Club News, November 1938

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LIGHT CAR CLUB

The winter trials season has commenced in earnest. The Light Car Club held its annual Buxton Trial just as the Crisis cleared, with an entry of twenty-one cars.

The Rank proved a nasty gradient, productive of many failures. In the slowfast test best showing was made by T. Wagner’s Morris Minor and in the second special test Imhof’s T-M.G. clocked 23.8 secs., and W. S. Perkins beat this by .3 of a sec. in his H.R.G.

RESULTS

Best Performance : A. G. Imhof (1,780 c.c. M.G.) Premier : A. Eadon (1,585 c.c. Rover).

Second-Class Awards : T. Wagner (908 c.c. Morris), D. G. Mather (1,498 c.c. Bugati), 1). G. Sileock (3,022 c.c. Ford), G. Tyrer (847 c.c. M.G.), K. G. Scales (939 c.c. M.G.).

Team Award : North-West London M.C. (I). 0. Mock, W. S. Perkins, K. N. Smith).

SOUTHSEA M.C. The Peterstield area was used for the

The Peterstield area was used for the Hunt Trophy Trial, in which twenty cars started. Comp. boots were allowed, but had to be fitted at the commencement of the first section. In the restart teat up Valewood, J. H. Evans (Riley) managed 18p0 secs. and Michael Lawson’s white H.R.G. 18i sees. A brake teat followed, in which Sheppard’s T-M.G. Clocked 9 secs. to record best performance. Glue Pot (name of a trials hill, my dear) was fairly easy, but Don Kirkman was unlucky, in that his famous cut-down 12/50 Alvis just fitted a trench across the route. Leslie Johnson hereabouts smote a tree with his Type 55 Frazer-NashB.M.W., spoiling its trim frontworks. Cow tracks contributed some 00 feet of potent mud. a 1 in 3 gradient and a mag

nificent hairpin at the lop. Six cars climbed it and five. beat the dreaded Aduxas. On Watertight Dewey’s and Crump’s special Riley ceased to move in a forward direction for a while. Streatham Hill (not S.W.2) was extremely difficult and, for the most part, tackled in the dark. Credit goes to Lawson’s H.R.G. and Crump’s and Evans’s Rileys for ascending the new top section. J. H. Evans (Riley Nine) took the Hunt Trophy.

The annual dance and presentation of awards will be held on November 18th, and the annual general meeting at the George Hotel, Old Portsmouth, on November 24th. The Club issues excellent news bulletins and gives the Lloyd Evans Tankard to the member who enlists the greatest number of new members. The membership is now around the century mark. The annual subscription is 10/for full members and 5/for social members, with entry fees of 5/and 2/6, respectively. Badges cost 7/6. Particulars from the Hon. Secretary, Southsea M.C., Elm Club, Elms Grove, Southsea.

HARROW C.C. well

Twenty-one cars started in the wellorganised -Chiltern Trial on October 17th. The first hill was Gornms, comprising a climb up the side of a sharply inclined field on private ground. Leslie Johnson (Type 55 B.M.W,), Dave Harris (T-M.G.), and Taylor’s blown T-M.G. did well here. Grassy Bank stopped eleven cars and Crowell, easier than Usual, six. The only special test was a brake-test, in which R. Emmings (P-M.G.) recorded 7.6 secs., Harris and Hodge (T-M.G.$) tying for second best in 8.2 secs. This was a nonComp. trial, with a special route for saloon entries. It finished pleasantly early at Princes Risborough, where the results were soon announced, together with a cheery explanation of the day’s happenings. On the hill at which we marshalled the officials had excellent help, were extremely pleasant to everyone and found proper jobs for their marshals to do—certain other clubs, note. Harris won the Moss

please note. Harris won the Moss Cup. RESULTS

Moss Cup : 1,D. E. Barris (M.G.) ; 2. C. W. Taylor (M.G.. S.) ; 3, L. 0. Johnson (Frazer-ash-B.M.W.). Saloon Class : 1, D. W. Price (Ford V8).

First-Class Awards : L. 0. Johnson (Fram-NashB.M .W. ), ( W. Taylor (M.G.), 111. Emmiligs (M.G.).

