Vintagism

Sir,

I was most interested to read, on page 18 of the January Motor Sport, that you think the V.S.C.C. should obtain a vintage van to transport its equipment to events. What a splendid idea! I am quite sure that Tim Carson and Tony Bird wholeheartedly agree with you; however, to obtain and put into working order such a vehicle would obviously take a great deal of their very limited time, and I am sure you will agree that an example should be set to the members of the Club in the meantime. Undoubtedly the best way of doing this is for Honorary Life Members of the Club to come to Club events in their vintage cars; I am confident that you will wish to start the ball rolling by coming to the Marshals’ Dinner this year in one of your own vintage light cars. Remember, vintage cars—no cheating by coming in D.S.J.’s post-vintage B.M.W.

Re your remarks about Derrick Edwards trailering his Aston Martin to Silverstone, would you, sir, have driven that car up from London in the prevailing weather conditions, with not even the scantiest of weather protection, when a trailer was available?

R.A. Watt – Handsworth.

[I was half-joking about a vintage V.S.C.C. van, although aware that the Bean C.C., the Austin 7 Register, the Vintage Austin Register, and other old-car organisations run appropriate vehicles. Obviously Club members, and not the hardworked Secretary, would have to be responsible for such equipment. I couldn’t agree more about H.L.M.s using vintage cars, even if not all the paying members abide by these views. I shall not be at the Marshals’ Dinner this year and presentable vintage cars are both expensive to acquire and to maintain, while, due to lack of time and ability, my vintage small cars are still off the road. Perhaps Mr. Watt will think well of me if I do a “Boxing Night Exeter” in my vintage Morgan 3-wheeler, which should be a pretty formidable bit of punishment?

So far as trailing a vintage car to a driving test meeting is concerned, it surely all depends on whether you prefer rounding various pylons in the lower and reverse gears or extending good machinery on the open road—and Mr. Edwards couldn’t have got wetter than I did when Dudley Gahagan took me to the equivalent meeting the year before in his G.P. Bugatti—and if he had been trailing the car on that occasion I would have stayed at home. But perhaps the extravagance of taxing several cars for this one winter meeting was more in Mr. Edwards’ mind than keeping dry, when he resorted to putting his Ulster Aston Martin on a trailer?—Ed.]