Miscellany, April 2004

Jeremy Wood is restoring the 1929 Rally that Jack Driskell used to drive in trials, speed events and at Brooldands, wearing his distinctive blue driving kit It needs some work on the engine, but Jack’s riding mechanic Ralph Silva is helping. The car may well be seen in action again later this year.

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A 19/100, Austro-Daimler which may be the TT car driven into 10th place by Leslie Callingham at Ulster in 1928, is to be auctioned at Christies’ on March 29. Chassis No. 11026 was sold by Jack Bartlett for £195 in 1929 to Keville Davies & March. In 1935 it was owned by Rodney Anning of Blackheath, who two months later disposed of it to the father of the present owner. During the mid-50s the Austro-Daimler was laid up in a barn, which later collapsed on it. But it is said to require only minor restoration.

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This year’s Brooklands Society Reunion takes place on June 20, with a ‘Red, White and Blue’ theme, to attract those with Italian, German and French cars of appropriate performance — up the Test Hill perhaps? And as these are our national colours, British cars as well, of course.

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Gordon Cobbold, the well known racing motorcyclist, died just after his 100th birthday, for which a special party at Brooklands had been planned. His first motorcycle was a Sunbeam, with which he won his first Brooklands race in 1923.