V-C Miscellany, September 1993
Penrite Oil tell us that their two advertising posters, one depicting a 30/98 Vauxhall and a vintage motorcycle in spirited action, the other a more modern AC, have been very well received. They are willing to supply them to those interested, on receipt of £1.50 (£2.00 for the two) to meet packing and postage charges. Apply to: Evan MacKenzie, Penrite Oil Co Ltd, Unit IB, 31 Dollman Street, Birmingham, B7 4RP (Tel: 021 333 5383), mentioning Motor Sport. W B
Some errors crept in last month’s VSCC Shelsley Walsh report. It was Steve Roberts (1927 Frazer Nash Super Sports) who won the vintage part of the up-toI 500 cc sports cars class (42.69s), not Tony Jones’s Frazer Nash “Patience” (49.38s). The photograph captioned as a Talbot was, in fact, of Roy Palmer’s 1936 Squire (50.86s) and John Walker beat, not equalled, Mark’s 1991 Edwardian classrecord with the 1908 GP Panhard. (Mark Walker broke the Edwardian class record at Curborough with his Monarch, which omission of the “R” after his time failed to make clear.) W B
The daughter of George Martin who was associated in the 1920s with Marlborough cars, one of which he drove in the 1921 ICC 200 Mile Race, and who later had the concession at the Palace of Industries at Wembley, for Bianchi cars in this country, is living in Cornwall, aged 81 and, after a very varied and active life, still plays an 18-hole round of golf. W B
The Hants & Berks MC will be remembering the 30th anniversary of the death, while flying his light aeroplane, of Holland Birkett, who started clubmen’s racing in association with the 750 MC and the Eight Clubs and with their own club introduced the one-inch map reference system to rallying. Holly was also the promoter, for many years, of the Mobil Economy Run, apart from his activities with A7 Specials and Bugatti cars. The commemoration will be in the form of a social run on October 16 in the old Birkett night trial style, using souvenir route cards of Hampshire, followed by an informal buffet supper at Alton around 7pm. Tickets £10, from G Madgwick, Thursdays, Whitmore Vale, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 61A, who would appreciate any memorabilia pertaining to this occasion. W B
The 30/98 Register has issued its latest record of all known Vauxhalls of this type, with “Prince Henry” models added for good measure, and including rebuilds in course of construction. The amount of data on individual cars is most impressive, and in addition there are details of 30/98 specifications and dashboard photo graphs of E and OE cars which will be of inestimable value to those restoring 30/98s. Nor is that all, because photographs of cars in current competition, including those in Australia and New Zealand, are incorporated. The current list of cars covers 36 E-types, 142 OEs, and 12 Prince Henry Vauxhalls. Normally available only to members, the Hon Registrar, David Marsh, is prepared to let others have copies of this very comprehensive register while stocks last, if they send him a £5 note, to The Garden House, Middleton-by-Youlgreave, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1LS. Well worth it, I say. W B