A Trojan O.C. Trial

November 29th, 1958. 

On the last Saturday in November four members of the Trojan O.C. assembled in Petersfield, at an hotel at which some excellent pre-war trials used to finish, we remember, for a short rough-stuff excursion of the sort for which their two-stroke vehicles are well suited. The T.O.C. Competitions Secretary, D. Graham. had his 1939 mid-engined tourer, there was a 1935 rear-engiried tourer from the box on the back of which came a quite stupendous sound of threshing machinery, Group-Capt. Scroggs was there in his famous 1928 Trojan, and there was a resplendent newcomer in the form of a. splendidly rebuilt 1928 tourer once owned by the present owner’s grandfather, who taught his daughter to drive on it. This car was on Goodyear Pathfinder 710 by 90 tyres; looking surprisingly inadequate beside the more modern-section covers on the other three Trojans.

Another 1928 Trojan arrived at the start but, locally owned, didn’t take part in the run; which took in some interesting country beside the Military Railway near Woolmer Forest. before crossing a long watersplash which the organisers had thoughtfully marked on the route-card as ” Not suitable for VWs ” for the benefit of the Editor of Motor Sport who was following the Trojans. (Although I accepted this advice and did not attempt the splash, through which the four Trojans sailed serenely, other VW owners may consider that I was unnecessarily chicken-hearted; for their benefit will say that the hazard concerned lies behind the Robin Hood Hotel at Standford, map ref. 818348 on 0.S. map No. 169, and that those who drive their VWs through it successfully may send -me a postcard !—Ed.)

After the wetting there were smile muddy fields to cross, up to Wishanger Common, and then the Trojans took to climbing over some hummocks, and up a sandy hill near Frensham Great Pond. Here the VW managed better than two of the Trojans; when we turned for home the contingent of two-strokes was seen to be heading for the unknown down boggy tracks towards Frensham Little Pond, the Comp. Sec. having rather lost his way in the uncharted tracts of the common.  —  W.B.

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