V.E.V. Miscellany., October 1968

V.E.V. Miscellany.—Alan Betteridge has rebuilt the vintage racing hydroplane “Jazz” formerly owned by the late Don Rowe. She is powered by a Prince Henry Vauxhall engine and was entered for last month’s Daily Express Bollinger Trophy Race. “Jazz”, which did 39½ m.p.h. thirty-nine years ago, still flies a 1929 Southampton M.B.C. flag and carries oil navigation lights. But she is hampered today by modern regulations which require her to have an automatic inflatable dinghy, ship-to-shore radio, a reverse gear, an automatic fire-extinguisher, an early warning system of fire, etc., which were unheard of when she was raced as a new boat! A picture of her with varnished mahogany-planked hull offset by innumerable rivets, appeared in the Southern Evening Echo of August 13th. The Trojan O.C. is to be commended on the way in which it encourages the use of these remarkable vehicles. For instance, on learning that the Eastbourne Police used a solid-tyred Trojan in 1930, a car was hastily provided for use in the West Sussex Cavalcade of Police Transport, being re-painted in Police colours by members of the Crawley Junior Trojan Club. A 1924 Trojan utility which the Club had presented to the Leyland Museum went to the Leyland Motor, Social and Athletic Club, and appeared in a recent rally. Unfortunately, however, two of the rear-engined Trojans given to the Club have been inadvertently scrapped, leaving only two in existence.

Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft freely admit that the 1914 G.P. Mercedes in their Stuttgart Museum, originally thought to be the winning car, was in fact a reserve car in that race. Consequently them is now no reason to doubt that Philip Mann has the Mercedes which Lautenschlager drove to victory; we understand that it should soon be going together again. A car-type Model-T Ford back axle with solid tyres has been seen on an Essex farm and could probably be had for a nominal sum. Rivers-Fletcher thinks that he can arrange for Madame Jenck, who did so well in her 2.3 Bugatti in pre-war Targa Florio races, to open the course at Prescott next May and one hopes that the present unhappy situation of Czechoslovakia will not prevent this.

William A. Weaver, who built and flew the Weaver Ornithoplane in 1905 and who founded the Coventry-Victor Motor Co., of three-wheeler fame, in 1919, died recently at the age of 83. A reader tells us that his company ran two Super Sentinel steam waggons as recently as mid-1956.