Club News, November 1951

Club News

WE HEAR

Quite a number of interesting cars were encountered recently, notably a large vintage Panhard Lavassor saloon on the Embankment, an ” 8.3″ Renault in Gloucester, a hoodless Austin Twelve tourer Of the “railway door handle” era, full of family, and a Bean Twelve tourer near Prescott, a long-tailed genuine Boyd Carpenter Austin Seven and a yellow-wheeled ” 12/24″ de Dion Bouton two-seater in London sans front brakes, and a large Renault tourer, circa 1928, and a boat-tailed sports Daimler, circa 1926, near Staines. A Gw3mne Eight truck has arrived at Hartley Wintney and a 1913 Lands saloon is for sale at Amersharri. There are also rumours of’ a Gobron Brillie in a N. London breakers, an E.N. saloon has been seen in London and a very nicely-preserved Morris Oxford coupe stands in the Buckinghamshire village of Gawcott, on the Editor’s route to Silverstone. A garage near Baker Street has the ex-Cook 200 Mile Race twin-cam Aston-Martin chassis car, Mk III, No. 6, apparently in an original and well-preserved state. A Dyna-Panitard van was seen at the Peterborough M.C. Silverstone Meeting. S. M. Neale, 0.50., is running the exWindsor Richards 34-litre Jaguar 100. J. W. Turner has the 4.5-litre straighteight Alvis-engined Barson Special with Ford V.8 back axle, Lands Lambda front suspension and Armstrong-Siddeley self-change gearbox, built originally by G. A. Barson of Cape Town. He would like to know more about it. D. Halliday is running a ” 14/40″ Lea-Francis saloon with an o.h.e. 11.5-11..p. Beardmore engine, about which power unit Ike craves hiforMation, lie says the car has an excellent top gear performance even on a weak mixture and is a delight to drive on long runs. Two ex-employees of E. W. Jackson and Co., of Doneaster, both in their 70s, greeted a 1912 16-11.o. Clieswold, built by that concern, when it arrived at a Doncaster showroom for display recently. Believed to be one of only two cars of this make remaining (the other is in Lincolnshire), its owner, alas, intends to have it burnt after her death. Lord Charnwood has acquired the 1911 3-litre Coupe de l’ Auto Delage that had been languishing in Leicester since 1915. It was driven by Bablot in the 1911 race, Rubery. Owen and Co., Ltd., have issued a very handsome record of their many activities, which include the manufacture of chassis frames (including that for the B.R.M.), wheels, axles. fuel tanks, etc. It is titled, ” An Industrial Commonwealth.” Wayne-Steinmetz of Stowe, Pa., deals in old Fords and spares for them .and has over 70 reconditioned Model ‘I’s, As and M in stock, priced at front 100 to 600 dollars. We glean this from a feature ” 1.izzie Heaven,” which appeared in lliechatzi,x Illustrated. Steinmetz’ favourite is a 1917 Model-T tourer. Somewhere is a basement—our lips are sealed and the ears are not for sale—are stored a Sixty Napier, 1919 Buick coupe, a little Stelae two-seater, a pre-1914 chain-drive 45-11.p. Merced6a tourer, a pre-1914 racing Straker Squire, a Straker Squire Six, a Renault 45 tourer, an electric sedan of unknown make, a 1928 Sunbeam saloon and a Panhard-Levassor saloon of like vintage. This, and the news that a 1910 Chater-Lea cyclecar has been found ina field at Bedford, suggests that the source of old vehicles May never dry up. The Allard Motor Co., Ltd., has issued a Year Book ; we like particularly the ” current models ” (four-wheeled and two-legged) on page 22 ! An 1894-5 Bremer car, at one time in the 1914 museum got together by the Motor and claimed to be the first British car, has resided in the Wall letinstow Museum since 1933. L. Taylor lust summer drove a Ja,,ttar XI( 120 front Darwin to Alice Springs, 965 miles, in 10 Iv. 32 nun.. beatiwr the previous record by some f5i hours. his 93 m.p.h. average included refuelling stops and ’11 wheel change, the running time average being

100 m.p.h. People along the rolitc• showed great interest and road gangshad been warned ; in most towns main streets were cleared to give the Jaguar a through run. But Taylor’s reward on arrival at Darwin was an 218 fine for speeding.

