CLUB NEWS WE HEAR, June 1945

Club News

WE HEAR

Lt. Ames, R.N.V.R., contemplates following in Cyril Peacock’s footsteps and trying to find a 27-h.p. Hispano-Suiza for post-war motoring. He reports meeting Mountjoy, who used to race M.G.s, in India, and believes Comdr. C. R. Whitcroft to be in Ceylon. F. W. Roberts is also restoring a ” Hyper ” Lea-Francis. Cpl. C. P. M. Green has added an unblown ” Ulster ” Austin Seven to his stable, which includes the sprint G.N. “Grasshopper,” a G.P. Amilcar, and sundry Salmsons. He recently attended the Belfast “Brains Trust,” but reports that the only interesting cars which he saw in Ireland were a 3-litre Bentley and a modern Alvis saloon. Alan Shipley, tiring of his 1937 Singer Le Mans 4-seater, has acquired a 1980 T.T. ” Hyper ” LeaFrancis with No. 8 Cozette supercharger, which he is now in process of overhauling. V. N. Scott proposes to install a 2-stroke 3SM Scott engine in a T-type M.G. he is modifying and rebuilding. H. J. N. Turner seeks a large vintage sports car, and says that an R.A.F. colleague has acquired an old if litre supercharged Mercedes chassis, which had lain in a barn on a Wiltshire farm for many years, but which now motors very well. He would be interested in joint ownership of an old sports car with a fellow enthusiast. Birkett hoped to have had his Type 30 Bugatti functioning ere now. K. N. Hutchison has bought a farmer. The post-war Allard is likely to be a most interesting motor-car. H. L. Biggs has given up his Fiat ” 500 ” and is now using a 1937 open Austin Seven. Macdermid is now a Commander, and has left for India. He spent his embarkation leave at his mother’s house at Sidmouth,

reading two years’ back numbers of MOTOR SPORT. F/Lt. T. A. D. Crook has had a spell in hospital, but has managed to stable a very nice Type 320 B.M.W. and a 2-litre A.C. drophead coupe, beside the famous ” 2.9 ” Alfa-Romeo, exThomas 328 B.M.W., and 1,100-c.c. Fiat. Graham Dix has acquired an open 1930 twin-cam 1f-litre Alfa-Romeo. Congratulations to Hubert Hardy on his recent marriage. Shapley has his R-type M.G. and a Type 57 Bugatti stored, and uses a Lancia Aprilia.’ Stuart Wilton motors these days in a Renault “Eight,” but seeks something which will open, like a D.K.W., and also a car for post-war sports car races. There is a rough, open “12/50” Alvis 4-seater for sale for about £20 in London, with six sound tyres and two hoods, and we know of a good rearengined Trojan tourer for £35, a Clyno for £12, and a sound Morris-Cowley 1925 saloon, with good tyres, for £20. J. A. Cooper is sharing with Bill Gibson a 4-cylinder Amilcar with o.h.v. conversion, said to have been raced by Noel Jupp in the 1929 “500.” He might dispose of it to a kind home. Baldwin-Teleki, in the Army, saw many early motor-cycles in Italy, and knows of a 1915 Triumph for sale in Ireland. He is seeking a “30/98.”

R.S.M.C. •

The Robin Sporting Motor Club was formed in 1921, but has been dormant since the outbreak of war. It is now

becoming active again and is holding social meetings and technical discussions at the “Hand and Spear,” Weybridge, members being drawn from about a 20mile radius of Weybridge. Motor-cycle as well as car enthusiasts are catered for, and full particulars are available from the secretary, J. D. Hanman, “Cheltenham,” Woburn Hill, Addlestone, Surrey.

W. & D.M.C. AND L.C.C.

The Watford and District Motor Cycle and Light Car Club, formed towards the end of 1944, now holds regular meetings at the “King’s Head,” Watford, at 7.30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, at which discussions, “brains trusts,” lectures, film shows, and social activities occur. Membership is open to motor-cycle and car enthusiasts in all the southern counties, and motor-cycle and car members are about equally represented on the committee. Later on trials, rallies and more ambitious events, together with events of interest to the family motorist, will be planned. Secretary, D. A. VVilcocks, The Cottage, Fair Way, St. Albans, Herts.

B.M.C.C.

