R.P.M MOTOR CLUB.
R.P.M. MOTOR CLUB.
This club was originally founded in 1925 for members of the Newcastle Colleges of Durham University. It has now been reconstituted so that members of the general public may be admitted. The Committee, encouraged by the consequent growth in membership, has arranged an extensive programme for the coming season composed of the following events : April 7th, Spring Trial ; June 30th, Summer Trial ; September 22nd, Autumn Trial ; November 3rd, Guy Fawkes Trial ; and December 15th, Winter Trial.
With the exception of ” one make” Clubs, the R.P.M. Club is one of the very few car clubs in the North-Eastern. area of England, and the varying events which are being organised will cater for every type of vehicle.
The Hon. Secretary is Mr. J. L. Fawdon, of 2, Collingwood Street, Newcastleupon-Tyne,l, who will be pleased to forward further particulars, both of the Club and its activities, to all those interested if they will write to him at the above address.
A reliability trial was held in the Weardale District on 3rd March.
The course was a circuit of approximately 85 miles, but on the high moorland sections the roads were, blocked by deep snow drifts and much of the original route had to be by-passed. The Trial attracted an entry of 20 Competitors, the results being
1. T. J. W. Edge (4-litre Lagouda), 19 points lost.
2. G. A. Hutchinson (M.G.), 24 points lost.
3. R. T. Wheatley (M.G.), 32 points lost.
Pewter Tankards are awarded to Edge and Hutchinson.
ROYAL SCOTTISH A.C.
The Fourth Scottish Rally will take place on Monday to Friday, 10th-14th June. Once again the aim of the organisers has been to provide a sporting tour through the finest of Scottish scenery, with the added interest of competition in a worth-while event.
It is not surprising, therefore, to find few changes from last year’s regulations. The chief of these is the sub-division of the three groups into open and closed classes. This move brings the number of individual premier awards up to six, while all finishers of the Rally and Tests will receive the usual Scottish Rally Plaque. Differing from other Rallies, the Scottish Rally will have only one starting control, so that all the competitors will be placed on an equal footing as to route. Stirling has been chosen as the starting control, by virtue of its central position, while the finish will be at Glasgow. The Coachwork Competition will also be held in the latter city. An interesting clause in the regulations for the concours is that
all entrants must have completed the Road Section and the Special Tests, and have gained at least a third of the marks of the individual class winners. The Special Tests will, of course, be kept secret until the last moment.
As for the route, competitors will leave Stirling at night, taking breakfast at Gairloch, in the Ross-shire hills, from which magnificent views of the Isle of Skye, the Hebrides and the Atlantic Ocean are obtained. The two nightly stops will be at Pitlochry and Oban, so that competitors need have no fear of the fatigue which accompanies non-stop Rallies.
Full particulars with entry forms can be obtained from the Secretary, Mr. Robert J. Smith, , C.B.E., C.A., 163, West George Street, Glasgow.
N.W. LONDON M. C.
The’ b Gazette “for March includes
the important announcement that the next London to Gloucester Trial will be restricted to members of the Club. The reason given for this new regulation is that in the past many entries have had to be returned, owing to the full quota being quickly reached ; and in some cases entries have been returned to N.W.L. members. This is obviously an unsatisfactory state of affairs, and the new rule will meet with universal approval.
The London-Gloucester entry was in danger of assuming unwieldy proportions, and it is to be hoped that the restriction of entries to Club members will result in a diminution of the delays experienced last December. The difficult course, closely packed with ob-erved hills, is an inseparable feature of the trial, and it would be a thousand pities to alter the circuit in order to accommodate a larger field.
The current” Gazette “contains several new and bright features. A series of ” Club Personalities” have been inaugurated, with that successful sportsman M. H. Lawson, as No. 1. “Our Spotlight” and ” Cameos ” are both full of amusing information.
On Thursday, March 14th, a most enjoyable social evening took place at the Talbot Restaurant, London Wall. After an informal dinner, Mr. Donald Healey gave a most interesting talk on his many experiences in Rallies and trials, after which a film-show was given by Mr. C. J. Lowe.
BRIGHTON & HOVE M. C.
The annual Twelve Hours Trial will be held on Sunday, April 7th, starting from Lobscombe Corner, on Salisbury Plain, at the witching hour of 1 a.m. The route will be roughly 150 miles in length, and some totally new hills have been found by Mr. G. Patrick, the organiser. There will
be eight observed sections, and the finish will be at Blandford where the first man will arrive at about 9 a.m.
GREAT WEST M. C.
The London to Bournemouth Spring Cup Trial takes place too late in March for inclusion in this issue, but a full report will appear in our May Number. Starting from the Ace of Spades Garage, the competitors will proceed to the Grosvenor Hotel, Shaftesbury (which will be an optional start), for breakfast. The hills include some entirely new terrors on the private Tank Corps Ground at Wood Heath. Gradients of 1 in 2 are rumoured, but certain well-known competitors have been heard to say that if a whippet Tank can climb them, they’ll eat their hats if they can’t !
The finish will be at the Poole Harbour Club.
ULSTER A.C.
