RREC Bulletin B329 by RREC Limited

RREC

T H E I NT E R NAT I ONA L C L U B O F C H O I C E F O R R O L L S - R OY C E AN D B E NT L E Y C A R S

T h e B u l l e t i n I S S U E B 3 2 9 & a d v e r t i s e r issue 3 9 4

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • issue B329

i n c o r p o r at i n g AP R I L issue 3 9 4 MARCH/APRIL 2015

Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept • Silver Cloud Restoration Series - Part 5 • Our first Chairman

ROLLS - ROY C E EN T HUSIAS T S ’ C LU B The H un t H ouse, H i gh St ree t, Paulerspury, Nor t hamptonshire NN12 7NA

ROLLS - ROY C E EN T HUSIAS T S ’ C LU B

Telephone: +44 (0)1327 811788 • Facsimile: +44 (0)1327 811797 • Shop: +44 (0)1327 811489 Email: admin@rrec.org.uk • Web: www.rrec.org.uk Office and Shop open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

CHAIRMAN Duncan Feetham, 154 Magdalen Lane, Hedon, Hull, North Humberside HU12 8LB. Tel: +44 (0)1482 891880. Email: duncanv8@yahoo.co.uk Deputy CHAIRMAN Johan Vanden Bergh, Overstraat 66A, B-3020 Veltem, Belgium. Tel: +32 475 717999. Email: jvb@edpnet.be Board of Directors Gerwald Anderle, Sales & Marketing Brucker, Bundestrasse 100, A-5700 Zell am See, Austria. Tel/Fax: +43 6642002028. Email: rrec-austria@aon.at Trevor Baldwin, National Flagship & Events The Brook, Stamford Road, Marholm, Peterborough PE6 7HX. Tel: +44 (0)1733 262680. Email: atthebrook@btinternet.com Martin Carnell, Publications 22 St Alkmunds Close, Duffield, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 4ED. Tel: +44 (0)1332 840262. Email: rreccarnell@outlook.com Ian Hick, Regional Flagship Events & Registers 4 St John’s Avenue, Kirby Hill, Boroughbridge, York, North Yorkshire YO51 9DL. Tel: +44 (0)1423 322133. Email: i3a2n@talktalk.net Rolf Kuhnke, Archives & SHRMF Kirchenweg 20, D-24306 Boesdorf-Niederkleveez, Germany. Tel: +49 (0)173 6273055. Email: rrk@rrkuhnke.com Steve Lovatt, Seminars & Technical Support Hollandrowe, Main Road, Shelford, Nottingham NG12 1EE. Tel: +44 (0)115 9332971. Email: stevelovatt@live.com Lindsay Robotham, Tool Hire, Sections and Membership 7 Farley Road, Derby, Derbyshire DE23 6BX. Tel: +44 (0)1332 600995. Email: lindsay.robotham@outlook.com Allan Rosetzsky, Business Planning Malmøgade 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Tel: +45 35 262525. Email: ar@klifo.dk CLUB HEADQUARTERS General Manager............................. Jaclyn Smith, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 810781. Email: jaclynsmith@rrec.org.uk Librarian.................................... Philip Hall, c/o The Hunt House. Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation Limited Chairman .................................. Mrs J E Pedler, Barn House, Church Street, Ewell Village, Surrey KT17 2AQ. Tel: +44 (0)2083 940511. Email: jane.pedler1@btinternet.com General Manager....................... Graham Cottrell, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 811048. Librarian.................................... Philip Hall, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 811048. Email: pah.rr@btinternet.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR 2015 UK membership............................................................................£77 Overseas membership (includes rest of Europe and Eire)................£77 Overseas membership airmail (includes rest of the world).............£104 Joint membership (add this amount to the above subscription)........£10

CLUB SERVICES Bulletin & Publications ............... The Hunt House. Email: publications@rrec.org.uk Publications Development Manager ................................................... Jackie Robotham Email rrecjackie@outlook.com Club Shop Manager................... Lucy Walsh, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 811489. Email: lucywalsh@rrec.org.uk Events & IT Manager.................. Ailsa Plain, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 810784. Email: ailsaplain@rrec.org.uk Chassis Cards & Car Build Histories..................... The Archives, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 810786. Email: martikakennedy@rrec.org.uk. Cost varies with model. Valuations................................... Car valuation forms are available from The Hunt House (see above) on receipt of £40. Completed forms are to be sent to the Valuation Officer with photographs of the car. For cars insured on an agreed-value basis, Richardson Hosken requires a revaluation every three years. Valuation Officer........................ Allan Fogg, 43 Cyncoed Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff CF23 5SB. Tel/Fax: +44 (0)2920 485331. Email: allanliz@fsmail.net Chief Instructor, Seminars........... Steve Lovatt, Tel: +44 (0)1159 332971 Seminar Bookings........................ Penny Thorburn, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 810783. Email: penny@rrec.org.uk Membership.............................. Lisa Alderson, The Hunt House. Tel: +44 (0)1327 810782. Email: lisaalderson@rrec.org.uk Films and Photography............... Colin Hughes, 6 The Birches, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 0LJ. Tel: +44 (0)1442 269306 Annual Rally Chairman................................... Trevor Baldwin (see Board of Directors) Chief Marshal............................. Jane Pedler. Tel: +44 (0)20 8394 0511 Lead Judge.................................. Rob Pedler, Tel: +44 (0)20 8394 0511 Trophy Master............................. Linda Ball. Tel: +44 (0)1525 860880 Trade Co-ordinator...................... Patsy Baldwin (address as Trevor Baldwin, above). Tel: +44 (0)1733 262680. CONSULTANTS Insurance................................... For quotations apply to Richardson Hosken, Library House, New Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4GD. Tel: +44 (0)1277 206912. Fax: +44 (0)870 420 4622 DVLA registration enquiries........ Please contact The Hunt House European Liaison....................... Gerwald Anderle (see Board of Directors) Rolf Kuhnke (see Board of Directors) Technical Support & Advice........ Email: technicaladvice@rrec.org.uk New member joining fee (add this amount to the above subscription)........................................................................£30 Junior membership (under 20 years). Note: New member joining fee not applicable..................................................................£20

S ect ion Se c re taries & Register Re gistrars contact details

Section Secretaries international AUSTRIA

Chairman: Mag. Helmut Goigner, Staatsbahnstraße. 58, 2136 Laa an der Thaya, Tel/Fax: +43 2522 2603. Email: goigner@utanet.at. Johann Vondra, Millergasse 11, 1060 Wien. Tel: +43 699 10 815 300. Email: secretary@rrec.at BELGIUM (Flemish) Chairman: Dirk Geerardyn, Lage Kaart 43, B2930 Brasschaat, Belgium. Tel: +32 477 276975. Email: dirk@bruidsparadijs.be Secretary: Patrick Bergmans, Valstraat 2, B-3670 Meeuwen, Belgium, Tel: +32 478 532508. Email: patrickbergmans1961@gmail.com BELGIUM-LUXEMBOURG Chairman: Comte Evrard d’Ursel, Rue Bois-Eloi 38, B-1380 Lasne, Belgium. Tel: +32 26332307. Email: dursel@skynet.be Secretary: M Serge Baye, La Pierre 14, B-7890 Wodecq, Belgium. Tel: +32 475523059. Email: sbaye@skynet.be Czech Republic Chairman: Jiri Cerny, U Kanalky 1/1417, 120 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic. Tel: +42 0222 724319. Email: posta@jiricerny.cz DENMARK Jens Georg Hansen, Rosenlunden 9, Hasseris, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark. Tel: +45 9816 5865. Mob: +45 2164 5867. Email: jensgeorg@dadlnet.dk FINLAND info@rrec.fi FRANCE Antoine-Pierre Blondet, 80 rue du Ranelagh, 75016 Paris. Tel: +33 01 48 01 95 65. Email: rrec@tea-cerede.com Chairman: Dr Michael Berendes, Postfach 261325, 55059 GERMANY Mainz, Germany. Email: chairman@rrec.de Secretary: Antje Zogbaum, Auf dem Rott 7, D-49328 Melle-Buer, Germany. Tel: +49 1725 234685. Email: secretary@rrec.de Chairman: Gerald Steinberg, Clover Lodge, 5 Ailsa Road, IRELAND Cultra, Holywood, Co Down BT18 0AS Northern Ireland. Tel: +44 (0)2890 422207. Email: gsteinberg@oasisrs.com Secretary: Carol Plunkett, 2 Fortfield Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin 6, Ireland. Tel: +35 314 975118. Email: carol.plunkett@williamfry.ie ISLE OF MAN Don Plaster, 24 Brewery Wharf, Castletown, Isle of Man, IM9 1EU. Tel: +44 (0)1624 824650. Email: donplaster@manx.net ITALY Davide Bassoli, Casella Postale No 47, Parma Centro, Via Pisacane No 1, 43121 Parma (PR), Italy. Mobile: +39 3490770183. Email: bassolidavide@libero.it Keizo (Mark) Yuasa, Omori PO Box 14, Tokyo 143-8691, JAPAN Japan. Tel/Fax: +81 35746 1520. Email: keiyuasa@nifty.com NETHERLANDS Chairman: Th A Th Welsink, Verl Dorpshuiswijk ZZ 5, 7891 GT Klazienaveen, Netherlands. Tel: +31 591316297. Email: th.welsink@gmail.com Secretary: Klaas Staal, H J Kniggekade 69, 9503 RJ Stadskanaal, Netherlands. Tel: +31 599614927. Email: rikastaal@hetnet.nl NORWAY Jens E Ronneberg, Niels Juels gate 14, 0272 Oslo, Norway. Email: jensroen@online.no PORTUGAL Vacant Chairman: Gérard Le Clerc, 6 Rue de la Mairie, CH-1207 Romande Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: +41 (0)227351910. Email: president@rrec-sectionromande.ch Secretary: Sidharta Dutta, Rue Charles-Giron 1, CH-1203 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: +41 (0)227386422. Email: secretaire@rrec-sectionromande.ch SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town – Chairman: Douglas McClure, 4 Sytret Road, Rhondebosch, Cape Town 7700. Tel: (mobile) +27 (0)82 650 9460. Email: mcclure@iafrica.com. Secretary: Trevor Komaromy, 23 Riverstone Court, Riverstone Road, Wynberg, Cape Town. Tel: +27 (0)793 150600. Email:trevor@komaromy.co.uk SPAIN Chairman: Sir Roger Fry, CBE, Avda Pío XII 92, 28036 Madrid, Spain. Secretary: Mario J. Hernáez, Larrabe Malloa 11, 48394 Murueta, Spain. Tel: +34 608333353. Fax: +34 946257678. Email: mjhernaez@yahoo.es SWEDEN Chairman: Lars Nord, Burvägen 2, 15270 Södertälje, Sweden. Email: chairman@rrec.se SWITZERLAND Chairman: Arthur G. Sutsch, Ober Geriwil 41, CH-1715 Alterswil, Switzerland. Tel: +41 264 94 18 89. Fax: +41 264 94 31 07. Email: asutsch@rrec.ch Jürg M. Bihn, Jonastrasse 17c, PO Box 406, CH-8636 Wald ZH, Switzerland. Tel: +41 792 93 52 74. Email: jbihn@rrec.ch UPPER CANADA Chairman: Peter Neilson, 34 Kings Garden Road, Toronto, M8X 1S6. Roger and Eleanor Hadfield, Mazemoor, RR1, Milton, Ontario, Canada L9T 2X5. Tel: +1 905 878 6864. Dr Nick Northeast, 2359 McNeill Avenue, Victoria B C, WESTERN CANADA V8S 2Z2, Canada. Tel: +1 250 5956061. Email: nnortheast@shaw.ca

