1970 Royale RP4

This 1970 Royale RP4 is a mid-engine sports racer that was once owned and campaigned by Hugh Kleinpeter, the former proprietor of Royale USA. Between 1999 and 2017 the car was in the care of Andy Greene’s Sports & Vintage Race Cars, during which time it was upgraded, sorted, and raced by several different owners, this Royale is said to hold 14 Historic Sportscar Racing first place finishes. Power is from an all-aluminum 1.75-liter Ford/Lotus twin-cam four that was built by Savannah Race Engineering and is paired with a five-speed Hewland transaxle. Specifications include upgraded front brakes, a right-hand-shift conversion, Koni shocks, RP6 suspension upgrades, CV axles, and a later-model RP6 nose section. The current owner acquired the car in 2017, shortly after the mechanical systems were refreshed at Sports & Vintage Race Cars. It has resided in storage for the past three years and accumulated only a few hours of runtime. This Royale sports racer is now offered on behalf of the current owner with a service file, dyno sheets, and a bill of sale. The RP4 was developed by Bob Marston and intended for the F100 Series and SCCA B-Sport category. Production was reportedly limited to 11 cars. This example is finished in British Racing Green with yellow stripes and has been fitted with a later-model RP6 nose section. Beneath the composite bodywork is a semi-monocoque steel tube and aluminum plate chassis with adjustable control arms, sway bars, and Koni coilover shocks. The Panasport-style wheels are wrapped in Hoosier TD rubber, and braking is managed by discs with aluminum calipers at each corner. The driver’s controls are positioned on the right, though the car has been reconfigured with a right-hand shifter. Safety equipment includes a Sparco five-point harness and an ATL fire-suppression system. Instrumentation is comprised of three gauges from AutoMeter and Racetech, displaying oil temperature, rpm, oil pressure, and water temperature. Brake bias can be adjusted with a Wilwood controller mounted near the shifter. The Lotus/Ford Twin Cam inline-four displaces 1.75 liters and utilizes an aluminum block and a QED Motorsport cylinder head. Internal specifications include an Arrow Precision crankshaft, Crower connecting rods, JE pistons, PSI valve springs, and Manley valves. Induction is through a pair of Weber 45 DCOE carburetors, and the ignition system utilizes a Lucas distributor along with an MSD control box. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a five-speed Hewland transaxle with a CV-axle conversion. A dyno sheet from May of 2020 indicates that the engine produces 210 horsepower at 7,400 rpm and 166 lb-ft of torque at 5,400 rpm.