THE R.A.C. HASTINGS RALLY
THE R.A.C. HASTINGS RALLY
AN S.S. SUCCESS—FRAZER-NASH-B.M.W., FORD, MORGAN, RILEY, SINGER AND TRIUMPH “IN THE RUNNING “
SEVERE CONDITIONS. There are some people who can see nothing in the least intriguing about driving in the R.A.C.’s annual 1,000 miles
Rally. Personally, we quite appreciate the strong sense of adventure underlying the task, in spite of the reliability of modern cars, and felt that the expectant atmosphere that prevailed at the Ace of Spades garage just before the London contingent left was fully justified, in spite of the small crowd of onlookers. This year there was more adventure than is usual, for weather conditions were severe, snow, ice, fog and heavy rain being well and liberally distributed.
In spite of these hazards, only eight cars out of 192 starters failed to check in at the final control at Hastings, but those who thus argue that this absurdly small percentage of retirements proves conclusively the uselessness of the road section should remember that a car’s condition can deteriorate after nearly 1,000 miles of hard driving, and that this will be reflected in the eliminating final tests, even though the R.A.C. favours driving skill rather than car performance, for acceleration, braking, and pick-up do play their part in these tests. Especially was this so this time, as the ” wigglewoggle” test was cancelled on account of unsuitable weather conditions, and the hill test that singled out award winners put a very fair premium on the car, provided the man behind the wheel gave it a fair show in that bit of the test calling for sheer skill in handling.
We have devoted a generous amount of this issue to describing in some detail what happened in the Friday’s test, as we believe this will be of considerable interest, so the road section must be quickly dealt with. Of the unfortunates who did not reach Hastings, Alan Hess and the B.B.C. stunt-man were involved in a nasty crash when their Talbot skidded on a patch of ice at a bridge near Oxford, striking a wall. P. Clark’s Jensen threw a con-rod near Tadcaster in the best racing tradition, and Miss D. L. Bean (Aston-Martin), C. M. Hawley (Aston-Martin), Mrs. Hill (Standard), E. H. W. Sharp (Aston-Martin), and L. J. Hollingsworth (Ford) were the remaining retirements. Hawley wrecked his car on a bridge at Newcastle but bought an old Morris for f,50 and thus made Hastings with the best of them !
The cars from London got away quietly from the Ace of Spades garage, actually in dry weather. Mrs. R. L. Walkerley took the wheel of the 2-litre M.G. for the first section and Gregory, when asked why his impressive Big Six Bentley saloon was so noisy, explained that his cut-out had jambed open ! Lots of fair drivers favoured helmets, even in dosed automobiles. J. W. Whalley’s Ford VS found the ditch above Porlock, where snowy conditions prevailed, and Mrs. Watts (Triumph) ran back into the bank on that once dreaded hill. A very fine reception was reported at the Blackpool control, while W. C. N. Norton, passing through London on the Bristol route, was able to have a few hour’s
sleep in his own home. A. D. Clease (4.3 Alvis), K. Hutchison (Ford V8) and C. Bicknell (43-litre Lagonda) effectively revenged Porlock for Mrs. Wa,tts’s contretemps. Those who lost marks on the road section were :—R. L. Walkerley (2-litre M.G.) 2, R. M. Bloomfield (Singer) 2, I’. A. Stewart-Brown (Riley) 2, R. H. Myers (Daimler) 4, Miss D. I. Broadley (Singer) 29, and E. Kehoe (A.C.) 54 marks.
Arrived at Hastings a test was staged on the Thursday which involved ease of entry, acceleration over 100 yards, manceuvre-ability, and braking. This replaces former inspection of cars. The disadvantage of the latter lies in the fact that, although no one would normally start on the Rally with inoperative lamps, horn, dynamo, wipers, etc., such things stand more chance of failing on cars that have seen prolonged hard service beforehand than on comparatively new cars, and as the trade element is not inconsiderable, this is a point that must receive consideration—this year there were seventeen manufacturers’ teams, embracing fifty-one cars, for instance.
