RUMBLINGS, April 1951

RUMBLINGS

So it seems that we rue going to be spared a fuel-consumption limit for the next Grand Prix Formula, due to conic into force for 1954, the main Formula LO be up to 750 c.c. The 1954 supereharged, up to 2i4. litres non-super

G.P. Formula charged, without any other Ihnitatioits.

There ‘Will, apparently, he Formula II and III, their revised definitions yet to be decided ; indeed, the final ratification of the 1954 Formula I, recommended at a meeting of the C.S.I. at Brussels in February, will not occur until the F.I.A. meets in Paris next October. A new Formula to cover gas-turbine and supercharged diesel racing ears is also on the stocks.

Rather naturally, the topic of discussion is how the new Formula I will suit Britain, and technicians slide-rules are in need of early re-sleeving ! Learned gentlemen talk of a 750-e.e. BALM., using one half of its engine as a V8, and others point out how nicely the ” unblown 2.?f ” part of the Formula is going to suit Aston-Martin, for example. All this seems.a bit premature, considering that the V16 version of the B.R.M. has so far never won a race outside its country Of origin and that in 1947 we had scarcely heard of a DB 11 as such. Lots can happen in three years these days, and maybe the bottom will be knocked out of the new Formule for gas-turbines and suchlike by the advent of an atomie-propelled projectile.

How does the layman view the changed Formula I ‘? Ire usually says, a bit wistfully, that he supposes speeds won’t be quite so high as with blown IA-litres. We refuse to be drawn, merely remembering that a blown 750 has done nearly 160 m.p.h. in sprint-record form (Lt.-Col. ” Goldie ” Gardner’s; M.G.) and that by 1954, if anyone decides to have a go in Grands l’rix with engines of this class, like speeds should be realised.

Sonic there are who say, ‘,Ali, look how much M.G. and Austin know of blown little:1ms.” Vell, maybe, hut, so far as Austin dusting down I heir former single-seaters is concerned, they have said pretty positively that they will not race them again because they fear fatigue may have weakened vital parts. That: sort of decision is likely to be final, alas. A pity, for Ow late Murray-Jamieson designed the twin-cam Austin to nth up to 14,000 r.p.m. and during its successful racing career it was never fully extended. Sports car racing looks like being one of 1951’s highlights. To the live leading races of last year, an exciting new one, British at that, is to be ridded. This month theTour A New of Sicily will be contested on April 1st followed Sports-Car Race by the great Mille Miglia on April 29th with special classes for post-1944 catalogue closed or convertible ears (!), and in June comes Le Mans ; Thos. Cook and Co. are running an air excursion to Le Mans at an all-in cost of £18 a head, for which, book now ! Then, on September 15th at Dundrod collies the R.A.C. T.T. The new race is none other than our old friend, the 13.R.D.C. Empire Trophy, in the I.O.M., this year to he a race for Le Mans-type sports cars over about. 120 miles, although the Manx Cup Race Will be a Formula Libre racing car race with special awards for the best placed blown 1,100-e.c.ittnblowit 2A-litre cars. The date is June 14th and the Empire Trophy in its 11CW guise should be well worth. seeing, and winning

The rim 4.1-litre I nt er-Arneritia Ferrari will meet. stiff ‘Opposition from these shores, it seems. Rumour was ever a fickle jade, but what are all these whispers we hear about .laguars giving 20 t:o 40 b.h.p. more than the famous NE 120. with a couple of extra cylinders and a tubular chassis by PALA., of John Wyer’s liglitened version of a DB II coupe and of a new Jupiter prototype for Le. Mans ? It’s all most intriguing. Roll on, summer ! Most MOTOR SPorer readers are aware that last season the B.A.R.C. Goodwood Members’ Race Meetings were gingered-up by a points-scoring system which, at the linal ” Motor Sport ” meet ing, found the whiner of the MOTOR SPORT Silverstone Brooklands Memorial Challenge Trophy, Cup partly sitbserilaal l’or by readers who wished to conunenurrate I frooklands Track, to which t his paper added a Replica and cash prize of £30, all neatly collected. by .1. C. C. Mayers antt his Lester-M.G. This Trophy will be contested again this season (see ” Club News “), but another Trophy, the Almon Scour Silverstone Challenge Cup, kindly presented by the amateur racing driver, Anthony Baring, will

be contested. together with a Replica and Vitt cash prize put up by Marcia Scorer, at sports car handicap races during this year’s Silverstone Members’ Day Meetings organised by the various clubs. The Editor has drawn up an ingenious set of rules for a contest that: should prove extremely interesting. Briefly, the plot is that by being placed in certainraces at eacti of these club meetings, drivers will be eligible to compete in the Mcyroa SnoirT Cup Handicap at the same meeting, marks being allotted in these Cup races that will, at the end of the season, determine the Cup winner. Those drivers who get into a given Cup race may be out-placed for the next and therefore forced to earn their chance of further marks by getting placed in a normal handicap at a subsequent Members’ Day Meeting. In this way, competition should be stimulated, to the benefit of OrgintiSing clubs, and the issue likely to be in doubt until the very last meeting.

Moron SPOIRT hopes to assist the clubs by issuing free to their members the main regulations, and next month we hope to be able to give full details of these and state which clubs; will he associating themselves with this enthralling contest. At the time of writing the V.S.C.C., Aston-Martin Owners* Club, Maidstone and Mid-Kent MC.. M.C.C., and Eight Clubs were keen to conic in. The first round is likely to be fought at the V.S.C.C. Meeting on May 19th. One of our best dollar earners, the XK 120 Jaguar, is now available as a new fixed-head two-seater coupe. “‘Chic ” is an over-worked word, but it does fit this latest The Latest Jaguar, which is a very handsome, up-to-the „Jaguar minute car, capable, of course, of well over

100 m.p.h. The specification is exactly that of the open XK 120, using the lower (3.64 to 1) of the two axle ratios. Weight has increased by about one cwt., to approximately 26i cwt. The new car has a heater, of course, but we are glad to note that Chief Engineer Illeynes has retained the central remote gear-lever, seaming to adopt a stick on the steering stalk for this closed Jaguar. No doubt there will be keen competition in the American, Canadian and Australian markets to acquire these coupe Jaguars, which are for export only. Who, we wonder, will be the first lucky motorists to get hold of one in each continent ? By way of a prosaic unsigned circular letter we learn with pleasure that Wellworthy, Ltd., of Lymington, completed Al-fin negotiations a little over two years ago with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corpora

tion. of Long Island, for the exclusive licence to operate Al-fin patents in the U.K.

Since then the Al-tics Bimetallic Molecular Bonding process Inn; served the sporting motorist well—getting surplus heat away Irons racing motor-cycle engines at full bore and keeping cool the brake linings of rapid vehicles anxious to slow down from high speeds.

Allard .12, DB II Aston-Martin. Frazer-Nash, ” Silverstone lealey, LIMA. and .hipiter have gained important competition successes using Al-lin brake drums, which ‘1’. C. Ilarrison used last year on his Ell.A.. Parnell on his Maserati, and Bolt on Deluge and Alfa-Romeo. The BALM. also has Al-fin brake drums. These Al-fin drums are made in two versions, Stage I and Stage II. Stage 1 drums are virtually normal cast iron drums