Fifties fliers

We greatly enjoyed GC’s vivid description of the Pirelli Classic Marathon, and congratulate him and Henry Pearman on their impressive victory. If Motor Sport readers feel, however, that the Jaguar crew had a hard time, they might spare a thought for a group of Forties and Fifties-designed 1 1/2-litre family saloons which fought a battle royal a little further down the field.

We refer to the Riley 1.5s of Peter and Betty Banham and Arthur Senior/Bobby Parkes, the MG Magnette of Mark Beckley/Steven Thorning, Monty Karlan and Gustav Huseby’s Volvo PV544 Sport, and our own Jowett Javelin. All five finished inside the top 30, and all but the Magnette won Coupes des Alpes.

Although not able to match the stunning performance of Thompson and Ganderton, or the silky professionalism of Clark and Mason in their Lotus Cortinas, our little band of cars vanquished or out-lasted all the other Lotus Cortinas, along with all eight Cooper S entries. And the three-car Team Jowett Interlink finished ahead of the four-car Lotus Cortina team! GC is quite correct in his description of the toughness and dangers of the Marathon, but what a feeling of achievement to collect one’s Finisher’s Award.
Geoff McAuley, Frank Wooley, York