UK CENTRAL SOUTHERN

Ted Meachem, Little Stammerham Farm, Two Mile Ash, Horsham RH13 0PG. Tel: +44 (0)1403 731451. Email: emeachem@hotmail.com EAST ANGLIAN Richard Fenner, Highnoon Farm, Rose Hill, Withersfield, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7SE. Tel: +44 (0)1440 709296. Email: rrec-anglia-secretary@outlook.com John D Newton, 64 Breach Road, Heanor, Derbyshire EAST MIDLANDS DE75 7NJ. Tel: +44 (0)1773 768883. Email: john.newton2005@gmail.com ESSEX Trudy Copsey, Silver Ash, Southend Road, Rettendon Common, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ED. Tel: +44 (0)1245 400239. Email: ajcopsey@btconnect.com Margaret Ball, Chase Side, Kenn, Clevedon, Somerset, GREAT WESTERN BS21 6TL. Tel: +44 (0)1275 874077 Email: margaret.john@btinternet.com MIDDLESEX Richard Edgell, The Cottage, East End Green, Hertford SG14 2PD. Tel: +44 (0)1992 551878. Email: richardedgell@waitrose.com NORTH EASTERN Rod Macleod, 18 Hawthorn Gardens, Kenton, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE3 3DE. Tel: +44 (0)1912 852401. Email: rod.macleod1@virginmedia.com NORTHERN Temporary: John Beecroft, Lilac Cottage, Byley Road, Byley, Cheshire CW10 9NL. Tel: +44 (0)1606 837611. Email: jcab1950@aol.com Oxford Founders Gerald Garratt, Sycamore House, Tacks Lane, Thame & Thames Valley Road, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire HP17 8EW. Tel: +44 (0)1844 292481. Email: gerald.garratt@tiscali.co.uk PAULERSPURY Stephen Dolan, The Old Stables, Heathencote, Northants NN12 7LE. Tel: +44 (0)1327 351460. Email: secretary@rrecpaulerspury.org.uk SCOTTISH Nicol M Cleland, 23 Westport, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 8QP. Tel: +44 (0)1355 238307. Email: nicolrrec@yahoo.co.uk SOUTH EASTERN Laurie Hammond, Marlesleigh, Thanet Place Gardens, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1EE. Tel: +44 (0)1843 865824. Email: laurence.hammond@btopenworld.com SOUTH WESTERN Beryl Stone, 25 Stover Court, East Street, Newton Abbott, South Devon TQ12 1GH. Tel: +44 (0)1626 363722. Email: beryl.stone@btopenworld.com SURREY Michael Thackery, Little Fosters, Burwood Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 4AS. Tel: +44 (0)1932 220915. Email: mthackery@cogans.co.uk WELSH Temporary: Rodger Morgan, 10 Glyn Y Swisdir, Swiss Valley, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 8EE. Tel: +44 (0)1554 755770. Email: rodgermorgan42@sky.com WESSEX Jean Marples, 11 Cranesfield, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9LN. Tel: +44 (0)1256 851116. Email: jean_marples@hotmail.com WEST MIDLANDS Anne Bremer, Chylowen, 9 Beechcombe Close, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PW. Tel: +44 (0)1386 556945. Email: annebremer@me.com YORKSHIRE Audrey Booth, 44 Church Lane, Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD8 9LY. Tel: +44 (0)1484 861047. Email: audrey.booth@live.co.uk Register RegistraRs Silver Ghost Andy Courtney, 25 Upper Teddington Road, Hampton Wick, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 4DL. Tel/Fax. +44 (0)208 977 5369. Email: andycourtney@btinternet.com 20hp Tom Jones, 11 North Hill Park, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4BJ. Tel: +44 (0)1726 61180. Email: tom@chez-jones.demon.co.uk Tony James, Bengal Farmhouse, Greens Norton, near 20/25, 25/30, Wraith Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8BG. Tel: +44 (0)1327 350145. Fax: +44 (0)1327 350175. Email: james@bengalfarmhouse.freeserve.co.uk Derby Bentley Douglas Reece, Polcouta Farmhouse, Veryan, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 5QQ. Tel: +44 (0)1872 501203. Email: dougeliz44@btinternet.com Derby Phantom Malcolm Law, 18 Herbert Road, Emerson Park, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 3LD. Tel: +44 (0)1708 442394. Email: m.law123.law@btinternet.com Mk VI and Silver Wraith Tony Jenkin, Nonsuch House, Glebelands, Bampton, Oxfordshire OX18 2LH. Tel: +44 (0)1993 850801 (evenings). Email: uptheclump@btinternet.com Silver Clouds and S Types Davide Bassoli, Casella Postale No 47, Parma Centro, Via Pisacane No 1, 43121 Parma (PR), Italy. Mobile: +39 3490 770183. Email: bassolidavide@libero.it Silver Shadow, T series, Terence Quinn, Sintra, Vicarage Lane, East Farleigh, Maidstone, Corniche and Camargue Kent ME15 0LX. Tel: +44 (0)1622 726003 (weekdays between 1800hrs and 2000hrs). Email: terence.quinn01@btinternet.com SZ (Silver Spirit & Derivatives) Jürgen Büch, Schloss Allner, Schlossstr 32, D-53773 Hennef, Germany. Tel: +49 2242 8732080. Email: juergenbuech@aol. com - Marinus Rijkers, 16 Boksprong, 5683 LT Best, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 653 545864. Email: info@rrsilverspirit.com Stephen Fabman-Beker, 7 Roseacre Lane, Bearsted, Kent Goodwood Rolls-Royce Motor Cars ME14 4HY. Tel: +44 (0)7808 148552. Email: stephen.beker@btinternet.com

All new members are invited to contact their nearest Section Secretaries for information of local activities. You will be sure of a warm welcome among people of like interests! The opinions expressed and advice offered in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Directors. R.R.E.C. Ltd accepts no responsibility for the results of following contributors’ advice

F O R R O L L S - R O Y C E & B E N T L E Y E N T H U S I A STS

Chairman’s Notes

ince becoming Chairman of the Board I believe we have made much progress on many aspects of the Club: the Bulletin has changed with the incorporation of the Advertiser; teams have been formed with defined responsibilities, with the aim of improving what we already have and to generate new ideas. We are genuinely interested in hearing any ideas which you feel could make a difference and would welcome your involvement in bringing the ideas to fruition. Recently the relationship between the Club and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation has become increasingly harmonious with the majority of the elected Board being enthusiastic RREC members. The current SHRMF Chairman also served as an RREC chairman and is keen to preserve The Hunt House archives which have played such a significant part in British history for over a hundred years. Last year I attended many interesting Sections events and I look forward to meeting many more members this year, I’m always astonished by the variety and imagination shown by the hard working Sections Committees in arranging and planning these events for your enjoyment. It’s always very encouraging to receive positive letters, telephone calls and emails related to the current state of the Club and how the latest Year Book has been received, especially when they come from a former CEO of Rolls-Royce Crewe. The Board works hard on your behalf but success comes from the support and involvement of its members. 1955 saw the launch of the eagerly awaited Silver Cloud which incorporated the new chassis and body style. We have planned a number of events to commemorate the advancements and achievements within the range offered by Rolls-Royce for your enjoyment and hope you will all join in to celebrate. Ten years later the brand new Silver Shadow was revealed to the eagerly awaited public, this was a revolutionary car in terms of manufacture and sales, which saw tens of thousands sold during its very successful production run. I would encourage those members with these cars to attend the events. If you have previously not attended an event I would urge you to give it a go, it will be a fantastic year. D uncan F e e t ham

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

Number 329 March/April 2015 The Bulletin is published every other month. Photographs, illustrations, features, members’ letters and announcements are always welcome. Deadline for material for the next Bulletin: 2 April 2015. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility is accepted for statements published in good faith.