On the other hand, we feel that many competitors handling ordinary cars, and making no pretence at being outstanding as special test drivers, will yet take considerable pride in losing no marks in the road section and that test which is intended as a criterion of efficiency after 1,000 hard miles. As only six people this year lost marks at the checks, it seems likely that a ” condition” test entailing penalisation only if a car failed to achieve a certain set standard, would be more welcome. A test embracing easy starting, acceleration over a moderate distance, and braking, should suffice. This year’s eliminating test, involving driving skill in reversing, and acceleration, over 100 yards, seems to have been something of a gift to high-performance cars and was in any case a contest as distinct from a check on condition. It produced the following results
RESULTS
10 h.p. Open Cars : J. F. Lambert (Singer) 30s. 10 h.p. Closed Cars : B. W. Farsdon (WolseleY Wasp) :30.2s.
15 h.p. Open Cars : G. L. Boughton (Singer) 27.88.
15 h.p. Closed Cars : A. L. Pearce (Triumph) 28.8s. Over 15 h.p. Open Cars : J. Harrop (S.S.) 2bs. Over 15 h.p. Closed Cars : 0. Impanni (Frazer’ Nash-B.M.W.) 28.88.
Fastest Time :J. Harrop (S.S..Taguar 100).
The full list of times is given in the tabulated list of results.
Friday’s Finals
Although we missed our drive in the Rally as partner to Eason-Gibson, whose Lancia Aprilia was not ready in time, we did not intend to miss the final tests at Hastings, and accordingly left London in cold sunlight at 7 a.m. on Friday, March 12th. The M.G. Magnette delivered us in Hastings by 9 a.m. We must confess to being very disappointed at the reception, or rather the lack of reception, given to the Rally competitors. Flags and bunting had
not been deemed necessary to greet the hundreds of folk who, finishing in our most important Rally, were to spend hundreds of pounds in this town, and although a good crowd ultimately gathered to watch the only test held that day, it was composed very largely of competitors and their friends. Ordinary inhabitants of this South Coast seaside town just stayed at home or went shopping in the High Street. Our next disappointment was learning that the first test on the Promenade was cancelled on account of heavy seas breaking over the road. Undoubtedly this was the most important of the eliminating tests, and, amongst those who make a speciality of driving-skill contests, its cancellation must have been highly unsatisfactory. We will make no comment on whether it was, or was not, wise to cancel the test under the prevailing conditions. But we do know that at about 1 p.m., just as the hill test had concluded, the promenade road was nearly dry, and. cars were seen happily parked on the seaward side. One can only conclude that it was impossible for the road to be closed during the afternoon, but it seems curious that the R.A.C. had picked the morning :—when high tide prevails and winds are likely to be rough in these islands in the month of March. There was left only test C, the hill test, to amuse these motorists who had come through nearly 1,000 miles of difficult driving conditions to try their skill and their car’s capabilities in the finals. This test seemed to us rather unfortunate, ranking as it did as the final factor in allotting the awards. Drivers were asked to run to their cars, start the engine, accelerate round a right-hand bend up a steep hill, stop, reverse into a side road, drive out above a pylon, accelerate to the fulish up the hill, and then brake in a prescribed area. The reversing test should have been easy, as there was ample room for a clean, fast sweep back, and, though in driving out the pylon was fairly obstructive, it could be easily cleared given a sufficient run-back beforehand. It seemed to us that this test was neither entirely one of driving skill, nor yet entirely a test of mechanical capabilities. A first-rate driver could do little with a slow car, for the test was timed throughout, yet a high-performance car could show up badly if the reverse were bungled. It is a matter of opinion whether this is a good test or not, but personally we like to feel that either the driver is being put through it, and it is largely immaterial what car he handles, or else that the results teach us something about the abilities of rival marques. The latter result would have been better achieved by substituting a simple stop and re-start for the reversing manceuvre, although, from our list of combined times which follows this report, it is evident that the hill test was quite a good test of cars themselves, so that we feel some cause for satisfaction in the cancellation of the sea-front manceuvres. Expert drivers of low-performance ears were
perhaps the hardest hit by the cancellation of test B on the sea-front, in which the distances between obstacles were nowhere great enough to place a premium on acceleration or braking from really great speeds (from the start a distance of less than 200 yards before braking). In the hill test drivers heard Ebby say ” Go” through a microphone connected with the time-keeper’s tent at the finish. The ” Autocar ” broadcast a running commentary heard by only a small proportion of the on-lookers, on account of the loud speakers being situated at top and bottom of the hill, instead of at the reversing bay. Incidentally, one optimistic daily newspaper displayed placards announcing ” Rally tests in sea spray ” on the deserted sea front
The following notes outline how those drivers whom we watched faired. in that part of test C devoted to driving skill. As appearances in parties of this sort are often deceptive, we timed many performances at this point, and a list of these unofficial times is given elsewhere. It is interesting as a means of comparing the skill of the drivers one against the other and it also shows how performances at this section were overshadowed, or assisted, as the case may be, by the performance of the cars themselves, as indicated by the total times published by the R.A.C.
