V-E-V Miscellany, December 1972, December 1972

A rather sad Autovia V8, Reg, No. ASA I. has been acquired by a reader living in London, the body being a light grey Mulliner saloon. Can anyone supply information about its previous owners ? Someone else is anxious to trace the history of a 1927 fabric-bodied six-cylinder Austin, believed to have been first owned by a Capt. A. H. Baker, as he has obtained all that remains of it. In Kent a 1927 Austin 7 which had been in Spain and Majorca until 1969 is being restored and the owner believes that it may have been imported as a chassis and made into a racing car, which crashed during the 1928 Spanish GP after which, in late 1929, it was given a new coupé body imported from England. Can anyone say whether or not an Austin 7 crashed during the 1928 Spanish GP ? Roger Maughfling, having acquired an ex-GRO Albion van, has now given it a stable companion in the form of a Vulcan commercial vehicle chassis, circa 1925. Back to Autovias, a Sheffield reader would like to compile a register of these cars and seeks information about any which exist, were broken-up, etc. Letters to all the above information seekers can be forwarded. In preparation for the opening of his Donington Racing Car Museum, Mr. Wheatcroft has bought a Bristol LH Duple two-car transporter in which to transport his collection of over 50 racing cars, ranging from the 1911 Cottin-et Deagouttes to today’s F1 cars.

A circa-1929 six-cylinder Chevrolet saloon, used up to 1970, is reported as for sale in Mahon. It is said to be in good order, except for a missing fuel pump. The Austin 18/6 truck mentioned in this column recently belongs to a reader who would like to hear from other users of this model. His was given to him at the age of 14 and has done some 60,000 miles in the last five years, with no trouble apart from a blown gasket, although it sometimes carries ten people.

The 1930 Sunbeam Sixteen saloon which was a prize in the Autobrite car polish Competition covered 22 miles, 1,173 yards, two feet and 11 inches on a gallon of petrol at Snetterton under RAC observation and was won by someone from Norfolk. The Summer issue of the duplicated Journal of the Morris Register was largely devoted to Morris Commercial six-wheelers and the Alvis OC celebrated its 21st Anniversary recently with a special number of its magazine.