In this issue...

Chairman’s Notes......................................................... 3 Publications Piece........................................................ 5 Noticeboard................................................................. 5 The Phantom Returns.................................................. 6 Restoration of a Bi-Plane........................................... 11 Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept ......................... 12 Annual Rally Notice................................................... 17 Rolls-Royce & Bentley News..................................... 18 A Thousand Miles with a Ghost................................ 24 Silver Cloud Restoration Series - Part 5.................... 28 Back to the Future .................................................... 32 Continental Rally Notice............................................ 35 Our First Chairman.................................................... 36 When do memories become ‘history’?.................... 40 The Art of creating an Iconic Car.............................. 45 North of England Rally Notice ................................. 49 Memorabilia Moments.............................................. 50 Rolls in the Desert ..................................................... 52 “Hands Across the Sea” Notice................................ 54 Spares Corner............................................................ 56 Normandy Rally Notice............................................. 57 Silver Cloud & S Type 60th Anniversary Notice....... 58 Section News ............................................................. 59 Section Notices ......................................................... 68 Registers..................................................................... 70 New Members............................................................ 74 Book Reviews............................................................. 76 Correspondence........................................................ 77 Obituary ..................................................................... 79 Events ........................................................................ 80 Advertiser................................................................... 83

The name Rolls-Royce, the Rolls-Royce Badge and the linked RR Device are trademarks of Rolls-Royce plc and are used by the Club under licence. © 2015 – Reproduction of material published in this issue in part or in whole without written permission is expressly forbidden. Copyright is normally vested in the contributor and application should be made in the first instance to the Publications Development Manager. Designed and printed by Acanthus Press Limited, Wellington, Somerset. Produced by Martin Carnell and Jackie Robotham - with thanks to the Publications Team and Authors for their contributions.

Front Cover: T he Earl of Carnarvon with his Grandfather’s Phantom III (3AZ26) at Highclere Castle. Back Cover: Photo 1 - GYK3 is a 1926 20 h.p. Barker cabriolet reg’d YR5025 in oak grain finish, enjoying life in the south of France, owned by Donald Hulsman. Photo 2 - GBJ80 is a 1935 20/25 h.p. Barker sedanca de ville reg’d DGK52, at Morges, owned by Sir Sidhi Dutta Secretary Romande Section.

Breve resoconto del Presidente

Nell’ultimo periodo il rapporto tra il Club e la Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation registra una maggiore sintonia, essendo la maggior parte dei consiglieri eletti membri attivi del Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club. L’attuale Presidente della Fondazione è stato anche Presidente del Club e intende preservare gli archivi di The Hunt House che hanno un ruolo così importante nella storia britannica da oltre cento anni.

In letzter Zeit sind die Beziehungen zwischen unserem Club und der Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation immer harmonischer geworden, und die Mehrzahl der gewählten Vorstandsmitglieder der Stiftung sind inzwischen auch enthusiastische RREC-Mitglieder. Der derzeitige SHRMFVorsitzende, der früher auch einmal RREC-Vorsitzender war, hält es für sehr wichtig, die Hunt House Archive zu bewahren, die schon seit über hundert Jahren eine bedeutende Rolle in der britischen Geschichte spielen.

L’anno scorso ho partecipato a molti eventi di grande interesse organizzati dalle sezioni e non vedo l’ora di incontrare molti altri soci quest’anno. Resto sempre stupito dalla varietà e dalla fantasia dimostrate dai comitati delle sezioni che si occupano di organizzare e pianificare questi eventi per offrire ai soci occasioni di svago.

Im vergangenen Jahr habe ich an vielen interessanten Events der Sektionen teilgenommen, und ich freue mich schon darauf, im kommenden Jahr mit vielen weiteren Mitgliedern zusammenzutreffen. Ich bin immer wieder erstaunt über die Vielfalt und den Fantasiereichtum der Veranstaltungen, die unsere emsigen Sektionsausschüsse zu Ihrem Vergnügen planen und arrangieren.

È sempre molto incoraggiante ricevere lettere, telefonate e email con commenti positivi relativi all’attuale situazione del Club e all’accoglienza riservata all’ultimo Annuario, specialmente quando arrivano da un ex CEO Rolls-Royce di Crewe. Il Consiglio si impegna al massimo ma i risultati positivi derivano dal sostegno e dal coinvolgimento dei soci.

Es ist immer sehr ermutigend, positive Briefe, Telefonanrufe und E-Mails zum aktuellen Stand unseres Clubs zu erhalten und zu hören, wie das neueste Jahrbuch bei seinen Lesern angekommen ist – vor allem, wenn sich auch ein ehemaliger CEO von Rolls-Royce Crewe positiv äußert. Unser Vorstand hat hart für Sie alle gearbeitet, aber unser Erfolg beruht auf der Unterstützung und Beteiligung aller Mitglieder des Clubs.

Nel 1955 si è assistito al lancio della Silver Cloud, una vettura molto attesa con un nuovo telaio e un nuovo stile di carrozzeria. Sono in programma diversi eventi per commemorare i progressi e i risultati ottenuti da una gamma Rolls-Royce capace di farsi apprezzare, e speriamo che tutti prenderete parte ai festeggiamenti. Dieci anni dopo è stata presentata al pubblico la nuovissima Silver Shadow, una autovettura attesissima e rivoluzionaria in termini di fabbricazione e vendita, di cui nel corso del suo fortunatissimo ciclo di produzione furono venduti decine di migliaia di esemplari. Invito i soci che possiedono queste auto a partecipare alle manifestazioni. Se in passato non avete partecipato a nessun evento vi invito a provare, sarà un anno fantastico. D uncan F e e t ham

Im Jahr 1955 kam der heiß erwartete Silver Cloud mit seinem neuen Chassis und Karosseriestil auf den Markt. Wir haben eine ganz Reihe von Events für Sie geplant, um der Fortschritte und Leistungen der von Rolls-Royce angebotenen Modellreihe zu gedenken, und hoffen, dass Sie gemeinsam mit uns feiern werden. Zehn Jahre später wurde der brandneue Silver Shadow der gespannten Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt. Es war ein revolutionärer Auto – sowohl im Hinblick auf Herstellung als auch Verkaufszahlen, denn in seinem höchst erfolgreichen Produktionslauf wurden Zehntausende Fahrzeuge verkauft. Ich möchte alle Mitglieder, die solche Autos besitzen, dringend aufrufen, zusammen mit ihrem Fahrzeug an unseren Events teilzunehmen. Wenn Sie noch nie bei einem unserer Events dabei waren, rate ich Ihnen, es einmal zu probieren – es wird bestimmt ein fantastisches Jahr werden. D uncan F e e t ham

a quando sono diventato Presidente di questo Club, sono stati a mio avviso compiuti notevoli progressi sotto molti aspetti. Il Notiziario si è evoluto con l’aggiunta della sezione Advertiser; si sono formati gruppi con responsabilità ben definite e l’obiettivo di perfezionare l’esistente e generare nuove idee. Siamo sempre interessati a valutare idee da voi proposte e in grado di fare la differenza e ogni apporto alla realizzazione delle stesse è il benvenuto.

Bemerkungen des Vorsitzenden ch glaube, dass wir, seit ich Vorstandsvorsitzender geworden bin, im Hinblick auf viele Aspekte des Clubs gute Fortschritte gemacht: Das Bulletin wurde durch Aufnahme des Advertisers verändert, und es wurden Teams mit klar definierten Verantwortlichkeiten gebildet, um Bestehendes zu verbessern und neue Ideen beizusteuern. Wir sind sehr daran interessiert, auch von Ihnen Ideen zu hören, die Ihrer Meinung nach einen Unterschied machen könnten; und wir würden es begrüßen, wenn Sie sich an deren Verwirklichung beteiligten.

R R E C B 3 2 9 • MA R / AP R 1 5

p u b l i c a t i o n p i ece / NOTI C E B OA R D

Publication Piece

n this edition you will see that the revamp of the Section and Register News has begun and I thank all Sections for their assistance with this. There is more to come and I hope you will be pleased with the changes so far. We have some amazing articles in this edition beginning with the Phantom Returns, to Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). Stories of adventures appear in ‘When do Memories become History’ and the intrepid tale of a woman attempting to take a Phantom II across the Sahara desert. The usual technical articles and other regular features continue including the ‘Art of Creating an Iconic Car’. I have heard that this car may be appearing at the Annual Rally and on view for everyone to see. Aptly the Club’s history commences with an article about ‘Our First Chairman’ back in 1957, including many photographs of his vast car collection. Our overseas members are not forgotten and featured in ‘Back to the Future’. More events like this are planned and all of us are welcome to attend. I hope that in this edition our varied articles will provide something for everyone to enjoy. Eager anticipation is in the air with the Annual Rally at Burghley House drawing nearer and if all plans reach fruition it will prove not only a fantastic venue but with new features to interest members. The Publications Team is pleased to announce that it will have its own

stand where we will welcome all members to come along and meet the Team and feel free to share your ideas and suggestions with us. Do bring along your photographs of cars and Club events to see if our experts can help in identifying them for you. Some of the Team will be staying overnight on the camping/ caravan area where we hope that the party atmosphere and the exchange of stories and ideas will continue into the evening hours. Still in the planning stage the Team is hoping to stage a writers weekend at The Hunt House which will include assistance in researching your own car or your field of interest More information on this event will be available at the Annual Rally. The Publications Team is looking forward to meeting with members and sharing ideas for what we hope will continue to be a great year for the Bulletin and the Club.