Second-Class Awards : K. V. Baillie-Hill (11.11.0.), C. J. Wordsworth (MM.), S. ‘1’. Lush (Austin).

Team Award : D. E. Harris and C W. Taylor M.G.$).

VETERAN CAR CLUB

Once again on Sunday. November 20th, that in every way excellent event, the Veteran Car Run to Brighton, will start from London, organised by the R.A.C. in conjunction with the V.C.C. The old cars, all pre-1905 models, will get away to any early start. This year no complicated schedules will be used, but to obviate dangerous or unpopular speeds from things like Sixty Mercedes and the G.B. Napier, any competitor getting to a check 15 minutes early will be excluded. The schedule speeds set are : 1894-96 cars, 10 m.p.h. ; 1897-1900 cars, 12 m.p.h. -; 1901-2 cars, 14 m.p.h. ; 1903-4 cars 18 m.p.h.. A grand tour of Brighton is mentioned after the finish and tea will be taken at the Prince Regent’s Dragon Room in Brighton Pavilion and lunch at Crawley. This is one of the best winter events, which everyone should attend. We hear of the possibility of a 3 h.p. belt-drive horizontal engined DarracqDonee being unearthed from a farm near Nottingham, and the usual big entry is assured. MOTOR SPORT hopes to cover the event, as usual, by riding on or driv

ing a competing car. Details from the R.A.C., Pall Mall, S.W.I.

FUTURE FIXTURES The trials season is now in full swing

The trials season now and here are a few vital dates :

Nov. 13 Brighton and Hove M.C. HalfDay Trial.

Nov. 19 Inter-‘Varsity Trial.

Great West M.C. Thatcher Trophy Trial (Chilterns). „ 19-20 Bugatti O.C. Night Trial

(Salisbury area).

„ 20 Harrow C.C. Cottinghani Trial. „ 26 Sporting O.D.C. Davis Trophy

Kentish Border C.C. Sporting Trial (Kent).

„ 27 Vintage S.C.C. Trial (Gloucestershire).

Dec. 3 N.W. London M.C. LondonGloucester.

4 Maidstone and Mid-Kent Brian Lewis Cup (Kent).

„ 11 United Hospitals’ & U.L.M.C. Trial (Chilterns).

West Hants and Dorset CC. Simon Trophy.

„ 26 Ford Enthusiasts’ Club BoxingDay Trial.

Turn out if you can to push, watch, photograph or compete. There is a nice busy week-end in store for enthusiasts on November 1901-20th, as follows :Inter-‘Varsity Saturday morning and afternoon, a rest, off to see a hill in the Bugatti O.C. Night Trial, and a dice back in thne for the Veteran Car Run on the Sunday. Going ?

WHAT ARE COMP. BOOTS?

As soon as the R.A.C. ban on competition covers in trials was announced, certain folk began to demand to know what do, and what do not, constitute comp. covers. This the R.A.C. has countered very neatly by issuing a full list of covers of well known makes that will be permissible in trials after the ban comes into force after December 31st next. The list is given below, and we shall be glad to have the comments of those more experienced in these matters than our good selves, as to whether the list is a fair and comprehensive one, and on any other aspects of the Bail:

Permitted Types :

Dunlop : Standard, Fort, Freighter, Cruiser.

Avon ; Duo Tread Heavy Duty, Duo Tread Standard, Supreme, Ranger, Arc.

Bergougnan : Giant Pneumatic, Gladiator, Low Pressure.

British Tyre and Rubber Co. : Golden Ply.

Goodyear : Grooved, A.W.T.

Henleys : Vanguard Green Stripe., Standard White Stripe, 5.0., R.A., Key Pattern. fiel.Midchelin : High Prftsurc, Low Pressure. Firestone : High Speed, Standard, Sentinel Old

Prohibited Types

Dunlop : Sports, Dirt Track, Extra Heavy Beaded Edge.

Avon : GripSter.

Michelin : N-type.

