THE DECEMBER REMBRANDT MEETING

THE DECEMBER REMBRANDT MEETING

N Sunday, December :;rd, yel another Rembrandt enthusiasts’ gathering was held. The usual collection of assorted fast cars was to he seen outside with the usiial coloured num

ber plates ; among the more interesting were a ” 20/90 ” British Salmson, an ” International ” Aston-Ma I1.. i .n. a blown 1,750-e.e. Alfa-Romeo, a “:128” B.M.W.. and a flock of assorted Fiats.

Among the notabilities at the top table were George Rausch, Philip Turner (The ..I 1 f tocar), Mr. and Mrs. Heal, Mr. and NIrs. Kimber, Kay POW, Mr. and Mrs. RiversFletcher, Major O. Bertram, Capt. George Eyston, F. J. Findon (The Light (ai), Mr. and Mrs. Bolster, Fred Craner, Air. and Mrs. Pomeroy, IA. Nlarcus Chambers, If. E. Godfrey and S. lf. Capon. After everyone had illicit their fill George Eyston opened the specch-Making by reading telegrams from Earl Howe. Raymond Mays, Capt. Philips, NV. Buddy and Jack Duller, all regretting their inability to attend the l’inict ion. (A pity that Capt. Philips was needed for tile final 1-LG. parade, as many people were expecting him to give some official statement on the future policy of tlw IZ.A.(. with regard to the Sport.)

In his preliminary speech. Eyslon said how glad he was to be at a motoring enthusiasts’ gathering again ; it was his first in five years. Ire spoke of his troubles during the war ; how the chassis of ” Speed of the Wiad ” was written off, and all his drawings destroyed in an air raid, though the bolls-Itoyee engines were safe. ” Thunderlsilt ” is in New Zealand, after being on show in America, and he will have to go out there to collect it, and while there he will prOhnblv have a look, at the famous 90-mile beach. to the future of racing, he hoped that t he M.O.W.T. would see their way to allow. racing on the roads, and that saa.. slasrls-car races would conic back first, as there are lots of ears ready for the fray. There appeared, he said, no reason %vliv we should not be racing again in tat;, as he hoped the German war would be over by then, and if the trouble in the East was not set tied, that should not stop us. as the East was a long way off. It was high time the basic ration was back, he continued, and if we are to get: it we must agitate ; if we have the tyres why not use them? Ire coneloded by saying he was looking forward to some more record-breaking, but racing would have to get into its stride first.

Cecil Mother gave a vote of thanks to Capt. Eyston in Capt. Philips’s absence. and said how he had known George for a long while, and some of the most CHIVable times they had had were those on Pendine Sands with the ” Magic Atidevt.” lie recalled One or two incidents -k I ()Ilt I IR! Pendine days, one in part jell tar being how George lost the twoonile-sa-minute record due to the ink drying op on Col. Lindsey Llo?,-d’s recorder ! After wishitor Eeston every success in his future record attempts it toast was drunk. Rivers-Fletcher was the next to rise, and he announced the fact that, after due consideration, he had decided not to form a Rembrandt organis:itioie fait to carry

ou as before, ill:IL-Mg the gatherings open to all enthusiasts, Nvith no rules or regulations. [Excellent. -E01 Ile expressed the hope that %ye might have the basic ration bark soon, and just so soon as we did, another thessington type of event you’d be organised. The proveeds from to-day’s function, he said, would be used to purchase motor-racing books and send them to P.O.W. camps in Germany, z•ta the Red Cross. The next Rembrandt meeting would be on. February Ilth. and he hoped the one after that would see everyone there in their cars. Oliver Bertram was the next to be called upon. and lie Opelled by saying how immensely pleased he had been to lind 11 motoring. event taking place oue mouth after returning from South Africa, alter nearly three years’ absence. Ili. was surprised to tind we had no petrol allowmuss as when he left our war outlook was vcrY hlaek;Ind We had a ration ; now, Olen things Were looking distinetly hright On the war front, we had fl++ ralit?ft struck him as

)e,n(r Very strange, while iii Africa he gave many lectures On motorrzteing to the Army, and questions asked by non-enthusiasts NVere n10,4 interesjnne The most popular Wati why hadn’t England G.P. team, and Nvily didn’t INC race on the roads ? Bertram expressed the view that racing on the roads was over-due, and felt that part of’ Salisbury Plain, or some such place, closed for a week, would inconvenience nobody.

Fred Craner was the last speaker and, as expected, he gave some news about Donington. At the moment, he said, the military were in full control, and until they deciiled what they were going to do with the Park, he couldn’t make any plans for future motor-racingactivities. If the Park is used again it will lipen up great possibilities, for numerous new and first-class neols have been built and in many places the side roads are far better than the tr;ick itself.

