Rumblings, February 1946

Are We Tough ?
Since, in 1938, we drove a 4 1/2-litre Bentley from Whitehall, London, up to the John o’ Groats House Hotel in 15h. 14m., including a leisurely breakfast stop and refuelling, we have been inclined to “stick our neck out when average speed over long distances is discussed. Some time ago an R.A.F. boy left us a copy of “Motor Cycle Reminiscences” to read, a delectable book written by “Ixion ” of the Motor Cycle and published about 1920. In this book there is a chapter on the End-to-End record, and to sober down those who, like ourselves, consider themselves fast and enduring motorists, the facts contained therein are just the thing.

For instance, in July, 1902, E. H. Arnott started from John o’ Groats on a bicycle having a 2-h.p. Werner engine over the front wheel, which it drove by belt. According to a photograph he started in a straw hat, sans overcoat and with oddments tied to his saddle, and he reached Lands End in 65h, 45m. You who ride autocycles to the office — ponder this feat! North of Perth the roads were very bad, as the Highland tracks had not been reconstructed to carry motor traffic, and with the advent of the railway the Grampian road had degenerated into a mere scar across the moors. Ferries were made use of to cross the Firth of Forth, from Granton to Burntisland, and Beauly Firth, and for later attempts tugs with steam up awaited the riders. Even so, the mileage was around 900.

In June, 1903, Tom Silver, with a surface-carburetted 3-h.p. Quadrant with 5/8-in, driving belt, managed 64h. 29m., in spite of some heavy falls. A year later G. P. Mills, who in 1894 rode the journey on a pushcycle in 77 hours, obtained a special Raleigh and got the record clown to 50h. 46 1/2m. He had hoped to do the run in 42 1/2 hours but struck bad tyre trouble. A month later, with a belt-driven, singlespeed Rex, Harold Williamson recorded 48h. 36m. This was not beaten until June, 1908, when Arthur Bentley’s 3 1/2-h.p. Triumph did 41h. 28m. He became lightheaded from lack of food after Gloucester. Next, Tom Peck’s singlespeed 3 1/2-h.p. Rex did 40 1/2h. in 1909.

Later that year Hart-Davies managed 33h. 22m. on a Triumph, still single geared. An attempt in September, 1910, saw Arthur Moorhouse get down in 32h. 13m., with a Rex, in spite of eleven hours of darkness. Hart-Davies returned to the fray in June, 1911, doing 29h. 12m., still with a non-variable gear. Incidentally, in 1910, Harold Cox claimed for his 1 1/4-h.p. Singer a lightweight record, clocking 57h. 26m., and Eli Clark responded with 39h. 40m., riding a 2 3/4-h.p. single-geared Douglas, although many people claimed this to be a medium-weight machine. A sidecar record was also recognised, Vivian Olsson taking a Peugeot-engined Vindec Special down in 65h. 14m. in 1909, which H. M. and A. W. Bentley challenged the same month with a Rex, taking 59h. 7m. In June, 1910, Hugh Gibson did 46h. 47m., using a 3 1/2-h.p. Triumph combination, single geared — a very fine show.

The A.C.U., wisely, did not approve of these records. It is amusing to recall that quite early on, the timekeeper found he could not go from End to End by train and still be present at the finish, as had been the procedure for clocking pedal cycle attempts. Hart-Davies set up a light car record before the Kaiser War, With a Singer Ten, and only the unreliability of current aero-engines and the scarcity of landing grounds prevented him from trying the End-to-End record by air. To those who think they are hard riders or drivers, we can observe that John o’ Groats is still the same distance from Lands End as ever was! Members of the Veteran Car Club might ponder on such a drive with a veteran car — at least a more practical form of amusement, when more petrol is given us, than a jaunt to Berlin.

As a sequel, J. W. Stocks is claimed to have done the run in a De Dion car in 1902, taking 62 1/2 hours over an 888-mile route. He tried in 1899 on an Ariel l tricycle, but broke his exhaust valve at Kendal. In 1934, with a Ford V8, he clocked 26h. 5m., putting-825 miles into 24 hours. Then, in 1937, with a 22-h.p. Ford V8, doing his own route-finding, he clocked 26h. 10m. up from Lands End, covering 834 miles in 24 hours. The mileage was 910 and the intended route, in case any wicked veteran owner, vintagent or modernist is interested, was Redruth, Launceston, Exeter, Bristol, Warrington, Wigan. Kendal, Carlisle, Pitlochry, Perth, Inverness, Dingwall, Inverness, Helmsdale, and Wick. Inadvertent visits to Pershore, Blairgowrie and Strathpeffer increased the mileage.

The Half-litres

The Vintage S.C.C. has led the way in respect of 500-c.c. racing cars by announcing that its future events will embrace a class for such cars. This announcement is followed by news of a meeting of the go-ahead Bristol Aeroplane company’s Motor Sports Club, which also intends to sponsor the half-litres. The latter club suggests not more than two cylinders, superchargers banned, single-seater bodies and no other restrictions, dope fuel being permitted. This would seem a wise policy and one which might be widely adopted. It will to some extent deter Money-Bags Junr. from coming along and wiping everyone’s eye with an expensive blown, all-independent, multi-cylinder job. It still remains to be seen whether 500-c.c. “specials” will be so slow as to make 1,100-c.c. G.N.-basis jobs more desirable and whether, in the long run, the latter won’t be less expensive as well as more exciting. But on the face of it, the 500-c.c. sprint class is worth a trial.