Club News, August 1944

Club News

WE HEAR

:Michael May still 1Yaxes very keen on the subject of ” Silver Eagle ” Alvis ears, but he has lately been using his mother’s Hotchkiss saloon for business journeys, and getting some excellent servive at 1’7 m.p.g. N’Vhich reminds us that there is a rather forlorn ffotelikiss saloon, in rough order, derelict at a garage on the Barnet I yj as•;, NV )14’11 someone might well recondition. Flying bombs messed up some moderns at a certain showrootn, but entirely missed a carefully-preserved Renault landaulette of about 1910 vintage, which was once the property of Qiieen Alexandra. In London a Swift “Cadet ” saloon and a very well-preserved Humber Eight fabric saloon, used by a baker, are Pleasant sight’s. At. a breaker’s in Hertfordshire we came upon the remains of a small and early supercharged touring Mercedes. a ” Redwing ” E Hey, a Schnei

der, a ” tinny ” Velocet te and an Excelsior ” Manxman,” and later on the same journey saw a Moon saloon in another breaker’s, and tt very nicelypreserved Lancia ” Lambda ” 7th Series tourer, and an Alfa-Romeo coop’, outside a hotel at Hatfield. K. Cobbing, in sending Its sonic excellent pliotographs of his extensive collection of early motor-cycles, mentions that a litter at his airfield has a ” Red Label ” 3-litre Bentley laid up, and that he has noted a 1923 Humber and a special D.K.W. with knock-off wheels and steel coupe body in use in Bucks. Cobbing also says he found a sound 1912 4-cylinder Renault on a farm, which the farmer is keeping for his nephews when they grow up, and he is trying to acquire an early Iris car. He would like to hear from anyone who has tin A. U.(. or Wooler motor-cycle for sale. Then Victor AxelBerg has a 1915 belt-drive Triumph, with ehair, for sale, and there is a well-preserved 2-cylinder Renault still at Ripley, the A.B.C. car is presumably still available at Bytleet, and a Lanehester ‘1 malty-One zunbulanee, Mentioned in these columns ages ago, still serves at Ripley. Coming to more modern happenings, Lt. Shen ton, R. N., has acqnired a 1932 Frazer-Nash Meadows, and Sub. Lt. A. IL L. Barlow,

It was eonsidering purchasing a 1933 3.3-litre Type 1.9 Bugatti. Cyril Peacock has his ” 12.30 ” Alyis stripped right down, and the new owner of his Alvis (iN” Special ” reectitl?,took delivery by road. Robson has nearly completed his short-chassis 8th Series ?’pen Lancia ” Laml,da.” and we saw a VC ry tine saloon ” Lambda,” driven by a naval officer, in Oxford Street recently. Ralph Venables reports really wonderful service from his V-twin B.S.A. 3-wheeler, which he wrote up in MoTott Scourr soon after acquiring it ; in two pretty full years he says lie has only had to clean the plugs twice and adjust the tappets once, and oil consumption is virtually oon-existent and the tyres unworn. The 1924 liorstman went, in the end, to L. 11. Aluskett, of (biddingfold, lucky man, am! Rowland achieved 50 M.p.h. ill it all I he delivery run. Moskett„ incidentally. has stored his recently overhauled 1937 U iley ” Sprit e” 2-seater, but would sell it to anyone really keen on the type. We are .grieved to hear that amongst the more serious damage caused by

Gerniany’s aerial torpedoes was the write-off of the two Le Mans V12 Lagondas, which had recently been reaequired front private owners by Lagonda,

Ltd., it is said, at a cost .£6,000 each.

The quite irrepressiltle Birkett has found a 5-litre Type 11i Bugatti in a breaker’s yard, and another reader has bought a straight-eight, single cam G. I’. Bugatti, presumably a Type 33. At a Newbury breaker’s is a 1905 tonneau chain-drive 28-11.p. Daimler for s:ile for about £40, and a rather rough ” 10;23 ” Talbot. We learn that a K3 M.G. Magnette, K3008, believed to be one of the Milk 1 ilia ears, was caught in France when war came, but its owner, Nigel Mann. was able to strip it down and hide the parts. he now seeks an Alfa or Bugatti.

