Club News WE HEAR, May 1951

Club News

WE HEAR

R. J. Hewitt would like to hear who has his old Frazer-Nash, which he rebuilt, installing a Rover Ten engine. Its Reg. No. is BOIT 7; Mr. Ifewitt’S address is 5, St. Leonard’s Court, East Sheen, S.W.14. Tony Townshend has, besides two 8-litre Red Label Bentleya, a 1919 Horstmann two-seater and a 1913 20-h.p. Sizaire-Benvick tourer, the latter built specially for Capt. Alex Keller when he was managing director of the firm. He is anxious to hear from other Ilorstmarin and Sizaire-Berwiek owners and to obtain data on the Coventry-Simplex engine in the former. His address is : ” Elmdown,” Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wilts. A. J. Howe, “Downs View,” West Malvern, Wores, seeks the history of his C-type M.G., engine No. AA 148, chassis No. CO 290, Reg. No. GT 6828. Harold Powell owns, but is thinking of selling to a good home, the No.1 production model H.R.G. A s.v. Riley Redwing has turned up in Kent if anyone needs Spares.

A 1919 Minerva in Woreestershire seeks a good home. H. Whitley, writing from Victoria, Australia, makes our mouths water in respect of car taxation out there —would-be emigrants, take note I He says taxation is on a h.p./weight basis of 3s. per unit, rated h.p. being added to total weight, so that a Ford V8 30-h.p., for example, pays ES 17s. a year, third party cover, payable at the tax office-English insurance companies who hate old cars, take heed 1—adding £3 58. A driving licence costs 10s. a year, but there is no fee for taking the test moreover, an unlicensed person may drive if accompanied by a licence holder. Something rather like Utopia ? I). Holland is hoping to restore a very nice 1916 Rudge Multi motor-cycle. H. T. P. Motors of Truro will stage a small exhibition of vintage ears from May Oth-16th, in conjunction with the Cornwall Vintage C.C. A vast Auburn V12 engine, said to develop 160 b.h.p. is available in Yorkshire. A Diatto engine, the remains of two ” 501A ” Fiat, engines, an Essex and Model-T Ford and Trojan chassis languish in a breaker’s yard at Hertfordshire. Examples of Coventry-built vintage motor-cycles are expected to take part in the Coventry Godiva Pageant in June, and the Sunbeam Register hopes to have a parade of Sunbeams in Wolverhampton, where these cars were built, during the Festival period. That exclusive body, the Guild of Motoring Writers, which does such useful liaison work between motoring writers and those they serve, now has twelve founder members, 40 hill members, 20 associate members and, perhaps more significant, 14 overseas,

Canadian and 13 U.S.A. members. Everyone interested in veteran cars should attempt to see the beautifullyproduced Bulb Horn, official organ of the Veteran M.C.C. of America. We believe it is obtainable by non-members for four dollars a year, from 15, Newport Street, Brookline 46. Mass. Those readers who have requested an article on Talbot cars will be glad to know that we hope to include this in an early issue. It is being compiled with the generous help of Georges Hoesch, designer of these ears in pre-Rootes times from 1926 onwards. We hear of a 1920

” 680 ” Brough-Superior combination for sale. Cpl. D. J. Davies is thinking of making a special, using a Jeep as a basis. An interesting car in the Daily Telegraph Isle Of Wight Rally was the Rev. A. M. Rumbalf, 1927 Cadillac two-seater. He had the car new, as a twenty-first birthday present, and has run it ever since. His passenger in the rally was the Rev. G. L. Tuekermann. Tyrone Power, filming in this country, is using a Jaguar XK120. Yet another cyclecar has turned up, in Scotland, where Alex Reid has unearthed a V-twin Anzani-engined tandem twoseater which sounds like a Super. It has automatic inlet valves, a wooden chassis reinforced with steel plates, and chaincum-belt transmission. There is trans

verse leaf-spring and a cylindrical petrol tank between driver and passenger. The vehicle appears never to have been registered and is in splendid condition. Good show I Reid tells us he is modifying his well-known trials Omega to make it suitable for sprints and speed hill-climbs.

