club News, February 1951
Club News
WE HEAR
I,a,t December the first of the visits by 11.11.M. Association branch officials took place to Bourne and Folk ingltrun, for the purpose of seeing the BALM. works and the B.R.M. ears. In spite of ice-bound reads over 25 attended, from as far afield as Berwiek and Cardiff: The Dunlop Rubber Company has given the M.I.R.A. £5,000 towards the cost of its proposed new high-speed test track. Schools and other interested organisations can obtain an attractive painting book for youngsters, the theme of which is Safety First on the Road, if they apply to the Nuffield Central Publicity Department, Cowley, Oxford. The Nuffield Organisation is to be congratulated on this idea, the excellence of the aforementioned book and a companion publication entitled “Help Them to Safety,” which is a series of lectures for use by school-teachers and pollee officers’. On thesubjectof school-children, a reader tells us that he has introduced at a large primary school in London a car-spotting contest, using photographs from Mania SPORT of racing, vintage and modern ears. One boy obtained full marks and two ten-year-old girls over half marks. We Shall have them solving our quiz pictures soon, at this rate! We referred some time ago -to the interest of the Christian Science Monitor in American veteran car events. In its issue of October .5th last this paper published a long, well-written, illustrated article oil the Glidden Tours, which originated in 1904 and are re-enacted today by Members of the V.M.C.C. of A. Harry Lester has been joined in his wellknown M.G. business at Thatcham by H. 11. Crandwell, an old motor-cycle racing friend, and between them these two ex-motor-cyclists are extending their activities to a racing service for 500-c.e: ears ; both have had a great deal to do it Ii .1.1.P. engines. At the 1950 ‘Simi /a M.( C. ” Southern Experts” Trial at Bordort, Ralph Venables used his ex
Frost Allard in the pursuit of his clerk-ofthe-course duties and another vehicle the organisers roped in was an early version of Volkswagen. Barry Dove is taking delivery of a modern Morris -Minor, so that his beautiful 1929 Sunbeam Sixteen tourer can be put .aside and brought out only on high days and holidays. G. 1). Smith, 174, Bromyard
St. John’s, 1Voreester, has an Edwardian. Straker-Squire and the ex-Miss Lister s. v. Aston-Martin, registration number MI: 5412 : he wonders if Miss Lister would write to him if she sees this. Which reminds us that Mr. Young, who wrote i letter about the old days which we published last October, and was thereby brought in touch with a friend he had not seen for 42 years, observes : ” It speaks highly for your excellent journal when people can be brought together after such a long lapse of time through the medium of its columns.” From Tasmania comes. more Graf mad Stift comment., this time to the effect that one of these vast cars is stored in the vaults of the National Museum of Applied Science in Melbourne and is believed to be the only one in Australia. Our correspondent is co-owner of a 1905 Minerva, 1906 Coventry-Humber, 1909 poppetaalve B.S.A. and a. 11118-SiddeleyDeasy, .
A 104 Rhode, painted yellow, has been seen in a Shaftesbury garage: Alec Williams has restored to good. order a 1931 Wolseley Hornet. The first sports car to appear in 11.11.C. Television play was a Healey ” Silverstone.” During January Count Maggi, President of the Brescia A.C., was in London interviewing those British drivers who Wish to compete in this year’s Mille Miglia. Peter Stewart’s “
Ulster” Aston-Martin and F. L. C. Noar’s Le Mans car of the same make are being prepared enthusiastically for the Rol d’Or race on June.ard-4th. It seems that DR It Aston-Martins are owntal in the U.S.A: by Briggs Cunningham, Cameron-Peck; Bill Spear and Dr: Sheer, amongst others. Eric Lister, 3, Rawlinson Road, SOuthport, Lanes,. asks O.M. owners to contact him, as he is forming an O.M. Register. B. K. -Thompson aska us to .say that his entry and Ileardslaw’a in the “
Gloucester ” were one and the same, so there is no ” replica “of the I949-Wharton Special. Victor Axel-Berg’s stable now eonsists of a 3-litre Surd ream, a Red Label 8-litre Bentley saloon and the ex-Straight single-seater Duesenberg in which he may install a power-unit more appropriate than the Mercury it has at present. Iris Douglas Drone-engined 750-e.c. sprint car is for sale.
