Bugatti Owners' Club Prescott Hill Climb
Notes
Whitehead, driving bareheaded, his E.R.A. with part of its radiator blanked off, and with 4.75 x 18-in, twin rear tyres, made f.t.d. in 47.75 sec.
Yates’s Maserati used 5.00 x 18-in. twin rear wheels and had a Bugatti steering wheel.
A wide variety of cars ran, from E.R.A.s to streamline Alfa-Romeo saloon, unstreamlined Bugatti saloon and a drophead Invicta.
Monro’s 4 1/2-litre “Red Gauntlet” (Invicta to you) ran in the sports class and, less front wings, in the racing class.
Heath’s Alta was slower in the sports class than in the racing class, in which both its runs were in identical times.
Lemon-Burton’s V12 Cadillac and the Sumner Isotta-Fraschini were imposing cars in the car park.
Non-starters included Cowell’s Alta, with cracked head, his sports Delahaye which was too stiff to run fast, and the Sumner-J.A.P., which had trouble with its clutch and wouldn’t steer properly.
Dawson improved the roadholding of the Lightweight by removing a few strands of rubber from the rear suspension and stowing it in his pocket !
C. L. Clark’s Type 43 Bugatti had a Tecalemit oil filter on one dumb-iron.
James’s “Monaco”-prepared “2.3” Alfa-Romeo went very well on its only ascent, spare wheel in the car beside the driver.
All the Lones family helped to start “Tiger Kitten,” which now has its front cowling removed, improving its appearance. Lones turned round on two of his runs.
Abecassis watched Heath’s runs, Baron was present with Giron in a Fiat “500,” with Austin Eight engine and rear-axle, and Peter Monkhouse drove home in James’s ex-Bachelier special “4.9” Bugatti.
Capt. Yates had taken the V-screen off the Bugatti “Suzanne” and was using a cowl and aero-sereen instead.
The Lightweight was no good on soft plugs but very rapid indeed on the right brand.
The near-side front shock-absorber of James’s “4.9” Bugatti wasn’t doing any work.
The E.R.A. drivers scorned helmets, as did most of the drivers of rapid cars. Lots of slower cars appeared to call for full kit.
A Lancia “Aprilia” towed the Lightweight’s trailer.
Miller’s 1 3/4-litre Riley was the car Watson crashed at Brooklands. It was not accepted as a sports car at Gransden, but now qualifies by reason of additional road equipment.
The only cars to better 50 sec. were the three E.R.A.s – Whitehead, 47.75, Ansell 48.1, and Gerard, 48.35 – while Bear’s Type 51 Bugatti did 48.4, equalling Gerard’s time on his second run.
S. C. H. Davis was present all the afternoon, and Mrs. Petre was watching Dowson’s ascents with much interest.
As usual, the organisation was admirable, the Press very well served, and, to this club meeting, admission and parking were free to all.