J ac k i e R o b o t ham , Publications Development Manager

(Note: Rally caravan and camping information on the rally booking form)

N oticeboard SEMINAR DATES 2015 The following seminars will be held at The Hunt House in 2015:

Seminar No

Date

Title

368

18 & 19 April

Silver Clouds & S Types

369

16 & 17 May

20hp, 20/25, 25/30 & Wraith

370

5 & 6 September

Derby Bentley

371

26 & 27 September

Derby Phantom

For those members who can only attend on one day of the two-day seminars, the Chief Instructor, Steve Lovatt, has prepared the programmes for each of the seminars so that members are able to choose when they wish to attend. A loose leaf application form was included in B327. If you require a replacement application form or a programme for any of the seminars please contact Penny Thorburn at The Hunt House - email: penny@rrec.org.uk.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL VISITORS TO THE ARCHIVES - Following the receipt of advice on fire and safety issues, a member of The Hunt House Staff must now be present at all times when one or more members wish to access the Club’s archives. Access to the Archives is by prior arrangement only. Please contact The Archives for an appointment and give a minimum of 24 hours notice.

1. ( 3AZ26) mascot was originally painted with the 6th Earlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing colours of red and white 2. The 8th Earl of Carnarvon photographed with (3AZ26) as a tribute to his grandfather 3. ( 3AZ26) returns to Highclere Castle 4. ( 3AZ26) with its first owner The 6th Earl of Carnarvon in 1936

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The Phantom Returns M alc o lm Tuc k e r

ighclere Castle has long been famous as the family seat of the Earls of Carnarvon, and especially that of the fifth Earl, George Edward Herbert. It was he, along with the renowned Egyptologist Howard Carter, who discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun, in November 1922. It is not generally known that the fifth Earl’s interest in motoring was directly responsible for his fanatical enthusiasm for Egyptian history, and the many years of searching for lost tombs in, amongst others, the Valley of the Kings. In 1901 he had undertaken a motoring holiday on the Continent and suffered a serious accident near the German town of Bad Schwalbach. His doctors advised that he avoid the miserable English winters by spending

time in a hot climate. Egypt was chosen, and the rest is history. George Edward’s eldest son, Henry George, inherited the title upon his father’s death in 1923, along with his father’s love of motoring. The sixth Earl also owned many cars and demonstrated a preference for RollsRoyce and Bentley. In June 1937 he bought the fourth Phantom III chassis (3AZ26) produced by the company, which carried a maroon ‘sports saloon with division’ style body by Thrupp & Maberly, part of the Rootes Group since 1925. It was a Trials Car or demonstrator for the Rootes group dealership at their London showrooms in Devonshire House, Piccadilly. On the chassis card the body style is described somewhat quaintly as “Sports

Limousine” and body design number SLF1067. A 3½ Litre Bentley was part exchanged, and a certain amount of discussion ensued over the price of extras and a new set of tyres. Many of the cars of the sixth Earl were finished in his own colours of Royal Blue over French Grey with red wheels and bold red lining to the wings. (3AZ26) was sent immediately upon purchase to CG Brown Ltd of Thatcham, near Newbury, for repainting and the exchange of the Spirit of Ecstasy for a National Hunt racing mascot, the tiny jockey wearing the Earl’s racing colours of red and white. The transformation was completed by the addition of the Carnarvon crest to the rear doors. Henry George Herbert kept the car until 1949. The next registered keeper was noted in January 1950 as being Alan Percival of Mortimer, near Reading in Berkshire, who relinquished ownership in March 1951 to A Baird-Murray from Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

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Records are sparse from 1951 until Club member Willi Meier of the RREC Germany Section bought the Phantom in October 2000. His research has shown that the car had previously spent some time with a Swiss owner whose bank seized the car. It later became an exhibit in a Danish museum for about fifteen years. 

Th e P han t o m R e t urn s

Willi Meier tells of his ownership in his own words: “I bought the car on 1 October 2000. I had met the Danish representative of Bonhams at the Nürburgring during the Oldtimer Grand Prix, at which I had participated with my Jaguar XK140 roadster, and we chatted about my wish to have a car that would look like my childhood dream of a car: a Phantom III. Bonhams had one that had not sold at auction, so I travelled to England to look at the car. It started and it actually moved. The decision was the beginning of a love affair. At that time I knew very little about the complexity of these cars, and had quickly agreed to get the drive train of the car ‘repaired’ so I could use it for an upcoming rally the next spring. What a naïve idea that was. I even took an additional residence in England so I could keep the registration number CYV 78, as SORN was not known to me at the time.

When the car had received an engine overhaul it ran on all twelve cylinders, but only for short distances. I brought the car to Germany, as I was tired of getting bills for no obvious improvement. We managed to cool the car down so it would run about a hundred kilometres without boiling. That was enough for me to send it on to the St. Moritz to Venice rally. It crossed the St Bernardino pass in third gear and I was totally excited about the smooth performance of the engine. But only a short while thereafter the car failed to proceed, as the fuel tank had shed all its debris into the carburettor filter. That was taken care of on site and we went on, only to play Vesuvius with a massive eruption out of the brand new radiator, for the decades-old encrustations in the engine block had now come loose and solidly blocked the radiator. The return trip took place on a tow-truck.

Following this event was a long time of repair and renewal of almost all of the cars' mechanical systems. A period of several years saw the car more on blocks than on its tyres. Nevertheless we participated in several rallies of the RREC’s Derby Phantom Register. Meanwhile I had learned more about the car, and now knew what I was up against, but I still loved the Phantom. The membership in the P III Technical Society and the RREC brought me in contact with enough people to help me improve the car every year. I did not want a Barbie doll renovation; I wanted to show its history and actual usability. After we had started more serious rallying, we found the P III to be just too heavy and wide for some of the more strenuous trips in the Alps, and so decided to exchange the car for

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Th e P han t o m R e t urn s

5. (3AZ26) being prepared for presentation in the Carnarvon colours 6. T he 8th Earl and Willi Meier agree the change of ownership of (3AZ26) 7. T he Thrupp & Maberly Art Deco interior of (3AZ26) 8. ( 3AZ26) V12 engine in its current condition

a lighter pre-war car. After I found a decent 25/30hp Sedanca de Ville (GRM 1) we decided to sell the Phantom III. I had contacted the family of the first owner, Lord Carnarvon some years before, and his archivist had kindly sent me some valuable information. I sent an email to Lord Carnarvon that the car was now for sale, and we met in England where the car was undergoing more work.

Lord Carnarvon enthusiastically agreed to buy his Grandfather’s car and the deal was done in July 2012. I was sad to see the car go, even to such a meaningful home. I just needed a different model of Rolls-Royce and did not have room for another car. A little footnote to the history of (3AZ26) is given in a letter to Willi Meier from the Highclere Castle archivist Mrs J Thorp, who wrote in March 2003 “We have in the archive here a memoir by Mr Day, who came to Highclere in 1927 as an electrician and handyman and remained on the estate until his death a few years ago. The sixth Earl’s daughter was baptized on the day he arrived he noted that the family went to the church in a Rolls-Royce that was off-white with red wheels, and the family crest on the doors. The baby’s 

The original owner did not like to drive himself, always using a chauffeur, unlike his father, who can be classed as a pioneer motorist of the most enthusiastic order. James Phillips, the Estate Manager, quoted from the Highclere archives that during the war, Jack Barclay himself visited to ask if the Earl would be prepared to sell the Phantom for twelve hundred guineas. This was a sum that Jack Barclay said would enable him to buy a new Rolls-Royce when production restarted at war’s end. The Earl wrote to his son, serving in Italy, to ask his advice. The letter still exists, although his son’s reply does not.

perambulator was painted the same as the car.” The current, eighth Earl’s father had inherited the family love of horses and racing, a passion that he made into a career, becoming HM The Queen’s Racing Manager in 1969. Lord Porchester, as he was then entitled, was known affectionately by Her Majesty as ‘Porchie’, a nickname that caught on with his close friends and family. He was not however a keen motoring enthusiast. Willi Meier had shown the car to Lord Carnarvon at Matt Pickles Phantom Engineering Ltd, Macclesfield, a company who still look after the car. The deal was struck, and upon arrival at Highclere, plans were made for the smart black and cream car to be resprayed in the sixth Earl’s choice of colours. Stripped to the bare metal, no filler or signs of accident damage were found, the re-paint being a straightforward operation. The Art Deco interior, much of which looks to be original was reinstated, and the condition of the mechanical systems following Willi Meier’s restoration work needed no further attention. The Highclere Phantom was now back in its aristocratic home, under the watchful eye of its latest owner, the eighth Earl, George Reginald Herbert and his wife Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon. In truth, she is just as excited as her husband about the Phantom III’s return.