Midget car racing has returned ; it happened last September at California, the point being that this California is in Berkshire. Len Hayward has acquired the ex-Symonds single-seater Austin Seven with the R. R. Jackson-prepared Centricblown ex-Dowson engine and Bowles. is looking after it, having already altered the drop arm to improve the steering. With a boost of 25 lb./sq. in., this s.v. Austin develops some 80 b.h.p. and is. good for about 120 m.p.h.

B.A.R.C.

The British Automobile Racing Club offers excellent facilities at the Goodwood circuit, which is situated in beautiful country and the roads from which enable large crowds to disperse easily. So racing there is especially enjoyable and the fact that the 1952 fixtures have been announced already should materially shorten the winter! Big race meetings are due on Easter Monday, April 14th, Whit-Monday. June 2nd, August Bank Holiday Saturday, August 16th (when something special will occur!) and on September 27th. Members’ sports car meetings, at which the MOTOR SPORT Brooklands Memorial Trophy and cash prize is due to be contested on a points basis, are scheduled for March 22nd, May 17th and July 26th next year. Details front the General Secretary,

55, Park Lane, W.I.

V.S.C.C. (Light Car Section) One of the aims of the recently-formed

One of the aims of the recently-formed Light Car Section of the Vintage S.C.C. (Chairman : W. I3oddy, Sec. Jeddere Fisher, Ansley Cottage, Kingston Blount Oxon.) is to run traditional competitions for small ears of the. nineteen-twenties. In pursuing this ideal its Secretary naturally sought from” Jackie” Masters of that excellent and long established body the ALCA!. (Bloomsltury, not. Lord’s !). details of early Exeter and Lands End Trials, for in the ‘twenties these trials used to constitute a prothinent light car forcing house. In the ensuing dis

cussions flat lateatitte so keel’ about the V.S.C.C.’s desire to re-enact its now historie events that it invited the V.S.C.C. Light Car Section to join in its 1952 Lands h:nd Trial. The plot is to let vintage entries run with the nioderns, thus simplifying for the V.S.C.C. the task of marshalling and general organisation, but. to introduce into the route mane of the traditional hills of the ‘twenties which this section will attempt in lieu of the more muddy ways up widen the present-day M.C.C. takes current clitoral it ion ears. Olivionsly, details have yet to be settled. 13ut we refer to this so those V.S.C.C. members who feel the urge to adventure westwares next Easter can commence now to hunt under the hedgerows and in barns and outhouses for suitable vehieles,.–which. to recap, must be prior to 1931, must not exceed 1,500-e.c. or 12 R.A.C. hp., and which did not develop more than 30

6-11.1,when new. Tradition loving vintagents, GO TO IT !

750 FORMULA RACING

This season saw a satisfactory number of races run for ears owned by members of the 750 (Austin Seven) Club and complying wit’t the Formula laid down by that I ody. Such, races were not particularly exciting for spectators, but. must have been great sport for the participants. Unfortunately, there is a danger that this very genuine attempt to provide racing for the impecunious may fade away. The 750 Club points out. that the average entry at the latter end of the season was only five or six oars, or under 10 per cent. of those on their Formula register. Obviously, clubs running race meetings at. Silverstone or its equivalent in 1932 are unlikely to give over one’ of their races to it branch of the sport which is both unspectacular and very poorly supported. The ease is worse because the wonderful Lotus-Austin has won most. of these events at a canter however, very sportingly Colin Chapman has offered to discontinue running Lotus in Formula events next year. Handicapping might be the better solution.

