Veteran-Edwardian-Vintage, November 1960
A Section Devoted to Old-Car Matters
THE MODEL-T FORD RALLY AT BEAULIEU (Sept. 25th)
LAST year a model-T Ford annniversary Rally waas organised by the Montagu Motor Museum and in the meantime the T-Register has formed, so this year they rallied to Beaulieu for a Concours d’Elegance judged by William Boddy, Editor of MOTOR SPORT, Mr. M. Beaumont, and Mr. Lewis, Editor of the Ford Times. A pity there were no driving tests – Model T’s, with their two-pedal control manage such manoeuvres very well. As it was, on all sides there was nostalgic conversation about model-T lore and legend.
Most of the 21 Fords present were old favourites, but Beaumont’s 1912 model with home-built station-wagon body was in process of completion. Hammond’s 1911 tourer was in “hard-used every day trim”, these two being too bashful to go in for the beauty show, while Hill’s 1926 tourer and the Museum 1925 ambulance were conspicuous only by their absence. The Museum made up for this by entering its well-known 1921 13-seater ‘bus, a delightful reminder of rural England after the Great War, and a 1915 landaulette, scruffy but original. Pearve’s 1924 landaulette had a proprietary brass radiator.
Some entrants drove their “T’s” long distances to attend. Thus, J. H. Price had come up that morning from Gloucester in a 1922 tourer which had been licensed for one year only in its life and, moreover, had done the run all in top gear. Brewster’s extremely Smart 7-cwt. van likewise did the run from Kent and Simpson, an Edinburgh entrant, drove his 1910 two-seater, oldest car present, front London. Others funked only the dark which is not surprising as the flywheel generator of the Model-T only provides a decent beam of light when the engine is pulling hard on low speed! For them, we appeal for a Mid-summer rally next year. Incidentally, one model-T was accompanied by a very smart model A tourer.
An interesting Ford was Ontridge’s 1911 coupe, an American-built which has a proprietary polished brass vee-radiator. The coil box was moved front off side to near side when the steering was converted to right-hand drive in this country, where the unusual drophead coupe body by the North London Motor Carriage Co. was fitted. A. R. Coat brought a worm-axle platform lorry of 1920 vintage with solid rear tyres. Stay’s 1923 van now has the correct black radiator, and Dunn’s 1921 truck and Steven’s 1921 meat van were present.
Results
Brass-radiator Class : Montagu Cup : G. Simpson, (1910 Runabout) Runner.up : B.R. Gates, (1915 Tourer)
Black-radiator Class : Ford Motor Co. Cup : J.H.Price, (1922 Tourer) Runner-up : J. Baker (1919 tourer).
Commercials : H.C.V. Cup : R. B. Stay (1923 van). Runner-up : V. E. Brewster (1922 van)
Lady Montagu presented the prizes
V.S.C.C. PRESTEIGNE WEEK-END (Oct. 1st/2nd)
Trial :
Best Performance : H. Spence (Lea-Francis)
First-class Awards : J. Rowley (30/98 Vauxhall). H. P. Bowler (Bentley), H. Moffatt (Bugatti), D Lloyd (Bentley), W. Windsor (Humber).
Second-class Awards : A. Jones (14/40 Vauxhall), C. Southall (3098 Vauxhall), Miss. P. Stocken (Trojan).
Third-class Awards : J Berrisford (12/50 Alvis), D. Brown (12/50 Alvis), Dr. Harris (Frazer Nash).
Regularity Run :
Best Performance : D Dighton (Humber).
First-class Awards : D. Mansell (Rolls-Royce), C. Power (3-litre Bentley).
Second-class Awards : C. Marsh (Austim Seven),M. howarth (Lagonda)
Edwardian Class : Cup : J. Milner (1913 Talbot Twenty-Five), R. Collings (Zust).
We hear of a 1917 Willys Overland Whippet in good running order, slowly deteriorating in the open behind a garage in Cheshire, and of a 1927 Austin 12/4 sans radiator and Silver Ghost and Phantom I Rolls-Royce breakdown trucks for sale in a scrapyard.
A reader offers to give away several old electric horns and a Lucas magneto from a Morris-Cowley, and another reader wants to sell, for 30 pounds, a 1928 Singer Twelve saloon which completed a trouble-free tour of Devon and Cornwall last Summer.
The September issue of Christophorus contains some good photographs of 1909 and 1910 ” Prince Henry ” Austro-Daimler cars and later 1912 models of this make.
During a recent visit to Oulton Park we espied a 1927 Austin Twenty in a local garage and a trailer the springs and wire wheels of which had come from a Coventry-Humber.
Gone : Apparently an old Avery paraffin tractor, which had found its way from Scotland to Ireland was broken up recently. There is news of a left-hand-drive Unic with French number-plates seen outside an antique shop in Somerset, of a 1908 Fleet three-seater on solid tyres for sale in the Midlands, about which data is required, and of an old gentleman of nearly 87 who lives alone and wants a 6- or 12-volt Klaxon horn to sound front his bed as a burglar alarm(letters can be forwarded)
A reader wants to contact previous owners of his 1929 SD 12/50 Alvis beetleback, Reg. No. UU 666. car No.12399, chassis No. 7616, engine No 7549. Anyone remember it?
While driving down to Goodwood to see how the Ford New Anglias were faring on their 7-days-and-night marathon, we espied in a country garage a 1928 14/27 Standard two seater. It was in for its test, which it had passed with flying colours after minor changes to the headlamp glasses and rear reflectors.
Rumour relates a village in Essex with some vintage and Edwardian cars for sale, including an old Renault and a Model-T Ford lorry, and certainly in Southend a pre-war Flying Flea is to be seen suspended from the roof of a garage there.
Another just—or near—vintage General Motors’ Vauxhall saloon turned up the other day at Silverstone, tender car, we believe, to Clifford’s Alta.
And still they turn up ! A three-cylinder Vauxhall, circa 1908, was sold for £160 in Hampshire recently to a scrap dealer, another E-type 30/98 Vauxhall has turned up ” somewhere in England,” while C. Shears, of Exeter, has been able to add a 1922 Buick tourer to his collection, which now includes over 34 Vintage cars, commercial vehicles and tractors, last -named including 1919 and 1934 Fordsons and a 1927 Ruston. The Buick, which had served for a time as a Hackney in Plymouth, is as laid up in 1930 and is in good original condition. It was retrieved with a 1929 Austin Twelve converted to a tractor with two gearboxes giving 16 forward speeds.
The Editor of MOTOR SPORT intends to hold another informal London-Exeter Run on Boxing Night for owners of vintage light cars, so will those interested please reserve the date. Further details next month.