V to C Miscellany, January 1991

The Vintage Sports Car Club has announced its 1991 fixture list. An impressive one, it contains 32 events, of which eleven are open to non-members as paying spectators. These latter fixtures include the customary two Silverstone race meetings, which will have the benefit of the completely revised circuit, on April 29th and June 15th, and two race meetings at the efficient Donington Park circuit, with a beauty contest (for cars!) at the second one, the dates being May 27th and September 21st. Unfortunately the well-liked two-day Oulton Park race meetings with their attendant attractions will not happen in 1991, and although the VSCC is being a little reticent as to why, it seems that Brand Hatch Circuits Ltd did not amass enough profit from the 1990 ‘gate’. A one-day meeting was offered by them to the VSCC but this clashed with another event, so had to be declined.
There is already disappointment being expressed, particularly by Midlands spectators, about this, but as compensation the VSCC has its popular Cadwell Park races on August Bank Holiday Sunday and has added a race day at Mallory Park, for July 7th. The sprint meetings happen again, at Curborough on May 5th, historic Shelsley Walsh on July 6th, at the Bugatti OC’s Prescott Hill on August 4th and at Wiscombe in Devon on May 12th. Then there will be the seaside speed trials at Weston-Super-Mare on October 6th. You may care to make a note of the dates now, or better, join the VSCC (Associates are accepted) and enjoy reduced admission charges. The Secretary is: David Franklin, 121 Russell Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5JX.

RJ Evans, Curator of the Manx Motor Museum, must be well-liked by the ‘greens’, because he is continuing to use as everyday transport his 1916 Detroit electric car.

The owner of an interesting FWD Alvis wants to trace the first ten years of the car’s history, prior to 1938. It was owned in the late 1930s by Austin Partridge, who also had the ex-EK Farley FWD Alvis. It seems that Partridge amalgamated the two cars, so that the car in question has its own chassis, but the engine from the blown Farley Alvis, albeit with the original magneto, etc. Farley also had two of these cars, a two-seater and a four-seater, the latter, with green-and-grey Carbodies body, Reg No UW 2017, apparently successful in Skegness sand-races and at Brooklands, being quicker than the twoseater. It was re-bodied around 1950, and after being used on the road, and successfully raced in VSCC events in 1960, was laid up in a barn in 1962. A replica Cross & Ellis Le Mans body is now being made for it and a Roots supercharger will be installed. But where was this Alvis prior to 1938? Letters can be forwarded.

The ‘Forgotten Makes’ article on the Turcat-Méry has brought in the information that a Turcat-Méry Rougier biplane was exhibited at the 1910 Paris Aero Show and that there is a modern link, because André Turcat, who with our Brian Trubshaw, was the first to pilot Concorde, has a vintage Turcat-Méry, which has been seen in French vintage car events.

The Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club is hoping to receive as many or more entries for its long-established Pioneer Run to Brighton on March 24th in 1991, as it had last year, when 380 pre-1915 solo, sidecar and three-wheeled machines were entered, claimed to be the world’s largest veteran motorcycle event. If you want a change from cars, the Run will start from Tattenham Corner, Epsom Downs, at 8.30am and follow the A217/A23 route to finish at Madeira Drive, Brighton from around 10.30am. Entry forms from: Marjorie Ayers, 59 Beechwood Road, Sanderstead, Surrey, CR2 OAE.

Our ‘Cars In Books’ feature has been lying low of late but a reader tells us that two vintage Alvises are mentioned in Lord Hailsham’s recent book. These were a 12/40 given to him by his father as a 21st birthday present in 1928 and a 12/50 which Lord Hailsham bought for himself in the early 1930s.