Veteran Edwardian Vintage, May 1981

Browse pages
Current page

1

Current page

2

Current page

3

Current page

4

Current page

5

Current page

6

Current page

7

Current page

8

Current page

9

Current page

10

Current page

11

Current page

12

Current page

13

Current page

14

Current page

15

Current page

16

Current page

17

Current page

18

Current page

19

Current page

20

Current page

21

Current page

22

Current page

23

Current page

24

Current page

25

Current page

26

Current page

27

Current page

28

Current page

29

Current page

30

Current page

31

Current page

32

Current page

33

Current page

34

Current page

35

Current page

36

Current page

37

Current page

38

Current page

39

Current page

40

Current page

41

Current page

42

Current page

43

Current page

44

Current page

45

Current page

46

Current page

47

Current page

48

Current page

49

Current page

50

Current page

51

Current page

52

Current page

53

Current page

54

Current page

55

Current page

56

Current page

57

Current page

58

Current page

59

Current page

60

Current page

61

Current page

62

Current page

63

Current page

64

Current page

65

Current page

66

Current page

67

Current page

68

Current page

69

Current page

70

Current page

71

Current page

72

Current page

73

Current page

74

Current page

75

Current page

76

Current page

77

Current page

78

Current page

79

Current page

80

Current page

81

Current page

82

Current page

83

Current page

84

Current page

85

Current page

86

Current page

87

Current page

88

Current page

89

Current page

90

Current page

91

Current page

92

Current page

93

Current page

94

Current page

95

Current page

96

Current page

97

Current page

98

Current page

99

Current page

100

Current page

101

Current page

102

Current page

103

Current page

104

Current page

105

Current page

106

Current page

107

Current page

108

Current page

109

Current page

110

Current page

111

Current page

112

Current page

113

Current page

114

Current page

115

Current page

116

Current page

117

Current page

118

Current page

119

Current page

120

Current page

121

Current page

122

Current page

123

Current page

124

Current page

125

Current page

126

Current page

127

Current page

128

Current page

129

Current page

130

Current page

131

Current page

132

Current page

133

Current page

134

Current page

135

Current page

136

Current page

137

Current page

138

Current page

139

Current page

140

Current page

141

Current page

142

Current page

143

Current page

144

Current page

145

Current page

146

Current page

147

Current page

148

Current page

149

Current page

150

Current page

151

Current page

152

Current page

153

Current page

154

Current page

155

Current page

156

Current page

157

Current page

158

Current page

159

Current page

160

Current page

161

Current page

162

A section devoted to old-car matters

The VSCC Light Car Weekend

This year’s Welsh Weekend run by the Light Car Section of the Vintage SCC on March 28th/29th was its customary success. After weeks of teeming rain and much flooding, the weather relented, as if to applaud the fact that, despite the increase in petrol prices and car tax, a full entry of 50 was received for this happy occasion, organised by Simon Colledge. It took some years for vintage light cars to be accepted into a Club formed to cater for 30/98s and other fast sports cars but the efforts of Arthur Jeddere-Fisher and W.B. eventually made the grade and for some years the Light Car and Edwardian Section has been an important part of VSCC activities.

Although the Edwardians of the wealthy are permitted to play alongside the humble small cars which, in former times, constituted mostly economical transport for the masses, this year only Roger Collings’ 1912 4.7-litre Brixia-Zust tourer represented the former. The light cars ranged from Edward Riddle’s i.o.e. vee-twin GN (its “radiator” covered over to promote such heat through its home made heating tubes that now cover the cockpit floor as to singe the driver’s trousers) and Ron Knight’s stolid 1919 “Peace” model Hillman two-seater, to 1930 baby cars and civilised tourers. Branislav Sudjic’s twin-cam Salmson was a sort of half-way car between the light cars of feeble power and the big Zust. Moreover, Sudjic maintained his splendid tradition of long-distance vintage motoring that won him a special award last year, having Salmsoned from Perth to compete, returning on the Sunday afternoon, a little jaunt that he said preceded his intention of making a 1,000 mile round trip to the VSCC Wessex Trial the following weekend! Congratulations to him and to his intrepid lady navigator.

Saturday afternoon was devoted to a road run over some 60 miles of the more remote by roads of rural Wales, a punishing and perhaps slightly too-long route, but one that not only embraced some fine scenery but took the competitors up the long gradient of Panne Hill, after an approach which skirted the bleak artillery ranges, an observed section in the 1924 RAC Six Days Small Car Trials. John Weeks’ ABC-engined GN and a Morris-Cowley Chummy had failed to start and Rouse’s Singer Junior saloon and an Austin 7 had come to rest on Panne, up which Diffey’s 1924 Humber Eight ascended slowly, followed by our 1924 12/20 Calthorpe in second gear, which Wood in his 1923 side valve Riley coupe and the Salmson had overtaken. We were supposed to descend another RAC hill, Erwood, but here several took a short cut, not realising that they had been observed and docked marks by a marshal viewing them through field-glasses from the summit of a convenient hill!

The return route to Llanwrtyd Wells was surely far tougher than that to which those 1924 light cars had been subjected? Casualties, however, were light. Erskine’s 5 c.v. Citroen, on 4.50 x 17 back tyres, retired because it became jammed in bottom gear, an Austin 7 was reported to have differential problems, Peter Morgan had to hold bottom gear in place when it was needed, due to stripped gear teeth, and Nan McEwan was rumoured to have had trouble with the Riley’s second gear. At one tight hairpin the Calthorpe’s chassis flexed so badly that the gear-lever wouldn’t go into reverse.

Sunday was devoted to the traditional trial. Riddle did well at Hill 2 and Di Threlfall did extremely well in the notably refined Type TB10 air cooled vee-twin BSA, which upholds its Daimler ancestry, whereas her husband failed early. Other good ascents of this and/or hill 3, were those of the Salmson, Monica Gray’s Austin 7, Harper’s Austin 7, Shaw’s o.h.c. Morris Minor two-seater, and Thorne’s Swift Ten tourer. Tony Jones’ Austin Chummy lacked power. Price got his as far up Hill 3 as the hole which stopped many, including Wood’s Riley, but the Zust and Diffey’s Humber, both on beaded-edge tyres, wouldn’t look at these gradients. The Arnold-Forsters had gone home to get their Austin 7 ready for the “Wessex”, but Jane Hill was in good form in the AJS. Incidentally, out the entry of 50, 19 were Austin 7s. The Welsh mud proved unduly slippery at Llwynbarried, but here Phillips’ 7/17 Jowett performed very well. – W.B.

Results: Llwynbarried Trophy: Mrs. Di Threlfall (1924 BSA), First class Awards: M Shaw (1930 Morris Minor), T. Threlfall (1924 BSA). Second class Awards: I. Phillips (1925 Jowett), Mrs. McEwen (1930 Riley 9), S. Price (1929 Austin 7). Third class Awards: R. Thorpe (1930 Singer Ten), Mrs. J. Hill (1930 AJS), R. Batchelor (1924 Morris-Cowley), D. Cochrane (1925 Austin 7).