CHRISTMAS, 1950
The Ed Or and Staff or MOTOR SPORT wish to thank the very many readers who sent cants. cables, telegrams, ealendars and other Greetings to them. at Christmas. Every one of these was I lee ply appreciated, but pressure on space makes individual acknowledgment impossible. Nat rurally, we are delighted to know that we are in the minds of so many enthusiasts all over the world and trust that we shall continue to hold their esteem for another twelvemonth.
THE HANTS & BERKS M.C. DINNER
The fifth annual dinner (ably organised by Julian Jane), presentation of awards and nuitoring Brains Trust were held at
the Wheataheaf,” Virginia Water, on December 15th. The names of the awardwinners for the current year in the. souvenir menu make it a really useful reference and record. The dinner was excellent but simple, and Si) popular the dancing that the younger ones whispered that they would have preferred more time devoted to it rather than so much to the Brains Trust. Quality and quantity of brains were evident at the latter, and a successful party broke up in the small hours.—W. O. II.
THE DEWAR TROPHY
The R.A.C. has decided that Sir Thomas R. Dewar’s Challenge Trophy, presented in 1004, shall again be awarded for the most outstanding technical achievement accomplished under R.A.C. Competition Rules during the preceding year. This Trophy, last awarded in 1921) to Miss Violet Cordery in respect of her 110,0(X) mile high speed run at Brooklands in an 1nvieta, goes, for 1950, to Rover, Ltd., in recognition of the production and performance of their gasturbine car, a very notable British engineering achievement.
EASTERN COUNTIES M.C.
The Eastern Counties Motor Chili reached its first anniversary in Jantuiry. It now has over 70 members, in an area extending to Ely, Great Yarmouth and Colchester, and is recognised by the R.A.C. Events held in the past year include speed trials, gymkhana, touring trials, film shows, treasure hunts, etc., and the Club has a full programme for 1051. Joint Secretaries : H. :Thalami, 28, Church Street, Woodbridge, and 1). Smith, 43, Lacey Street, Ipswich, Suffolk.
V.C.C.
The Veteran Car Club of Great Britain has now issued a new list of members, which, reveals that the club has some 000 full and 200 associate members. For the first time their ears are included, the imposing list containing 41 de Ihons, 28 Renaults, 19 Rolls-Royces, 18 each of Humber and NVolseley, 17 Panlutrds, 13 each of Daimler and Benz, 12 Revers, 11 Lanchesters, 10 Sunbeams, nine Royal Enfields, eight Darracqs, seven elicit of Cadillac, Mercedes, Mors and Napier, six each of Argyll, Clonent-Talbot, Leon-Bollee and Peugeot, five each of Allday, Arrol-Johnston, de Dion Tricycle, M.M.C., Oldsmobile, Siddeley, White Steanier and Wolselcy-Siddeley, four each of Austin, Ford, Morris-Oxford, Riley, Star and Thornyeroft, three each Of Decativille, Gladiator, Minerva, New Orleans, Stanley Steamer, and Swift, two each of Adams-Hewitt, Albion, Beeston Tricycle, Brennabor, Bugatti. Century Tricycle, Clement, Dietrich, de Dion Quad, Delage, F.N., Gardner Serpollet, Georges Richard, James & Brown, Lutzmann, Lotsimobile Steamer, Maudslay, Phoenix, Progress, Phoenix Minerva Trioar, Quadrant, Royal Enfield Quad, Standard, and Vauxhall, and one each of Achilles, Adler, Arnold-Benz, Baker Electric, Beaufort, B.S.A., Buick, Calthorpe Minor, Century, Charette, Charron, Clement-Garrard Triear, Clement-Pan
hard, Clyde, Corre, Cott in-Desgoi it tes, Cupelle, Delaunay-Belleville, Dennis, I /orkopp, Fafnir, Friswell Baby, GilletForest, Gobron-Brillie, Gregoire, Hanzer.