Individual Performances
The first driver we saw performing was L. 0. Collins (M.G. Midget) who seemed slow in spite of our having no standard by which to judge his to-and-fro efforts. J. R. Edwards (M.G.) followed, crunching his gears, revving considerably and getting wrongly placed and all mixed up. D. G. P. Roberts (Singer) nearly stalled his engine, and Miss P. Cole (Singer) stalled completely, crunched her gears and made a bad re-start. H. F. S. Morgan, whose Morgan 4/4 had alloyspoke wheels, was very snappy and did not mind snapping in the ratios, likewise K D. Bowman (Morgan 4:4), while C. G. Gibbs’s T-type M.G. Midget was very well handled and C. D. Hubbard (M.(.) was faster still, arriving with screaming brakes and making an excellent re-start, though his handling lacked polish. R. N. Sanford (Fiat 500), revving merrily, used a sensible approach preparatory to reversing and was extremely good. Mrs. D. I. Broadley (Singer saloon) was badly positioned, touched a barrier and lost time in re-starting. J. F. Lanibert (Singer) was very fast, locking his front wheels on the gravel surface in braking, but losing time by getting into first when he wanted reverse. Miss D. M. M. Stanley-Turner’s M.G. Midget, which carried a spade, was neatly driven but did not look very rapid, while R. M. Proctor’s drop-head Talbot Ten was handicapped by a slow tick-Over, though well placed. F. D. Johns (Riley Nine) adopted sweeping swerves and was very rapid, and G. Poppe (Talbot Ten) seemed quite annoyed when he had to make a second reverse to clear the pylon, after a very good approach. C. 0. Jackson was really fast with his Austin Ten saloon, thanks to fine judgment, while, although H. L. Hadley (Austin Ten) looked slower, in actual
fact our watch only recorded sec.
difference. C. R. Y. King (Talbot Ten) wasted time on a second reverse when it looked as if he might have cleared the pylon in one run, and R. L. Thomson’s sister car was steady and More rapid.
D. Bates was brutal with the gears of his ordinary Ford 8 saloon, while N. E. Bracey, with passenger on the rear seat Of his Standard Nine saloon, nearly contacted With a barrier and then all hut drove head on into a lamp-post through allowing the steering wheel to :escape while negotiating the pylon. Then B. W. Fursdon, in shirt-sleeves, and with a humble-looking Wolseley Wasp family coach, made what we believe was the quickest reverse of the day, fairly standing on his brakes and using sweeping tactics. He was loudly clapped and should have no difficulty in getting hold of a really snappy car for future rallies. This brilliant performance was followed by A. B. Cowling, who took more than twice as long, his Triumph
sounding sick, and re-starting slowly after going into the pylon because the wrong ratio was selected. Marks were, of -course, lost for contacting with the obstacles. C. A. B. Broomhali (Fiat 500) stalled his engine on braking, but calmly re started it while rolling back into the bay, making a very good showing.