Accompanying an article in the American Popular Mechanics on a Hollywood livery specialising in rare and exotic meter cars for film sets is a photograph of what looks like a hacked-about 1929 Chevrolet taxi, but captioned : ” AstonMartin English taxi “I Your Editor has a diSmal record Of the English weather, drawn by a Short and Mason barograph which works as well as ever for all its 45 years ; it is the one used at Brooklands to forecast the weather prior to record attempts. In Essex is to be seen a very early Austin Seven Chummy, believed of 1923 vintage, still running on its original tyres.

R.A.C. TRIALS CHAMPIONSHIP

A meeting of the Stewards was held on March 7th and considered a protest entered by Mr. G. Pentony against the marking allocated to him in respect of Drapers Two. After hearing relevant evidence the Stewards gave their decision as that Mr. Pentony should have been allocated 16 marks for his performance on Drapers Two, and not 20 marks as given in the provisional results.

This revision means that the total awnbet of marks lost by Mr. G. Pentony, driving car No. 86, becomes 96 instead of 100 and he therefore moves up one position in the final placing.

Apart from this alteration the Stewards confirmed the provisional results.

POOR FISH!

That paper which lights so hard to preserve freedom, the Sunday Express, effectively chose Easter Sunday for a leading article on Motoring in England,

by William Townshend. In this it was staid that over 2+ million cars are on the road, and more motorists “are paying record money for every mile, facing the biggest-ever charges if they break down, and paying, in some areas, the stiffest: fines since men stopped walking in front of cars with a red flag.”

Of this 21 million, two million were stated to be pre-war, average year 1939. Cost of repairs -was said to have increased six-fold, recellulosing a small car by 138 since 1939, and this excuses, said the author, the wheezing and clanking, the rattling and rumbling, the dented wings, splintered windows, damaged paintwork, the squeaks and nittles—clearly he wrote of the average old car and not of the prized possessions of members of the V.C.C. and V.S.C.C., their cars built many years earlier than 1939 !

Electrical, fuel and tyre troubles were predicted for scores of thousands of drivers. The cost of running, Townshend emphasised, has risen from 8.1d. per mile to go 10,000 miles in a 14-h.p. car its 1939, to 5.6d. and 7.0d. per mile for doing so today in a 1949 or 1951 car, respectively. ” Old crocks’ ” costing £10 or £20 pre-war are in the showrooms for around £200 today, he stated—personally we hope none of our readers would be so foolish

as to give More than £40 for such “old crocks,” which term does not embrace historic cars well preserved or restored.

The Sunday Empress did not modify the sad picture, but said more people than ever before are learning to drive and all who can strive to motor, for ” the car is one of the few unfettered joys left to Britons.”How heartily we agree—. especially is it folly to restrict a pastime now _so democratic, when every youth, whether in factory. or college, craves a motor-cycle and the little family car is a tonic and stimulant for so many. This article and this -comment on it were both written before the Budget. We hear already that the insurance sharks are at it again, raising car insurance rates by 12i per cent. A tyre that cost £2 14.s. pre-war now costs. over £7 7s. The enthusiast is slightly more fortunate than the ordinary motorist, luekily. He enjoys and understands the older cars, instead of regarding them as unavoidable necessities. He can usually avoid repair charges and can sometimes share his petrol bills with fellow enthusiasts. But the very keen, as well as the 2+ million ordinary car owners, will be “poor fish “,if they do not take a strong stand against further fleecing. As the Sunday Express reminds them they

already, pre-Budget, paid gym million per annum in taxes.

THIS ENGLAND

The other day we were motoring majestically out of Oxford in the Diesel Daimler when suddenly we felt sick. This had nothing whatever to do with diesel fumes ; we had espied large roadside boards announcing that THIS ROAD IS PATROLLED BY PLAIN CLOTHES POLICE or words to that effect.

