V-E-V Miscellany, October 1970, October 1970

The Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia celebrated its 25th Anniversary last month with an anniversary dinner, to which the Editor of Motor Sport, as an honorary member, was invited to attend, but unfortunately found too distant! The VSSC of A was the first club of its kind to be founded in Australia, in 1945, and it follows closely on the lines of our own VSCC. The Hon. Sec. is A. J. Elliot, 144, Canterbury Road, Heathmont 3135, Victoria, and a regular Bulletin is issued of the Club’s activities. A 1928 Ford Tri-motor airliner has been completely rebuilt by the Harrah Museum in Reno. It is believed to be one of only seven survivors. The 12-seater “Tin Goose” was equipped with three new Pratt & Whitney radial engines during the rebuild, and given the old TAT—Transcontinental Air Transport—lettering on its corrugated aluminium fuselage. It was flown recently to Crissy Field for a charity display, its first outing following the five-year rebuild. It is believed that two Ford Tri-motors are still in regular passenger service to islands in Lake Erie. Radnorshire CC’s 10-ton Aveling & Porter steam roller No. 11208, Reg. No. EP 3339, has been at work on the Penybont-Llanbister road.

Public comment has been aroused on excavation work which has blocked the entrance to Nailsworth Ladder, the famous trials hill, one-time 1 in 2.5, up to Minchinhampton Common, where Hampton cars were once demonstrated. Hearing that Pat Moss-Carlsson was in S. Africa for the Total Rally, Capt. D. M. K. Marendaz invited her to drive a Marendaz Special, a make favoured by her mother for her trials career but which Pat had not previously tried. The Chorley Guardian recently carried a picture of two taxis used in Chorley in 1910, one a Vulcan, the other a Crossley. One of the two brothers who drove them recalls that the Vulcan was the better vehicle; they were kept in a large garage in Friday Street which had formerly been used to house the two ‘buses which ran a railway company service from Chorley Station to Bamber Bridge. Another historic landmark has gone—the oldest Rolls-Royce establishment, Lille Hall in Seagrave Road, Fulham, has been the subject of a compulsory purchase order. It was acquired in 1902 by the Hon. S. S. Rolls as a service depot for Panhard-Levassor and Minerva cars and this one-time skating rink was absorbed by Rolls-Royce Ltd. in 1906, and became a chassis distribution and car testing centre for coachbuilders making bodies for Rolls-Royce cars, which was still the function of this little-altered building when the end came. The late Lord Hives started at Lille Hall as a tester. The functions of the old building have been transferred to the R-R London Service Station at Hythe Road.