E. W. J. Shim. (Riley), P. A. Thornton (Standard) and C. H. Ellett (Riley) were all quite good, and Miss Richmond (Fiat 500) was very neat. Mrs. L. Wilson, in the horribly painted ” Union-Jack ” Austin Ten saloon, drove well, but Miss Milne at first drove right past the test, until hr Singer was recalled. Here it might be mentioned that nothing of the test could be seen from the start and those who were wise went up ott foot for a ” look-see.” E. K. F,Ifot (Tallot Ten) was outstand:ng, Litt C. Mann caught the barrier., with the front w:ng, in spite of the
excellent visibility afforded by an Ulster A ston-Marti n. C. P. Roberts (Rover) was very neat, using a sensibly lengthy reverse before re-starting, and although W. P. B. Watson (Austin) seemed slow he was actually very rapid. W. A. Apperley drove well but his Aston-Martin lacked acceleration, and R. Nicholson was slow, his Singer asking a second reverse. J. D. Barnes with One of the new if-litre Singers came up fast, slid to a standstill with locked front wheels and was extremely snappy. L. G. 0. Prideaux-Brune (longchassis, 2-litre Aston-Martin) drove quite nicely, but had to reverse again, after which he became queerly placed, and C. J. Turner (Singer) also needed two reverses, though his driving was most vigorous. D. E. Harris (Singer) gave a model exhibition, Steam showing at the radiator, and A. C. Scott (H.R.G.) was also very good, though rather too close to the barriers in reversing. W. Lambert toured through in his S.S., reversing yards more than was essential, while A. C. Westwood was hampered because the driver’s door of his Fiat Balilla flew open, so that he had only the wheel to support hint and was consequently untidy though very fast. The door had previously jambed shut I J. M. Archer (Riley) was extremely good and Major White (Standard) looked very determined but was not quite so fast. H. E. Gibbon (Rover) was amongst those who selected the wrong ratio, and Boughton was rapid with one of the ” Ruddy “Singers, W. C. Butler (Singer) was excellent, using swerving curves, F. A. Rhodes (Aston-Martin) was good, reversing rather far, and W. F. Lilleystone (Riley) deceptively fast. D. Bates (Ford V8) needed three reverses, departing with smoking trves, D. T. B. Hall (Ford V8) spoilt a neat show with one extra reverse, while Stapleton’s Ulster Aston Martin reversed and accelerated extremely pleasantly. W. P. Maidens
(Rover) was neat, E. A. Denny (Riley) snappy, emitting oil-smoke, and Lady Mary Hope (Triumph), crunching gears, fairly quick. Imhof was a poor performer, surprisingly enough, at the wheel of an open 1 4–litre M.G., and D. G. Flather (AstonMartin) would have made a very fine time but for -Selecting a higher gear than he wanted for accelerating away. His passenger, like many others, showed a rare art in stowing away to leave his driver’s vision unimpaired. A. E. S. Curtis was good to watch with his H.R.G., the tail sliding as the car got away up the hill, the change from bottom to second ringing in our ears. Robins (H.R.(;.) was still faster, very calm, and making the best total time up to this point. J. F. A. Clough (Riley) put up a truly praiseworthy show, although the pylon almost suffered, and A. E. Frost, brutal to his ratios, got the Frazer-NashB.M.W. through cleanly and rapidly. C. M. Anthony broUght his familiar Aston-Martin up fast, braked well with locked front wheels, was extremely quick, and went pinking up the hill. H. Stony’s rear-seat passenger actually bounced in the Riley and Miss Jennings (Royer) was driving with polish, her passenger’s
expression in keeping. Archie Langley on a new 1 !,-litre Singer made a bad reverse, smiled at his ham-handedness, and was not too slow, and F. S. Barnes also found difficulty in persuading the new Singer to change direction and though snappy afterwards he looked worried. C. D. (;rant (Triumph) who reversed yards back, was good, Stewart-Brown (Riley) lost time re-starting and R. F. Sandland (Singer) had no idea Of placing his car for an effective reverse. An Aston-Martin carried a spade and comp. tyres, and Miss Butler’s S.S. was slow. W. Sewell (Austin Ten) needed two reverses, and L. W. Cutler (Triumph) drove steadily, rolling back in neutral. G. S. Cooper (Riley), Cant. Pickard (Royer) and R, K Wellsteed (Morris) all needed double reverses in the bay, . Davies placed his Frazer-N ash ineffe7tively