THE COACHWORK COMPETITION

THE COACHWORK COMPETITION THE cars this year were divided into six categories, based on the prices of the complete cars, including accessories. Each category was further divided into three classes, for open coachwork and for two and four-door closed bodies. Value for money is after all what most people look for, and the general public ought to have had a fine opportunity of comparing the various makes on this basis The weather unfortunately was doubtful on Saturday morning, and so the judging took place in the Ramp Garage instead of being down on the !Indereliff. The cars had to be there by 9, though judging did not begin until 10.30. A good number of people were waiting on the sea-front until one o’clock, but after

being informed that the cars would not appear until the afternoon, a procession was actually organised half an hour later, with its own spectator, the picture-postcard vendor half-way along. The eighteen class winners re-appeared again at 3 o’clock, but since the usual Saturday afternoon crowd of cars were passing each way along the narrow ‘Undercliff, there was much confusion in arrang

ing the prize-winners diagonally to one side of it. Considering that permission had been granted to close the road to the general public, there was no excuse for this mismanagement.

Turning to the actual competition, the first class embraced cars up to £200. These were several 8 hp. Fords in the

open class, of which the most notable were a red two-seater entered by J. W. Bezzant, and the blue one which has been seen in a number of trials driven by J. A. Driskell. The winner proved to be a

Singer ” 9 ” which belonged to W. M. D. Montgomery. Singer “9” coupes figured largely in the (b) class and a grey Ford saloon entered by B. C. D. Macartney was interesting. In the :£350 class there were a selection of attractive-looking cars, notably a number of S.S.I.’s and two of the new

Armstrong Siddeley ” 12’s” with bodies on similar lines to the Alpine Tourers. An Avon Standard and a dark-blue two

seater Magnette both looked well, and the class contained two Rally winners, S. B.

Wilks with a Rover and Spikins who had a Le Mans Singer. The award was given to Benjamin King who had a drop-head Light 20 Citroen. Amongst the two-door closed cars we noticed an Austin 12-6 sports, a Vogue Humber Saloon finished in cream, and a dark red S.S. with a great display of badges, which proved the winner. The four-door class could not be expected to provide much of sporting interest, but Maurice Newnham’s Triumph” Gloria “6

was notable for the high polish of its engine. Dunham, well known at Brooklands with his Speed 20 Alvis, secured first prize in this Category.

Opinions were divided about the lines of Curtis’s V8 Ford, with its body ending in a vertical fin, but the engine development was interesting. A twin downdraft carburetter had been fitted, and this with a Scintilla magneto and aluminium cylinder heads had increased its speed some 10 m.p.h. M. A. McEvoy had entered a supercharged B.S.A., fitted with a Zoller

blower chain-driven from the front of the engine, and which carried an unusual two-four seater body.

Fairtlough’s A.C. was neat and had well-balanced lines, while Searle’s Speed 14 Rover was painted in a striking iridescent blue colour. The bodywork was notably roomy and well-upholstered, with a disappearing hood and the spare wheel neatly sunk into the tail. It won the class up to £500. A grey saloon with dark top and brown leather upholstery repeated the Rover success in the two-door class. Four Aston-Martins were a notable feature of the next class, the most attractive being the black two-seater which belonged to P. A. Rhodes, and had a complete strip map of the route in a lighted holder on the steering column. W. M. Couper had a striking red Talbot

” 90″ with innumerable accessories and gadgets for comfort on the road. First place was won by R. H. Gregory, whose Alvis Speed Twenty was finished with an Oxford Blue body with Cambridge blue wings. Major Douglas-Morris once againcarried off an award with his Tickford bodied Invicta, and H. C. Berry’s Armstrong ” 20 ” saloon, with a light-blue top and wings and silver body deserved its success in the 4-door class. The pic.k of open sporting cars were shown in class 5a, and it must have been hard to differentiate between Eller’s

and Tong’s 44 litre Lagondas, the ” 105 ” Talbots and the Speed 20 Alvises. Scott’s Talbot had an unusual four-seater body, something on the lines of the racing team cars, in which the pointed tail was used to hold suitcases. The back seats of course were really meant to be occupied in this case, however, and the centre arm rest was used to hold the folded-up tonneau cover. The Alvis entered by the Earl of March had a two-three seater dark blue body of particularly sporting lines. W. E. C. Watkinson’s car had a four-seater body by Vanden Plas, equipped with three gallon spare oil-tanks under the bonnet and many other items useful on the continent, and with its dark green colouring thoroughly deserved its prize. Alvis and Vanden Plas also scored in the two-door class in which the Hon. Brian Lewis’s car was the victor. This car was all black except for fine white lines on the bonnet louvres. The rear panel sloped down well clear of the rear passengers’ heads, allowing a luggage compartment to be fitted into the body behind the seat, and the quarter lights obviated the shut-in effect

Often experienced in two-door saloons. C. J. Joyce was successful in the four-door class with the ” 95 ” Talbot which won the Monte Carlo coachwork competition, while in the same class were some striking cars on 41 Lagonda and Siddeley Special chassis.

