A SPECIAL race will take place on Bank Holiday Monday to mark the 50th anniversary of the production of a sports car in Bolton.

The Chevron B8 began a two-year production run at its premises in Chorley Old Road in 1968.

To recognise the anniversary around 20 of the original cars will take part in the race at the Oulton Park track in Cheshire.

The event is being organised by the Historic Sports Car Club and around a dozen of the original drivers are expected to attend as guests.

The cars raced in the late 1960s and early 1970s and Monday's event at the Historic Sports Car Club’s Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting will be the first time a race has been dedicated to this classic sports-racing car.

As well as many UK-based cars, two very early cars will come from Sweden.

To mark the celebrations for one of the all-time great sports-racing car designs many ex-Chevron factory workers as well as ex-drivers will be present at Oulton Park on Monday.

Those due to attend include Digby Martland, now living in Jersey, who was the first customer for an original Chevron GT (later re-named the B6) and took the car to Chevron’s first GT win at Oulton Park in July 1966.

Alan Rollinson raced a B8 extensively in 1968 and shared the car in the Nurburgring 1000km with the late Mo Nunn, finishing third in class.

Ian Skailes raced a B6 and a B8 in a short but successful career between 1967 and 1970, before retiring aged just 23, to concentrate on business, while Mike Garton raced a B8 in international races in 1970 including the famous Vila Real track in Portugal.

Ian Harrower owned and raced the ex-John Lepp B8 in 1971 and 1972 while Dr Tony Goodwin shared the B6 of Dr Peter Taggart in 1969 and 1970.

John Cardwell shared a B8 with Derek Bennett in the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch and George Duncan shared a B8 with Trevor Twaites in the 1968 Nurburgring 1000km.

Clive Baker raced a B8 internationally in 1969 as did James Tangye in 1969 and 1970.

Former British Hillclimb champion Peter Lawson raced a B8 in 1969 and then raced for Red Rose Racing alongside John Bridges, while Peter Smith, Paul Ridgway and Alan Minshaw all have B8 races on their racing record.

Grahame White, CEO of the HSCC said: “We’ve had an excellent response from former drivers and this will be a very special gathering of drivers who shared in the success story of Derek Bennett’s wonderful cars.”

It is hoped to gather the former racers together for a unique photo shoot during the lunch break in Monday’s race programme.

Chevron was a very successful racing car manufacturer with its headquarters in an old mill on Chorley Old Road in Bolton.

It was founded by Derek Bennett – who designed the car –but folded soon after he was killed in a hang-gliding accident.

There are many Chevrons still racing in Historic races and are still one of the most popular and successful racing cars of all time.