Now everyone sympathises in the desire of the Chief Constable of Oxfordshire to reduce road accidents, but a lot of people cannot believe that plain-clothes policemen will do the job. Indeed, the majority of motorists resent this gestapo of the roads, arguing that those who unwittingly drive badly or dangerously can be apprehended by uniformed policemen and that motorists, not being criminally-minded, do not drive dangerously on purpose. Whatever previous views they held, most people will take grave exception, surely, to these roadside boards labelling motorists, cyclists, lorry drivers and all Oxfordshire road-users except careless pedestrians as under suspicion. It is manifestly wrong to thus publicly label any one section of the com.munity, and

the Chief Constable of Oxfordshire should be stopped front perpetuating this so anEnglish breach of etiquette and decent feeling.

Turning off from this suspect road for more peaceful Buckinghamshire, where policemen wear uniforms both in and out of cars, we saw an obvious police Humber hiding on a grass plot in the lee of a railway bridge and the two motorists occupying it were obviously policemen in their Sunday suits. This spectacle, unlike the roadside boards we had jitst. passed, was merely pathetically funny and the men in the car, had they not had the hardboiled appearance of policemen, would have looked as miserable as men-in-thestocks, the ridicule of 1 he population, used to do.

Certainly any motorist Out to have an accident regardless, and hopeful of enjoying some bloodshed, would not be such a fool as to see these gentlemen in their sleek Humber in his mirror and think they were private motorists. So the whole thing becomes a farce, drawing adverse attention to road accidents without curing them—or will Oxfordshire’s police statistics prove us wrong ? Certainly it is time we were told how many casualties the Chief Constable considers his scheme to have prevented, how much driving experience his officers who operate it have had and in what variety of ears (how else can one judge fairly the driving of others ?) and whether he proposes to disguise his ears as well as his men ? We would also like to know whether recruiting for the mobile section of Oxfordshires police force has suffered since the motor gestapo has taken the road, into:ranch as most men like to feel they are doing /1 man’s job. Alas, we ituty never know tliese things. We applied a long time ago to be allowed to go out in a plain clothes patrol car and see the type of drivers it caught. but our request wasn’t even answered.

Two final thoughts before we leave this tothappy sobjeet. First., if the oddlyplaced signposts on the Oxford-London road near where we found the gestapo resting were overhauled, so that those wishing to turn Ii ‘ft for delightful oldworld Theme eould discover when to do so without slowing to n crawl or overshooting, congestion, if’ not zweidents, might be averted. Has the Chief Constable thought about this ‘t Finally, if Oxfordshire wants to brand road-users, from pedal eyclists to drivers of Diesel Daimlers, as potential criminals these road-users may decide to boycott its shops, hotels, cinemas, police sports and everything that might call for the use of a motor car within its boundaries. The Chief Constable sliciuld also think about this aspect of his new road signs.

JOLLY GOOD SHOW

From Monday to Friday, April 2nd to 01 Ii, at 10.20 p.m. each evening in tla! Light Programme. the BAIA!. broadcast Edwardian Journey,” an account of a tour by Raymond Baxter and Bill Hartley in an Edwardian Daimler saloon loaned by the Daimler Company and driven by Ernest Bartlett. This was a brilliant idea, splendidly carried out, and should do untold good to the growing

old-car movonent. The yellow-hoed Daimler went front London to Liphook, Devizes, Cheltenham, and back to Coventry. It even essayed a climb of PreseOtt in 95.6 See. Well-known motoring personalities introduced inclioled John Bolster. Major Dixott-Spain, the owner of a 1907 Motosacoehe motor-cycle, and Frank lhowhest cr.

