V-E-V Odds & Ends, June 1984

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The present owner of a 1930 16.95 hp Alvis Silver Eagle SD saloon, YD 817, has discovered that at one time his car was apparently owned by Richard Spencer L. Boote, who raced Riley Nines at Brooklands, and that Alvis supplied special pistons, rods and other parts for it and that in 1932/33 the sports saloon body was changed for an open two-seater. Our correspondent would like to hear from Mr Boote or his brother Mr C. Boote or anyone who remembers the car pre-war. Letters can be forwarded. In 1981 we reviewed a book about Yellow Bus Services of Guildford, and now we have received a similar booklet by John Sutton and N. Hamshere on Safeguard Coaches of Guildford, to commemorate their Golden Jubilee. It runs from 1924 naturally, and included pictures of early Chevrolet and Dennis vehicles, so should appeal to vintage commercial vehicle folk. Copies can be obtained from Mr Sutton, at 57, Collingwood Crescent, Boxgrove Park, Guildford, Surrey, GUI 2NU for £1.80 post free. The author says he was unable to find any photographs of the firm’s Berliet charabanc sold in 1928 for their 1929 29-seater Graham-Dodge, if anyone can help. . .

Arising from the photograph of a rather unusual Isotta-Fraschini in the March issue, Mr Garry Corall of Toronto, in the most beautiful copperplate hand, tells us that those float-type running-boards were used on some four-seater dh Isottas as bodied by Castagna and that the car we depicted was probably the Spinto I-F. Our look-back to pre-war America board tracks continues to arouse interest and Philip Brooks of the R-R OC, Inc, who has a 1934 3-litre Bentley cut down to the 9 ft wheelbase and the ex-Countess of Warwick’s 1936 4¼-litre Bentley Vanden Plas two-seater, has contributed more about these old tracks, including that at Laurel, also known as the Baltimore-Washington Raceway, close to which he lives, or rather to the Laurel Pines Country Club and golf-course on the former site, while Laurel today is the home of the Laurel horse-race course. BEN, the well-known and Motor Trades Benevolent Fund is holding its 15th Lynwood Rally for owners of cars and commercial vehicles of veteran to classic denominations, at Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire on June 30th, starting with a road run from Ascot Racecourse to Lynwood. This is a most deserving cause; details from Paul Finn, BEN, as above, or ring 0990-20191. The Rotary Club of Easthampstead has a rally for vehicles of the same age-range on July 1st, at Easthampstead Park School in Bracknell, also to raise money for charities. Send large sae for details to J. Strugnoll, Stable Lodge, Priory Lane, Warfield, Berkshire, RGI2 2JU. For the public gates open at 10.30, judging at noon. Another 30/98 Vauxhall Register has been published, by courtesy of Vauxhall Motors Ltd, with Vauxhall’s own 30/98 in colour on the cover and printed contents, giving the histories and other information about 176 known Vauxhalls of this kind throughout the World, David Marsh (The Garden House, Middleton-by-Youlgrave, Near Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE4 ILS) says he can send copies to those interested at “a nominal price”. Those who would like to see some of the finest Bentleys in the land could do worse than be in the vicinity of Kensington Gardens on June 30th.—W.B.