and M. H. Parkin, whose Rover nearly stalled on re-starting, was helped by his passenger. Miss I. M. Burton handled her Vauxhall Fourteen saloon really well, but J. K. Clegg’s Standard was very slow. Some of the officials were of the opinion that a white line extending outwards from the pylon misled drivers into stopping too soon, but, as we have remarked, sage competitors had a look-see first. But as this line ultimately got almost obliterated, it is a pity if early numbers judged their braking by it. J. W. Webb-Martin choose a good position for reversing, revved furiously and got his Alvis away slowly, J. Hilbert’s Sunbeam was slow, W. G. D. Stztuton’s Armstrong-Siddeley fair, and O. H. Burden (Rover) reversed three times and hit a barrier. A. G. Throssell (Riley) reversed into a barrier, Donald Healey ‘s Triumph was loudly clapped and deserved it, A. L. Pearce, of the Triumph team, drove nicely with spinning wheels, but Blackburn’s Rover was slow. Redgroye drove well but his Royer needed extra reversing because he failed to lock over, Jeffryes (Standard) re-started slowly, and Broadley’s elderly
Darra.cq Fifteen saloon was clapped for a careful, purposeful manceuvre. C. G. H. Dunham spoilt a good run by needing a second reverse at the pylon to get his Rover clear, and F. D. Cooper (Rover) stopped too soon, just cleared and went away slowly, smiling. G. S. Cooper (Rover) chose a useful position, but went too near the barriers and must have secured the record for number of reverses, the horns protesting vigorously, while D. Monro, in summer shirt and open lnvicta, did much the same thing, after overshooting, stopping vhen a second reverse was not actually necessary. T. C. Wise (Ford V8) had a bad tail slide making a reverse necessary, and he struck the pylon, moving it several feet without burstiitg it–the R.A.C. had plenty of
spare barriers etc. at hand ! J. Kingston Vr with Railton and rear-seat passenger was quite good, as was Woodcock’s Type 55 Frazer-Nash-B.M.W., the off front wing of which showed signs of exciting moments on the road section. C. J, Ilawkes (Ford V8), J. Flint (FrazerNashE. M .W ) and Thomson ( S. S. ) all drove well, the latter making a slow gearchange, but Mrs. Lace, in racing attire, stalled her super sports Railton’s engine, and went the wrong side of the pylon, an error also committed by Mrs. Dudley (Hillman), who went too far up the hill in addition, before stopping. W. 0. W. Hawke made poor showing with his licntley, and Count Heyden, win se Delahaye carried a dickev-seat passenger, had the hood up and hit the barriers in reversing. Pige-Leschallas (A.C.) and Miss Streather (S.S.) were fair and Miss Patten (British-Salmson Six) was very
impressive indeed. H. C. 1-)ryden (Triumph) braked with effect, chose useful passages and used his car’s lock effectivelv, but J. Daniell (A.C.) was hamhanded with his ratio selection, and failed to reverse far enough to be rapid. Then Harrop (S.S.) came up the hill fast. Blipping his throttle, he was completely untroubled by a terrific front wheel slide while reversing and displayed wizard acceleration. In contrast, Kehoe (A.C.) had to reverse twice and was slow and Exeter only just cleared the pylon with his Bentley. W. M. Conner (Talbot) was neat if not very quick, and Miss Mann (long-chassis O.M. 16) crawled back for yards but positioned her car nicely. Jaques (A.C.) climbed too high and for no apparent reason stopped during the maneouvring, but Selby (A.C.) made quite a good time in spite of a bad restart. The Alvis Speed Twenty of J. H. Sims-Hilditch had the penetrating exhaust note characteristic of the earlier models of this type, also a fine steering lock, but was not fast, while Viscountess Chetwynd (Ford V8) also possessed an excellent lock, but reversed an unnecessarily long way. J. R. Weir’s Triumph, of the external exhaust, was extremely good, as was K. Hutchison’s Ford V8, which experienced rear wheel slide under the brakes, and whose passenger was quite invisible, in her efforts not to worry the helmsman. W. E. C. Wiitkinson (Alvis) drove carefully but neatly, likewise C. Bicknell (44-litre I ,ag( mil a), who had a useful steering lock for so big a car. T. H. Wisdom with the open S.S. was extremely good to watch, horns sounding the while, and the front wheels losinggrip so vigorously did he reverse. The lion. Brian Lewis (S.S.) flirted with the pylon. but drove exceptionally well, wheels spinning and with useful acceler atit )11, being sec. faster here than Wisdom by our timing. St. East’s big Hudson needed four reverses, and Sanders’s Humber two, but Crawford’s Jensen was extremely neatly handled, and very responsive. E. W. Rankin, with Vaughan’s S.S., was very fleet, with tine lock, in spite of time lost Jensen (-Jensen) indulged in three reverses and a smack at a barrier, and a really stirring engine note was the most out u standing tiling about undergraduate
