About Bernard Unett

In 1966 The Rootes competition department decided to enter the Hillman Imp in Saloon car racing. Being heavily envolved in rally car preperation, they were not able to do it themselves, so the Alan Fraser team got the job. Unett was soon breaking lap records at Brands Hatch, the Imp being the first car in its class to lap the circuit in under a minuite at the 1966 Easter weekend meeting. Unett also won the Edward Lewis Trophy at the same meeting. By August the team had won 16 first places 2 second places and 7 class lap records and the Hillman Imp led the BritishChampionship series, Unett winning the 'Westover' saloon car championship in an Imp. Opposite is Bernard Unett in a Fraser team Imp from an illustration on the Rootes calendar from 1967, in which year he won the 'Redex' title and was fourth overall and second in class in the British Saloon car championship, also in an Imp.

Bernard Unett also went on to drive for Vixen cars. Vixen cars were based in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire and built cars for the formula 4 series in the late 1960's. In 1968 these Hillman Imp powerd cars dominated the B.P. F 4 championship taking six places, with Unett, I believe, winning the chamoionship. In 1969 Vixen decided to go formula 3, and was all set for a major assault on the the then frantic F3 circus, with Unett using a Holbay engine. However, Unett had a bad crash on the first test at Silverstone. Although walking away uninjured, that was as far as the project got. Opposite is Bernard Unett in one of the Vixen cars. After the crash Unitt temporarily retired from competitive racing, becoming chief instructor at Mallory Park Racing drivers school.

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