Vintage Light Cars Invade Cambria

Small cars were not unknown in Wales in the vintage years, what with things like the London-Holyhead Trial and the RAC Six Days Small Car Trial. They come again in modern times to take tea with the Editor, as members of the Light Car Section of the VSCC. This year (April 15/16th) 16 elected to make the journey but Tony Griffiths found water where his Austin 7 should keep its oil after a previous weekend’s trial in Buxton, Townsend’s Gwynne 8 was absent, so that Chinnery’s conquest of 1924 Welsh nastinesses would not be represented, and Mrs. Bell’s 10/23 Talbot nearly missed tea due to a blocked fuel filter en route.

However, four 9/20 Humbers, one a saloon, one a one-owner two-seater with an Austin 10/4 gearbox, installed after the original box had worn out at 300,000 miles, five Austin 7s, including a late-arriving immaculate Chummy, a r.w.b. Morris-Oxford two-seater, a Morris-Cowley and Riddle’s i.o.e. GN were amongst those who turned up.

Driving frolics in the fields resulted in a win for Costigan’s smart and original 1929 Austin 7 coupé, a car so low-built that one feels Sir Herbert, who liked people to be able to wear top hats in his carriages, must have been on holiday when this one was designed. Grey (Austin 7) and Wood in his 10.8 Riley all-weather with self-greasing spring shackles (in 1923!) tied for second prize, third place going to Rosemary Burke’s surprisingly agile 1930 o.h.c. Morris Minor sun-roof saloon. After tea this cavalcade of motoring-for-the-millions followed the Editorial workaday Calthorpe to inspect, by courtesy of the Rads. & N. Brecs. Water Board (parking by courtesy of the Wales Gas Board— it’s a free and easy country!), a huge Campbell anthracite-burning 125 r.p.m. gas engine installed at Llandrindod Wells before the First World War.

Sunday was devoted to scrambling about the damp glories of the Elan Valley.— W. B.