Vintage Veerings
Rare picture of the early steam car owned by Ivan Carr’s father and referred to in his “Cars I Have Owned” article last December — see accompanying letter from Mr. John C. Barlow (Vintage Postbag). We are told that it was raining and cold when this picture was taken and, knowing how difficult it is to get ladies into open cars in such conditions, we look and marvel!
***
Vintage-car fixtures loom up in quantity. On March 8th the Vintage S.C.C. has its Slough Rally, starting At 12.30 p.m. The venue is the Trading Estate of 1914/18 memory. Tea tickets must be purchased by March 2nd and the afternoon of Rally day will be devoted to driving-tests. On March 10th there will be a film show at Hartley Whitney. Then, on March 19th the same Club has its A.G.M. at Heal’s Restaurant, Tottenham Court Road. W.1, followed, on March 28/29th by the Pomeroy Memorial Trophy Competition, centred round Silverstone Circuit and Cheltenham.
***
On March 7th the Sunbeam Register with its new pre-Rootes Talbot section rallies at Woodley Aerodrome, Reading, from noon onwards and hopes to have Talbot-designer Georges Roesch present. The Humber and Alvis Registers will combine on April 26th for a Rally at Esso House, Abingdon-on-Thames, Berkshire, and the Talbot Light Car Register proposes to get together on May 10th, venue yet to be announced. So whip up those vintage, but not really weary, horses. Incidentally, there will, after all, be no Vintage Light Car Section in this year’s M.C.C. Lands End Trial.
***
Readers have sent us cuttings from Illustrated about the auction-sale of traction engines, steam rollers, models and old cars which happened recently at Goodey’s well-known yard at Twyford, Berkshire. Quote : “The veteran-car enthusiasts were easy to pick out. A weather-beaten, sporty-looking crowd they were, wearing flat caps duffle coats, mufflers and gauntlets.” A photographic caption, alas, refers to a 1904 Peugeot as an “Old Crock.”
Another reference to this sale in the same issue of Illustrated concerns a photograph of their photographer, John McTaggart, who is described as “once working as a mechanic and driver for the firm that builds Alfa Romeo cars.” It seems McTaggart was motoring down to Berkshire to cover the Goodey sale in his Wolseley Hornet when he espied a 1,750-c.c. Alfa Romeo and a “swap” was arranged on the spot, for he had always wanted one of these cars. Colin Bennett, who sent us the cuttings, asked Goodey how he came to possess an Alfa Romeo. ” Oh,” says Goodey, “my wife likes to drive fast and as I wanted her to be safe I went out and found her that Alfa.” Nice story ?