Current Affairs

Sir,

I was interested to read your report on VSCC Colerne (Motor Sport, August 1988) but, as the owner and driver of La Jamais Contente II, I should like to correct one reference made to the car.

In fact, we didn’t do a practice run but a demonstration “challenge” against John Tanner’s 1902 Mors. We recorded a quarter-mile standing-start time of 22.74 sec, and the kilometre in 46.04 sec, beating the Mors by 9.89 sec.

La Jamais Contente II draws 500 amps as starting current every time it starts “in anger”. This is quite normal and explains why, even with the current dropping away after the start, the batteries only have about three minutes life between charges.

D J S Lambert

Blundellsands, Liverpool