There were only three open cars in the class for cars over £1,000. Hal Hill’s 40-50 Rolls Royce, perfectly plain fiveseater tourer was obviously some years old, but with its grey body and black wings was the :acme of the continental touring car. Presland’s 8 litre Bentley was impressive but rather heavy in appearance..

while uv W arbur ton ‘s well-preserved 30-98 Vauxhall with two-seater Wensom body was rather heavily handicapped by its age. There were also only three cars in the two-door class, Miss Chieseman’s straighteight, 100 m.p.h. Delage. fitted experi

mentally with four carburetters. Vansborough’s Siddeley Special with aerodynamic coachwork by Lancefield, and C. W. Ward’s 31 litre Bentley. Tilv sntdoey Special had the typical solid frontal appearance of its type, with head lamps stink into the eines, and the latter continued their unaltered shape past the bonnet, leaving a large compartment for luggage on either side of the engine. Suitcases were carried in the sloping tail. The streamline design gives an increase of six m.p.h. at the top end of the range. Streamline tendencies were also to be noticed in C. W. Ward’s 31 litre Bentley, to give a new treatment of the two-door saloon. This very striking car was finished in beige with an olive-green waistline and wheels. The leather upholstery was also green. The back and front wings had modified fairings and the angle of the wind screen was matched. by that of the sloping back panel. The panel was hinged at one side and swung back to reveal suitcases and tools in a series of lockers, while the spare Wheel was carried

in the back of the swinging panel. The high finish of the body and the restrained luxury of the interior fittings were typical of Park Ward coachwork.

In the four-door class p. P. Crossmans.

31 litre Bentley saloon carried a straightforward body by H. J. Mulliner which attracted favourable attentions. Finished in black relieved with dark green it gave very comfortable accommodation or 4 people. The luggage was carried

in a rear locker reached by a downswinging panel.

The Park Ward entry in this class was a 25 h.p. Rolls-Royce finished in light green, with a chromium waistline and cream mouldings. The shallow arched roof and thin centre pillar gave the car a refreshingly light aspect, and the former swept down over the rear quarters to the tail locker as one flawless panel.

Running tools were carried in a locker alongside the chassis frame which was accessible when the near-side front door was opened. The lights in the front doo were divided into two, and by operating tne door lifts to their full extent, the forward parts swung outwards acting as windscoops in hot weather.

COACHWOR K COMP ITION Class I.

ka) 1, W. I). 3.1ohtgontcry (Singer).

(b) 1, B. C. 1). Macartney (Standard).

(c) 1, Miss S. H. Richards (Standard;. Class II.

(a) , Benjamin Xing {Citroen).

(b) , Major A. I). Carey (5.5.1.).

(c) , C. G. 11. Dunham (Rover). Glass it.

(a) , 0. V. Searle (Rover).

(b) , M. Tombs (Rover).

(c) , 0. Graham (‘Ialbot). Class V. (a) R. H. Gregory (Alvis),

(b) Major 1). B. M. Douglas Morris anvietal.

(c) H. C. Berry (Armstrong•Siddeley).

Class V.

(a) W. E. C. Watkinson (Alvis).

( h) Hon. Brian Lewis (Alvis).

(c) C. J. Joyce (Talbot).

Class VI.

(a) Hal Hill (Rolls Royce).

(b) C. W. Ward (Bentley).

(c) W. J. Park (Rolls Royce).

Best open car : R. H. Gregory (Alvis).

Best two-door car C. W. Ward (Berltle)”)• Best four-door car : W. M. Park (Rolls Royce).

SYSTEM OP CLASSIVICATIoN.

(a) Open cars.

(b) Two door closed cars.

(c) Four door closed cars. The price classification

( I) Up to 1:200.

(2) 001 up to rmo. s.:351 up to 1;500. (4) OW up to C700,

(5) a701 up to I ,000. (6) Over 0.0o0, is as follows:—