Letters from readers, cont-3., November 1960
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HORNET’S NEST
Sir, Had Mr. Rickards been a member of the Wolseley Hornet Special Club, he would have known that a claim of 180,000 miles from his 1935 14h.p Eustace Watkins Wolseley Hornet Special is by no mean unique and that many of the earlier 12h.p. models have achieved this figure. One member, in fact, owning his Special from new claims 250,000 miles miles but this is hardly surprising if a similar model (1,604 c.c.) could win the 2-litre class in the Donington 12-Hour Sports-Car Race in 1937, let alone survive it.
As Mr. Rickards has discovered and most of our members already know, a Hornet Special is a hardy motor which can still be extremely satisfying in good condition, and there are not many cars today which can sport centrifugally-spun cast-iron liners, which on all Hornets, were standard equipment.
The 14-h.p model was only produced in the last year of manufacture, namely 1935, and is consequently much the rarer, and though this partieular Eustace Watkins Daytona body is quite scarce, many of the cars exist clad with other bodies by Jensen, Swallow, Trinity, Tickford and even Eustace Watkins since Wolseley Motors provided the car only in chassis form.
The McEvoy Special was, of course, based on the Wolseley Hornet, still being a highly-prized motor, and in blown form gained an envied reputation for reliability in all kinds of events from trials to long-distance races at Brooklands. Fittingly, Col. McEvoy is now our president.
Perhaps, Sir, I may take this opportunity of thanking you for your earlier assistance in the founding of this club and enabling us to mark the occasion of our tenth anniversary by replying to your correspondent.
We are nearing the enrolment of our 500th member, the majority of whom, I am sure, are avid readers of your refreshing journal.
M.K. JOHNSON, Hon. Secretary
The Wolseley Hornet Special Club