After a short interval to allow for some pit work on the part of the waiters, everyone assembled again to listen to Capt.. Eyston’s talk on his motor-racing mut record-breaking experiences. One of the incidents which gave Calif. Eyston his greatest impression of speed was on the Masaryk Circuit ; he was racing an 1,100-e.e. M.G. Nlagnette and travelling very fast down a wet, leafy glade, as fast as was humanly possible he thought, when. wham ! Nuvolari shot past in his Maserati and disappeared out or sight. It was on the same circuit that he had a -terrific race with the late Dick Seaman, and though Seaman’s car was slower, he kept up by sheer cornering ability. An amusing incident: was recalled or a Frew+ race in which the winner was the driver who lapped fastest and most consistently. Eyston was driving for Bugattis at the time, and they carried watches on the ears so that they could rush round the eirellit and then slow up. and wait if needs be, befilre passing the timing box. This worked perfectly. though they were nearly beaten by someone else who was playing the same (411111e. Tripoli and a ” 2.3 Monza Mitt was mentioned and how, after some fast

lapping, a piston gave up and Eyston continued on seven Cylinders ; this needed vast quantities of oil, as most of it Came into the cockpit, but every time he came into the pits t1R. faithful Denly Was always there with a can of oil, long after their own supplies had run out ! While in America last year, Capt. Eyston called in at Indianapolis and was quite impressed by the track, and more than anythingelse by the grandstands on the 4Iu/,Ict( (i he e 1Ilt’ltitt at t no’irleichthtitt:

their share of thrills. ()ui the subject of record-breaking, he gave the ” World’s limn.” on the Pan hard as an example of the difficulties one van run .up against ; it took live attempts before the car kept aoing for an hour,

and then the recind vas liniken by only 3.8 secs. Ile also recalled how. on one occasion, gangs of men had to chip ice off the Montlhery bankings before he could start. To finish up, Capt Eyston gave some instances of happenings at with ” Thunderbolt.” (Jute was constantly

delviug into the unknown, as when he made his first run without the stabilising tin and with ice-cooling for the engine, doing away with the radiator. A difficulty with ice-cooling was that there was a 4.}-hour limil . alter tilling up, before all the pipes became frozen solid, and on mu. nei•asion he was kept waiting on the starting line for two hours while the timing apparatus was organised. The only thing he could do was to go io sleep in the cockpit and hope the pipes didn’t freeze. Anotla.r trouble that was experienced

Avas buckling of the rear body panels, when the air brakes were used at 350 m.p.h. Tyres, he said, were the greatest problem of all and one of the limiting factors. Before concludiass (apt. Eyston suggested that for it futon. occasion someone might like to give a talk oil racing failures as an extremely interesting and informittiVe talk could In. built around the subject. Rivers-Fletcher gave a vote of thanks to the speaker and called on Laorence Pomeroy (.11/0/01) to open the discussion. He recalled his early impressions of George Eyston and his efforts with a 1O-valve Astoit-Martin in a J.C.C. 200-Mile Race. He spoke of jet propulsion, turbines and rockets as future MCRI1S of record-I rea king and stressed the importance of weight. The meeting was then thrown open for discussion, and many questions were asked, mainly on record-breaking. P. 11. Monkhouse wanted to know about the accelera ion oI ” Thunderbolt ” : it was equal

to tile s.s. mile recgaal Auto-Union, Eyston thought. Great care had to be exercised, when acceleratina in the gears, not to tear the tyres to shreds. ” Thunderbolt went op to 230 2 tO m.p.h. on the iodirects before changing into top. I’sttally the car was accelerating all through the mile, and once over the finishing line he had to shut off and put the air brakes out. the mechanical brakes being applied at about 180 m.p.h. John Bolster related luov he’d watched the hour run tat the l’aithard. and some one had asked ” Holy the hell does (;eorge keep the damn thing tat the track Eyston explained that :NI. Panhard had built the car for speed trials and the front axle layout was ideal rol. g,oing straight. but hopeless for going round curves. I It’ do ;Anything alamt it as Al. Patihard said It’s a

Try 111cc 1110t Or and ‘erfast. and yon are hot to OR’s” about with it.So (;corgt. had to light the car all rotund AlontlIn%ry’s curves. Further questions %very asked ahont such things as pit svorl: at I•talt. the comparison of the )1.(,.,. AIagie Aliclget

and Tlituiderholt.records at )IontIlliTy, and racing with the (;.I’. Sunbeams.

Iliver,-Fletcher closed the discussion ‘vitli a vote of thanks to (‘apt. 14:yston for (quilting :dole, and talkitur. ;it’d after tea had been served to those NvIto stayed. the gathering drew to a close. 1).S..J.

lawful those present NVITI. LI, and Mrs.

T, 4′. Clarke, 31r. and Mrs. Tubbs, Ntr. anti Mrs. Mittikhouse. Mr. and Mrs. Imhoff. litalney ‘lark… Mr. awl Airs. Potter. Dr. Erlisbury. and Messrs. D. Soo NIoneriel, K. Wharton, I/ix,

R, Irickerton. rresswell, I,. Abiley, tr. England.

Prativi:-.. (4, Moon.. Asimi,o(i. Ash‘v„ri h. A. Hume. R. Parnell. .1. I ‘otiper. .1. ross,kirt it,

Itirliett. It, Poore, It. Arbuthnot. M. NliteNall, L. 11:111;1111y-1. lowrey..1. A, :Mills. E. Nil holt, C. Mertens. A. l’rook, .1. 31elealfe. .1. Fall. D. Taylor, Dibsort. C. Densliani. Dawkins. Johnson. Itussell. 1Vebster. NIurrity. ronswielt. Nenlairy. Burnett, Scott, Ilarshall, Jamieson. St tuldaid. thill, Grace. lVatt. .1. Jesty. Ramage, Itolicrts,

DibbooJerome, Warner, 1

Pollait ow! . Shut hall, Barlow, 1.!!‘% is, Austin.

Howirtl!, Itnt!!.11. Jenkinson I.’ I.!