V.S.C.C. ODIHAM DRIVING TESTS

V.S.C.C. ODIHAM DRIVING TESTS

(December 11th)

III leaving difficult-to-locate Risley. the annual Ns inter driviuggests fixture ofthe Vintage S.C.C. moved to the squalor of the Slough Trading Estate. shifted to bleak l.asharn airfield and. this year went to another airfield near the secluded North Hampshire town of thliliant. which estate agents refer to as

niiii’i-soicItt -cider.

Au t• cellent entry a TO; , as obtained, with eiiiiihnSiS this time on vint:toe vehicles, for 11 1.st•re pro-1931 (17 tinder I!, litres. 21nVer this limit). Ilic remainder ,•on,isling of half-milozen malI mot eight larger postint.ige thorolighltred..

(Itt the ‘sis to the tie, venue sye fell in lit…hind a 1925 Austin Ileavy T,c1% e tourer, soils hood, nih a fantail on the end of its exhaust pip.. and containing t,o wet duffle-coated to:elm:nits—we. knew Ave were on the right trae1. ! Alas. persistent rain fell all day. but, after the arriving, machinery hail been held baek while a V.I.P. took oft alone. in a 1)Itkot a. everyone assent tiled on the far side of the aerodrome and Secretary Tim Carson bravely cansed micretions to commence. The. first test ,as a Le Man’s-start sprint. In this C. Erskinesmart 3.3-litre Bugatli emu., very neatly. ti..1 nit it ito fuss. made f.t.d. in 1/1.2 see.. Peter Ilinns upholding vintager) by taking a mere one-filth second longer in his uell-knoun open (01. Third fastest time wa aevOilifiliAleil by II I.. It. Nnide’S Shortened is nit)c non-original open body (19.8 p. Major% .19:12 ” Otani-gang ” FrazerNash 1.zot going neatly, likeuise .1. ?1. wire-‘,Iteeleft Tanvia ‘,Ignsta saloon. while “ilk slightly ShMer. both (liking 21 is ere L. T. D. 1 I. very attractive and original 1927 Atuilear Grand Sport and W. S. [tenth’s 1938 ” chain-gang s’ Frazer-Nash. the A milear being espeeially outstanding is. it is EIN wound-up by band, while the ‘Nash Ilea% ed itself n‘? a> from the start in typical style. Nearly as rapid uas K. Bamford’s 1930 14-litre Invieta coupe. .1. Maylan’s very genuine Brooklands model Bile) Nine yes placed second in its etas. to he ,Nntilcar, while Ow 1928-engine(‘ 9,29 !lumbers of I). T. It. I )ighinii

and W. L. T. icider tied for third plat., in the satin’ category. ,hereas in the big-thoroughbreds etas. a feur second separated A. II. t;ostling’s ..mtoking 1932 2-litre 1.agontla and J. W. T. Croeker’s late-type 2-litre Lagotula. both open cars. for third place. It is,n, nolierable that amity removed their coats for this te,..1 it ‘-rne of the rain: t hey proved !utter t ban some of ‘lie cars. N. .1.insysorth’s 1930 ..1.1.1itre Invicta. with fearsome outside exhaust system. spoiling an otheeni,e exrellent rim toy reluctance to commence, %Odle outstanding pedestrian-acceleration couldn’t make lip for the misfiring of M. I

.,ett’s noisy blown 2-litre La.gortila. N. A. 1921 Lancia Lambda asked for four prods on the -tarter. .1. W. Houle)”, cut-and-shirt 1929 Lambda. eight_ before their VI. engines ,o111.1 fire. in contrast, both M. [rickey. it %k id cheek cap. and B. t. M Aker got off (plied,/ ccii tin’ ii it-iarters of their early ‘.bullnosc Nlorris cars, the latter …oniethile.: very incongruous under its Imnnet in the form of an Arnritt supercharger. J. J. M..00deoek’s well-known 11,10 Humber tourer had a fir-e

clutch and its radiator muff down, M. II. Wilby’s Rapier (by Lagonda) was misfiring. and very smart in bright blue was S. G.

Bourne’1931 100-111.p.h. I’m-chassis Invieta., a neat performer.

