Around the Clubs, April 1977

The very many nourishing Clubs endorse the healthy state of the motoring pastime in this country. The Riley RM Club issues its sizeable magazine R. Memoranda, which contains not only historical information on the 1946-55 Rileys for which it caters but useful hints and tips for those restoring and running such cars. The Membership Secretary is K.C. Clifford, Knaphole Farm, Doccombe. Moretonhampstead, Devon, and the Spares Secretary lives in Bucks.

The Morgan ThreeWheeler Club holds regular meetings, expects some good Morgan racing this year, (there is nowhere greater enthusiasm) and two of its members are contemplating a full-scale history of the racing Morgan three-wheeler. The Membership Sec. is Mick Limber, 62, Greenways Crescent, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex. BN4 6HS and the spares and technical advice aspect is well looked after by seven different Club officers.

The Austin Ten DC has issued a most professional report on past and intended activities, from which we note that it now has nearly 900 members, an income approaching £5,000, and that it caters for all vintage Austins except Sevens, Big Sevens and Eights, It issues a regular duplicated magazine containing plenty of mechanical data. its National Rally of July 16th 17th takes place at Donington. We note that the Club register lists 560 Tens., 47 Sixteens/ Eighteens, 84 12/4s, 31 12/6s and 14s, 16 12.8s, and ten 20/6s. Of the Austin Tens, 220 are runners. The Membership Sec. is P. Woodend, 3, Estcourt Drive, Widmer End, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP15 6AH and the spares registrar lives in Loughborough.

The Singer Owners Club is active and issues a very good printed magazine, the January issue of which carried an article on the Singer Junior. The Club caters for all Singers and its spares register is looking after parts for such cars. The Membership Secretary is : Mary Freeth, 31. Rivershill. Watton-on-Stone. Hertford. Herts. Tel. W-a-S 517.

The Bentley DC’s Review is about the most ambitious of all the Club journals and yet comes up every so often with fresh historical Bentley material, the Bugatti OC’s Bugantics retains the same format as it has ever since issue No. 2 of long before the war (the first number was a duplicated effort). The VSCC Bulletin likewise remains unchanged down the years. Incidentally, full marks to editor Janet Missen for using that splendid cockpit photograph of Moffatt’s Type 35, in the Winter issue of Bugantics. The Daimler & Lanchester OC’s monthly Driving Member is a quality production and the current issue contains a photograph of an open body being built on a member’s Majestic Major V8 120 m.p.h. chassis. This Club runs a spares and insurance scheme; Sec. B. Thorne, 57, Northcote Road, London, SW 1 I. The A7CA’s Austin Seven Magazine contains a marvellous picture of the 500-Mile-Race-winning team outside their Addlestone hotel in 1930 and the VMCC Journal, now edited by Ian Young, carries a well-balanced diet of reports, history, and technical information. The Armstrong Siddeley OC operates a very effective spares service and its current issue of Sphinx carries an article on a non-standard 1953 Sapphire and a comparison between the 1953 Sapphire and the 1975 Jaguar XJ, both 3.4-litre six-cylinder cars. Membership Sec., L. Gosling, 130, Churchfields Road, Beckenham, Kent. Thus do these and many other Clubs serve their members and foster enthusiasm. W.B.