THE M.C.C. "EDINBURGH"

M.C.C. ” EDINBURGH “

At Easter the M.C.C. gave us a muchstiffer-than-usual Land’s End and in some people’s eyes thereby fell from grace. As if to make amends they contributed a very easy Edinburgh Trial, although the last new hills were rather different from the usual M.C.C. fare, and would undoubtedly have become slime-lanes with more rain beforehand. Even in the dry conditions prevailing they were hard on those who spend these M.C.C. holidays in ordinary carriages shod with ordinary covers. One hundred and forty-two cars started and 103 claimed Premier Awards. The first hill was Park Rash and it did not trouble competitors very much, though N. I,. Ledson’s Type 500 Fiat could not quite get up unaided, the Ford V8s and the Batten-Special, Hutchison’s open two-seater V8 Special and both the L.M.B. Fords went up easily. Incidentally, in spite of our recent editorial,

L. M. Ballamy carried a notice “Running In” in his back window, but he may be forgiven as the car actually was being so driven, except up the hills ! The M.G.s, Morgans, Singers and all the H.R.G.s played with the gradient. Thirty miles led to Summer Lodge, where Ledson’s tiny Fiat made amends for its failure on Park Rash, and wheelspin defeated Y. S. Barzilay’s Singer. J. F. Montgomery (M.G.) appeared to ascend easily but stopped where the hill eased off, and other unsuccessful ones numbered F. Y. Andrews (Lea-Francis), M. H. Lund (Ford Ten), H. W. Yates (Aston-Martin), E. D. Woolley (Vauxhall), and E. R. King (Talbot Ten). An interesting entry was that of B. H. C. Cotton, in the form of an air-cooled flat-twin Tatra coupe,

which ascended slowly. L. E. C. Hill experienced rear-axle trouble beyond the hill with his Singer. Over Buttertubs Pass, where the Clynos, Crouchs and Cluleys boiled furiously years ago, we came to Tan Hill and the new brake test. This was a very easy test, save for those worried about team results, as 15 secs. were allowed when most fast cars only needed 6 secs. Had the braking line been. set invisibly round a bend it would have been far more instructive, especially as even modern brakes tire after the fore

going conditions. R. A. Macdermid (M.G.), F. S. Barnes (Singer) and D. E. Harris (Singer) recorded about 5 secs. or less. The test caught out quite a few, however, including Harris, who slid over the stopping line, H. F. S. Morgan (Morgan) who stopped too soon, A. D. C. Gordon (Ford V8), A. C. Chaslands (Singer) and W. G. Clarke (Austin Seven).

Near the finish, after lunch, came the first new hill, Costerton, the cars being started on a steep section after passing through a deep water-splash. The hill was almost too narrow for the bigger saloon cars. The gradient is around 1 in 5, the surface leaf-mould, and the climb straight after a left-hand bend. That it was dry was bad luck for the M.C.C. Then came the other new hill, Humble, which had a nasty loose patch near the top. Two baby Fiats, Ledson’s included, showed that Costerton was not impossible, and the Ford and M.G. drivers mostly went up a speed, slinging down showers of mud. The bad patch on Hum bie Stopped some fifteen to twenty cars, including R. S. Mantle’s Standard, C. D. Cole’s Triumph and R. G. M. Paul’s 11-litre M.G. Ballamy’s L.M.B. Ford V8 pulled through well and D. C. Scutts made a praiseworthy climb with an unblown, bored-out 8 h.p. L.M.B. Ford

saloon. Very fast indeed was W. M. Walker’s imposing cut-down, blue label red Bentley. This car, which had spare wheels on a stub tail, scanty wings, four spot-lights as headlamps, Telecontrol rear shock-absorbers, a Tubex air-cooled fan tail and narrow body, attracted much attention at the checks, driver and passenger being clad in white overalls and helmets. They are Northern enthusiasts who build special cars in between playing with their motor-yacht. One Vauxhall saloon carried a neatly unobtrusive Coronation band on. its radiator. The retirements during a quite stiff 400 miles were : G. Tyrer (Singer), L. E. C. Hall (Singer), K. C. Scoutter (Singer), J. D. Barnes (Singer), E. C. W. Stapleton (Aston-Martin), C. H. Stroh (WolseleyHornet), S. A. Tippets (M.G.) and A. J. G. Bochaton (McEvoy-Special), though we saw the last-named in action in Edinburgh on the Sunday morning.

So ended another very enjoyable M.C.C. classic, graced by glorious weather and a tonic-holiday to most of the competitors. We would close with a plea to those who draw up along the road outside checks to draw in promptly and not drift along beside the line of waiting cars, searching for a gap—tired lorry drivers are at work, in numbers, while we are at play.

RESULTS

A.C. (2)

C. J. H. Day, S., (3) ; L. P..Taques, S., (3). ALVIS (1)

W. S. Perkins, P.A. ASTON-MARTIN (3) R 11. W. Sharp, P.A,; H. W. Yates, S., (2) ;

E. C. W. Stapleton, R. AUSTIN (5) W. S. Milton, PA.: C. D. Buckley, P.A. .11. L. Hadley, P.A.; W. H. Scriven, S., (3) ; W. G. Clarke,

BATTEN SPECIAL (1) J. D. Batten, P.A. BAYLISS THOMAS (1)