(3AZ26) is safely garaged in a coach house, alongside a beautifully restored 1937 Singer Sports, the second car bought for the Highclere Castle collection. The Phantom is taken out regularly on trips around the Highclere estate, by the Countess as well as the Earl, and has ventured to Newbury Racecourse where it received the approbation of the racegoers. The members of private shooting parties are also treated to a tour of the estate during their stays. Lord Carnarvon commented “I am so impressed with the car’s silent running, although the steering is heavy by modern power-assisted standards. I have mastered the gears, with synchromesh on all but reverse and first. Both Fiona and I love the car and the way it represents the tremendous technical advances that were being made in the 1930s. We very definitely want to keep it at Highclere and use it a little more.” Lord Carnarvon recalls that his grandfather was famous for the sumptuous picnics that were carried in the Phantom’s boot on race days. Apart from his love of racehorses, the sixth Earl was known for, as the Victorians would have said “an appreciation of a pretty face and a well-turned ankle.” It is probable that (3AZ26) could tell a few stories to make an RREC member blush.

Today, as with many Phantom IIIs, this car suffers from mild overheating, but to a much reduced degree following the efforts made by Willi Meier to rectify the problem. It also has been known to fail to proceed in the eighth Earl’s ownership due to modern-fuel vaporization, a common enough fault that should not be too difficult to mitigate. Highclere Castle in Berkshire is used as the external and much of the internal settings for television’s fictitious Downton Abbey, a series that has found worldwide success. Visitor numbers to Highclere have increased enormously as people come to see ‘Downton Abbey’ as well as the artefacts in the Ancient Egyptian displays. They can now view an equally prestigious motor car in the form of the 1936 V12 cylinder Phantom III (3AZ26). There is something special about cars of character that return to the family fold, and one with such a renowned family as this, and such a special car by design, all the more so. Our late Club President, Eric Barrass wrote in B142 of January 1984 of (3AZ26) whilst in the ownership of Adrian Bennett “… a model of rightly proportioned and beautifully balanced art.” Truer words were never written.

9. ( 3AZ26) whilst in the ownership of Germany Section member Willi Meier

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Restoration of a Bi-Plane Hawker Demon K8203 Tim M o o r e

while ago in the Bulletin there was a nostalgic centre spread depicting a 1934 20/25 in front of a Hawker Audax biplane, clearly taken at Brooklands. I thought members may be interested to hear about an almost identical type, which we restored a number of years ago, currently based at the Shuttleworth Collection, airworthy and in ‘fine spirits’!

Back in 1991, SkySport Engineering Ltd was commissioned to restore Hawker Demon K8203. The aeroplane was the twenty-third example of a run of thirty seven built at the Boulton-Paul factory at Wolverhampton. Initially, it went to 64 Squadron in October 1937 and later flew with various training units. It was struck off charge in September 1940 and subsequently became an ‘instructional’ airframe at RAF Netheravon. Its latter history is rather obscure, until its restoration, which was accomplished over a protracted period, due to its rarity and complex structure very similar to its development, the Hurricane. Of particular interest to this readership, of course, would be its Derby built Supercharged, Rolls-Royce Kestrel V powerplant of early 30s design. Slightly smaller than the contemporary Merlin/Buzzard engines, the 21.25 litre V12 retains many of the features of early Merlins, 4 valve single OHC cylinder heads, integral with the wet liner blocks, dual ignition by BTH RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

Magnetos, plus a Kestrel twin choke carburettor, built and designed by Rolls-Royce, with altitude control, and, as with the Audax, a long exhaust pipe system to (slightly!) quieten down the noticeable exhaust cacophony. The engine restoration was comprehensively undertaken by Vintage Engine Technology of Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire and has, to date, proved to be very reliable, as has the rest of the airframe. The Demon, which flew again on 23 June 2009, post restoration, has done a number of airshows, some in company with Old Warden’s similar Hawker Hind, Gloster Gladiator and the two Hawker single seaters based at Duxford. It won the Freddie March ‘Spirit of Aviation’ trophy at the Goodwood Revival in September 2010 as a consequence of its outstanding appearance. It remains the only airworthy Hawker biplane two seater existent in private hands. Currently, a new owner is sought, as the family is ready to pass on its custodianship to a new generation. Consequently, there is a plan to restore a late 20s unsupercharged Kestrel II for installation in a suitable Phantom 1/11 ‘donor’ chassis, when found, to create a ‘thoroughbred’ period Rolls-Royce special, with an engine similar in dimensions to the PIII V12, which was believed to have originally, evolved from the Kestrel. Please contact Tim Moore at skysporteng@aol.com for sale details or should you require further information.

Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept D a v id T o w e r s

Bentley Models The current range of Bentley cars comprises • Bentley Mulsanne • Bentley Continental models

The Continental models are divided into • Continental GT – 2 door coupé • Continental GTC – 2 door convertible • Flying Spur – 4 door saloon The Continental models have a choice of a 6 litre W12 engine or a 4 litre V8 engine, both with twin turbochargers. All the Continental models are four wheel drive. However, this article considers the Mulsanne, a 4 door luxury saloon. It replaced the Arnage in 2010, and it continues to have the Rolls-Royce & Bentley 6 ¾ litre V8 engine, originally fitted in the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 in 1959. In 1982 this engine gained a turbocharger (in the Mulsanne Turbo), and its power has progressively increased to 505bhp in the current new Mulsanne. For the new Mulsanne, there were major changes to the V8 engine, especially variable valve timing and the ability to shut down 4 cylinders. This has improved

" This new Mulsanne is quite different from the ‘Spirit’ based Mulsanne of the 1980s."

1. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept 6 ¾ litre V8 engine 2. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept gear selecter console with copper accents 3. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept on the road

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B e n t l e y M ul s ann e H ybrid C o nc e p t

the fuel consumption, and the valve timing has made idling smoother (not a good feature of many earlier engines). This new Mulsanne is quite different from the ‘Spirit’ based Mulsanne of the 1980s. The new Mulsanne is the longest Bentley at 5.575m (18ft 3in), and like the Arnage, it has rear wheel drive. Its interior is to a higher standard than the Continental models, similar to, and probably exceeding, the Arnage and its predecessors. The Mulsanne is the most expensive Bentley at £224,700. This article looks at the ‘one-off’ plug-in hybrid version of the Mulsanne, which promises to make the car far more economical.

Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid In April 2014 Bentley unveiled a plug-in hybrid Mulsanne. This is an (almost) one-off car which demonstrates Bentley’s ideas of a hybrid model. The first hybrid Bentley will be introduced in 2017, probably a version of their SUV. They plan to make a plug-in hybrid drive-train available on 90% of their cars. By 2020 the EU is demanding that car manufacturers achieve average emissions of 95g of CO2 per 100km for 95% of their ‘fleet’ with 100% compliance in 2021. The 2015

Mulsanne has emissions of 342 g/ km (this terminology will be used in the rest of this article). So, for Bentley there’s a long way to go to achieve 95g/km. The principal way of making a significant reduction in CO2 is to ‘go plug-in hybrid’. The table below gives the fuel consumption in mpg and l/100km for petrol and diesel engines for CO2 emissions of 95g/km.

Fuel

Mpg

1/100km

Petrol

69.5

4.07

Diesel

78.0

3.62

Diesel fuel consumption at 95g/km is lower than petrol, as diesel contains more carbon than petrol (the 

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B e n t l e y M ul s ann e H ybrid C o nc e p t

‘thicker’ the fuel becomes, the more carbon and less hydrogen it contains). The VW/Audi group, of which Bentley is a part, is at the point of introducing a plug-in hybrid drive on their Golf GTE and A3 e-tron models. Toyota led the way in hybrid cars in 1997 (2000 in Europe) with their Prius, although a plug-in hybrid wasn’t introduced until 2012. BMW (manufacturer of current RollsRoyce cars) have taken a different approach with their i3 and i8. The i3 is an entirely new car, either wholly electric with an 80 mile range or, with a ‘range extender’ using a 647cc 2 cylinder petrol engine, it can add another 80 miles on its 9 litre (2 gallon) fuel tank. And it has a revolutionary weight-saving construction which includes the use of carbon fibre. The i8 is a £100k sports car with a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine of 227bhp, supplemented by electric power. Most other major manufacturers have hybrid cars, including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Jaguar/Land Rover, but production quantities are small. Returning to the Bentley Mulsanne, it is a plug-in hybrid which can be

charged from the ‘mains’, either at home or at charging points which are being introduced around the UK and other countries. Charging the battery means that in pure electric drive, the car produces no CO2 emissions although CO2 emissions are produced at the power station, away from the car – but they are not counted in the car’s emissions. With the original (non plug-in) hybrid cars, the range on pure electric power was very limited. This power was generated when braking the car, by using an electrical generator to charge the battery. Later, the electric motor used power from the battery to propel the vehicle. Most electric motors can operate as generators. So an electric motor can be used as a motor for driving the car (using the battery), and as a generator, to recharge the battery. With a plug-in hybrid and a larger battery, a significant increase in pure electric driving can be achieved. In the Mulsanne hybrid, this range is 31 miles (50 km). VW/Audi have decided this is an optimum distance for pure electric power, as a longer range would result in a heavier and more expensive

battery. This is the electric range of their Audi A3 e-tron and VW Golf GTE. Bentley have released very little technical information on the hybrid system. They have said the combined power of the petrol engine and electric is 631bhp, implying that the electric motor produces at least 119bhp. CO2 emissions are reduced by 70% to 118 g/km, close to the 95g figure for 2021. With 631bhp, acceleration of the Mulsanne hybrid will be even quicker than either the standard Mulsanne (512bhp) or the new Speed (530bhp), despite the additional weight of the batteries. No details were given of the hybrid system. However, it is likely to be similar to the Golf hybrid, where the electric motor is placed between the petrol engine and the automatic gearbox. A clutch allows either the electric motor, the petrol engine or both to drive the car (through the automatic gearbox). Bentley’s CEO, Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, described the Mulsanne hybrid as a ‘concept’. The first production Bentley hybrid will be introduced in 2017, probably the new SUV (to be introduced in 2016). He said that by

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B e n t l e y M ul s ann e H ybrid C o nc e p t

2020 90% of Bentley models will be available with a (plug-in) hybrid drivetrain. On youtube, Dr Schreiber’s commentary concentrated on the ‘copper’ elements on the car (see the pictures), rather than any technical matters! Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity, hence its association with a hybrid and its electric motor. 

4. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept instrument cluster with copper detail

5. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept plug-in charging station 6. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept headlights with copper accents 7. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept radiator shell surround 8. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept interior 9. Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept showing hand crafted veneers with copper cross stitching

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Emissions of other Bentley models Emissions figure (combined) of the 2015 Mulsanne is 342 g/km. The figure for the 6 litre W12 engine in the Continental GT and Flying Spur is very similar at 338 g/km. The 4 litre V8 is significantly more economical with 246 g/km. However, the Mulsanne plug-in hybrid achieves 118 g/km, less than half that of the seemingly economical 4 litre V8.

Summary By 2020, Bentley will have to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions. With such large engines in their cars, this can only be achieved by using a plug-in hybrid drive-train. The Bentley Mulsanne hybrid concept shows how substantial reductions in CO2 emissions can be achieved, with a 70% reduction leading to emissions of only 118 g/km – not far off the EU’s target of 95 g/km in 2020. It is clear that hybrid is the way to go in reducing emissions of Bentley cars. And, the relative cost of hybridisation in these cars will be much less than for smaller cars. It is clear that by 2021, most Bentley cars will be available as hybrids, so as to achieve close to 95g/km. Because of the penalties in exceeding the 95g/ km limit, it is probable that by 2021, Bentley will offer only hybrid cars, at least in the countries where this limit is applied. For Rolls-Royce, by 2021 there seems to be no alternative but to offer hybrid on their cars. Rolls-Royce produced a pure electric Phantom (102EX) but, after showing it to potential customers, it was not proceeded with. Limited demand, range anxiety and charging times were major problems. An article in Autocar of 7 January 2015 described a BMW 3 series hybrid, similar to the Audi e-tron (i.e. a hybridised 3 series model). And, it said that Rolls-Royce cars will have to be hybridised to help to meet the average of 95g/km by 2021.

A future article will look at the Audi e-tron and BMW i3 hybrids – hybrid cars from the parent companies of Bentley and Rolls-Royce respectively. So, should you consider purchasing a hybrid to offset your ‘gas guzzling’ Club car?

Appendix 1 EU Emissions Standard Emissions of cars in the EU are stated in miles per gallon (mpg) and litres per 100km under 3 cycles – Urban, Extra Urban and Combined. Normally, these are carried out on a ‘rolling road’ with simulated aerodynamic and rolling drag. The ‘Urban’ fuel consumption test lasts 13 minutes and covers 4km (average speed 18.35 km/hour, with a maximum speed of 50 km/h). The ‘Extra-Urban’ fuel consumption test lasts 6 minutes 40 seconds and covers 7km, with an average speed of 62.6 km/h and maximum speed of 120 km/h.

For non-UK members, the urban fuel consumption is 22.8 l/100km and extra-urban is 9.9 l/100km. So, for the 4 kilometres of urban, it uses 0.912 litres, and 7 kilometres of extra urban, it uses 0.693 litres. Thus, in 11 kilometres it uses 1.605 litres, giving a ‘combined’ fuel consumption of 14.6 l/100km. The Mulsanne’s combined CO2 emissions are 342 g/100km (19.3mpg). So, combined emissions of 95g/100km, the fuel consumption must be 69.5mpg (4.07/100km). The 118g/km achieved by the Mulsanne hybrid is 55.9 mpg. For US members, the ‘gallons’ used here are UK gallons. A US gallon is 0.832674 of a UK gallon (about 5/6 UK gallon).

Appendix 2 – some mpg, l/100km & g/km equations The following equation is used to convert from between mpg and L/100km: Mpg x L/100km =282.46

The ‘Combined’ fuel consumption is the average fuel consumption for the 4km urban test followed by the 7km extra-urban test.

For petrol engines, to find CO2 emissions at g/km: g/km = 6600.6 / mpg g/km = 23.4 x L/100km

Taking the example of the current Bentley Mulsanne, the urban consumption is 12.4mpg and extra urban 28.4mpg. For simplicity we’ll calculate the ‘combined’ using miles, rather than kilometres. So:

For diesel engines, to find gm/km: g/km = 7410.8 / mpg g/km = 26.2 x L/100km

• for the 4 miles of urban, the Mulsanne uses 0.3226 gallons, and • 7 miles of extra-urban it uses 0.2465 gallons • Thus, in 11 miles it uses 0.5691 gallons, giving a ‘combined’ fuel consumption of 19.3 mpg.

The figures are based on published emissions of the petrol Bentley Mulsanne (non-hybrid) and diesel Audi A8 4.2 TDi.

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56TH ANNUAL CONCOURS AND RALLY Friday 19 – Sunday 21 June 2015

BURGHLEY HOUSE, STAMFORD

he Annual Rally Team’s plans are now coming together so as to make full use of this new and wonderful setting for this Club’s Flagship Annual Concours and Rally. An entirely new layout for Class parking and parade of winning cars to the prize giving area has been designed to take full advantage of Burghley House as a stunning background. Special parking areas will be provided in front of Burghley House on the Saturday and Sunday for the Silver Cloud / S Type and Silver Shadow and derivatives, celebrating sixty and fifty year anniversaries respectively. This will make a spectacular sight. Our very important trade supporters have not been forgotten and will be sited within the Rally field close to the cars and H&H Classics Limited auction. To further enhance the weekend, additional activities and displays will be taking part, including Peter Grieves running his Merlin engine, Playbus providing entertainment for our younger visitors on the Saturday and Sunday, together with both the Jazz Band and a very popular local Brass Band. We will also be joined by members of the Bristol Car Clubs, providing a display of their cars. Our on-site catering this year will be provided by Absolute Taste. This company provide Burghley House’s catering requirements, and will offer selections of quality food and beverages that should please all tastes. (See Rally Pack and website for details). This year, the owners of all trophy-winning cars will be presented with their trophy by the Club Chairman. A photograph will be taken, and the trophy will then be immediately returned to the Trophy Marshall to be put on permanent display in The Hunt House with full credits to the winner. This was explained by the Trophy Marshall in the last Bulletin 328. As in previous years, a permanent memento will be presented for the owner to keep. H&H Classics Limited will be supporting us, and inviting members to their Friday evening pre-auction viewing reception. Their auction of memorabilia starts on Saturday morning followed by the car auction in the afternoon. If you

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

are planning to sell your surplus spare-parts, Rolls-Royce, Bentley or classic car, please do get in touch with H&H and take advantage of their very competitive commission rates. Why not arrange to spend the whole, or part of the weekend at the Rally? The team will be staying at The Holiday Inn Peterborough West, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough PE3 6SG. A Gala Dinner has been arranged for the Saturday evening, and this will be held in the hotel ballroom. Full details of the evening are included in the Rally Pack. This hotel, which is 12.5 miles from Burghley House, has agreed to offer a special discounted rate for a double / twin room of £60.00 per night bed and breakfast, for members booking in advance for either the Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. Room upgrade is also available for an extra charge. You must mention you are with the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club otherwise normal tariff rates will apply.

Contact and book your room with the hotel direct. Phone: +44 (0)1733 289988 Fax: +44 (0)1733 262737 Email: Peterborough@qmh-hotels.com There are many other hotels in Peterborough. Local information is available from: www.burghley.co.uk www.stamford.co.uk Looking forward to your continued support at this, our Club’s Flagship Concours d’Elegance event. If you have not yet booked your place, please contact The Hunt House or download the booking pack from the Club’s website. As always Jane and Rob Pedler will be very grateful to receive volunteers to Marshal or become an apprentice Judge. Interested? Contact them on 02083 940511 or email jane.pedler1@btinternet.com T r e v o r B a l d w i n - Event Chairman

Rolls-Royce & Bentley News D a v id e B a s s o li

ROLLS-ROYCE NEWS

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Celebrates Fifth Successive Sales Record (6 Jan) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today revealed record sales results for a fifth consecutive year, with 4,063 cars sold globally during 2014. This exceptional result means that sales have more than quadrupled since 2009. Strong sales were reported worldwide, with double-digit growth in most regions, North America (up 30%), the Middle East (up 20%) and Europe

(up 40%). The United States remained the company’s most significant individual market. Rolls-Royce’s home market, the United Kingdom, is the company’s fourth largest individual market (up 13%). Europe saw strong growth in a number of markets with Germany up by 30%, while in Asia Pacific, Australia grew by 75%, Japan by 60% and Korea 20%. In the Middle

East, highlights included Bahrain (up 50%), Kuwait (up 45%) and Oman (up 27%). Emerging markets such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Vietnam all showed promising growth. The best-selling Rolls-Royce dealership in 2014 was Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi. As part of the marque’s commitment to long-term sustainable growth, six new dealerships were