Hispano-Suiza, Hutton, “luau, Itala, Jackson, Kreiger Electric. Ufa Steamer, Lagoa& Triear, Luxwerke, Metz, N.A.G., Orient Express, Opel, Packard, Perry, Payne eir. Bates, PopeHartford, Progress Quad, Pieper, Raleighette, Rex Triette, Santler, SiddeleyDeasy, Spyker, Straker-Squire, Stirling Panhard, Studebaker, Tony Huber, Turner-Miesse Steamer. Turner, Fide, Vermorel, Vinot et Deguingand, Wilson Pitcher and Zedel—all primto 1915, the majority in a very credible state of preservation. and 239 real veterans Of the pre-1905 era. although not all have been officially ” dated.”
On Boxing Day hardy spirits rallied at the picturesque ” White Hart,” by the river at Sonning, the ears present_ including Goodey’s 1895 Lux and 1905 Martini, Major Browning’s 1000 New Orleans, Humphries’ 1004 Humber Foreear, Dell’s 1904 flumber, Skinner’s 1904 Humber, Lt.-Cmdr. Shaw’s 1004 Minerva, Wellumi’s 1904 Renault, Hamilton’s 1004 Wolseley, Phillips’ 1907 ” pedals-to-push ” Adams, and Lloyd’s smart 1014 Rover Twelve tourer.
T. J. Broughton’s 1912 Renault won time age of car/age of driver/mileage award.
The elub’s A.G.M. and Film Show is scheduled for February 10th. Secretary : Julian Jane, 411, North Row, Oxford Street, Louden, NV.1.
750 CLUB
The 750 Club announces that this year’s Austin Seven Racing Formula is as follows :
” The car must comply with the Road Traffic Art, and have been driven to the meeting under Its own power.
” The bodywork must comply with the ‘LAX. specification for trials and rally ears, extiept that It must not be less than 32 in. wide inside the ettekpit.
” The following parts of the car must be from (1w standard range of sports and touring Austin Seven components : cylinder block, crankease. gearbox, rear :Mi. easing. cliassiS side-members.
” Thee engine must have a stroke of three inches:mil a bore not exceeding 2.20 Inches. Overhead valves arid superchargers are barred. ” The car must tarry full electrical imuipment, ineluding starter, starter battery, dynamo, side and tail-lamps, and at least one headlamp. There must Ix’ at least-one aero-screen of effeetive size. floods need not be carried, nor spare wheels. (In a meeting hold by another club it May be lifiCOSSary to vary theSe items in deference to the regulations for that meeting.)
” This formula is devised for the benefit of the amateur constructor and tuner with very limited resources. The 750 Club Formula Conunittee reserves Clue right at all Unita) to reject any car which it iotisiders represents an attempt to defeat tke spirit of these regulations even though it complies with I1)(t letter of them.”
The club scrutineer is J. S. Moon, 21, The Grove, Addlestone, Surrey.
B.A.M.R.C.
The British Amateur Motor Racing Club held a. successful social evening at The Dell Guest, House, King’s Norton, on
December 16th. Although the bad weather prevented a number of members from being present, and caused a number of late arrivals, those who had braved the elements enjoyed a fine buffet supper put on by the hotel, and took advantage of this opportunity to meet their fellow members for the first time.
The bad weather caused some alteration in the arrangements as originally planned, and the evening developed into a mtite serious discussion on the future plans and prospects of the Chili. Several good suggestions were put forward by members, and these will be considered further before the next racing season begins.
CLUB MAGAZINES
It seems unlikely that, deprived of an adequate supply of reading matter. modern man would remain sane. Motoring therefore may be said to contribute to world sanity, because praetitally every country has its inotm-ing journal, and some, like England and the UniNat States, a growing selection. Apart from the ” professional ” journals thud, entertain and keep well informed those
who deem the motor car the best means of travel and the most satisfactory implement of sport, the motoring clubs. whose number is now legion, in most cases appreciate the importance of issuing a regular magazine or bulletin.
In discussing club magazines we are doing a dangerous thing. because we are sure to leave someone’s publication out and perhaps incur their wrath, but if we can be excused possil de unintentional omissions we would like to touch briefly on this extensive subject.