Besides capturing aspects of the Edwardian motoring scene, other features of the Edwardian era were ventilated during the journey. Although this feature had to appeal to lay-listeners, tet no time were Old cars ridiculed or creeks made about ” old crocks “; very notch the reverse, in tact. Indeed, the Daimler ennit• ill for much well-deserved praise, and of it, in the Radio Times, Raymond Baxter said : ” The 1908 saloon is as gracious an out lady as one could wish to meet. She’ll do better than 50 m.p.h. with nary it rattle, she’s roomy enough for it reception. and the driving vision and comfort. she offers could give points to many a sprightly modern odss. 1 confess that the alisetwe of a foot-operated accelerator takes some getting used to. but we shall have expert guidance.” As it proved, the old car gave less trouble than the 13.13.C. Itail on the Friday when it inadvertently plugged in to the wrong programme after introducing this Edwardian feature ! The Daimler’s engine proved so quiet that it couldn’t be reemaled during the broadcast., and Baxter referred to passing many moderns, and to the safety or the contracting back-wheel brakes in the rain

–get-rich-quick insurance brokers, please note ! This excellent broadeast was only slightly marred by reference iii tlw /?artio Times to Bolster’s 1903 Packard when pretty obviously they meant his 1903 Panhard, and by Die discovery that the ” 1908 ” I /Moiler WItS apparent ly the car which ran in the S.NI.NCT. Cavalcades aS a t011 model. Otherwise, our heartfelt. congratulations !

V.M.C.C.

The Vintage Motor Cycle Club held its fifth annual general meeting in Bedford in March. Rex Judd was re-elected President and Messrs. C. S. nurneY. A. 11. Bourne, W. Bodily, IL A. Beecroft, C. E. Allen, G. W. Walker, L. P. Peters, F. W. Prescott, C. .1. tr. Day, A. It. Lowry and Brig. C. V. Bennett, VicePresidents. A proposition to admit. to assoeiat.e membership certain post-1930 machines was defeated by three votes, but C. E. Allen’s proposition that, for racing, other than a straight-through pipe of constant diameter (no megaphones I), only an exhaust system siinilar 10 the manufacturer’s original pattern be used, was carried unanimously. The club continues to improve and expand. Recent new members number 16, with machines ranging from a 1904 Minerva to a 1930 Scott. The fixture list is a full one, with races and sprints for vintage machines, at Trent Park 00 May 14th, Santpford on May 19th., Royston on July 1st, Borehatn on Sept. 1st, and Sampford on Sept.. 30t It, besidea an Inter-Regional Trial on May 6th, a louring event. in Kent On June lIlt It, the famous Banbury •Birmingliam Run on July 29111. it rally on August. 20th, and many lesser events.

C. H. Allen, whose idea the V.M.C.C. was, earns warm congratulations for winning the 1950 Rex Judd Trophy for Speed Events with his Brough-Superior. .1-k, beat Barton (Brough-Superior) and Beeeroft. (Norton) by three points and Fisher (Veloeette) by live points. Club machine and lapel badges have been issued. Sec. It G. Chawner, 141, Marsland Road, Sale. Cheshire,

THE 1950 GLIDDEN TOUR

The January issue of the Bulb Ilora, official organ ,ii the Veteran M.C.C. of :terteriett, is Si) copiously illustrated with heaut.iful photographs of outstanding ears in last year’s Glidden Tour as to put many professional publications to shame–it’s a happy way they have with club journals in the States. The Glidden Tour seems to eater for almost. all, and must be a most enjoyable old-car outing. The 1950 prizewinners were : itooLINE CAR 1!,?miND GREATEST DISTANCE

1). Canier(in Peek (1910 nu.kard); Gerry Mutt!. (1922 Nash).

STEAM CAR ComiNti GREATEST I/1ST-ARM-T. C. Marshall. Jim (1913 Stanley).

B EST ODOLAY OF SPORTSMANSIIIP.-larry Porter (1909 Ford).

MOST PoPPLAR CAR BY ACCLAIM-John P. Miller (30(17 White). MosT TYPICAL 61.110 ‘EN Toutt

Swigart (1913 Maxwell).

BEST ONE-CYLINDER CAL –Borrows Gilbert (1903 Oldsmobile).

BEST TWO-CYLINDER CAR.-Charles Sawyer (1(300 Buick).