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1. Interiors of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Pinnacle Travel Collection 2. Woodwork detail of the Rolls-Royce Suhail Collection 3. Project of the new Technology and Logistics Centre at Bognor Regis, close to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood

opened in 2014, including Mexico City, Calgary, Canada and Gold Coast, Australia. A total of 127 dealerships are now in operation and further expansion is planned for 2015. Sales were driven by strong orders for Ghost Series II, launched in November, and Wraith, which enjoyed its first full year of sales, while the incomparable Phantom remains the company’s pinnacle product. Bespoke Collections including Waterspeed, Pinnacle Travel and Metropolitan, and unique creations such as the Maharaja Phantom Drophead Coupé contributed to Rolls-Royce sustaining its leadership of the industry in the area of individualisation. In 2014, Rolls-Royce once again sold more

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cars in the Euro 200,000+ net segment than any other manufacturer. 2014 also marked the first year in which every Phantom, and the great majority of Ghost and Wraith models, left the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in West Sussex, England with significant Bespoke personalisation. A record number of customers spent personal one-on-one time with RollsRoyce’s Bespoke design consultants commissioning their personalised vehicles. To meet such strong demand, particularly for Bespoke cars, the company has created over 200 new permanent jobs in the past eighteen months. More than 1,500 people are now employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reviews a year of beautiful bespoke cars as it unveils the Suhail collection (18 Dec) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to unveil its first ever Bespoke Collection that encompasses the marque’s entire family of motor cars. The announcement chimes with the culmination of a remarkable year that saw the marque emphatically reaffirm the fact that Bespoke is Rolls-Royce. The Suhail Collection is the first Collection to be offered on Phantom, Ghost and Wraith models, and takes its inspiration from Suhail,

one of the brightest star constellations in the sky. It celebrates the work of the Arabic scientist considered by many as the father of theoretical physics and a great influence on Western scientific thinking. A host of elegantly executed touches have been added to the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Phantom Coupé, Ghost and Wraith to bring the spirit of Suhail to life in this extraordinary collection. The exterior of these astronomy-inspired motor cars sparkle in a unique moonstone pearl colour evoking the colour of the stars at night, whilst a Suhail star emblem completes a Turchese Blue coachline inspired by the colour of the night sky when Suhail is visible. The interior continues the striking colour scheme by elegantly combining Cremé Light leather with Turchese accents, framed by a Navy Blue instrument panel top and carpets. Suhail star emblems are also worked into the marquetry on the Ash Burr wood fascia, whilst a Starlight Headliner in the Phantom and Wraith models allows the owner their own personal moment of stargazing. Finally the Bespoke clock, colour matched to the interior, depicts the Suhail Ursa Minor and Major constellation on the clock face. In addition to the Suhail Collection, 2014 has seen several beautiful and compelling Collection cars such as Year of the Horse, Pinnacle Travel, Waterspeed, Metropolitan created by the Bespoke Design Studios at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. April saw the debut of the Pinnacle Travel Phantom at the 2014 Beijing

ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY NEWS

offered a luxuriant colour palette, opulent, sumptuous materials and complex, beautifully hand-crafted marquetry evoking the glamour of the golden age of travelling on luxurious cross-continental trains. The richness of its main two-tone exterior colour scheme hinted at the luxury awaiting the traveller inside, whilst a unique coach line with an abstract motif of a streamlined train travelling at speed, invited the passenger onboard for a journey of discovery. This opulent colour scheme continued inside with a sartorial Morello Red and Seashell leather combination for seats, roofliner, pillars and door cards plus specifically developed Morello Red lambswool floor mats. A further motif in Smoke Grey thread evoked luxury travel whilst the piece de la resistance was 230 individual pieces of marquetry were painstakingly hand-laid to create a striking motif of a cross-continental train speeding across a landscape with plumes of steam left in its wake. The same motif is echoed on the door cards through 24,633 individual stitches, emphasising the painstaking craftsmanship required to perfectly match the two details.

4. Rolls-Royce broke through the 4,000 car sales level for the first time in its 111-year history 5. Michael Winkler, the new President and CEO of Bentley Motors Inc. of America 4

Autoshow. This extraordinary motor car served to showcase the imaginative heights of craftsmanship and design that emanates from Goodwood, seen

through the prism of modern luxury travel. Answering this growing interest in luxury travel, especially in China, the Rolls-Royce Pinnacle Travel Phantom

In May, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled the Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection, designed to celebrate Sir Malcolm Campbell’s act of setting a new world water-speed record on the nearby Lake Maggiore in 1937. Echoing the cutting-edge technology employed in the construction of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird K3 craft, only the finest contemporary materials were used to furnish Waterspeed. Brushed steel perfectly complemented an exclusively developed ‘Maggiore’ Blue colour scheme whilst handcrafted Abachi wood inlays evoked the sense of a boat effortlessly gliding through water at pace, whilst exterior coachline and laser etchings inside the car brought Campbell’s ‘Bluebird’ motif back to life. For the first time in Rolls-Royce history the engine was painted the same colour as the exterior of the car, resulting in a visually striking homage to the power behind Campbell’s records, whilst the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s traditional teak decking to the rear made way for brushed steel. Reference to Campbell’s craft was also made

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ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY NEWS

through a new interpretation of RollsRoyce’s famous ‘power reserve’ dial. As the driver presses on, the dial moves backwards towards a yellow and blue zone, echoing K3 ‘going into the blue’ at maximum engine revolutions. Direct tribute to the records was paid in the glovebox, with a hand-embroidered panel expressing the records Campbell achieved at Lake Maggiore, Lake Helwel and Coniston Water in K3 and K4. September’s Salon de l’Automobile in Paris was the appropriate venue for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars next Collection car. The most recent Bespoke Rolls-Royce, the one-of-a-kind car. Nearly every Phantom across the globe, 90% of Wraith and 80% of Ghost motor cars were commissioned by customers with some element of Bespoke design. Bespoke is Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Technology and Logistics Centre On Target (15 Dec) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars confirmed today that construction of the company’s new Technology and Logistics Centre at Bognor Regis, close to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex, is now well underway and on target to be fully operational in early 2016. Ground was first broken in November and the site is currently being levelled in readiness for building works to start in the New Year. The Technology and Logistics Centre is located on the Oldlands Farm Business Park on the northern edge of Bognor Regis, eight miles from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The new 30,000m2 centre will consolidate a number of current logistics functions and allow for future expansion. The Centre will be ideally situated to take advantage of the forthcoming Bognor Regis Northern Reliefthe Road, 4. Rolls-Royce broke through due to open in February The 4,000 car sales level for2015. the first Technology Logistics Centre will time in its and 111-year history consolidate three current operations – an inbound warehouse for production the new 5. M ichael Winkler, parts, a distribution centre and a President and CEO of Bentley workshop for car preparation. Motors Inc. of America

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Bentley News

Michael Winkler New President and Ceo of Bentley Motors Inc. (26 Jan) Bentley Motors today announced that Michael Winkler will become President and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors Inc., the regional office for Bentley Motors in the Americas, with effect from 1 April 2015. He succeeds Christophe Georges, who was recently appointed Director of Product and Marketing for Bentley’s global organisation. Winkler will report directly to Kevin Rose, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. Rose commented: “The Americas region plays a key part in Bentley’s global success, our biggest market with more Bentley customers than anywhere else in the world. I am delighted to welcome Michael to Bentley, and look forward to working with him to drive our brand and network presence further.” Winkler has more than thirty years of experience in the automotive industry, holding a number of international positions, working with Porsche in Germany, North America and Australia, and joins Bentley from Jaguar Land Rover, where he held the position of Managing Director of the company’s Australian division. The Americas remained Bentley’s number one market throughout 2014, closing the year delivering 3,186 cars, up from the 2013 number of 3,140. This accounted for 29% of total global deliveries. There are fifty three Bentley dealerships throughout the Americas, with the corporate headquarters based in Herndon, Virginia. In Georges’ new role, based at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, he is responsible for the company’s marketing, product and motorsport activities, including brand strategy and development, digital marketing,

CRM, the Bentley Collection and motorshows and live events. Rose continued: “Christophe brings considerable experience from working for the Bentley brand internationally, leading Bentley’s activities in both Europe and the Americas. He has a wealth of knowledge of the ultra-luxury market and a strong understanding of the Bentley brand, making him the ideal person to take Bentley’s product and marketing activities into the future.”

Bentley Motorsport Announces Full 2015 Schedule (8 Jan) Bentley Motorsport announces its full schedule of races around the world for 2015 after a successful debut season for the racing version of Bentley’s iconic Continental GT grand tourer, the Continental GT3. Building on the success of the 2014 season, which saw the Continental GT3 win three races on two continents and finish second overall in the Blancpain Endurance Series, for 2015 the programme expands to cover six race series over four continents. 2015 sees the brand’s Works team, Bentley Team M-Sport, return to the Blancpain Endurance Series. In addition, Bentley is also taking on three of the world’s premiere sports car endurance events. The Bentley Motorsport season will begin with the two Continental GT3s of Bentley Team M-Sport tackling Mount Panorama

in the Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday 8 February. Later in the year, Bentley will also enter arguably the world’s most gruelling endurance race – the ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the Nürburgring – an event for which preparations began earlier in 2014 when Bentley took part in two VLN series test races. The year will close with one final endurance race, the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Alongside the Works team, Bentley announces additional partner teams to race the Continental GT3 in key regions, as Works-supported entries: Following a race-winning half-season in 2014, Bentley Team Dyson Racing will contest the full Pirelli World Challenge season in the U.S.A. In Europe, Bentley Team HTP will use

five Continental GT3s to race in the Blancpain Sprint Series, Blancpain Endurance Series and ADAC GT Masters championship.