Maximum Sizes Allowed

Cars with engines up to 750 c.e., 4.75 ins. ; 750 to 1,100 c.c., 5.00 ins. ; 1,100 to 1,500 c.v., 5.50 ins. ; 1,500 to 2,000 c.c., 5.75 Ins.; 2,000 to 3,000 c.c., 0.50 ins. over 3,000 c.c. 7.50 ins.

BERKHAMSTED M.C. & C.C.

The very well organised LockhartRossingham Cup Trial was held in October sunshine and dry conditions on October 23rd. It was a plain tyre trial with one special test, properly timed, and seven observed sections. It drew forty-three entries and there was only one nonstarter. On Little Boys Hill, a slimy and stony public footpath, we noted Lawson’s H.R.G. and Johnson’s B.M.W. to be extremely rapid. Biggs (B.M.W.) was fast, Beveridge’s Austin Seven Special steady, Taylor’s M.G. was blipped up very nicely, Muskett’s M.G. slid about on a fast ascent, and Tuckwell (M.G.) preferred to pick a careful course. Eckett’s old Frazer-Nash was excellent, Miss Redfern, in white helmet and blue H.R.G., was steady and certain, Wilkes’s ordinary touring Austin Seven did splendidly and. Holdsworth’s KG. and Roberts’s

Singer were outstanding. Claridge (Frazer-Nash) did not hurry but Penton), brought his M.G. up fast. Davis (M.G.) was outstanding, Miss Marshall did a steady climb with her Anzani-G.N., Landet’s Wolseley was fast and Christensen’s Pansy-Special fast and wild. Price’s Ford climbed steadily, Cattolico’s Singer Nine likewise, revving as Singers do, and King’s B.M.W. was very certain. Thwaites (Ford), Henning (Vauxhall Ten saloon) and Dyke Acland (M.G.) were all excellent, the last-named changing up at the end. Rogers brought his M.G. up rapidly in a series of swerves, and Brown’s

M.G.-Montlhery, named “Dirty Dick,” was also rapid. The only failures amongst the cars were Douglas Perring’s Talbot Ten Special, Pratt’s vintage Grand Sports Amilcar and Miss Reeve-Flaxman’s Morris Eight tourer.

FORD ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB

The Club had an enclosure at Donington for the G.P. wherein Canham’s V8 two-seater Allard-Special, Soames’s V12 Allard-Special and a blown Ford Ten interested the crowd.

A map-reading contest was held on November 6th.

Hon. Secretary : S. H. Allard, 15, Millbrooke Court, Putney, S.W.15.

GENERAL NOTES become so

Drenchings having become so prevalent in the very open two-seater, something closed was indicated and, acting impulsively, an ancient Austin Seven with a Mulliner’s fabric coupe body was purchased. Endowed with the sports engine, and with room for three on its leatheruphAstered. front seat, it has turned out to be quite a jolly little car, albeit friends grimly aver that it will mothr on its roof before Xmas. We refuse to dwell on such awful matters and instead point complacently to the fullyopening screen, the solid wood facia, the sliding top, spacious tail and roomy shelf behind the seat. Pitted hastily with a bulb horn to comply with the Law and having very rattly windows, the nickname of the” Taxi “has, not unnaturally, stuck. Mercifully, the little tub is quite weather-proof, in spite of a missing window, and it is also virtually draughtproof, save in a N.E. wind—due to a gap above one of the. doors. It was rather jolly to go on a trial in comfort, whereas a friend was steadily getting wetter and wetter, having installed his 1935 engine in our aforementioned two-seater, working until 5 a.m. on the morning of the event and opening the garage doors to discover unabating descent of torrential rain. It was jolly, too, to be able to go out to Box Hill behind the two-seater, run that fascinating little job fast up the goat-track, and then discover that once again the heavens had well and effectively opened, to this same friend’s extreme wrath. Later still a beautiful electrical bonfire happened under the scuttle, and the roof light, in any case, was found to have been wired so that it lit when the car was stationary and not at all when the engine was running. But, say what you will—and you probably will—there is lots to be said for motoring with a roof over your head when there is an ” R” in the month . . . . Lots of our friends agree, but to those who don’t may I remind you that I did go down to, and through, the recent Experts’ Trial in a very stark Allard-Special with neither aero-screen nor scuttle cowl as protection for the complexion. So there I