BE.sr Font-CYLINDER CAR PRE-1912,–Whithey Snyder (1909 Packard); William Spear (1910 Sinailex); A. C. Baker (1900 sineihretn. BEST SIX-CYLINDER CARPEE-1912.-D. It. Huntington (1011 Pierce),

B EST FOUR-CTUNDER CAR 1912,1S.—1″. Miller (1913 Mercer); William Snyder (1012 Simples): H. Austin (lark (1912 Moon).

BEsT Fitx on mow.: CYLINDER CAR 1912-18.-E. J. Pinney Jur. (3910 Pierce); Charles Greiner (1914 eleree); II. Austin Clark (1914 Pie-c).

I3E14T FOljt, SIX, RanT, OR TWELVE-CYLINDER (.%AR.-William Gregor (1922 Rolls-Royce); Wentile Statile (1924 Eupprnobile); A. B. Amick. J9r• (1921 Oldsmobile).

BEST STEAM C.AR N.C. STARLETS AND WHITES.-John P. miller (1907 White); T. C. Marshal:1,15m’. (191:1 Stanley); Earle Belie) (1914 Stanley).

BEST STEAM CAR (‘oNDENSINO.–Ixroy Benge (1910 Stanley).

BEST DisttLtY in” UNSELFISH CO-OPERATION.Fred Davis (1908 Buick).

MOST INTERESTINO CAR.-W. .1. Moore (1914 Cadillac).

OLDEST AND BEST OlISCURE BARE.-WilMer Moyer (1911 Moyer).

OLDEST FOLLEION CAR.-Robert Grier (1906 mereedes). ItEsT FoRILION CAL1.-B(1E3r Roy (1914 Renault.). AWARIS TO WOMEN ORIN-RES.-Mrs. Bishop (1910 Cr. Simplex); Mrs. ‘Mattson 0923 Marmon)

Jane Duryea (1924 Cadillac). SPECIAL Womit WS A wAtu).-Mrs. Bump (1911 Fiat). FINEST CAR UNABLE Ti, CoMPIXTE

Johnson (1910 Pope Hartford). MANE FM”rt ERs’ A WARDS : !WPM-Oldest Buich : Walter Marr (1908 Bplek). Best Restored : Churl,* Sawyer MOO Buick). FORD.–Okted . Ford : Al Gar3Lattilto (1903

Best Restored ” 7: ” : Leslie Henry (1911 Ford).

NASH : Oldest Ramble? 1:114.:MAS Lester (1913 Rambler). Best Restored : Gerry Fatah (1922 Nash).

FrRES7ONE.-/Vearest Origi»al Condition : Russell Ydder (1914 Dodge). ((matt:San AWARDS:

CARS ATTRACTINO SPECIAL INTEREST N.OT -PREVIOUSLY RECOGNIsED.-4ack Bunco (1917 Caw ningh.sm); Jay R. Moody (1910 Cadillac); W. Harrison Hall (1912 Ford); George Wood (1917 Crime S11111111):10.

MEN versus MOTORS-MOTORS WIN!

In an article in Everybody’s. of March 24th, Edward Lanchbery, under the heading of ” Voice of the Boat Rake,” writes : ” The start is one of the most impressive sights in the race. NVith three strokes-taking some four secondsthe boats reach their maximtun speed of 13 m.p.h. No motor engine can compete with such aceelenn iort.•’ This is rather droll when you reflect that, quite apart from racing ears and such accelerative vehicles as the record-breaking sprint Auto-Union, for example, two British production ears, the Jaguar N.K120 and Cadillac-Allard .12 reach not 13 but 30 m.p.h. in 2.5 and 3.4 set.onds, rest icetively. It would seem that Mr. Lanchbery loses and the ” mot or engines ” will I

S.C.C. of A.

The Sports Car Club of America announces the following fixtures :

May I t UM-Giant’s lb-pair 6 iti-citiati, wiikeslisrre.

