Vintage Light Cars At Play

The Light Car & Edwardian Section of the VSCC was able to use the RMCS Depot at Shrivenham for its driving tests on September 28, which was another chance to be proud of the fine way in which our military establishments are maintained. The round-lotsof-pylons-and-then-stop-thing saw Tony Jones out again on the great Napier Sixty which Ronald Barker restored a long time ago, but from the car’s immaculate turn-out hard to believe.

Edwardians were represented by Jeddere-Fisher’s Lancia Theta coupe, the sporting Marion M60, Crawford’s nice Clegg Rover tourer, matched by Stevens’s sister car, and Lucy Hall, out again with the 1910 AC Sociable, an eminently sensible cyclecar if you do not mind sitting close to any impending accident — I remember as a boy seeing two casters in full Pearly-king and queen attire motoring to some London function of theirs in just such an AC… Richard Wills had finished assembly of his Jowett Short-2 that very morning and in the pylon-swerving it had some advantage over a long-wheelbase Jowett as the latter had a rather poor steering lock. Rosie Shapland’s 10/23 Talbot had a companion this time but the TalbotSimmins was proving temperamental. Edward Riddle had driven to the venue at around a crusing 45 mph in his i o e cyclops-headlamp GN, a nicely original cycle-car, whereas Bill May had a Salmson engine under his GN’s bonnet.

Charles Lee’s flat-rad Morris Cowley was rushing around, Charlotte Peacop was using the well-known Morris Minor, Nancy and Terry Dickie shared a similar car, as did Helen and Jenny John a 1930 A7. Trevor John and Peter Rosoman elected to use closed motors in the form of a Humber 9/20 with mildly-modified Humber fabric saloon body and a 1930 A7, but Paul Mostyn was in a smart open Singer Junior tourer. Hamilton-Gould’s A-type 1920 Citroen tourer awoke faint childhood memories, and then it was time to leave on a Calthorpe/Clyno mission, which proved that ancient vintage light cars can still be found in country out-buildings… W B