Club Affairs, December 1952

The Salmson Register has been absorbed into the British Salmson Owners’ Club. French Salmsons are eligible and the secretary is J. L. Cope, “Sandalbowe,” 62, Westover Road, S.W.18. 

The Sunbeam Register proposes to enlarge its scope by admitting owners of Roesch-designed, London-built Talbots. These would be able to compete with Sunbeams, with which they have technical and historical similarities, in next year’s events and have their own section in Sunbeam, the Register’s printed bi-monthly journal. Owners of the right kind of Talbots are invited to supply the hon. registrar, Mrs. W. Boddy, Carmel, Wood Lane, Fleet, Hants, with details of their cars. The annual subscription is 15s. The first Talbot owner to join is E. J. Vardon, with a 105 Speed Model.

Since we closed the Motor Sport Directory of Clubs some further data has come in, which will be included in the booklet.

The London M.C.’s dinner/dance at the Park Lane Hotel on December 9th will be enlivened by Butlin’s Square-Dance Team, with Wally Goodman as caller, not to mention “Goldie” Gardner, Stirling Moss, Sidney Allard [Correct spelling: Sydney Allard] and other notables.

The second of the series of the Isle of Wight Car Rallies will be held between December 10th and 14th, 1952. If its predecessor in April, 1952, was anything to go by, it promises to be a most entertaining and unusual event, comprising as it does a sea crossing (without customs’ formalities) and three full days of delightful and varied sea and countryside, the charm of which even the virtual certainty of grey winter skies cannot deny.

An extensive bill of fare is being laid on for the invited clubs, the B.A.R.C., M.C.C., M.G. Car Club, Midland Automobile Club, S.U.N.B.A.C., Taunton Motor Club, Southsea Motor Club and the organising club, the Isle of Wight Car Club. The latter decided to alter its plans entirely on receipt of the information from the R.A.C. that the 300-mile ban had been eased on closed invitation rallies, and the route will now be fully 500 miles of interesting going. The start will be at Leamington Spa, with the first control at King’s Lynn, from where the route will be Norwich, Snetterton, for a regularity test, Sudbury, Abingdon, Bridport, to Southampton, where the road section will terminate.

Scrutineering will take place at the Final Control at Southampton and the eliminating tests will be held at Sandown, I.o.W., on the Esplanade, after the sea crossing to the island.

A cocktail party and official welcome, a series of driving tests in a lighter vein, a Concours d’Elegance, a speed hill-climb, and, to round the proceedings off, a Rally Christmas Party, combined with the prizegiving ceremony will occupy the three full remaining days of the rally, and a change of scenery is guaranteed for each event.

Regulations and application forms may be obtained from the Rally Secretary, Mrs. I. Wooldridge, Delamere Hotel, Sandown, I.o.W. 

The Chiltern C.C. have been busy organising their annual Chiltern Hills Trial to be run on December 7th, starting at High Wycombe. This year the club have been able to return to familiar trials haunts in the Chilterns, and although some of the locations are not original the sections are completely new, and cannot help but provide some real tough problems for trials drivers. Included in the event will be a short Moto-Cross in the form of a timed circuit in a wood, which will also count as a special test. The total route involves only 25 miles from start to finish at Marlow, but includes 10 tough sections, the Moto-Cross and a special test. This trial has been organised by trials drivers for trials drivers, and awards will be available for both 1952 and 1953 R.A.C. formula cars. Investigations are being made in the hope of getting this event either televised or filmed.