Poore’S attempt Nvith the Talbot 95. C. H. Cooper’s Rover was well handled, in spite of rear wheel judder, awl (an sivk’s showing was very pleasing, the fair 1-)Issenger in his Morris thoroughly en in his Rover with a slow re-start and by joyillg it, (`,. F. Searle did. a fast run our watch P. and A. P. Smith, both with apparently had a cold in its candles, with the ArDIStrong-Siddelev 17, which a fast time here in spite of missing the app though it Was well ha.ndled and quite fast; while F. R. Stone (Triumph) recorded
handling of one of the most cumbersome rapid with the V8 Standard saloon. S. I.’.. Sears deserves high praise for his test until recalled. ‘Mrs. Dixon-Johnson (Triumph) and Miss S. I). Bvalley (Triumph) Were 11(411 neat if lacking in knots, and C. C. W. Burrage was really cars in the Rally -a 40 h.p. Packardsmoked on the tarry gravel and which which locked its rear wheels until the tyres
had a fine steering, lock to assist Sears. horn button taking part, but R. L. Walkerley crept back extremely cautiously J. Willing (S.S.) was truly cptick, his with the closed 2-litre M.G., got dose to the pylon nevertheless and made a slow shooting, but J. A. 1)avies Word. V8) and re-start Another person who dallied was very good, Davies going through in a J . A. Driskell (Pout i,-,tc), after oVer Sir R. D. Gooch, Bart. (Buick) were both series of sweeps, after sliding to a stand deserves mention for locking his front still. W. J. W ebber (Lanchester Twenty) aml re -starting well, though he needed wheels over sensibly an each maturuvre,
two reverses. All the morning we had noticed that of official armlets would come down the at intervals pairs of shivering wearers hill and call for relief parties. so at this point we climbed higher up, into the covered that these unfortunates were the on its middle the word ” stop ” and after brake -test. They held a bar bearing biting wind, to investigate. We dis cars had pulled up, drivers were beckoned with the closed 2-litre M.G., got dose to the pylon nevertheless and made a slow shooting, but J. A. 1)avies Word. V8) and re-start Another person who dallied was very good, Davies going through in a J . A. Driskell (Pout i,-,tc), after oVer Sir R. D. Gooch, Bart. (Buick) were both series of sweeps, after sliding to a stand deserves mention for locking his front still. W. J. W ebber (Lanchester Twenty) aml re -starting well, though he needed wheels over sensibly an each maturuvre,
two reverses. All the morning we had noticed that of official armlets would come down the at intervals pairs of shivering wearers hill and call for relief parties. so at this point we climbed higher up, into the covered that these unfortunates were the on its middle the word ” stop ” and after brake -test. They held a bar bearing biting wind, to investigate. We dis cars had pulled up, drivers were beckoned
on and this bar lifted up to enable them to drive under it. We stayed to see a Bentley make such good use of Its servo-mechanism as to stop yards from the bearers of the bar to progress, a sight which had in most cases been going on all morning to intrigue the Little Audreys. Whether the test was one of driving skill or car capabilities, or a combination of both, may be judged from the preced
RESULTS
Key to starting places :–L, London ; LE. Leamington; B, Bristol ; 1313, Buxton; H, Harrogate ; S, Stirling.
Guide to Columns :-A, starting point.; B, marks lost in road section ; C, time taken in first test ; D, marks lost for touching barriers, ete.,in first test ; E, time taken in Friday’s tests ; F, marks lost for touching barriers In Friday’s test; G, total lost and total retained out of 1,000 marks, allowance.
Awards :-F.A., premier award ; 2nd, second, and 3rd, third, in each class. (Shown in black type).
GROUP 1 (OPEN CARS UP TO 10 b.-1,
GROUP 2 (CLOSED CARS UP TO 10 h.p.)
