THE EASTBOURNE COACHWORK COMPETITION. Many Well-known Competitors at popular South Coast Resort.

THE EASTBOURNE COACHWORK COMPETITION. Many Well-known Competitors at Popular South Coast Resort.

AT the third Concours d’Elegance held at Eastbourne on September 7th, many well known figures in the motor-sporting world were present. Among others we noticed Mrs. H. S. Eaton who won three ” firsts ” with her Alpine Trial Talbot ” 105,” with coachwork by Vanden Plas (England), Ltd. ; Lady Campbell, who turned up in a beautiful 25 h.p. Rolls-Royce saloon by Gurney Nutting, finished in the famous “Campbell blue” and carried off first prize in the 21,500 class ; and W. M. Couper, who competed in the Lagonda with which he won a Glacier Cup in the Alpine Trial. Sports cars were much in evidence, and in addition to the Talbot and Lagonda already mentioned, there were a number of M.G.’s, of which prizes were won by H. L. Wardle on his smart little Jarvisbodied Midget ; C. G. Quinton on his Abbey Magna ; and the M.G. Company with one of the new 1933 80 m.p.h. Midgets, of the type tested by MOTOR SPORT last month. There were many smart Hornets, notably the E.W. models belonging to Miss C. Labouchere and Major Douglas Morris ; the ” Continental ” model, made by Abbey Coachworks, and entered by Messrs. Fox and Nicholl, Ltd. ; and a 1932 Arrow four-seater, entered by Arrow Coachworks, which received the prize for the most distinc

tive car up to 2500 in value.

Perfect weather favoured the Concours, which was witnessed by a large crowd of spectators, and Devonshire Place was a scene of great activity long before the event was due to begin.

The organisation was good, but many competitors who had gone to considerable expense both of time and money in bringing the engines of their vehicles to a gleaming showroom finish were justly disappointed when some of the judges did not trouble to raise the bonnets of their cars. After all, the state of the engine might well be the deciding factor between two equally well polished cars.