VSCC AT Madresfield

VSCC at Madresfield

THE DRIVING frolics along the Gloucester Drive at Madresfield Court near Malvern by permission of Lady Beauchamp and Mr. Tolley). always has a large spectator-follovzing, perhaps

be admission is free and the venue pastoral. The weather was not of the best on September 5th but the entry of more than 60 competitors, keenly awaiting the 3 p.m. start, made up for this. Ten of thew deemed their machines beautiful enough for the Concours d’Elegance, judged on mechanical condition (how?), originality, presentation (this used to embrace beautiful girls) and regular use (good!). The winner seas P. H. Bell, who presented his immaculate 1933 52 MG with its screen folded-down and was rewarded with a very handsome silver cup by Di Threlfall.

Five tests of driving prowess and car fitness follow.. Having seen the pie seeps promoted by Bernie Ecclestone M GP races, the VSCC had decided to follow suit, making drivers leap from their cars to check the pressures in their off side front tyres in Test 3, appropriately called “Pit Stop”. Roger Collings did this very expeditiously and athletically, to the benefit of his Sixty Mercedes, but Walker, sportingly introducing the big 12.8-litre 1908 GP Panhard-d-Levassor to the world of the driving-test, was delayed while a marshal looked incredulously at a tyre gauge which seemed not to have been used, hut was actually off the scale, the P-L running high pressures. A pity, as Walker had marked the position of the tyre -valve on the big rim with a band of cord, for quick location of it. In fact, the 1913 Rolls-Royce of Walker, Jar. had also sent the gauge to 50 lb./sq. in. or an mark.

Really, what can you report of DTs, apart from trite comments, such as that Di Threlfall cunningly used the fold-flat windscreen of the two-longer BSA as an air-brake in the Slow-Running thing, which Tom hadn’t thought of, that Baker’s 315 BMW accelerates, that Miss Tibbles was energetically sorting out the cogs of a borrowed Austhi Chummy, that Pack’s Riley Special was doing the event for the 20th time, and that there were no mechanical calamities and no-one stalled in the Slow-running test. But if you are lucky you will get some results, to sort out what really happened. — W.B.