The Bugatti O.C. at Silverstone

Arriving at the venue at a very early hour, appropriately, as passenger in a Bugatti, the morning was disposed of in watching the practice and strolling round the Paddock.

Nothing very startling happened on the course, although Manfield’s B.M.W. proved a bit skittish, Heath’s M.G. spun round at Stowe corner, and Smith’s M.G. used the escape road at this point. Robson was cornering his Lancia “Lambda” with abandon, Noble’s V12 Lagonda drophead, rebuilt for the Monte Carlo Rally, rolled appallingly, while Hartwell’s modern o.h.v. Sunbeam-Talbot saloon was faster than open s.v. versions of this marque. Goodwin’s 8-litre Bentley went on boiling merrily long after it came in, and poor Willoughby was doing his best to caulk a leak at a water connection on his ex-Cunliffe 3-litre Bentley.

Howorth’s unusual-looking 4 1/2-litre Lagonda, with i.f.s. by transverse leaf-spring, became unstable when a wing stay broke, allowing the front cowling to flap, and welding operations were undertaken at the wonderful Gerard mobile-workshop trailer, which had arrived behind the well-known Gerard van containing Joan Gerard’s Riley “Sprite.” A Rootes Group van was present to serve members of the Sunbeam-Talbot Owners’ Club.

Other things which the Paddock revealed were that Miles’ Miles-Nash was a Ford V8-engined Frazer-Nash, that Kitchin had large Perspex aero-screens and a plated external exhaust system on his 2-litre “Ulster” Aston-Martin, which Morgan’s 2 1/2-litre Riley saloon seemed able to hold on acceleration, that Scales’ M.G. had a 1,706-c.c. M.G. engine with outside exhausts, and that Allen’s 8th Series Lancia “Lambda” was one of the rare two-seater models, while Scales’ beautifully rebuilt 6th/7th Series Lancia “Lambda” was once owned by the Editor of Motor Sport. Lusty and Beba found their “TC” M.G.s much of a match, a foretaste of what was to follow, while Leonard was expecting that his famous Marshall-blown M.G. Magnette, now with standard head and, incidentally, using a normal small sump, would be beaten by Jacobs’ blown 1,086-c.c. M.G. Hutton drove the ex-Peter Clark “3.3” Bugatti, but it wasn’t very fast.

The original intention had been to make drivers leap into their cars at the fall of the flag, but this was considered to be dangerous with a grid start. Cars had, however, to be started on the starter-motor when the flag fell — but, we wonder, did Tony Curtis have his tongue in his cheek when he described the racing as confined to absolutely standard sports cars? No handicapping was used, various one-make races were grouped together, and grid positions were determined by ballot.

1st Race: Miscellaneous Cars — 10 laps (24 miles)
Although Finch’s Amilcar, Marshal’s Amilcar, Burton’s Riley, Leston’s Jaguar, Baring’s Veritas (not the Hutchison car) and Brown’s M.G. were non-starters, the field numbered 25. The lucky front-row occupants comprised Manfield’s “328” B.M.W., Waring’s business-like Alvis “Speed Twenty,” Binns’ vintage O.M., Ching’s 1 1/2-litre Alfa-Romeo, Leigh’s Ford V8-engined S.M., and Sir David, Gamble’s Invicta.

A hush of expectancy fell as the “elapsed-minutes ” boards were displayed and Ken Hutchison prepared to flag the cars off. Someone started his engine as the flag went up, but was persuaded of his error in time, and all engines were dead as the Union Jack swept down. Mostly the starters did their work nobly, and Sidney Allard nosed through from the second row in his Prescott-record sports Allard, to lead from Tony Crook’s “2.9” Alfa-Romeo at Beckett’s Corner. The unfortunates whose engines took a long time to fire were Manfield, Tenbosch’s ugly Duncan-Healey and Binns, whose O.M. lost a hopeless amount of time.

After a lap it was Allard, Crook, Newton (making his first appearance in his 2-litre 1949 “Competition” Frazer-Nash), Tyrer’s B.M.W., Matthews’ Jaguar and McAlpine’s Connaught, with the rest roaring along in pursuit in a vast cloud of dust. Already the S.M. was unhappy. Next round the order of the leaders was unchanged, but both Allard and Crook had increased their lead over Newton, and McAlpine had passed Matthews. Buckler was slip-streaming Wykes’ Frazer-Nash, and Rohll’s “2.3” Alfa-Romeo was coming up strongly.

On lap three Crook passed Allard on Chapel Curve and led by some 50 yards, the Allard’s plugs having oiled-up due to the effect of oil surge on the corners. Miles lost a chain from his V8 Frazer-Nash, but otherwise the position generally remained calm, although Crook drew steadily away from Allard, whose car became more and more intermittent in its sparks department, while, behind, Matthews, Hall’s Frazer-Nash and Miles were locked in combat, with a similar battle being fought farther back between Buncombe’s H.R.G., Bremner’s 1,750-c.c. Alfa-Romeo and Ching.

By half-distance Wykes’ rear number-plate was trailing on the ground and the Allard sounded worse, so that Newton was closing on it, the Frazer-Nash sounding beautiful except for a suggestion of clutch slip as he changed-up. Behind, McAlpine was trying so hard in the new 1,767-c.c. Connaught that he clipped the Stowe straw-bales on his eighth lap. After nine laps Newton caught Allard, passing Sir David Gamble’s Invicta on the outside round Stowe Corner in his hurry. Considering that his Frazer-Nash had run only 600 miles since Newton took delivery, it put up a most notable performance. The Connaught finished fourth, ahead of Hall’s 2-litre Frazer-Nash and Matthews’ Jaguar.

1st: T. A. D. Crook (2,904-c.c. Alfa Romeo) … 19 min. 28.8 sec.
2nd: E. J. Newton (1,971-c.c. Frazer-Nash) … 19 min. 37.1 sec.
3rd: S. H. Allard (4,375-c.c. Allard) 19 min. 45.6 sec.

2nd Race: Aston-Martin, Riley and Sunbeam-Talbot Cars — 10 laps (24 miles)
As they lined up Oldbury seemed undecided whether to have the screen up or down on his Sunbeam-Talbot. This time the front row men were Elwell-Smith, Cowlrick, Freeman, Fisher, distinctive in yellow jersey and white helmet, and Kitchin, all in Aston-Martins, of which 16 were entered, and Oldbury. The non-starters were Askey’s and Bond-Williams’ Aston-Martins, Buckley’s Riley and Brown’s Sunbeam-Talbot, leaving a field of 27. The unfortunates whose starters jibbed were Elwell-Smith, Cowlrick and Mrs. Gerard, while Fisher’s Aston-Martin refused to start altogether and was pushed off the course.