1.. F. Parks’ early Singer Junior saloon carried a considerable family and, not to be outdone. Dighton’s Humber had a pram tied on the luggage carrier. 1… .1. WiekliariCs 1929 ” beetle-hack ” 12/50 Alvis required two commands bt•fore its engine starteil. and although .f).Ii.Gahagan’s C. P. Ilitgath Nyepresent to lend a ” circuit ” air to the place, it skink civ ay into a corner and didn’t perform at all. After the sprint ealite ;111 excise in blind-flying. at, which the first pair to rum ?mole Ir.,. tor the hest job of it —T. N. Maekeau andlady in an exotic 1921 .,C. tomer with a rather rude stern and bicycle tyres. Their 29 seetinds was approaehed closely only by P. Henderson in a genuine 192.1 sports Bayliss-Thotuas with alitthiniunt pointed-tail tun-seater hod% and remote outside handbrake (33.8 see.), S. R. Wain, in a rare open Rhode Hawk (36.6 see.) and J. A. Denne in the 1911 Humber (36,8 see.). which had a very near-miss on a marker tub ‘,Ult. one liras; hill,cap! .1. Kendall’s 1927 4-litre Riley tourer spoilt a nice rim by removing a marker tub, the crew of J. J. (:lement,’ 1921, Nitstin Heavy Twelve tourer

(with those deliodu ri ii isay -carriage oi al door handles) got eompletely confused. taking 165.1 see.. and B. 11. Clarke. driving white 1913 Austin ,Itich syas trying to look like aft early racing car. stalled his engine and had to be pu,hed away when it absolutely refused to restart. but init before lie had Made :chant blindfold at tempt, to get SOW(‘ sense Into it, aided by % iooron, teasnwork from his passenger. isho kept her umbrella iup throughout. Another who stalled was I). Define in his 1913 Sunbeam tourer, his passenger winding hint tip again. I). E. Lincoln’s original and handriome 1929 t.).VI. ,as one of those whir)) bad to reverse. int:diming wetness a ,iggle-unggle-eittn-brake-test was run off, those ,loise brakes didn’t beim, E. S. Eaton’s 1927 30.198 Vauxhall am! .1. ketithill’s Utley, the latter executing a record slide. Five competitor, failed through making no attempt to brake, Clarke mistook the finishing line. and it was left to Dighton’.. little Humber Riuley’s 1.ancia (1.1.8 see.) and Taylor’s Amilear (15.0 ‘re.) to :hum in. how it Shnufd dinte:

‘I he %shill. It tics. of the parking test having been ,asherl away, the last h.q. %%as a width-judging affair_ taken. cruelly. in reverse.

.1. Malyan. .1. Kendall. I). E. Lincoln and .1. . Rowley were overoptimistic :Ind v(Midn’t pas, between the markers. but M. Leo obvious]. haS Mit king to fear front driving•test or city-parking, leaving only four inches. ,hile by taking a big sweep on the turn Cmstling managed 1,1., in., ,ith which Clarke tied, while both Heath and Croeker cleared in3 in.. Major and Waine needing another half Melt. After this IL II. Steuart ut, able to v. ind …hut the various signalling apertures of Ids smart 1933 lioll.-Itoyee, others to eower under hoods. ..1’n• to lace the full wrath of the elements. Mf• the

contingent of varied and indkidual tor cars went illto cram the ” Plmetti •• car park to capa,ity and sample Don I tear’s afternoon teas. .S.C.C. persiuniahitius ,11(1 braved the blihem weather were T. W. Carson (Bradford %an). Kent Kerslake ()Innis Isis Traveller). Barry Dove (Firrd Popular). Ian Sontlion (f.w.d. Tracta emilo’). Ron Barker (Lancia Isttira limousine). and John

Morley. ” beetle-haek ” 12/511 XI is ,as indeed a pearl :.intong swine. The spectator’s car park eontained a y ast vintage Standard saloon and a nicely-original, aluminium-bonneted IL E. Dutch-clog three-semer.

Itesutts

(:iao. 1 (Vintage Cant up to 1,500 c.c.) s

First Class D. T. It. Dighton (PM Ilunther).

Second (:hia. T. N. Marketin (1421 A.C.).

Third Oa. s I.. I. 1). Taylor It’e27 Anfilenr) and S. It Wait.Il’t29 Rhode Hawk). Clams 11 (Vintage C11114 11Vel 1,500 r.e.1 Fir.1 Claus i P. J. E. (1,117 (JM.) unit 1. A. Venue (191I number). Second a.X6 g M. Le.. I 1931) 1,0g1,01111) oust R. E. R. Noble 0930 Alkil• Third Clans s D. k. (1926 !this) and M. J, Illsekstepp (192M1 Clasuiea III and IV (Thoroughbred Cars( t

First Uinta s J. C. Erskine /fill (1935 Rugatti).

Seeond Clan. s J. M. Histollehlre 119:16 Lancia). Third (ho.. u W. S. Ileattiti 438 Friii.er•NitAli) mint P. Major (19:12 Frazer-N[14s)