V to C miscellany, May 1987

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Glass construction at the new Gallaher Ltd offices at Weybridge, which have engulfed the best part of the old Members’ Banking at Brooklands, were reported on recently in a Glass Age article called “On the right track at Brooklands”. The reader who sent us the cutting suggests it could more appropriately have been headed “On the wrong track”!

It refers to the £12 million, 81,000 sq ft office complex, but gets its facts about the Track wrong. It quotes a lap distance of 13/4 miles, whereas it was 23/4 miles, and says the Track enabled the LSR to rise from 72-115 mph in four months in 1907, whereas in fact this stood at 121.57 mph to the Stanley steamer when Brooklands opened. This was not beaten until 1909, by Hemery’s Blitzen Benz, which did 125.95 mph.

Laurie Weeks is researching Blackburn engined Morgans, of which some 20 are still thought to exist. Four Moggies were at last year’s Grand Canyon Rally in Arizona: three 1934 Super Sports and a 1939 Super Sports.

It may come as a surprise to learn that, apart “from its interest in Javelins and Jupiters, the Jowett CC has 116 of the 7/17 and 8hp flat-twin models (including trucks and vans), has on its books, dating from 1922 to 1940. And it knows of 126 more, so it could be said that the “little engine with the big pull” is pulling well! The Jowett 10/4 is much rarer; only no members own them, although there are 18 more on the Register covering the period 1936 to 1939. No doubt examples of all these will be seen at the National Jowett Rally at Powys Castle, Welshpool, on May 29-31.

Following our publication of a picture of a Tapley Performance Meter (Motor Sport, February 1987), a reader has sent us a copy of the maker’s literature. These meters were made at Totton, Southampton , and used for testing a car’s pulling power. Later, a Tapley Brake Testing Meter with two scales and a Brake Efficiency Meter were introduced; we well remember one of these hurtling around the floor of a 1930 Sunbeam 16 we had taken for its MoT test, the meter having broken away when the very effective 1931 Sunbeam hydraulic braking system was applied. Tapley quoted a percentage of total weight as 75/25 front/rear wheels at 100% braking efficiency, and the standard meter sold from £4.15/-, with electric light 7/6d extra.

Hugh Conway takes me to task for saying the truth behind the disqualification of Viscaya’s Bugatti at Le Mans in 1920 may never be known. The mechanic’s version of what happened appears on page 329 of his book Bugatti, reviewed last month. WB