W. 3. Ha,v,•ard, P.A. BENTLEY (1)

W. M. Walker, P.A. FIAT (8)_ C. E. Stothert, P.A.; N. L. Ledson, IL, (1, 5) ;

C. D. Britten, B., (1, 2, 5). FORD (4) I. D. Struthers, P.A. ; A. F. Scroggs, P.A. ;

D. F. Scutts, P.A. ; M. H. Lund, S., (2). FORD V8 (18) R. F. Peacock, P.A. ; B. Burt tal, P, .1. ; J. Harrison. V.A. ; J. McEvoy, P.A. ; J. W. Whalley, P.A. : G. M. Denton. P.A. ; Viscount ‘hot wynd, P.A. : ,T. B. Thompson, P.A. ; D. .1. H. Currie. P.A. : J. A. Kyd, P.A. ; P. Fotheringham-Parker, P. A. ;

M. S. Soames, P.A. ; A. G. Wills, P.A. ; L. M. Ballamy, P.A. ; K. N. Hutchison, S., (6) ; A. D. C. Gordon, S., (3). FRAZER-NASH (2)

A. S. Whiddington, V.A.; N. B. Heard, P.A. FRAZER-NASH-B.M.W. (8)

T. W. Dargue, P.A.; H. 0. Symmons, P.A.; A. E. Frost, P.A.

HILLMAN MINX (1) G. B. Keegan, P. A. H.R.G. (8)

A. E. S. irtis. p.A. It. Robins, P.A. ; H. P. Powell, P.A. ; A. C. Scott. P.A. ; W. A. tindery, S., (3) ; T. L. Seccombe, B., (0.T. L.). JENSEN FORD (2)

D. G. Sileock. P.A. ; P. C. T. Clark, V.A. LANCIA (1)

T. A. Frazer. P. A. LEA-FRANCIS (1)

F. Y. Andrews, B., (1, .2).

MeEVOY SPECIAL (1) A. J. G. 130chaton, R.

M.G. MAGNA (1) J. W. Parr, P.A. M.G. MAGNETTE (9)

P. K. Potter, P.A. ,• V. M. Roberts, V.A.: A. L. Baker, P.A. ; H. I. Wilkes, P.A. ; F. E. Ainicy, P.A.; D. H. George, S., (5) ; W. ff. D. Hall, S., (5); X. W. Fox, B., (3, 5) ; S. A. Tippets, R. M.G. MIDGET (18)

J. Smithies, P.A. ; C. 11. Richardson, P.A. • W. J. Green, P.A. •, S. M. Harrocks, P.A. ; J. G. Murray. P.A.; F. G. Cornish, V.A.: E. (4. Mobbs, V.A.; D. B. Payne, P.A. ; K. S. Richardson, V.A.; R. A. Macdermid, V.A.; J. A. Bastoek, P.A. ; A. B. Langley, V.A.: J. M. Toulmin, P..A. ; H. K. Crawford, V.A.: .1. E. S. Jones, P.A. ; J. F. Montgomery, S., (2); D. Claw, S,, (5); P. A. Richards, B., (0.T.L.).

M.G. 11-LITRE (1) R. G. M. Paul, P.A. MORGAN (7)

0. FL Goodall, P.A.; T. H. Jones, V.A.: J. C. Harris, V.A.; R. Thomas, V.A.; H. F. S. Morgan, 8., (3) ; P. H. G. Morgan, S., (1) ; L. H. Coney, S., (5). RAPIER (1)

M. Zwick, P.A. RILEY (11) G. Dracup, P.A. ; S. Boardman, P.A. ; F. Broomfield, V.A.; J. F. A. Clough, V.A.; N. M. H. Keep, V.A.; A. P. MeGowran, P.A.; S. H. Roe, V.A.; T. S. Heaton-Fairclough, S., (5) ; N. C. Hodgson, S., (5) ; V. J. Fishleigh, S.. (3); 3. M. Laing, 8.. (5) ROVER (1)

A. F. Eadon, P.A. SINGER NINE (10)

E. Evans, V.A.; A. T. K. Debenham, V.A.; G. Goodman, P.A. ; N. Roundhill, P.A, ; H. W. Johnson, P.A.; A. C. Challands, S., (3) ; Y. S. Barzilay, S., (2) : D. A. Neale, S., (5) ; H. M. Hutton, No Award, (().T.L.) ; K. C. Soutter, R. SINGER 11-LITRE (12) C. J. Turner, P.A.; • E. B. Booth, P.A. ; W. A. V. Davis, P.A.; A. H. Langley, V.A.; F. S. Barnes, V.A.; G. L. Boughton, V.A.; 1′. A. Clare, S., (1);

D. E. Harris, S. (3) ; W. C4. Butler, S.. (1) ; Tyrer, B.; L. E. C. Hall, R. ; J. D. Barnes, R. S.S. (2)

N. R. M. Skene, P.A. ; E. H. Jacob, P.A. STANDARD (2)

R. S. Mantle, P.A. ; J. Torrome, S., (5). TALBOT (a)

J. F. Heaton, V.A.; F. E. Barritt, V.A.; E. R. King, 8., (2). TATRA (1)

B. H. C. Cotton, P.A. TRIUMPH (3)

H. F. Burt, V.A.; G. D. Cole, V.A.; A. A. Hutton, P.A. VAUXHALL (1)

E. D. Woolley, B., (2, 5). WOLSELEY (5)

0. K. Collier, V.A.; A. L. Mason, V.A.; L. B. B. Baker, S., (5) ; G. Dresden, S., (5) ; C. H. Stroh, R.

Complimentary awards were made to Major D. Douglas-Morris and A. H. Bartley, drivers of official cars.

Abbreviations : P.A., Premier Award ; S., Silver Medal ; B., Bronze Medal ; R., Retired.

Key to Causes of Failures : (1) Park Rash ; (2) Summer Lodge ; (3) Tan test ; (4) Costerton ; (5) Humble ; (O.P.L.) Outside Time Limit.