Smokeless Cars

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Smokeless Cars Sir,

Sir,

In your article on Pilgrim cars in your February issue you featured an extract from the sales catalogue of the 25/30, in which it was stated that the car ran without smoking.

Smoky exhaust systems were weak points on many Edwardian cars, so in 1907 the R.A.C. staged a vapour emission” competition to find out which cars suffered the least from this ailment. In it a 32-h.p. Pilgrim came first, with a 20-h.p. Lanchester, Albion, Belsize, and a Chenard-Walcker as runners-up.

Thus it can be seen that not all sales catalogues make exaggerated claims.

Merthyr Tydfil. BRIAN WEBI,EY.

Another historic racing car is expected to compete in V.S.C.C. races this year. Sir Ralph Millais has almost finished restoring the 4-litre VI2 Sunbeam Tiger” to original condition. A new crankshaft, roller bearing and cages and new pistons restoring the c.r. to near original, have been installed, following assistance from Firth Brown, who supplied correct steel for the crankshaft, Laystall, who machined it, and Jack Fairman, who made the rollers and cages. Sir Ralph Millais hopes the car will appear at the V.S.C.C. Oulton Park meeting on June 23rd.

Vintage cars can be seen in action this month in the Aston Martin 0.C. Race meeting at Silverstone on the 5th, when there is a to-lap race for vintage sports cars at the Stanley Sears Trophy meeting at Snetterton on the 6t1, which will include a scratch race for vintage, historic and p.v.t. cars, and in the Morecambe C.C. Leighton Hall Hill-Climb, near Morecambe on the 27th. The V.S.C.C.’s own Buxton Rally takes place on May 5th, starting from the Bull i’ Thorn Hotel between Ashbourne and Buxton. •

Following the great Bentley D.C. assembly at Oulton Park on Easter Sunday the National Rolls-Royce Rally, as a welcome to members of the R-R. Club of America, will be held at Blenheim Palace on June 3rd. All the R.-R. organisations in the country are making this a combined operation and some 403-500 Rolls-Royce cars are expected to assemble for this rally and Concours d’Elegance.