The British Model Car Club held another meeting on April 8th, in London. Cruickshank’s M.G. lapped at 45-47 m.p.h. with an experimental silencer intended to limit its speed, as the track is too rough for faster motoring. Curwen’s CurwenSpecial crashed badly after covering five laps at about 55 m.p.h., due to the pole moving. It broke loose, hit an iron stand and was flung against a brick wall, suffering considerable damage, although the engine and f.w.d. unit appeared to have escaped. Weaver’s E.R.A. was run-up in the pits, but wasn’t ready to go on the track, but Russell’s S.S. ” 100,” Wright’s Wright-Special (in chassis form), Gascoigne’s M.G. and Morgan’s Ohlsonnengined Morgan-Special, all came out. The last-named car weighs only 31lb. less batteries, and lapped at around 30 m.p.h. During the lunch hour the extraordinary general meeting was held, attended by 14 members, with D. A. Russell in the chair. It was unanimously approved that two car types be recognised by the club, ” orthodox ” and “open,” the first being “a model such that the general public would recognise as a car,” and “not have the engine or other mechanical parts projecting beyond the profile of the bodywork (except such parts as project in normal full-size practice).” All other models would automatically come in the ” open ” class. This we consider to be a retrograde move. All models, surely, should be such that the general public would recognise them as car-models, otherwise we shall get horrid powered-trucks such as disgraced the clockwork car races held before the war at the Metropolis Garage. A far better recommendation would be for the classes to comprise scale-models and non-scale-models, the first to include models based on a particular. prototype, and the second for remaining models, albeit these should conform to full-size dimensioning of track, wheelbase and tyre size. We hope the club will reconsider its decision on this matter—even,

if the fitting of apparently streamline bodies does slow the models. Otherwise this club is doing excellent work for the model-car movement. Hon. secretary, J. Gascoigne, 91, Stamford Court, London, W.6.

COVER PICTURE

This month’s cover picture depicts more of the sort of thing we hope to be able to enjoy again fairly soon—after the Jap is vanquished. The scene is Donington Park in England. Car No. 27 is J. H. T. Smith’s M.G. Magnette, and we believe No. 24 is Peter Whithead’s 1,100c.c. Alta. Happy days!

N.L. E . C.C.

.

The April meeting of the North London Enthusiasts’ Car Club saw some 30 members gathered together to listen to F. J. Findon, editor of The Light Car, deliver a very informative talk on “A Marshal’s Job.” On June 15th another meeting will be held at John Keble Small Hall, Deans Lane, Edgware, at 7.80 p.m., when a talk on sports cars for the impecunious will be given—a topical subject. Hon. secretary, G. Dance, 15, King’s Drive, Muswell Hill, N.10.

750 CLUB

In last month’s issue we published correspondence that has passed between the present secretary, S. H. Capon, and W. Boddy, who originated this club, on the subject of reviving its activities. Since then nothing further has been heard from Capon, so it can be assumed that it is not his intention to take any part in reviving the club at the present time. This being the case, Boddy and Mallock would like to hear from existing members direct, with a view to establishing contact and deciding whether it will be possible to re-issue club bulletins. Will those concerned please send their names and addresses to W. Boddy, 123, Bilton Lane, Harrogate, Yorks, stating when they last paid a subscription to the club? It may be possible to issue the Bulletin by asking a nominal subscription from members, even if the club duplicator is not available, and if this is so, Mrs. Boddy has kindly offered to keep the membership book and to help generally. If any opposition is forthcoming, F/Lt. Mallock humorously suggests starting a new club, called the 747 Club—the capacity of the Austin Seven, for which it is intended to cater, being, of course, 747 c.c. 1

INSTRUCTION BOOK LIBRARY

By the generosity of readers and manufacturers the Library has recently considerably increased its scope. New books cover ” 4/4 ” Morgan, Ford Ten, 30-h.p. Ford V8, early 4-cylinder Sahnson, Sports and “Le Mans” Singer Nine, and

Singer Six “Speed Model,” 3i-litr Talbot, etc. Large, stamped envelope must be sent when requesting loans.

S.C.C. OF A.

The January-February Sportswagen is to hand. The Sports Car Club of America celebrated its first birthday on February 26th. Its membership now stands at 67 members with 113 cars, including 22 Mercers, 14 Mercedes, 18 Stutz, 12 Packards, 11 Rolls-Royce and 9 Duesenbergs. At the end of 1944 club funds stood at 94.49 dollars. The Sportswagen this time contains excellent photographs of members’ ” 83/180 ” Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Mercer, Stutz and Rolls-Royce cars ; an article by Frank Mayer on how he took the New York–San Antonio record in 1931 with a 1929 Stutz, ” rebabbited after 55,000 miles ” ; and an effective reprint of an advertisement for the Type 55 Bugatti. Of the Stutz, Mayer writes : “It didn’t roll ; it glided, for all its 4,600 lb. In traffic, the perfect ratios of its four speeds and its boosted brakes made New York taxi-drivers look like babies. On the road, it walked away from the 106-h.p. Packards and the Chrysler Imperials of the time. It cruised in the middle 70’s, and the cutout door and centre arm rest made 14 hours in the seat as easy as a solo in a feather bed.” Secretary, A. H. Engborg, 20, Bedford Street, Lexington, 78, Mass., U.S.A.