GROUP 3 (OPEN CARS OVER 10 h.p. AND UP TO 15 h.p.)
ing table, in which official times are given in brackets after the figures for our unofficial timing of the reversing manceuvre : (NoTE : Times were taken from the application of brakes to repassing the pylon on reversing. The list is not comprehensive, many of the poorer attempts being intentionally missed. Times in brackets are official recordings for the complete run. =open car C closed car) The outcome of this test was as follows : 10 h.p. Open Cars : H. Goodall. (Morgan 4/4)
38.8s.
10 h.p. Closed Cars : B. W. Fursdon (Wolseley Wasp) and W. K. Elliot (Talbot Ten) 41.8s. 15 h.p. Open Cars : G. H. Robins (H.R.G.) 38.6s. 15 h.p. Closed Cars : A. L. Pearce (Triumph) 36.4s. Over 15 h.p. Open Cars : T. H. Wisdom (S.S.)
31.8s.
Over 15 h.p. Closed Cars : J. A. Davies (Ford V8) 35.4s.
Fastest Time : T. H. Wisdom (8.8. Jaguar 100) 31.8s. The full list of times will be found in the tabulated results. It then only remained to fete the competitors and announce the results which read as follows :
GROUP AWARDS
GROUP 1 (Open Cars up to 10 h.p.) marks.
Premier : 11. F. S. Morgan (Morgan) 930.2 marks.
Second : N. Garrad (Talbot) 928.8 marks.
Third : J. F. Lambert (Singer) 928.8 marks.
GROUP 2 (Closed Cars up to 10 h.p.) Premier : B. W. Fursdon 928 marks.
Premier : B. W. Fursdon (Wolselev) 928 marks. Second : W. K. Elliot (Talbot) 926.2 marks. Third : C. 0. Jackson (Austin) 920.4 marks.
GROUP 8 (Open Cars up to 15 h.p.) Premier : J. F. A. 937.4 marks.
Premier : J. F. A. Clough (Riley) 937.4 marks. Second : G. H. Robins (H.R.G.) 937 marks. Third : A. E. Frost (Frazer-Nash-B.M.W.) 936.2
marks.
GROUP 4 (Closed Cars up to 15 h.p.) Premier : A. L. Pearce 934.8 marks.
Premier : A. L. Pearce (Triumph) 934.8 marks. Second : D. Healey (Triumph) 932.8 marks. Third : M. H. Parkin (Rover) 923.4 marks..
GROUP 5 (Open Cars over 15 h.p.) Premier : J. 943 marks.
Premier : J. Harrop (S.S.) 943 marks. Second : T. H. Wisdom (S.S.) 940.2 marks. Third : J. Flint (Frazer-Nash-B.M.W.) 939.2
marks.
GROUP 6 (Closed Cars over 15 h.p.)
Premier : G. Impanni (Frazer-Nash-B.M.W.) 935.4 marks.
Second : J. A. Davies (Ford) 932.6 marks. Third : G. H. Crossley (Bentley) 930 marks. Manufacturers’ Team Prize : S.S. Cars Ltd. Runner-up : Singer Motors Ltd. Club Team Prize : Singer M.C.C. A Team. Runner-up : Yorkshire S.C.C. ” B ” Team. Ladies’ Prizes : Open Cars : Viscountess Chetwynd
(Ford V8).
Closed Cars : Miss S. D. Bradley (Triumph).
Prizes were presented for the various control groups, Don Impanni (FrazerNash-B.M.W.), with R. H. Ashby as codriver, scoring from Bristol, Harrop. (S.S.) from Buxton, Clough (Riley) from Harrogate, Wisdom (S.S.) from Leamington, Davies (Ford V8) from London, and Flint (Frazer-Nash-B.M.W.) from Stirling. In sober fact 213 entered, twenty-one failed to start, some because fresh cars could not be nominated, though different crews did not result in disqualification, eight failed to reach Hastings, five failed to complete the tests, and 179 competitors qualified for souvenir awards, as detailed in the analysis opposite.
