The VSCC Light Car Welsh Weekend

The light car weekend of the VSCC is one of the jollies at which the less powerful of the vintage can gather for two days of country driving and competition. This year Seymour Price had found new locations for the driving tests, with scenic routes between and the hills for the Sunday trial. Some new sections had to be aborted because the Welsh rain had made them impassable but several hills were included.

Of the entry of 68 cars, all earlier than 1931, A7s were in the ascendant but GNs and Gwynnes were out in some force and eight brave adventurers had put in pre-1919 Edwardians, to the credit of whom Tim Pipkin in the little 1913 Singer Ten beat the far bigger Metz, Knox, and Stutz Bearcat, etc, to take the top class prize. Riley 9, MG M-Type and Morris Cowley provided, with some others, the variety, Rachel Basham in the smart bullnose Morris tourer, fit for a Concours d’Elegance before it met the mud, and Tom Dixon’s flat-radiator Cowley, big box on the back, which reminded me of how I was taught to drive in a saloon version centuries ago.

Pat Stocken’s Trojan was out again, a welcome runner year after year, and also very smart, before the trial began, and it was nice to see there George Stenton’s little 1922 Benjamin having another go, and Branislav Sudjic was there with his rather more modem-looking and very rare 1930 Aero two-seater.

Seventeen of the entries had girl drivers and to her great credit Sue Hirst in the 1930 Morris Minor managed to win the top award, the Llwynbarried Trophy, for the second year in succession. She said modestly that she had been taken on these events from the age of eight… Ian Walker (G8), Harry Colledge (A7) and Winston Teague (GN) retired.

The rain had made one part of the driving tests look truly trial-like but farm buildings provided tests for acceleration and braking, in which Mike Bullett’s A7 was driven into a wall on a fast run with no damage. Best DT performance was by Trevor John in his 1922 GN Legere, Best Edwardian car was Ray Bennett’s 1911 Knox, while the top light-car title went to the 1924 Jowett of Richard Wills. The top cyclecar was the aforementioned GN. The trial to decide the winner of the Kate Hutchings Memorial Trophy for best performance by a driver under 23 went to Philippa Sellers driving her A7.