A Singer claim

Sir,

As a reader since 1951 and a many times advertiser and purchaser via your Cars for for-Sale column I feel I must take you to task. reference your paragraph headed “Mis leading” in Matters of Moment, page 606, May Issue.

In Ian Grange’s advertisement in the April issue he offered for sale the “Spikins Bantam” which was a single-seater special built and developed by Bob Spikins in 1935-36. This car had a very highly developed 972 c.c. Singer engine supercharged at 9 p.s.i. and capable of 7,500 r.p.m. in the gears. In 1936 he did lap Brooklands’ Outer Circuit at 114 m.p.h. and the Mountain Circuit at 71 m.p.h. So you see, Mr. Grange was not indulging in “gross exaggeration” as far as the performance of this vehicle was concerned, as to a value of  £6,500 -well that’s another matter and would really only concern an intending purchaser.

Many thanks for an excellent magazine.

Rhyl K. ROWLANDS

[I am unrepentant. The advertisement referred to said the Singer lapped at 114 m.p.h. at the 1936 Brooklands Easter Meeting and it did nothing of the kind. I remember the Spikins Singer, and have checked its appearances in BARC races in 1934-36. The best lap speed officially recorded in a BARC race was 96.71 m.p.h., by Basil de Mattos, in the August 1st Short Handicap in 1936, after which it was a non-starter in its next race. Ed.]