VSCC Welsh Trial

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

Current page

163

Current page

164

Current page

165

Current page

166

Current page

167

Current page

168

Current page

169

Current page

170

Current page

171

Current page

172

Current page

173

Current page

174

Current page

175

Current page

176

Current page

177

Current page

178

Current page

179

Current page

180

The traditional visit to Wales by the main-section of the VSCC was purely a trial this year, the Concours d’Elegance and Driving Tests being cancelled because of insufficient entries. This could perhaps be laid at the door of Inflation but not, one hopes, at that of the speculative value of old vehicles But the trial went off well, just about avoiding the heavy rain-showers and occupying the Saturday afternoon as well as most of Sunday’s daylight. It had 64 entries, against 71 last year.

Davis II, a short, steep, grassy bank divided into 25 very compact sections, on the Saturday afternoon, was climbed clean by the first to go, Stoyal’s Super Sports Frazer Nash, that made it look simple, Dunkerley’s Boulogne Frazer Nash with three-up, Fenner’s blue Riley 9 Special, Barry Clarke’s Chummy Austin 7 with its tools and tyre-pump on the back and a bonnet-strap to constrain the high revs he used on an excellent ascent, and by Longhurst’s Riley 9 Special. The curious little hill seemed to get more difficult as time went on but Phillips had no trouble in his triple-SU Alvis Silver Eagle Special, although he seemed to disdain keeping to a conventional rev-Iimit.

Spence characteristically blipped his Lea-Francis Special up clean, R. Winder made it, in his original-looking, hoodless Chummy Austin, and David Marsh’s 30/98 Vauxhall scored full marks when others of the breed were failing. Those who so nearly got all the way up included Piers-Hall, whose Chummy Austin had a strapped-down bonnet and oversize rear tyres. Moffatt in the familiar Type 13 Bugatti, Bain’s Number Special, Threlfall whose Model-A Ford Tudor saloon, wearing its MCC badge, got within half-an-inch or so of the required top-marks marker. Another who just failed after a very good attempt was W. Winder’s Humber Chummy. These competitors all reached marker-24, as did Reed’s Mulliner-bodied Austin 7 two-seater, Abbott in his odd-bodied Model A Ford with out-of-period bulb-horn, Gunn’s 3-speed Ulster-bodied Austin 7, Ghosh’s 30/98 Vauxhall, Spollen’s very smart 30/98 Vauxhall Wensum which might have got right up if it hadn’t veered off course. Hyland’s Alvis Silver Eagle two-seater, and Pat Marsh’s 30/98 Vauxhall that was wearing its hood in a coupe de ville posture. Also coming to rest at marker-24 were McEwen’s Riley 9 fabric tourer, swerving about to try for grip, and Meeks’ Austin 20 with four up and hydraulic front-brakes, while those who got to marker 23 were Ryley’s Hyper Lea-Francis with external exhaust, Gray’s 30/98 Vauxhall, its starting-handle rattling in its retaining strap, Jeddere-Fisher in his 1921 30/98, Harris’ Boulogne Frazer Nash that was to have “canine maladies” on the Sunday, Tony Jones, unfamiliar in a new cap, for the 30/98 brigade, Llewellyn’s 4 1/2-litre ex-Brooklands Bentley two-seater with its radio playing(!), Garland’s 30/98 and Knight’s 16/60 O.M. So it was a near-run-thing, with Costigan’s Vernon Derby, Hancock’s 16/60 O.M. which stalled its engine, Hurst’s 12/50 Alvis, hood up, Templeton’s 30/98 Vauxhall, Rowley’s 30/98 with much wheelspin. Hamilton-Gould making a splendid effort in his 1920 Citroen tourer, and Blake’s 12/50 Alvis, four up and its lights on, all getting to marker 22.

Diffey (who achieved marker 16) had the distinction of having changed a big-end on his 1926 Humber 9/20 in one hour, before the start. Mann was enjoying himself in a Lancia Lambda with 7th-Series engine, 8th-Series chassis and 6th-Series axle, but Seymour Price, his rebuilt Austin 7 Chummy on its first outing, failed to arrive until late due to fuel starvation, and Weeks was in the lower field rebuilding the SU petrol pump of the S.S. (not that one but the Skinner Special wooden Austin 7). Someone had found Threlfall a period Model-A tyre gauge, and spectating cars included a most-regal sleeve-valve Daimler and a Crossley Ten saloon, while Max Mill was seen in a 4WD vehicle of Russian origin and his son Keith (marker 17) was blowing up his AJS’s tyres with the luxury of an engine-operated inflator. Roger Collings in the Speed Six Bentley made marker 20 but had much difficulty ascending to the start on Davis 1, in which he was not alone.

Sunday’s sections were to the traditional pattern, Hyope’s approach hump giving some bother but the Pilleth grass-gradients being mainly easy, in spite of heavy overnight rain.

W B.