A Test to Destruction

It is possible that the Hispano/Ghost contest, described under the somewhat sensational heading “A Test to Destruction” in your December edition, will go down in motoring history as an event as susceptible to different interpretations as the great Hispano-Stutz challenge to Indianapolis in 1928.

That it was an immensely enjoyable escapade in the company of three of my dearest friends, all of whom are endowed with a truly deep love of Vintage sports cars and Vintage motoring, is not in contention. There are, however, various aspects of the event that are open to debate and I am a little saddened that my chum, Alan Clark, who is an historian of repute, appears to have suffered a lapse from his usual high standard of impartiality and good judgement. This lapse is no doubt due in some measure to his recent recruitment to that universally-mistrusted body of men whose inability to differentiate between fact and fantasy is responsible, in no small measure, for much of this poor misruled Nation’s ills. I refer, of course, to politicians of all parties. His claim that the twin-carb, Ghost has a higher maximum speed and better brakes and roadholding than the H6B sportsman’s coupe is quite false. His comments about the instability, of the Hispano under fierce braking are equally exaggerated. That he was able to keep up with us at all speaks, not so much for the speed of the Ghost. as for the courage and skill of the driver and, perhaps, for the lack of courage and skill of his opponent. The fact that the Hispano led at the end of the only completed section, that between Montreuil and Abbeville, is glossed over in a manner worthy of a great politician manque. Perhaps at some future date we might arrange a rematch, preferably on a closed circuit with observers?

London SW7 CHARLES HOWARD