V-to-C Miscellany, September 1986, September 1986

We hear that the Pan-Pacific Rally in Christchurch, New Zealand had an entry of 800 old cars, the majority American makes, but that from West Germany came one of the now-rare twin-cam Dr Ferdinand Porsche-designed Sascha Austro-Daimlers, which were described in an article in Motor Sport of April 1985.

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At this year’s Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells the Rhayader MC put on its usual display of vintage and post-vintage cars and motorcycles, the 22nd occasion when it has done this.  The vintage cars included J. Carter’s immaculate 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost two-seater, undoubtedly the most elegant car present, up from Saundersfoot, with, beside it, another Reg Worthing exhibit in the form of his recently completed 1924 Model-T Ford in sparkling all-black, its body a two-seater with lidded goods-container behind. The Editorial 1924 Calthorpe was there, and other entries were Johnnie Thomas’s recently-acquired 1926 3-litre Bentley long-chassis Mulliner 3/4-coupé, said to be one of only two of its kind, Reg. No. YR3907, restored in 1977-78, an early Type 40 Bugatti, a 1927 Stutz Blackhawk Speedster, and a 1929 A7 top-hat saloon which had survived many years as a chicken house The post-vintage entry included Lane’s Model-B Ford saloon which we remarked last year looked as if it had come straight from a new-car showroom, and which looked now as if it had hardly been used since, a very smart open Alvis Firefly, Fazakersley’s 1-1/2-litre sports/racing Riley, representing a most painstaking rebuild job over the past two years, off-set by multiple quick-action fillers, Seymour Price’s locally-owned A7 Nippy, and a Wolseley Hornet Special with external exhaust system, etc. The motorcycles ranged from a 1916 Douglas to the 1961 ex-Dave Bickers’ Greeves rnotocross machine, and it was noted that the 1940 Royal Enfield had been used by the Brecon & Radnor Fire Brigade as recently as sixteen years ago. When we looked in on the Tuesday of the Show the marquee was full of obviously-interested onlookers and quite rightly, the Rolls-Royce and the Bentley had been declared Champions.

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Over 30 Alvises turned out for the 12./50 Register’s annual meeting at “The Phoenix” at Hartley Wintney, original home of the VSCC, and the Riley RM Club, which caters for the Rileys of 1946 to 1955, had its National Rally on August 8th-10th. We regret to learn that one of the greatest experts on these cars, E.T. Lundegaard, has died in Gloucester, where he bought and sold R.M. Rileys.

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The Dourne Classic Car Show lakes place on August 24th. — W.B.