VSCC New Years Day, Much Marcle

VSCC New Years Day Meet, Much Marcle, Herefordshire 1st January 2022 By Peter McFadyen.

A 1938 Chevrolet Coupé standing next to a French Amilcar

As always, there were several motorcycles present including a group of Ariels A French Donnet Zedel Type G 2-Door Saloon

© Peter McFadyen

At Much Marcle in Herefordshire, 130 cars of 38 different makes, all of them dating from pre-1940, assembled at the Royal Oak. All the attending drivers voted for the car, other than their own, which they would most like to take home with them. The winner was a 1937 Invicta S-Type low chassis belonging to Heather Milne-Taylor with a 1936 Lagonda Rapide brought by Bill Tomlin from Usk and Kevin Hannon’s 1937 MG SA Saloon second and third respectively. The award for the longest distance travelled to the

event went to Mike Sythes who drove his Frazer Nash TT Replica all the way from Melksham in Wiltshire. One of the more unusual cars on show was a 1925 Donnet Zedel Type G 2-door saloon. Donnet was a French manufacturer that was formed in 1914 by Jérome Donnet and Francois Denaut at Neuilly sur Seine in France. They originally made flying boats for the French Navy. When Denaut left in 1919, the company became known as Donnet. They then purchased the Swiss firm Automobiles Zedel, whose factory was located in Pontarlier, Doubs, France, in 1919 and changed the name to Donnet-Zedal. The first car produced was the DonnetZebel CI-6, a design from 1912 and powered by a 2120cc engine. The Type G was introduced in 1925 with a four cylinder 1098cc engine which produced 20 hp. It proved popular, taking Donnet to becoming the 4th largest car manufacturer in France in 1927. The G1 version was built between 1925 to 1926, during which time around 4,600 were built. The Zedel part of the name was dropped in 1928 as production moved to Paris. Expanding with another factory in Nanterre, the company had one of the most modern automobile factories in France. Unfortunately, after the great depression, production ended in 1934.

A Standard open tourer comes in for some close scrutiny

A flat-nose Morris Oxford departs for home

© Peter McFadyen © Peter McFadyen

Easily the oldest car on parade was a 1904 Mors Roi des Belges. Frenchman Emile Mors started his automobile business in 1895 with several steam cars prior to his first petrol model in 1895, and went car racing in 1897 in the epic city-to-city races. He liked high powered cars and this 1904 model had a 5.5 litre four cylinder engine which produced 24 HP. The engine featured a decompressor that lifted the exhaust valves at the start of the stroke to ease starting. It has competed regularly in the London to Brighton run since before the second World war.

© Peter McFadyen © Peter McFadyen

© Peter McFadyen A rare and very original 1934 Vauxhall Stratford Sports Tourer

Dick Wilkinson’s Alvis Silver eagle which is often seen competing in hill climbs at Prescott, Shelsley Walsh and elsewhere 1934 Vauxhall Stratford Sports Tourer.

This is one of only five cars known to still exist, and the only remaining model with a boot. The aluminium bodies were built by Whittingham and Mitchel of Fulham, who specialised in building bodies for Vauxhall, Alvis, MG and Wolseley. The car has been fully restored in recent years, with over 2.500 hours work, which included a new hood and side screens as well as a new tonneau cover. Originally offered as a light -Six it was powered by a six cylinder 1781cc engine with a Zenith down-draught carburettorr, producing 43 bhp, which was based on the Chevrolet Stovebolt six engine design. The rear wheels were driven through a 4-speed manual gearbox, with synchromesh on 3rd and 4th gears. This gave the car impressive acceleration and a top speed of 70 mph. It had semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension front and rear.

1938 Packard 120 Coupé powered by a 4.8 litre V8 engine

A 1930 Hotchkiss AM30 Riviera in fine ‘oily rag’ condition but going well on the road

© Peter McFadyen © Peter McFadyen Too young to join the pre-war cars in the main car park, this 1956 Bristol 405 remained at the roadside in front of the Royal Oak

© Peter McFadyen

This Star 14/40 has undergone several changes of body style over the years and attracted plenty of admiring glances A smokey exit from a 350cc 1930 Terrot motorcycle

© Peter McFadyen

A Wolseley 4-door saloon heads for home after the event

© Peter McFadyen The cockpit of Bruce Young’s Aston Martin International

This 1924 3-Litre Bentley was once seen in a film entitled ‘A boy, a girl and a bike’ with Honor Blackman as its passenger.

Classic and Competition Car Classic and Competition Car