Bayliss-Thomases

Sir,

On receipt of my February issue of your Magazine I was amazed and delighted to see the cover photograph, but more Of this anon. I bought a Bayliss-Thomas sports in 1923 and it proved to be a most reliable and satisfactory car in every way. I used it in several local trials, not without success.

 For readers not familiar with this make, may give a few details of my car: Reg. No. TA 443: The chassis was reasonably low as the springs were almost flat quarter elliptic, all round. I fitted Hartford type friction shock absorbers, which improved the road holding. The engine was a Coventry Simplex, side valve 1,498.c.c. Bore 66m.m. Stroke 109.4 m.m. It was rated for road fund tax at the tinw as 105 h.p. The makers quoted normal revs as 2,000 r.p.m. at 20 b.h.p. This was coupled to a Weigley three speed and reverse gearbox, with gate Change. The rear axle had full differential, and was braked on the rear wheels only. Disc wheels were fitted with 26 x 3 tyres.

The body was, in my opinion, one of the most attractive on the market at that time, being well made, and panelled in polished aluminium. The screen was two aero types, but each one, half the width of the body, giving quite good protection. They could be folded flat into the scuttle. When the hood was erected the fit at the top of the screen left a lot to be desired, but who cared!! The wings were as shown in the illustration, enclosed, but were very heavy for a sports car, it would have been a great improvement if wings similar to the 1922 Hillman 10 speed model or Riley Red Wing had been fitted.

Now to Mr. Malcolm Elder’s car: my friend Mr. F. A. Haynes, a very keen motor cyclist, decided that he would try four wheels, and as he liked my Bayliss Thomas, I wrote to Mr. Walker, the managing director of it at Company and asked him if he would build a replica-of my car for my friend. He was very interested, but as his company were now using a new chassis, a different body would he required. He had designed one which he said was on the lines of the “Alvis Duck’s back body”, at least as far as the side elevation was concerned.

The car was duly built and we collected it from Birmingham. I must say I was rather disappointed when I saw the car for the first time (sorry Mr. Elder) and it was so much higher due to the larger radiator and the semi elliptic springs. The cockpit was very much as mine but a little deeper, the same wings were fitted (I note Mr. Elder has fitted light ones, and also drop-in panels in the body sides). TT 2010 when collected was fitted with twin acro screens, as described before. The OHV engine gave a great improvement in performance and both cars gave excellent service, and I cannot remember a single case when either of them let us down, in spite of being used in the land of trial hills.

May I take this opportunity to thank you for the top sports-car magatine, which I have regularly read for more years than I like to remember.

Croyde R. HELLIER