Club notes and V-to-C miscellany, December 1989, December 1989
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The Jubilee VSCC Welsh Trial was quite an occasion and last month we gave the provisional results, which omitted to say that P Swinger’s 1923 A7 tied with R Felton’s 1923 Bugatti for best performance. Or that the Smatcher Trophy was won by D Lee’s 1927 Salmson.
Southeby’s handout on the above event included a list of all the winners in this VSCC Welsh Trial since 1939, and as this is a tough event for tough cars, it is of interest that, including ties, the redoubtable Harry Spence has won ten times with his 1930 Lea-Francis, Bugattis have scored top marks ten times, largely due to Hamish Moffatt’s eight wins in his 1923 Brescia, A7s have eight wins, and 30/98s, six.
The Gwynne 8 Register knows of a dozen of these cars in the UK, with a further three incomplete, and eight more whose existence is unverified. Ian Walker, who has a 1923 Hip-bath Gwynne, would like to hear of any others his address is 8 Baines Lane, Datchworth, Knebworth, Herm, SO5 6RA (0438 812041).
The Brooklands Museum is scheduled to open in April 1991 and the Trust administering to it will be launching an appeal for £1,000,000 next October — no comment!
The Rolls-Royce EC has a new Archive Room at its Palperspury HQ and a technical classroom adjoining the workshop. It now holds coachbuilders records for Mulliner-Park Ward, HJ Mulliner, the old Park Ward Company and Rippon Bros. Apply to the Hunt House.
Robin Smith, who is rebuilding the ex-Burton, ex-Margulies Talbot 105 which ran at Brooklands in 1939 lapping at 104.63 mph, recommends Auto-4 Ltd. of Southall, UB1 3AF for tyre valves, garage equipment, repair kits, etc. Phone Mr. Wager on 01-574 8144.
Some 55 three-wheelers attended the Morgan Club’s Malvern weekend, including Malcolm Bull’s Morgan van, with 112 members attending the AGM and 183 the dinner. The Secretary of this keen club is G. Higgleton, 6 Rookery Lane, Stoke Bruerne, Towcester, Northants NN12 7SJ.
Among the cars which members of the VCC of GB are restoring in this country are a 1903 21/4 Humber, 1903 10 hp De Dion Bouton, 1908 8 hp De Dion Bouton, 1904 7 hp Rambler and a 1915 T-Ford back from S Africa in the mid-70s, while in that country a member is at work on a 1912 two-cylinder Valveless.
Arising from the photograph we published last month of Hitler at the 1938 Berlin Motor Show, FT Henry, who served an apprenticeship with the Austin Motor Company, sends an interesting item about Hitler on the Austin stand at the 1935 Berlin Show. With him were Lord Austin, next to the uniformed Fuehrer, Jacob Werlin, the German Transport Minister, taking notes, Major Huhnlein, Herr Adam, MD of Willys-Overland-Crossley and Austin Concessionaires for Germany, and Herr Schacht, the Finance Minister.
Hitler showed much interest in the primrose and black A7 Nippy on show, telling Lord Austin that his first car had been an A7 built under licence by BMW. Later that day Hitler announced his intention of building the KDF, or Volkswagen, peoples’ car.
The “Margulies” 4.9-litre Indianapolis Ballot has found a new owner, who is restoring it to its former glory. It is the car which was run in a French hill-climb in 1927, after M Ballot has used it as his road car for a time after its return from the American race. It is not one of those cars which ran at Brooklands in the early 1920s.
The 1990 Bugatti OC International Rally will be based in N. Wales but ending at Prescott between May 28 and June 3. The entry fee for both parts of the rally will be about £190. Details from Mrs Ward, Prescott Hill, Cheltenham, GL52 4RD.
In last month’s Rhode look-back, the 1924 sports model was optimistically quoted as a 90 mph car. It was, in fact, a 70 mph car, the guaranteed maximum being 65 mph.
Please note that we published in the 1 November issue an advertisement for the JCC for its spares day meeting on November 12. Unfortunately we wrongly printed that the meeting was organised by the JCC. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
The interest in old cars is global these days, and we hear that a well preserved Morris tourer, probably a Colonial model, was found in a shed in Kenya recently.
David Evans, Secretary and registrar of the Star, Starling, Stuart and Briton Register has moved to New Wood Lodge, Hyperion Road, Stourton, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY7 6SB. Tel. 0384 374329. He has just issued a list of Star, Starling, Stuart and Briton cars, commercial vehicles, cycles and motorcycles known to exist at the present time, but would be pleased to receive information on any of the above makes should they not be included on the list.