VSCC Colerne Speed Trials

VSCC Colerne Speed Trials

THE VSCC speed trials at Colerne are of especial interest because they consist of straight sprints on the MoD’s aerodrome, so that one car can be directly compared with another. This year FTD was made by David Black’s fabulous 1934 Tipo B Alfa Romeo in 23.98 sec, which was 0.40 sec quicker than last year’s FTD by Martin Morris’ ERA. Tony Jones’ Frazer Nash “Patience” cleaned up the 11/2-litre sports-car class with a best run of 33.85 sec, beating Heelis’ Riley 9 that took the class on handicap. The well-supported over-1,501 cc sports-car category was taken by Smith’s 1937 31/2-litre Delahaye in 31.65 sec, from the fastest vintage car, Pat Marsh’s Type 35 Bugatti (33.13 sec). The more special sports cars of over 11/2 litres were led by R. J. B. Smith’s Super Sports Frazer Nash, which took both general and vintage sections with a run in 30.34 sec, both new class records, second Place going to A. J. Smith’s Super Sports ‘Nash, in 30.63 sec.

Fastest of the special big sports cars was 13urrell’s Bentley-Royce V12 in 27.02 sec, which left Chant’s 4.3 Alvis “Brutus” second (30.14 sec), with the vintage division won by Grant-Peterkin’s 3/41/2 Bentley, in 35.46 sec. Gunn’s replica Q-type MG took the small

racing-car class in 30.53 sec, Gibbs in the Becke-Powerplus the up to 11/2-litre racing-car class in 31.73 sec, so vintage cars scored in both classes, while in the big-racers category, Fitzgerald driving ERA R5B was runner-up to Black’s aforesaid Alfa Romeo, but 0.28 sec slower, clocking 24.26 sec. Russell’s 8-litre Bentley was best vintage car here, its run in 25.35 sec being a new class record, 0.40 sec better than last year’s run by Preston’s Bugatti. It is perhaps significant that the post-war historic racing-car class had but two entries and that only one ran, Heath’s 1952 GP Feuer Nash, and it managed only 30.97 sec. That left the Edwardians and veterans, Walker’s 1908 Panhard-Levassor scoring in 34.92 sec from Clutton in the Itala (35.01 sec), and Collings’ 1903 Mercedes winning on handicap. — W.B.