The Coachwork Competition
Severe weather was the keynote of the 1937 Rally, for test A had been run with heavy seas breaking over the front, which caused the cancellation of test B, and so bad was the weather on the Saturday that the coachwork competition was held in one of Hastings’s underground garages, only the final parade being staged in daylight. The three outstanding cars in the ” luxury ” category were Barraclough’s straight-eight Charlesworth-bodied Daimler, More’s Rippon-bodied Railton, and Clease’s Vanden Plas 4.3-litre Alvis sports saloon. The Daimler eventually won the day. Finished in black and chromium it was exceptionally well fitted out and had defrosters for the screen,
GROUP 4 (CLOSED CARS OVER 10 h.p. AND UP TO 15 h.p.)
GROUP 5 I OPEN CARS OVER 15 h.p.)
GROUP 6 (CLOSED CARS OVER 15 h.p.)
picnic tables, special luggage and tool accommodation and a beautifully finished engine exterior. In this class Thomson’s Charlesworth Bentley and Crossley’s Park Ward Bentley were greatly admired. In the next category Prideaux-Brune’s blue drop-bead coupe Aston-Martin, an essentially practical car, gained the Premier award, though it was not instantly recognisable as an Aston. The other Premier award winner was R. L. Walkerley’s 2-litre M.G. with drop-head Tickford foursome by Salmons. Finished in maroon, with disc wheels, it had a chromium and black engine exterior, defrosters, interior heater, map-reading arrangements and an illuminated luggage boot. Hore-Belisha would have marvelled that these immaculate cars had come 1,000 miles in two days without acquiring a blemish. Otherwise, this last competition was a tribute to ordinary * production car coachwork, of which Austin, A.C., Rover, S.S., Standard, Humber. Triumph and Aston-Martin, especially, must be extremely proud. As the following results outline, the only specialist coachbuilders in figure in the awards list were Salmons and Charlesworth, as already mentioned, and
Mulliners.
RESULTS
Open Cars : L. G. 0. Prldeaux-Brune (Aston
Martin).
Two-door Closed :R. L. Walkerley (tt.G., Salmons). Four-door Closed : C. G. F. Barraclough (Daimler,
(.’harlesworth).
CLASS AWARDS
Class 1: Up to 8160, two-door. Closed : N. E.
Bracey (Standard). Class 2: Up to 2250, Open : Major C. White
(Standard, Mulliners).
Up to 2250, two-door Closed : Miss I. M. Burton (Vauxhall).
Hp to 2250, four-door Closed : 1, Lord Austin (Austin), 2, Lord Austin (Austin).
CLASS 3
Up to 28150, Open : H. E. Gibbon (Rover).
Up to 2350, tour-door, Closed :1. M. A. Newn ham (Triumph) ; 2, M. A. Newnham (Triumph).
CLASS 4
Up to 2500, Open : 1, E. Kehoe (A.C.); 2, C. P. Roberts (Rover). Up to 2500, two-door Closed : It. L. Walkerley
Si111110110. Up to 2500, tour-door, Closed : 1, C. H. Cooper (Rover); 2, I’. Smith (SS.)
CLASS 5
Up to 2700. Open : L. G. 0. Prideaux-Brune
(Aston-Martin).
CLASS 6
Up to 21,000, four-door, Closed : it. M. Webb
(Humber).
CLASS 7
Over 11,000, four-door, Closed : C. GI. F. Bansdough (Daimler, Charlesvrorth).
BEST PERFORMANOES7N1TRE RALLY IRRE3PE0TIVE OF ,OLA.33
1, J. Harrop (SS. Jags’ it.), 943 m irks ; 2, T. H. Wi 4 bin (ii, j Itki ir). 9 0.2 al irks ; 3, J. Flint (2 .1itra FruarNash-B.M.W.), 939.4 marks ; 4, E. H. Jacob (SS. Jaguar), 933.2 m trk.s ; 5, J. F. A. Clough (Riley):an I Hoa. Brian Lewis, 937.4 marks ; 6, G. H. RAins (H. WO.), 937 marks.
DISQUALIFIED
(Did not, cornniete tests in accordance with the regulations)
Miss :r. E. Watta (Triumnh) from Harrogate; C. M. Anthony (Aston-Martin) from Harrogate •, D. E. Harris (Stinger) from London ; Miss L. M. Roper (Triumph) from Le.amington ; Mrs. A. C. Lace (Rallton) frani Harrogate.