ford Traco engine.

The car had been built for Peter Lerch and given a coupe body. The body was later modified into roadster trim. In the capable hands of Lerch, the car scored many victories and even a lap record at St. Eugene. The car's racing pedigree continues into modern times, as its current owner continually races the car in historic competition.

The MKIII
The Dailu MKIII was created in 1963 and built in a similar fashion to the prior cars. It had a ladder frame chassis, disc brakes, many mechanical components from Jaguar, and an independent suspension. The body was slightly different; it had become more 'pointy.' Laying under the bonnet was a Chevy Corvette small block engine that displaced 327 cubic inches and produced around 375 horsepower.

The car was fast but by this point in history, most of the dominant cars had mid-engined setups which gave them an advantage in handling and performance. As a result, the MKIII did not garner the same success as its siblings.

The MKIV
The Dailu MK IV was completed in 1964. The chassis was from a Lotus 19C chassis and modified to accept a Chevrolet small block engine and a Hewland five-speed transmission. The car was fast and an immediate contender for outright victories. It competed at the 1963 Players 200 and at Nassau. At some point in its history, the coupe body was modified into a roadster. During the 1960s, it was used by a racing school.

The MKV
The final iteration of the Dailu Racing Specials was the MKV, and completed in 1965. It was built for a GM dealer in Montreal, Duval Chevrolet. Greenblatt reverted back to the traditional construction of some of the prior MK vehicles, using a ladder frame and a suspension and brake setup similar to that of the MKIII. The engine and transmission were both GM units, with horsepower peaking at around 380. It was given a lightweight body similar in design to a Corvette String Ray. The weight of the body was around 150 pounds, with the overall weight of the vehicle a mere 1800 pounds. This meant it appeared like a Corvette but packed the performance of a highly tuned racing machine.

The car was used in competition with some success. The whereabouts of the car are currently unknown.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008