VSCC Wiscombe Hillclimb

Following its Curborough Speed Trials, which closely followed its Silverstone Race Meeting, the energetic VSCC had another day at Wiscombe Park in Devon on May 10, with a speed hillclimb up this excellent, picturesque course. FTD was accomplished by the grand master of VSCC speed events, Anthony Mayman (ERA R4D) in 45.29 sec, the famous ex-Raymond Mays car disregarding the fact that it was running with post-war cars. It broke its previous record by 0.82s. The best the rest of the pre-war entry could do against this was 46.43s (Ricketts, ERA R1B).

Quickest vintage car was the blown 2.3 Bugatti of T Cardy (50.62s) and the best of the sports cars was the 4.3-litre Alvis of AG Sparrowhawk (50.53s) on its single ascent. Lake’s 1914 Coupe de L’Auto Sunbeam took the Edwardian category (64.68s), from the Alfonso Hispano Suiza and Barry Clarke’s little Singer Ten.

Ignoring these successes, the class winners were: B Clarke (A7, 55.47s) vintage, E.Leith (A7, 57.65s); E Dunn (Riley, 51.07s) – vintage, S Robens (Frazer Nash, 54.605); B Spollon (Riley, 52.30s) – vintage, J Giles (ACFN, 53.44s); Sparrowhawk as aforesaid – vintage, M Walker (GN-Ford, 53.15s); R Campbell (Austin-Fiat, 50.72s) – vintage, R Richmond (Morgan-GN, 57.86s); Ricketts – vintage, A Harrison (Bugatti, 60.855); Mayman and Cardy as above. Sixteen non-started, including the Vauxhall Villiers, Howell’s 16-cylinder Bugatti, Caroline’s three-wheeler Morgan and a 1939 Solar Ford hybrid.