Racing Straker-Squire

Sir,

Your article about the Straker-Squire was of great interest to me, as the late W. B. (Barney) Horn was an old friend and I remember the car when it was in his possession. He would not have bought the car from the factory as he was a Straker-Squire agent in Birkenhead and being a driver of the highest calibre, it would have been to their mutual advantage. I do know that the car was returned to Straker’s after a disagreement. He ran three garages in Birkenhead, being the agent for Bugatti and Lancia cars also, but never Vauxhall. He raced the Straker-Squire at Brooklands and at the Southsea Speed Trials in 1922 my uncle going with him on several occasions.

In those days the Straker-Squire was fitted with mudguards similar to those on the Riley Redwing mentioned in Motor Sport some time ago. This car belonged originally to “Rusty” Ross, who was first a master at the Junior School in Cheltenham and later a master at College, but not headmaster. He tried to teach me, but we only had cars in common!

After returning the Straker-Squire Barney sold the illustrious Brescia Bugatti locally and in 1924 introduced me to a four-wheel drift in a brand new Bugatti. My love for these cars lingered and 40 years later a Type 55 was in my garage. What a pity Barney died shortly before!

The enclosed photograph of a Sunbeam taken at Southport in 1923 or ’24 may be of interest, it may be the car mentioned in your correspondence about 18 months ago.

Barnston H. B. MUMPHRIE

(W. B. Horn certainly ran the Ex-Kensington Moir Straker-Squire at the events mentioned in 1922, coming 3rd in an Essex Lightning Long Handicap behind Zborowski’s big Ballot and Park’s TT Vauxhall, and it won the 4,000 Championship at this meeting, averaging 87.08 m.p.h. for three laps -Ed.)