VSCC Welsh Weekend

VSCC Welsh Weekend

Oct. 4th/5th THIS ANNUAL EVENT followed the traditional pattern but will be remembered as “30/98 Year”, because 13 of these splendid sporting cars took part, or 14 if the drivingtest entry is included. They comprised the E-types of Samson, Tony Mitchell, who bought his at a recent auction, Townsend, Jeddere-Fisher, Templeton and Rowley and the 0E-types of Benda11, Grey, Bullett, Ghosh, Tony Jones and the Marsh brothers, the latter pair C.P.’s Wensum and DR’s 1923 Velox discovered with a Bentley radiator and other astonishing chassis mods., but rebuilt so that it looks like a new car. This inspiring turn-out of the finest of vintage cars was beaten numerically only by the, presence of 16 Austins, two of which were driving-test entries.

In the Knighton driving frolics Brett’s Morris-Cowley bull-nose saloon rolled round the pylons at a fine pace, on its Goodyear wheels (made in Dudley), perhaps aided by a brass ram-tube on its SU. Morgan drove a late-model OE 30/98, Warburton his 20/70 Crossley. DitTey his 8/18 Humber twoseater, on 23 x 3 tyres and, inhaling through a Cox Atmos. Moore’s Lea-Francis was impressive, the Triumph Super Seven darted about, but Brooks’ Darracq 12 tourer spat at its driver, although apparently quite untroubled by having 775 x 145 balloons at two of the corners, 780 x 150s at the others. Williams’ hull-nose Morris hasn’t given up smoking but was quick, the Swift emitted an awful graunching noise but lived up to its name, and without benefit of the results we agreed that Neale’s 1911 two-seater RollsRoyce Silver Ghost, with his own immaculate coachwork, must have won the beauty-show. It is impossible to pick out who made the better performances in Sunday’s trial, as one cannot watch all the hills (most of which were easy), but the results are appended. It seemed that there was more mechanical mayhem than usual. Ridley’s 12/50 Alvis had a back-axle seizure early on, but “Pa” Windsor’s “8/28” Humber Chummy waited until the last hill. which it nearly conquered, before discarding something vital in the transmission, that rendered it brakeless. Barker went so well

in his Model-A Ford that we never saw him but Threlfall’s sister car (actually two years older) broke its crownwheel, and received no help from a Model-A van in the carpark. Stoyel’s Frazer Nash lost a chain on the first hill, Phillips’ Alvis SE Special broke a halfshaft but carried a spare, and on the road section Hill was lucky to get a replacement rotor-arm for his AJS, Holbrook less lucky, as his wife developed a temperature in the open M-type MG and they had to retire. Mellish’s 1914 Crossley was aided by twin tyres on each back wheel and Roger Collins had his 1903 Sixty Mercedes in the trial, stripped as if for a Gordon Bennett. Rosemary Burke rode in Danaher’s Austin 12 tourer and primed us with Press items, including a contribution from Ghosh in the fonn of a label “Trial Offer 5p” which suggested that Cadbury’s were sponsoring the event; on closer investigation this proved to he associated with solidified cocoa, not motor sport.—W.B. Results :

Harry Bowler Memorial Trophy : M. B. Bullet (1927 Vauxhall).

Prestehme Trophy : R. Admans (1927 Austin). First Class Awards : N. Arnold Forster (1925 Frazer Nash), H. F. Moffatt (1923 Itugatti) H. Spence (1930

Lea-Francis). M Riley (1927 Lea-Francis), A. D. Jones (1923 Vauxhall), J. W. Rowley (1921 Vauxhall).

Second Class Awards : B. M. Clark (1924/8 Austin), W. S. May (1926 Frazer Nash), R. G. Winder (1924 Austin), B. Gray (1924 Vauxhall). A. G. Templeton (1922 Vauxhall). M. U. Hirst (1928 Alvis).

Third Class Awards: F. 0. Giles (1928 Frazer Nash), N. J. W. Stoyel (1928 Frazer Nash), M. J. lowland (1926 Frazer Nash), J. F. 13rake (1926 Alvis), A. Jeddere Fisher (1921 VauXhall). C. Lee (1927 Alvis).