Which is tl Le best chub magazine ? We refuse to take sides, but, some of the more ambitious publications come readily to mind. The Vintage S.C.C. Bulletin, now in its 16th year, always entertains, by its humour, its original approach to vintage topics, its beautiful production and its excellent photographs. It has long been edited by the inimitable Cecil Clutton, but now pressure of business forces him to relinquish the Editorial chair to old-car addict Ronald Barker. Hugunties, official organ of the Hugatti 0.C., has been going since 1931, and dignified articles, beautiful photography and sound sense, naturally with a Molsheim flavour, appear between its blue and yell) )W covers. Peter Hampton, the present Editor, has improved this bi-namthly magazine enormously during his reign of olliee. The l’eierein Car ( ‘lab Gazette isat very imposing quarterly, vontaining some quite ” professional advertising. Its contents are more serious Bum those ()I tlw Bulletin, even somewhat ponderous, and during the year it publishes rep roduel ions or ntany historic pictures :mil documents. Moreover, of recent noes, we 1). C. Freed, has been Editor, more topical veteran matters appear in its august. pages. The next to come to mind is the Review
of the Bentley 1) .C., and apart from the eNeellenee ‘if this magazine, which, packed with pietttres and items of oldschool Bentley lore, appears as regularly :t daily paper att its appointed time quarter, it is a remarkable achievement of this elub that, confined to one iluthe of vi itage car, its membership should top 1,000, making its elaborate magazine possible. Gazette mutes along hi-inatatilly, got. up by John Morgan in professional ” style with plenty of advertising, news-items and cartoons. and, it is nice to see, retains the traditional make-up of the former J.C.C. Gazette
of long standing. The 500 Club leis the inilependently-prodlieed Iota as its official journal, although we have not seen copies for some time now. The British Motor-Cycle Racing Club has a snuffler monthly IlUtgaZille BeHiSer that conveys snappy news of itiembers’ activities and authoritative iwws of world-wide motor-cycle racing matters. The Bristol M.C. and L.C.0 huts its printed monthly journal, t he Soutlisea M.C. its similar, Southsea Supercharge. ‘Me Scottish Sporting Car Club has launched out with a really professional magazine, Top Gear, handled by a real publisher and containing some or the clearest pliotograpIts we have seen, and the Morgan Tliree-1V1weler Club has managed a printed Bulletin for some time, a good effort for a small club, and the sante goes for the W. Essex C.C. “
The C.S.M.A. his its regular monthly. Of one-make clubs the Aston-Martin O.C. issues its very attractively pro(Weed, art. paper quarterly of compact size and, like the Bentley D.C.. backs it wit h a monthly duplicated news-sheet. The Citrocnian, ambitious and likelyproffiwed magazine of the Citroen C.C., features photographs of members and their Citroens (a vintage ” 7.5 ” is depicted in the current issue, so presumably vintage Citroens are welcome) at topical functions and imparts useful technical information. The latter is, of course, the particular function of the many onemake Registers, which are mostly duplicated broadsheets, sometimes backed by annual printed lists of cars, although the Sunbeam Register’s Sunbeam is a book-size bi-monthly and the Lagmida Register attains a higher standard of reproduction than most and pins on appropriate photostat material from !Jack issues of the ” real ” motor journals. The N. London E.C.C. has its chatty 1)00k-style Radcap, the N.W. London M.C.’s printed Norwester is in its fourth volume. and is well leavened with humour, and for years the Ulster A.C. has had a very generously prollortioned, printed
ant I illustrated journal. Other clubs, such as A.C. Owners, Hants and Berks, 75o, Vintage Motor-(‘ dc Chill, Sheffield and ilallamn.shire MC., etc., rely on duplicated bulletins, but get_ them out regularly, each With its own brand of lutilunir alai method of imparting the ” gen.” We have probably left some unforgivable gaps in this brief survey, but our real aim is to draw attention to this very essential aspmt of club life and to show how effeetively it is catered for in this country. All who toil in this sphere are serving t he sport well and there is no doubt that, their publications, even when these make deep holes in club funds, are thoroughly worthwhile and much appreciated. Incidentally, SOW of these magazines, nOtably Bugantics, are available to non-club members.
Apart front our home efforts, from America come the Sports Cur of the S.C.C. of America. the .1/algae .-futomobile of the A.A.C. of :11nerieti, the Bulb Horn of the V.M.C.C. of America and the !baseless Carriage Club Gazette, all large and lavish and keenly anticipated, while the V.S.C.C. of Australia has its printed I ‘hi loge Register.