Club News, June 1955

Alvis 12/50 Register
The Esso House Rally and Driving Tests, open by invitation to the Humber and Sunbeam S.T.D. Registers, took place on April 24th, with an entry of 46 and nine non-starters.

Best overall performance was made by B. Maxwell-Muller’s F.W.D. Alvis disguised under an S.S.I. tourer body. He scored 160 marks. F/O N. Bennett “batted” ably for his side, coming second, with 144 marks, in a TG Alvis 12/50, while third best performance went to M. Robertson’s 12/50 Alvis with 139 marks, so the Alvis Register had every reason to be pleased.

The contest consisted of a single navigational road-section, with clues to be unravelled, and three driving tests at Esso House, one of which involved driver and passenger in eating a very dry biscuit and inflating and bursting a paper bag against the stop-watch, a somewhat messy occupation at which Mr. Paget’s younger daughter scored the greatest applause.

An interesting Humber present was a 9/20 with bulbous-tailed 2-seater body, rather reminscent of the bodywork on the Triumph Ten, believed to be the only example in this country, although there is said to be another in Australia. A very smart and noisy 2-seater F.W.D. Alvis competed, the little Humbers were notably nimble in the tests and the bigger Sunbeams and Talbots mostly managed well.

The prizes were presented by the Hon. Registrar of the Sunbeam Register. Mrs. W. Boddy, who came in a “VW,” and the Hon. Registrar of the Humber Register, Lt. A. B. Demans, was present, having arrived in a 2-litre Lagonda. The best performance amongst Virginia Water starters was made by Lt.-Comdr. Rabbit’s big-port SD 12/50 Alvis (78 marks), the Humber prize went to P. G. Walters (9/20), the Sunbeam prize to E. A. Price (Twenty tourer) and other awards were won by D. W. Jopling (12/25 Humber), G. Beauthorpe (TJ 12/50 Alvis) and D. Preston (TG 12/50 Alvis). Hon. Secretary: R. H. Johnson, 399, Ley Street, Ilford, Essex.

Manx A.C.
The Manx A.C., in conjunction with the V.C.C. N.W. and N.E. Sections, will hold a veteran car rally from June 1 1th-16th. This is in the nature of a series of socials and organised drives and free passage is promised to early entrants, of which 50 are expected.

Singer O.C.
The Annual General Meeting of the S.O.C. was held at Club H.Q. Ashtons Hotel, Paddington, on March 16th. After a review of club sporting and social activities for the year, the election of officers and committee for 1955/56 took place, when J. Sewell was elected Chairman with R. F. Matthews as Vice Chairman and Hon. Treasurer and R. C. lnce as Hon. Secretary. After a vote of thanks to the retiring committee a unanimous vote was passed that Keith McDowell be made a Vice President, and Jean McDowell be made an Honorary Life Member of the club. A presentation was made to them both in appreciation of their services as founders of the S.O.C. At a recent Extraordinary Meeting of the Singer Owners Club a motion was passed that owners of Singer-engined HRGs be invited to join the club as Full Members. Secretary: R. C. Ince. 75, Apple Grove, Enfield, Middlesex.

R.A.C. British Hill-Climb Champioinship 1955
The R.A.C. British Hill.Climb Championship, 1955, will be decided upon the results of the following six hill climbs:

Boness … June 25th
Rest-and-be-Thankful … July 2nd
Bouley Bay … July 21st
Craigantlet … August 6th
Shelsley Walsh … August 28th
Prescott … September 11th

The championship will be-open to any individual driver of British nationality holding an F.I.A. Competition Licence issued by the R.A.C. There will be no formalities of entry.

The marks obtained in four meetings only will count towards the championship. The R.A.C. will assess a competitor’s marking from his four best performances, only one marking per event to count. The following system of marking will be employed:

For the fastest time of the day … 10 marks
For the second fastest time … 9 marks
For the third fastest time … 8 marks
And so on to 10 places.

On completion of the championship meeting these marks will be totalled by the R.A.C., and the eligible driver gaining the highest number of marks will be adjudged the champion. The winner wil hold the R.A.C. Trophy for twelve months, as from the 1st January following the year of the competition. He will hold the title of British Hill-Climb Champion for the same period, and will receive a plaque or other souvenir.

In the event of a tie, the eligible driver who has, in the opinion of the Competitions Committee, put up the more meritorious performance during 1955 shall be adjudged the winner.

Entrants are bound by the General Competition Rules of the R.A.C., these Conditions and the Supplementary Regulations of each Championship meeting.

Plymouth M.C.
On April 17th the Plymouth M.C. ran off their Manor Trophy Rally for Standard Production Cars. The event was run in conjunction with a similar one by the Highland Touring Club of California which had invited the Plymouth Club to form Anglo-American teams. The winning team was the driver from each club losing least marks. The American club presented neat windscreen plaques commemorating “The First Transatlantic Rally.” The Manor Trophy was run over a short route, interspersed with simple tests, the results being as follows: —

Manor Trophy — 1st: T. Way )Triumph TR2), 8 marks lost.
2nd: D. Algate (Triumph TR2).
3rd: G.HI. Turnbull (Vauxhall).
Non-Trade Award — L. B. Freeman (Morgan).
Team Awards —1st : D. Algate Mr. and Mrs. E. Kelley (M.G. TD).
2nd: R. Way, Mr. and Mrs. E. Murphy.
3rd: C.Hoard, Mr. and Mrs. Paterson.