The VSCC Two-Day Welsh Trial

Torrential October rain suggested hard going for the 103 ‘victims’ of this tough event, dating back 59 years, with four observed sections on the Saturday and 11 on the Sunday, some of them excellent ‘new material’ found by Seymour Price.

They certainly had a fine cross-section of vintage history to study — 30/98s alongside their competitors the Bentleys, an inveterate cluster of A7s of different kinds, American motors, a Singer Junior looking very sporting, ‘Chain-Gangsters’ inspecting chains, and Hancock’s 5.7-litre Daimler, primitive but effective GNs, Ford Tudors and Fordors and open conversions, and the thunder of the mighty 19-litre Mercedes-Maybach, contrasting with Abraham’s 1928 Family Morgan three-wheeler, awarded the Leslie Winter Trophy for the most unsuitable competing vehicle.

The new, very muddy and steep Snatcher claimed many, Ben Collings in the 4 1/2 Bentley stopping sooner than expected at ‘5’ while his father thundered to ’13’. Sunday’s delectable obstacles include a river along which to motor and then climb a bank out of, a photographer’s fight in this age when water-splashes have all but disappeared.

Barry Clarke (1928 A7) won outright, taking the Barry Bowler Trophy, four points ahead of Hamish Moffatt in his 1923 Bugatti, the only driver to ‘clean’ Cleg Hill. In the opposite class, best show was by J Miller’s 1930 Chrysler, to take the Presteigne Trophy by 16 points from S Baxter’s 1928 Chrysler and N Garland’s 30/98 Vauxhall. The Smatcher Trophy was won by Miss Brewster (1930 A7).

Class 1, First Class Awards: B Clarke (A7), H Moffatt (Bugatti), D Rolfe (MG-Riley), Mrs Tomlinson (GN-A7), R Reed (A7), T Gosling (A7), Dr Gray (A7-JAP).

Class 2 (standard), First Class Awards: J Miller (Chrysler), S Baxter (Chrysler), N Garland (30/98), B Collings (Bentley), J Ghosh (30/98), R Collings (Mercedes-Maybach), J Diffey (30/98).