Veteran Edwardian Vintage, January 1975

A New Book about Dunlop

OBSOLETE SIZES of tyres, without which veteran and vintage cars could not be run, unless they were equipped with rebuilt wheels to take modern covers which would make them look absurd, are fortunately still available from the Dunlop Company through their distributors, Vintage Tyre Supplies Limited—at a price. The high cost of new versions of old size tyres and tubes can hardly be criticised, for the demand is comparatively small and we live at a time when even mass-consumer goods are becoming almost daily expensive

But having equipped the veteran or vintage, or even post-vintage, car with appropriate-size tyres it behoves the user to fit them properly and treat them kindly. To ensure that the correct procedures are understood “The Tyre Book” has been published by Vintage Tyre Supplies Ltd., Jackman Mews, North Circular Road, Neasden, London, NW10, in conjunction with the Dunlop Rubber Company. It is a book of 24 pages measuring 10 in. x 8 in. with a colour cover and colour diagrams clarifying the valuable points it makes about the correct treatment of beaded-edge, straight-sided, wired-on and vintage racing tyres. Their construction, fitting procedure, sizes available, the dimensions of same, pressures to which they should be inflated, interchangeable information, details of suitable tyre valves and tyre levers, and the tread patterns—twinstud, chevron, triple-stud, F4, D2/103, B5 and RS5—and the types of Dunlop tyres to which these apply, have all been collected together in this long-needed book, which expands previously available data.

There is an introductory note by Sir Reay Geddes, Chairman of Dunlop Holdings Ltd., and a Foreword by the Editor of MOTOR SPORT, in which he traces the history of tyre development, gives some interesting information about the Dunlops used on Parry Thomas’ 170 m.p.h. “Babs” in 1926, and makes a plea for pre-war vehicles to be given tyres of the correct dimensions. This little discourse on old-size tyres will be welcomed by the pre-war car fraternity, dealing as it does With tyres from 26 >, 3 and 710 < 90 to 7.00 x 16 and 6.00 x 15 tyres.

Unfortunately the current cost of colour printing, etc. has made it astronomically expensive, at £3.50, especially as four pages consist solely of conversion tables.

V-E-V Miscellany..—Sir Anthony Starner, Bt. has relinquished Secretaryship of the Bugatti OC/Ferrari OC; his place has been taken by Geoff Ward, Clerk of the Course at Prescott, who is a professional administrator. Dr. Janet Missen now edits Bugantics. Martin Morris has started a racing workshop in Devon in conjunction with Bryan Wills, which can prepare, tune and rebuild the right sort of cars. Some old prints of early aeroplanes at Brooklands, comprising Gordon England’s Bristol, Lt. Bier’s Etriek monoplane, Cody’s Cathedral, Beaumont’s Bleriot, and those of Vendrinies and Graham White, etc., with cars on the banking in the background, have come to light and copies are offered at £2 the set„ post-free, by Karmen Historical Photos, 2a, Granton Road, Edinburgh, EH5 3Gli.

The Amilcar Register’s Bob Porter Memorial Trophy has been won by Charles Shiffmann for his splendid rebuild of a CGS Amilcar. A meeting was held in Coventry last month to launch a Register of post-vintage 1-lumbers made after the Rootes takeover in 1930. Details from: P. Dalton, Roseleigh, Epping Road, Epping, Essex CM18 5I1W. The HVCJC’s conference of Member Clubs took place in November, at the RAC. A 71-year-old reader sends a photograph (see page 30) of the first car in Oakengates, Salop, saying it arrived by rail, refused to start, and was towed by a horse to the family garage. He asks if anyone can identify it; he turned out for last year’s VCC Round-the-Wrekin Rally but the nearest he saw was a De Dion Bouton. Could it be a Renault ? The same correspondent remembers a circa-I910 Stevens tricar, on which he travelled to Aberystwyth, the accumulator having to be recharged on the return journey, as there was no dynamo; a photograph of it still exists. Another reader has an ash-tray inscribed “K.L.M. Sommart “A” Lingen 1923 3c Pris Automobil” and wonders if anyone can say for what it was awarded ? The Hon. Sec. of the Montgomery Civic Society has kindly let us see some photographs made from old plates taken by a local photographer and depicting Welsh motoring scenes, one of which appears above. Rumour talks of yet another motor museum, this time near Market Harborough, specialising in bull-nose Morris exhibits. It is reported that in this area there is an early BSA car, that a dismantled Arid Square Four motorcycle is in a house in Middlesex, that a Rolls-Royce, formerly owned by a deceased publican, may be for sale in Essex and that £120 was bid for an Austin 7 saloon that had been relegated to the roof of an hotel.

In Scotland most parts of a mid-1930s Morris Eight saloon, and those of a 1930s Austin 7 saloon and cabriolet exist; letters can be forwarded. In Berkshire a 23.8 h.p. Sunbeam requires a back axle and a lady is enthusiastically rebuilding a 1937 Type 230 Mercedes-Benz Pullman 7-seater saloon. At the AGM of the South Hants Vehicle Preservation Society proposals that the date limit of the club should be extended to include vehicles made up to the end of 1950 or which are over 25 years old was thrown out by approx. 50 votes to 15.

The Radnor Division of Powis CC has been putting its Aveling and Porter “Invicta”-type steam-roller No. 11208 on road-widening work on the A44 between Cross Gates and Rhayader. Now that the BBC has been showing “The Forsyte Saga” again will someone confirm that while Fleur’s 30/98 Vauxhall is well-chosen, the Austin taxi used in the same period of the film is of too-late vintage. An even more glaring error is made by ITV in “Upstairs, Downstairs” when a wounded officer in the 1914/18 War is brought home from France to England in a W. & G. ambulance which is of circa 1927/28 vintage.