V-to-C Miscellany, February 1996, February 1996

The Formula One Club has with commendable partiality agreed to issue a set of limited edition postal covers to raise money for the Brooklands Museum Trust. These covers will consist of colour pictures of drivers in action, and those who have agreed to sign the set include Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss, Eddie Irvine, Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell, Jackie Stewart, Derek Warwick, Roy Salvadori, Jonathan Palmer, Derek Daly, Ken Tyrrell, Riccardo Patrese, Brian Hinton, Michael Schumacher, Baron de Graffenreid, Julian Bailey, Rubens Barrichello, Jean Alesi, Ron Dennis signing for Ayrton Senna, Karl Wendlinger and David Coulthard, together with the only Brooklands driver amongst them, Clive WindsorRichards, going well and still driving at the age of 93, whose picture will show him on the Campbell circuit in the ex-Dobbs six-carburettor 1808cc Riley entered by Les Hawthorn, Mike’s father. This is No II in the series and if sufficient funds are raised the money will go to building a Memorial Garden at the Museum, which is a reminder that the BARC had such a Brooklands Garden at Goodwood after the war.

The Sunbeam MCC will hold the 59th Pioneer Run from Epsom Downs to Brighton, for pre-1915 motorcycles and three-wheelers, on March 24, starting at 8 am. This is a tough run that the vintage and veteran car fraternity may wish to attend, or ride in. Details from Marjorie Ayers, 59 Beechwood Road, Sanderstead CH2 OAE (Tel: 0181 6574671).

The Friends of the National Motor Museum have a series of evening talks, that on March 9 by David Roscoe on 1960s Club Racing, while on January 27 Jonathan Palmer will speak about wanting to form an F1 team, and on February 24 Graham Robson will chair a Triumph Rally Tear’ Reunion. On March 23 Nick Mason will discuss his music and motor cars and April 27 will have Andrew Walmsley talking about Lotus cars from the engineer’s viewpoint — proof that the Museum does not think entirely about the past. Tickets are £5 each; send an SAE to Anne Reynolds at the NMM, Beaulieu, S042 7ZN.

Kent Robinson’s twin-cam 3-litre Sunbeam, during a Continental tour with his wife Carol as navigator, managed to climb to Pico Veleta in the Sierra Nevada near Granada in SW Spain, the highest road summit in Europe. This is believed to be a “first” for a vintage car, and a climb that apparently defeated a Bentley Continental some 35 years ago. Any other claimants? W B