Club News, January 1944

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WE HEAR . . .

. ” Bira ” has been seen in the uniform of a I, lt/Lieut., A.T.C. Harold Pratley would be glad to help anyone in the Liverpool district with work on sports or racing cars, to ” keep his hand in” in his spare moments. his younger brother is a L.A/C. in the R.A.r. . out in Inaia, and is believed to have in hand a in. to the foot model of the o.h.v. Austin ; he would be glad to hear from hentley or o.h.v. Austin enthusiasts, and we can forward letters. it seems that Gordon Green’s s.v. Aston-Martin, whose fate we recently queried, went to a breaker by an uniortunate mistake, together with a 2-seater 2-litre Lagonda. Norman Green says it is some consolation to know it had an incurably cracked block. Norman Green has in mind the selling of • his a-litre bentley to a good home. It has the cylinder block used by hidston at Le Mans, Le Mans-type duralumin valve rockers with rollers, special

pistons, and 6 mm. machined off the base of the block. To replace it Norman has acquired a 1929 2-litre “Speed Model” Lagonda, and he also has the ex-Eason Gipson monoposto Zoller-blown Ford Ten. Sam Green’s a-litre bentley reposes safely on blocks, awaiting the day, and recently started right away on the handle after stanaing idle for three years. ‘the Greens, of course, are inseparably associated with very good work on behalf of the E.R.A. Club. Their friend, Jack Hawke, is still as keen as ever, too. Gewghegan still runs an old Salinson on leave petrol, and is planning to install a 2-litre A.C. Six engine in a ” Boulogne ” Frazer-Nash with ” Shelsley ” tront-end. he reports a 1907 single-cylinder De Dion for sale for about £3i) in Northampton, and also some 2-litre Bugatti parts, a 4-litre B.M.W. engine and a 4-litre 4-cylinder Riley engine and pre-selector gearbox unit. Austin Partridge kindly sends a Rover Ten Special instruction book for the Library, and reports that he has disposed of his ex-Farley 4-seater F.W.D. Alvis to an Admiralty inspector, who has completely rebuilt it and now uses it on official journeys ; as the late owner says, ” maintaining vintage prestige instead of lying idle.” Partridge has taken over Ogle’s F.W.D. Alvis 2-seater and is also rebuilding another identical car Kenneth Neve recently had bother with his hack Austin and the D.P.O. allowed him to use his 4i-litre Bentley for a month, for 24 miles a day. This Neve describes as being as good as a second holiday Douglas Tubbs has decided to concentrate on having his twin o.h.c. 16-valve Bamford and Martin Aston restored to good order. The ex-King of Spain’s Bugatti ” Royale ” has been discovered in U.S.A. and, rescued from a scrap-heap, is

now in storage with a Baby Peugeot to keep it company—which must be a very grand sight indeed. FN. Mallock has invested in an” Ulster “Austin Seven and is immersed in Austin Specials. Peter Clark has two wheels with 19-in, well-base rims, made specially for a Lancia “Lambda,” if anyone is in need of them. Graham Dix has acquired a Brescia Bugatti chassis, complete with spare engine, which he intends to restore to good order. R. Timinis, who broke his 1910 Mercedes tourer in the Presteigne Rally, has the car in safe storage, and is applying for membership of the Veteran C.C. Rivers-14 letcher is now with the Monaco Engineering Co. at Watford. He has recently acquired Douglas Tubbs’s s.v. Aston-Martin, in conjunction with Ashworth, and also a T.K. 12/60 ” Alvis 2-seater.

Commodore Earl Howe, R.N.V.R., used a Fiat 500 on official duties.

M.M.E.C.

The Midland Motoring Enthusiasts Club is certainly a go-ahead organisation. Cecil Clutton gave them what he himself describes as an almost interminable speech on “Sports Car Evolution from 1908 to 1938,” in November last, and on December 1st they showed the M.G. film, “Five Successful Years of Motoring.”

STOP PRESS.—We hear that 35 members and friends saw the M.G. film. The next meeting will be on January 5th at the “Windsor,” Birmingham, at 7 p.m.

COVER PICTURE

This month’s cover picture shows the Delahaye driven by Schell and Dreyfus tackling the final test of the 1937 Monte Carlo Rally. I hey started from Stavanger, as did the first three placemen, and finished 5th. They arrived looking as fresh as paint, but Schell, whose 9th Monte Carlo it was, told MOTOR

SPORT’S representative that it was his hardest ever. The final placings were a close thing, and the winner outright proved to be the Delahaye driven by Le Begue and Quinlin. Actually. Schell made fastest time in the final test, but the car lost marks on the road section.

M.V.D.A.

The recently formed Motor Vehicle Dismantlers’ Association has as its chairman E. H. K. Tye, of York Autowreckers. This is pleasing, for Mr. Tye is sympathetic towards collectors of old cars and has assisted several veterans into museums or into good hands.