It will be a thousand pities if this racing dies out, and we. are glad to learn that the 730 (7Ittb will eon ipile another register of intending competitors and try again to secure races for them. If, however, less than 100 names crane ill nothing !Mall can be done : if over 100, then the Club feels it. can tell allwr interesttul chiles that they may expert an entry of at least ten ears for a 750 Fornutla race. lint register will be kept by .1. Moon, 21, The Grove. Addlest one, Surrey, to whom all who seriously intend to race Formula Alistins should write witItOta delay. He can also advise nonmembers who are genuinely interested. It is to be hoped that this worthwhile movement will continue ; not only call ears built to the formula engage in competitive racing, but they constitute reliable everyday transport with a high eeonomyfaetor.

OCTOBER QUIZ Last month’s ” ” resulted

Last month’s ” Quiz ” picture resulted in an almost record ” entry.” First correct solution to arrive was front the wellknown Mercedes enthusiast, Edward L. Mayer of London, W.1, who correctly saw in our photograph it 1908 45-It.p. Mercedes ” The K-Nut ” (120 by 13(1 limn. four-cylinder) with, sporting bodywork by Cordon Watney. It is the car entered at 13rooklands in 1914 by Mrs. Thekla >utican and driven for her by S. E. Killion, seen at the wheel with his wife beside him. The car’s best lap scents to have been at 77.21 m.p.h. Mr. Mayer re’ers to the detachable red leather upholstery scoured by tumbuttons, fitted by Gordon %Valley, as does E. I). Tate of Newbury, although the latter voted the car ol 73-hp, instead of 45 (actual rating 35.7-hp.). It. Baillie of Bedtbal broke into verse in solving the 1/117:Allf :— NOSTALGIA

Thundering down the straight AL CO, Rumbling through tho Park At 3. Beautiful white Niere&ies, gleaming. Gee, it V;li goad tie ativu

Those days 11115,1 of you won’t remember, Nearly forty years ago.

Anti OW it labial ii SOOOrettfttger. Boy, oh Boy ! how it eould go. Those were the days ! So long departed. Thrashing ehoins tuid till tilltilhl,’it imitate).. No tin sings with their innarda ‘ revving,’ ftusty roads, not it thing in sight, Others to get the make right were john Bolster of NVrot ham, David Seott-Monerieff of Forfar, C. E. Milner of Birmingham (who had such a car in 1914), M. Hiern(‘ooke of IfOrshatn, .1. A. Broadhead of Itarnoldswick, W. .1. Richards of Canterbury, G. Cot hay of ‘Vinnersh, II. P. Blake of Fakenhant. I’. A. C. Ileard of Bridgwater, I). W. Peacock of Addington, L. I). Sewell of Ashtion, II. Small of Nottingham. Major E. .1. Needham of Sunningdale, R. L. Green of Ash, G. A. Shaw of Knaresborough, E. SaWetti ‘,altort-on-Thames, .1. .1. K. 11Ioon Shrewsbury, C. Pierson Of Twiekenham, E. J. Vardon of London, W.1, R. W. Dewe of Uxbridge, F. J. Clarke of Haywards Heath, P. F. B. Willeox of Sunderland and C. K. Kinglettn of Cobham. Most of these knowledgeable people hinted at Gordon Watney’s influence, but not so many got the hp. right— however, all we wanted in this instance .was the make ; 23 per cent. voted for Benz, misled 1;y memories of the 200-hp. Benz raced at 13rooklands by Miller anti owned today by C. E. Milner. Of other incorrect solutions, 8 per cent. thought Napier, as explained by C. G. Clarke of Barry in the following verse :– ” With its English look, And (ashitins to book, It should lie easy But I confess:— 1ln queasy. As things ore not Alway4 what t-fly appear. For me—it’s a Napier.

Austro-Daimler and Leyland-Thomas scored 2 per cent. each and Vauxhall, Dennis, Gobron-Brillie, Piceard-Pietet, I).!”. P., Ballot, Hata and Metallurgique 1 per cent. each. We will provide another poser in the next issue utmost secrecy guaranteed if you send an ineorreet solut ion !

POLITICS

Motor racing Inv; fretptently been influenced I y polities but in a DM light. on °cut er 20th, when I lie 11.A.R,(!. catteelled its Records Ihty at Goodwood beeause drivers and officials were busy with the General Election.