May 2(HIL-27L1L-Pe1 ‘ble Beach Road Race; Calif. May 20th (approx.). -Indianapolis Monte Carlotype Rally.

thole .541-9111. Bridgehampton Road Race. *July 41ii. Equinox Mountain Bill-Climb. *Jul), 4311-1411.—-M igan ” Press-oli-Regiin!• irss,”

*August 191.11-20111. (alien Lake Road Race, Win-ruin. Sept. 11th. Glen In1r.thational

Date tentative. The Contest Board, upon careful survey of ears entered in past S.C.C. of A. competition events, announces certain (11:11 95 in piston displacement classifications effective for 1951. It is believed tliat I he revised regulations, varied in some eases from those written by the F.I.A. primarily for European contests, take cognizance of

the requirements of sports car contests in America and should bring about closer and more equitable competition among presently available types of cars. The new regulations are applicable to both the sports car category and the unrestricted car category.

V.S.C.C.

The Vintage Sports Car Cltib will disclose an excellent past season when the Chal11110.11 HddrusseS the annual general meeting at the R.A.C. on Max 2nd. At. the end of 1050 membership stood at 1,570. of whom 956 owned pre-1930 ears-this is a quite staggering total, although, to be fair, we must remark that even more so is the Bentley D.C.’s membership of over 1,000, mostly pre-1930 cat’s of one make! The V.S.C.C. last year ninth a loss for the first time since the war, chiefly because it retained its annual subscription at the wont terfully ” generous ” figure of XL Eyen so, liquid assets of over 4:1,200 renudn, and the same subscription will be

retained throughout this year-it is remarkable vahic, especially taking into account the excellei it events, many invitations and the delightful Bulletin which members enjoy. The Bulletin is au expensive -item and in view of the recent increases in the cost of living certain upward adjustments have been made in respect of secretarial expenses, but it is hoped that it will be possible to keep the 1952 subscription to not more than 25s. The reeently-fOrined Vintage Light Car Section should ensure that the club eont inties to rest on a basis of young and keen members %via, are not necessarily wealthy. 1 Attire I IN. I ‘( nneroy retires after his tIt-ti’,’ years in (ABM as President; and we have pleasure in announcing that it is expected t hat, Kent Karslake will become Ills successor. The club’s Silverstone Meeting. featuring a One-Hour HighSpeed Trial fiir non-supercluirged vintage

cars, l’ hip mad handicap races for vintage, non-vintage, approved nonvintage and historic sports and racing cars, including the MOTOR SPORT Cup Race and Ha. classic 100 kilometres Seaman Trophies Rave for pre-1937 and pre-1031 racing ears, takes place on May 19th. Entries have closed. The public is not admitted but members can take in guests.

Sec. : T. W. Carson, ” Mellalut,” Pack Lane, Kempshott, Basingstoke, Hants.

APRIL QUIZ was a

Last month’s Quiz picture was a real ” corker” and we were not surprised that not a single reader gave the correct solution. This car therefore shares with a 1917 Stutz the honour of defeating every one of our erudite readers who attempt this competition.

The picture came from Paul Fr6re. of Brussels, who wrote : “I Will stand you it mammoth dinner next time I come to England if you get this one right. [Alas, you cannot get mammoth dinners in tlds country now !-En. I In fact, it is the only car of its type I have ever come across and also the only one in which I have managed to push a rod through the crankcase. I will leave you guessing, but make it a little easier by saying that it was made in Carnbrai around 192’5 (I believe 12 or 15 were made), and that it had a unique type of rear springing combining felliptic and reversed I-elliptic springs. It had a single 68 by 103 MM.,

engine and you could find its name in the results of local sporting. events of its time. The picture NV RS taken in 1936.”

-Well, there it was, and your Editor discovered correctly that the car was a Delfosse. Amongst the attempts we received were Bugatti, 11.N.C., 13ianchi, sotta, Storey [Yes, a near one, that, if we recollect correctly the appearance of this make, made in Clapham.. -Eo.f,

fotelikiss, ChenardWaleker, Ai ist ro-Daim hr. Rat ier, I.orrain e ictrich, Arrol-Joluiston, RollandPilain, La Licorne, and Sizaire-Naud in. ILE. was the most popular guess.

Although no reader solved this one, their attempts leave us profoundly impressed and proud or the general standard of knowledge displayed.