“MOTOR SPORT” LIBRARY

It has been decided to loan books from the MoTott Spotrr libraryon trust to readers free flf charge, providing a large stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. Such books should he returned as soon as possible, of course. A full list, of books available will be published shortly, and already many readers have availed themselves of this service.

INFORMAL

We understand that on Saturday afternoons certain enthusia.sts have been getting together in the ” Ship,” at

Sheoperton-on-Thames. These gatherings are quite informal and the usnal moile of transpirt has been by pushbicycle. Perhaps the sad inability of Capon to continue with 750 Club macel inns in London prompted them ; anyway, doubtless a few more motor-minded men and women in the bar Would do no harm.

V.M.C.C. OF A.

The Veteran Motor Car Club of America is exceedingly virile. It organises socials, publishes a very ambitious magazine, The Bulb Thrn, month, is planning to revive the Glidden Tour, and is altogether an active body–although it must he pleasing to be in a country where it is possible to work up exeit n alit over the discovery of a 1921 Essex tourer. [We diseovered a Hudson Super Six Sedan at it hombed-out London garage recently and only wish we could ship it out to Bob Townsend !I The April BUM Hunt contains this story of the salvage of the Essex, another about salving a 1912 1’nderslung, aml a description of’ early Winton ears, besides other very absorbing matter. lettr the sake or this magazine alone British veteran enthusiasts might well join

of A. Secretary, Vassar Pierce, 133, Brooklin Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts.

A COMBINED MEETING

An attempt will In madc in Belfast on August 20th to un lie nit ttor-eyelists and

motorists, at a combined motoring and motor-cycling film show and Brains rust, to be held at the Grand Central Hotel at 3 pan. Tickets can be obtained from C. G. Robb, Robbs Garage, Ltd., Dyndonald, Belfast, price 4s. each.

NOTICE

After a rather near miss from one of Hitler’s latest toys the Editor evacuated most of the MoToa Seoul’ records to a more healthy spot in the country. Consequently, it may not he possible for a Nvhile to answer quite so fully as in the past readers’ technical and historical queries ; indulgence is craved until it is again possible to consult these books and papers.

TRIAL!

.lenkinsoli and II olden recently staged a trial in the Hampshire area for enthusiasts and their hieyeles. Right up to the last double section there were about live possible winners, and in the end A rklay (Scott man) tied with Newton (Singer Le Maus owner) for first plaee. e ton winning the slow race to settle the issue. Roy Petty (13.M.C.11.(‘. rider) was third, and Joe Lowrey on his ancient Immuring bog-wheel was fourth.

HERE’S HOPING

We quote t he following from the Standard of July 20th, incidentally wishing Stpin. Ldr. Storrar: the best of luck Sqdn. Ldr. James StOrrar, and bar, tells me he has a personal interest in the taking of Caen. Ile has been flying between England and Normandy. since the first landing strip was prepared. Gm. . day he met a young Frenchman who was lamenting, that his Bugatti sports car, hardly used since he bought it new in 1939, was.in a garage in Caen. • I do not. expeet there will be much left of it,’ said the Frenchman. Storrar offered 4:30 for the car. saying he would take a chance about its condition. The Frenchman accepted the offer. The car was garaged in that part of Caen which held out. until yesterday. Storrar hopes soon to collect

it is still there.”

A FRAZER-NASH APPEAL

Thvrc is a feeling among numerous Frazer-Nasli owners in the South of England that, in view or the increasing m’umtltusiasmn for this marque, and the scarcity of Frazer-Nash ears and spares, it would be beneficial to arrange some scheme whereby owners could exchange information about Vrazer-Nashes amt help one another over spares problems, etc. It has been agreed first of all to form a register of all owners and ears, and Mr. B. 11. Martin, of ” Red Leys,” Station Road, Normandy, Hampshire, and Mr. ): S. Jenkinson, of’ 99, Park Road, S. Foroborough, Intiopshire, have offered to colicet any available information for this register, as 1)0 ween IIICIT1 they already I ave quite a considerable collection of Frazer-Nash information. Would any Frazer-Nash owner or prospective owner who is interested please write to either of the aforementioned