Miscellany, December 1997

No less than the Public Records Office is hosting a Motoring History Conference at its premises at Kew, Richmond. The speakers will be Michael Ware, curator of the National Motor Museum, Malcolm Jeal, of the VCC, Piers Brendon, author of the History of the RAC, and Karl Ludvigsen of the Ludvigsen Picture Library. It is hoped that some of the Record Office’s motoring material and some VCC veteran cars will be displayed. The date is January 24, from 10.30am to 4pm, at a cost of £20 including lunch and tea, or £10 for concessions. It is suggested that it will be of interest to “people interested in the history of their vehicles”, although this does not mean, alas, that all those old log books condemned by the DVLA have been recovered… To attend, apply to Simon Fowler on 0181 876 3444.

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The Exeter Trial of the MCC, an event dating back to 1910, takes place on January 9/10. The MCC’s magazine Triple, named after the triple award for ‘cleaning’ all three MCC annual trials, which is edited by Tom Threlfall, had some well illustrated pages in the September issue, and reports of the year’s trials.

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Following our reference last month to the Riley Gamecock of photographer Jim Brymer, we can now see the result of this commendable restoration.

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Inevitably, many of the old racing circuits are no more, which is highlighted by those, including Autocar’s Alan Henry, who are advocating a return as soon as possible to the former full Nürburgring. So it is good to know that at least sections of the former Phoenix Park course have survived, and are where two races for these cars will form part of the 1998 Frazer Nash ‘Raid’ itinerary. Thus “…the old Town circuit incorporates the famous Mountjoy corner, Dublin corner, and the tight Fairy Glen hairpin. The main straight remains unchanged from the time of the Irish Grands Prix of the 1930s, with its tree-lined avenue and gas lamp-standards.” Just the job for the ‘Nash gang, over which to extend their motor-cars. Already over 40 GN/Frazer-Nash cars are expected.

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As one of the smaller one-make organisations the Amilcar Register is to be congratulated on the quality of its magazine and the pictures of these now rather rare cars, with Salmsons, which appear therein. Among pictures in the current issue is one of the winning Amilcar Six in the victors’ enclosure by the Brooklands’ Paddock in 1926, and, a generous gesture, a Salmson in a vintage mud-trial on the front cover. Mike Tebbitt, the editor, would like to hear of any relevant archive material, on 01684 563315.

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Diary dates: The AGM of the SW Section of the VCC was held at the Highpost Inn near Salisbury on November 22, and already the Sunbeam MCC, formed in 1905, has announced that the popular Pioneer Brighton Run for pre-1915 machines will happen on March 22, 1998, an event many vintage-car folk like to watch, from beside the route, please…