V-E-V Miscellany, June 1984, June 1984

For the sake of history, in my review of Rene Dreyfus’ excellent book “My Two Lives”, in the April issue, I wrongly referred to him racing for Harry Schell when what I intended was Laurie Schell, and Le Bergue should, of course, have been Le Begue; both were correct in the book. Incidentally, D.S.J. reminds me that Harry was Laurie Schell’s elder son and his younger son, Philippe, still lives in Monaco and drives the course patrol car at the Grand Prix there. Also, when I referred in “Cars In Books” for April to a privately-owned 8-seater biplane and said it might have been an Airspeed Oxford I have been metaphorically kicking myself ever since, because this was a monoplane, as I well know, having been in them on some long flights. The machine in question, as I also suggested, was probably a DH Rapide. Finally, on the corrections front, as we used two different names for her, may I say that the author of that very enjoyable book “Happy To Fly” is Ann Welch.

Mrs Robbie Hewitt has added another 4½-litre Lagonda to her stable. This is BPK 201, the Fox & Nicholl team-car which the Hon. Brian Lewis drove in the 1934 TT and Charlie Dodson in the 1935 TT (it never went to Le Mans, which Jenks says makes it really famous!), companion to Robbie’s BPK 203 which John Cobb drove in the 1934 TT and Sir Ronald Gunter and Dr Benjafield at Le Mans in 1935. Both will be together, it is hoped, for the VSCC Jubilee celebrations at Malvern next month and later they may get together with BPK 202, which won the 1935 Le Mans race, driven by Johnnie Hindmarsh and Luis Fontes, the Lagonda now owned by David Johnson, a splendid survival of these Fox & Nicholl team-cars. Some people may have wondered what became of the Brooklands Society Trophy Race, which was a feature of the Spring Bank Holiday Monday BARC Thruxton Race Meeting. This year the date clashed with the Bank Holiday VSCC Meeting at Donington, so the BS Trophy Race was transferred to that venue, the Thruxton parade of ex-Brooklands cars and the Concours d’Elegance for them being abandoned. This has no association with the MOTOR SPORT Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest, for which points were scored at the VSCC Donington races. One of the attractions at the new extension opened recently at the London Toy and Model Museum at October House, 23, Craven Hill, London, W2 is the ERA “Romulus”, owned by Narisa Chakrabongse Levy, BA, and displayed with the many trophies won by Prince “Bira” when he was racing the car from 1935-46, a display at one time housed in the Beaulieu Motor Museum. The display includes the contents of the one-time Tiatsa Model Car Collection, with 3,000 exhibits on view at a time, of Dinky, Lesney and other car miniatures. Keith Hill has added the Crouch-Helix to his fleet. For the record, earlier this year the VSCC Pomeroy Trophy Contest was won by John Horton’s Type 43 Bugatti, which is thereby proved the best all-round fast-touring car, at least for 1984, Joseland’s Frazer Nash taking the Densham Trophy, while the VSCC Wessex Trial was a tie for the Trophy between Barry Clarke’s A7 and David Marsh’s 30/98. Don’t forget, if you are a Riley supporter, that the annual Riley Register Rally takes place at Coombe Country Park, near Coventry, June 23rd / 24th, with emphasis on Imp and MPH models, these being introduced 50 years ago; Paul Scholes, 66 Brandon Road, Binley, Coventry has details. Having paraded at the last VSCC Silverstone Meeting, Lagonda Rapier owners will have their own car parks at the OuIton Park and Prescott Meetings and on July 19th will congregate at the Great Fosters Hotel, Egham, where Lagonda Ltd launched this then-new model on that very date 50 years ago. — W.B.