Plastic boddy

I could not help having a quiet chuckle when I saw you refer to my car in your August issue as an “8.4-litre plastic-bodied Bentley”. I hope I was correct in taking this reference as a compliment, as I am reliably informed by the VSCC President that you are the proud owner of a plastic-bodied Austin 7, and thus, living in a glasshouse, would be unlikely to throw any stones.

As a man of experience in these matters, I am sure you would be able to confirm to your readership that GRP would not give me a competitive advantage, as an aluminium body could be made to weigh less than my bit of amateur handiwork.

I believe it is also important that people understand the fundamental difference between our two cars’ bodies. I believe that yours is one of a number produced from a mould by a third party, for commercial gain. Mine on the other hand is the result of many hours’ honest graft at my own home in an effort to produce as much of the car as possible without farming the work out to “specialists”. lean understand the VSCC’s decision to ban GRP for the future, but I hope that when my own car is considered next year, it will allow it to carry on with its plastic body whilst in its present ownership, as it has done for Harvey Hines car, and the Archdale Frazer Nash. We must not lose sight of the fact that nearly all of us go Vintage car racing because it has remained great fun. Long may it stay that way.
T C Llewellyn, Battle, East Sussex

Not so much a compliment as a statement of fact! I am not exactly a proud owner of a Gould GRP Ulster Replica A 7, and unlikely to use it competitively. But you make a very valid argument for plastic in your field, of which the VSCC may or may not take note. WB