Vintage light cars in Wales

One of the best VSCC Light Car and Edwardian Section events is its Welsh Weekend, devoted to driving tests, the Section prize-giving dinner, and the Sunday trial.

The Edwardians composed the fearsome Knox, exuding a whiff of Sunset Boulevard, Roscoe’s 69R Overland, Ron Knight’s Darracq tourer, and the little Singer. Contrastingly, there were six GNs, Mike Bullett’s push-rod ohv tourer badly off-form, the ioe contingent led by Edward Riddle who improvised a silencer repair in mid-trial, the very healthy-sounding Legeres of Teague and Treaves, Jenny John driving the latter very well, plus Blake’s and McEwen’s Vitesses – the best turn-out in years. Arthur Gibson’s arrival in his non-competing racing Akela arriving after most of the cars had departed was an event.

The Trojans equalled the Gwynne 8s with three; another two-stroke was the New Carden, and Humbers were popular, with George Stanton’s 1924 8/18 on b e tyres deliberately kept in ‘everyday’ condition. Bullett’s GN suprised by failing at ‘4’ whereas Wills’ short-chassis Jowett romped up fast. At Llwynbarried a long-chassis Jowett failed through lack of power, and Sue Hirst’s 1930 Morris Minor clutch refused the re-start. It was satisfying that different drivers ‘cleaned’ each section, the winner of the Llwynbarried Trophy being Trevor John with his 1922 GN Legere.