Fifth of the series, the Ulster Motor Rally will be held this year on April 22nd and 23rd, i.e. Easter Monday and the day following. There will be only two starting points, Belfast and Dublin, and the whole 500 miles route will be in Ireland.
The usual finishing point, Bangor, will be used once more, and the eliminating tests will take place there on the afternoon of the 23rd. The nature of the tests will be made known to the competitors at the start of the Rally. It will be noticed from the rules that the Regularity Section formerly included has been discontinued.
This year the field will be divided into two classes, up to 13 h.p. and over. The winning car, irrespective of class, will receive the Ulster Automobile Club Challenge Trophy, while the drivers gaining the greatest number of marks in each group will receive a cheque for 225. The second, third and fourth finishers will receive 415, 210, and 25 respectively. The team prize will be 29 9s. Od., and there will be a special award for Ladies and an Old Car Cup, open to vehicles registered prior to December 1927.
Entries, at double fees, can be accepted up to Monday, April 8th, at 24 4s. Od. for non-members, and 22 2s Od. for Ulster A.C. members. Applications should be made to the Secretary, 65, Chichester Street, Belfast.
VINTAGE SPORTS CAR CLUB.
An entry of 15 was received for the Club’s second Trial, which took place over a course near Haslemere, Surrey, on Sunday, 10th March.
The hills were all in a very dry condition and were for the most part very easily negotiated by the majority of competitors. AldWorth accounted for five failures, and proved to be the most “difficult section of all. D. Munro (Invicta) put up the best performance of the day, his figures for the acceleration test (19 2/5 secs.) and for Dog Leg (24 sees.) both being the best times recorded, though G. H. S. Brooks (Morris), equalled Munro’s time in th.e Dog Leg test, and might have bettered it but for an attack of cramp in the middle I It is interesting to note that although second, third and fifth places were taken by small cats, the principal award was won by one of the largest cars entered. This was certainly not the case in the Chiltern Trial in January, when no large
car gained a first class award. 0. Issard Davies had bad luck with his superCharged Lea-Francis, which persisted in boiling and lost all power on Bexley Hill, and failed. However, he rejoined the course and Managed to finish. This was particularly bad luck, as he had climbed Aldworth in very fine style. Below is a list of provisional results :—
Principal Award.—D. Monro, invicta.
First Class Awards.—C. Clutton, Frazer Nash ; H. P. Powell, A inilear.
Second Mast Awards.—G. H. S. Brooks, Morris ; Miss 13. M. C. Marshall, G.N.
The Hon. Secretary of the Club is Mr. C. P. L. Nicholson, 7, Abercorn Mews, London, N. W. 8.
LIGHT CAR CLUB.
On the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, a tea and private cinema show will be given on Sunday, April 7th. A Novelty Run will be started from the Drift Bridge Hotel, Reigate Road, Epsom, on the same day at 2.15 p.m. in order to collect members and arrive at the show to schedule.
S.S. CAR CLUB.
The Committee of the SS Car Club is at present busily engaged upon organising an SS National Rally to be held at Blackpool on 21st-23rd June, 1935.
The Club has been fortunate in securing the co-operation of the Blackpool Corporation in connection with this event and very generous support has been promised. The programme, at present being devised, will include the following :
Friday, 21st June : Arrivals. Supper Dance.
Saturday, 22nd J tine : a.m., Special Tests on Promenade (Monte Carlo type) ; p.m., Luncheon and Mayor’s Reception, Flying display by Cathcart Jones-Waller, etc. (this is being arranged subject to certain details being completed) ; evening, Club Dinner-Dance.
Sunday, 23rd June : a.m., Parade of Cars and (‘on 00 Urs d’Elegance. A suitable Hotel is being nominated as Headquarters and it is confidently expected that at least 400 SS Cars will
attend with a total of some 700-1,000 visitors.
Entry forms can be obtained from the Hon. Secretary, Mr. G. Moxon Cook, 385, Euston Road, London, N.W. 1.
FRAZER NASH CAR CLUB.
The second Follow-my-leader Trial was a great success. Starting from Buxton at about 10 o’clock on Sunday Morning, March 170, the sixteen competitors set off for Jenkin’s Chapel, the first hill of the route. By the time they arrived there, however, Secretary Cundry had fallen out with a broken magneto, which he later repaired and joined up with the field at the luncheon stop.
Something new in special tests was held on the downhill approach to the hill. Competitors had to reverse, with engine switched off and the gear lever in neutral, round two bends. In this mameuvre Cutler made fastest time in 19.1 secs.
Only three people succeeded in climbing Jenkins Chapel, these being Wright, Thompson and Sinclair. One other hill was tackled before lunch, this being E3,,am Bank, which was climbed by everyone.
Bamford Clough, the next hill, has a mighty reputation, which was justified if the Frazer Nash onslaught was anything to go by. Not a single car got anywhere near the top, for the combination of slippery surface and steep gradient was overpowering. Litton Slack, too, was in grand form and refused to let anyone get up unaided ; -Sinclair and Higgins got within pushing distance of the top thereby making the best performances.