The Works and Works-supported teams are complemented by customer teams, who will extend the racing activities of the Continental GT3 even further, including events such as the Dubai 24 Hours and the Australian GT series. Bentley’s customer racers have already had success with the Continental GT3, including a win in the NGK Racing Series in Dubai.

in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2014, car #7 retains the all-British trio of Guy Smith, Andy Meyrick and Steven Kane. The three Bentley Boys are looking forward to a second complete season with the team, and to working together again. Car #8 sees an all-new and truly European team of drivers for 2015. Joining Bentley Team M-Sport are Spanish racer Andy Soucek, German GT3-specialist Maximilian Buhk and Belgian Maxime Soulet. All three have raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series before, showing prodigious speed and racecraft and making them natural choices to join Bentley Motorsport for 2015.

Bentley Team M-Sport also announces its driver line-up for the 2015 season. After scoring victories at Silverstone and Paul Ricard, and finishing second

Bentley’s progress throughout the season can be followed at www.bentleymedia.com or via the @BentleyComms Twitter feed.

In Asia, Bentley Team Absolute will compete in the GT Asia series.

Demand for Bentley Continues to Grow (7 Jan) Bentley strengthened its position as the world’s most sought after luxury car brand after announcing 2014 as the company’s record breaking year. 11,020 cars were delivered, a 9% growth on the 2013 figure of 10,120 cars. The key regions of the Americas, China, Europe including the UK, and Middle East, all saw strong performance, with the Americas retaining its position as Bentley’s number one market, while China closes the gap as the second largest customer region. Growing appeal of the brand, with the launch of new models drove this success. The Continental GT V8 S and GT Speed coupe and convertible and Flying Spur V8 all entered the market in 2014.

Bentley’s number one market throughout 2014 was the Americas, closing the year delivering 3,186 cars, up from the 2013 number of 3,140. This accounted for 29% of total global deliveries. China remained the second biggest Bentley market, with 2,670 cars delivered in total over the year, against the previous year of 2,191 cars. In Europe, deliveries were up by 4%, with 1,539 cars delivered to customers. Bentley’s home market, the UK, continued to perform strongly, delivering 1,387 cars, up from 1,381 cars in 2013. Overall, this means that 87% of Bentley’s cars exported from England to customers around the world. Bentley’s growing presence in

the Middle East and Asia Pacific resulted in deliveries hitting a record high in both markets. Performance was strengthened in the Middle East by Bentley’s flagship model, the Mulsanne, with total deliveries increasing by 7%, 1,263 cars, on 2013’s figure of 1,185 cars. In Asia Pacific, deliveries rose by 48% on the previous year, with 669 cars delivered in 2014, against 452 cars in 2013, driven by success of the two-door Continental GT model line. Finally, Japan saw growth of 5%, delivering 306 cars against a total of 291 cars in 2013.

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6. Bentley Team Dyson Racing will be entered in Pirelli World Challenge season in the U.S.A. 7. B entley ready for return to British racing heritage 8. B entley Flying Spur V8 with the House of Parliament in the background

" Bentley strengthened its position as the world’s most sought after luxury car brand after announcing 2014 as the company’s record breaking year."

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Most Silver Ghost custodians are happy to polish and show their cars; many drive them on tours, but very few of them would think of actually rallying them.

A Thousand Miles with a Ghost M arc o M a k au s A charming California-based Englishman, having realized his lifelong ambition of owning a Silver Ghost, and wanting to celebrate it by having a good drive in the country with the best of friends, entered it in the 2014 Thousand Mile Trial. Jointly organized by the RAC and HERO, this was a proper rally for pre-war motor cars, designed to celebrate the famous1900 event, in which Charles Stewart Rolls was awarded the Gold Medal.

120EU is a very late Ghost, probably the last one made, and therefore sports all the enhancements and modifications the model received in its long production period. In practice, it is almost a Phantom I, with a side-valve Ghost engine. Its Barker tourer body makes it a relatively light and agile machine, while its previous long-term and fastidious ownership meant she only needed a little TLC before joining the boy-racers.

In any such venture, the importance of the team is very high, and in this case it was quite eclectic: Jonathan Wood: Silver Ghost whisperer Peter Ward: winner of many rallies, navigator extraordinaire Neil Murray: vintage spirit in Ghostly Transport of Delight Marco Makaus: ballast Charles Cross: representing the Colonies  1. Three shades of blue: a lot more interesting than 50 shades of grey, I presume 2. Four dozen Vintage cars at the R.A.C.’s Country Estate

3. I don’t know how many there were… I fell asleep after 40/50

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" Then came the Ghost, and peace was restored for squirrels and squires."

only using very small roads, one lane most of the time: it was a welcome change for someone living in a very crowded area of Europe, to travel for miles and miles without crossing another vehicle. Every day, a number of special sections, where a fixed average speed had to be kept, made the boys happy. These varied from a stretch of say three to six miles of country lane – with or without sheep, proper hillclimb venues like Prescott and Shelsley Walsh, and even aerodromes filled up with cones, like Bicester.

4. Your classic International Rally Team: Jonathan Wood, Marco Makaus, Charles Cross, Neil Murray and Peter Ward, before drinks were served on Royal Yacht Britannia… where else? 5. Daily servicing routine: nothing less is owed to this faithful motor car 6. Not much traffic in Scotland! 7. At the end of the Trial, the car was as smart as she was at the start

The rally took its glamorous start on a great July morning from the RAC country estate at Woodcote Park, Epsom, where forty two magnificent motor cars, ranging from Austin Seven and MG, to a unique Triumph Dolomite eight-cylinder roadster, plus Bentleys, Lagondas, Invictas, and all the pre-war sports cars you can think of, broke the peace of the countryside with their loud exhausts. Then came the Ghost, and peace was restored for squirrels and squires. Spread over seven days, the thousand miles took us to Edinburgh and back,

Those with a bigger, older, and altogether more dignified transport had to fight a little more to extract every ounce of performance and manoeuvrability from their venerable car. But we all were surprised to see that a properly prepared Silver Ghost, especially when in the able hands of Jonathan Wood, could produce a turn of speed that was enough to keep us in the middle of the rankings. This was also due to Peter Ward’s impeccable navigating skills: suffice to say we were the only team which never got a junction wrong in the whole rally. Mercifully, these sections were balanced by stately homes, castles

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and manors, where proper cream teas were served. My contribution, perhaps, was to represent the spirit of Silver Ghost rallying, as owner of 1733, the first Rolls-Royce entered in the Monte Carlo Rally (1912) and probably the one with the best result: 4th overall and first in class. To prove that a Rolls-Royce is better designed than a human, I unfortunately temporarily failed to proceed, forcing the whole team to stop for something that I could not postpone… right in the middle of a special stage! I obviously did it on purpose to avoid embarassment for the racing kids, had we climbed too high in the final classification. To my dismay, no points were awarded for scones intake, thus preventing me from properly exploiting my skills.

To be truthful, I was there having loads of fun, and learning how to drive and service a fine motor car. I am glad to say our Ghost was always the smartest, if not the fastest.

Well, I hear you ask: how does such a beast behave in the lanes? As often happens, the car had a certain level of momentum over which it just flew. It is a bit like a powerboat: up to a point you can feel the hull’s drag is slowing you down, then you get to a speed where the hull lifts a bit, and the boat takes off. I love the expression “she picked her skirts up and ran”, and this the Silver Ghost did, with much elegance and decorum of course. So if you want, you can get the car to go fast; all you need is to know what is ahead, so that you can plan your

actions, considering that the engine does not like to be over revved, and the brakes are not effective as a sports car’s. With Peter Ward we had the best possible map-man, and not only could he read the maps, but he actually knew most of the roads and lanes by first name.

The car, needless to say, behaved impeccably, taking just a little oil and water in the morning, plus plenty of oiling in the right places, according to a very helpful routine developed by Mr. Wood. The body is –and was- the weakest part of the car, as the chassis is meant to flex and the wooden body structure is not always able to follow the movements on the rough sections. In addition, there are big and heavy components, such as the hood and the windscreens, which want to go their own way, and therefore an open body is always not as rigid as a post-war monocoque saloon.

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All in all, it has been a very instructive adventure, and enjoying the company, the car, and magnificent parts of England and Scotland I had not seen before, plus showing everybody what a well-sorted and well- driven Silver Ghost can do, has been great fun; the like of which we won’t have ‘til the cows come home.

Silver Cloud Restoration Series CHRIS BROWNE

PART FIVE

The Interior Leather and Wood From the very beginning of the restoration project, our intention had been to carry out as much of the work ourselves as we possibly could. The reasons for this were twofold. Firstly, we saw it as an opportunity to learn new skills which we could use to produce an end result which, to all intents and purposes, would be entirely our own work. Secondly, there was the issue of cost. If anyone is contemplating a restoration of this magnitude, even at the planning stage, it soon becomes clear that labour costs are the single biggest expense if you intend to employ specialists to carry out the bulk of the work for you. If you were to write down the likely specialists you would need, the list is fairly extensive: mechanic, engineer, welder, sheet metal worker, electrician, upholsterer, body repairer, panel beater, woodworker, carpet fitter, painter and chrome plater to name but a few. The costs on a large project such as this would have become prohibitive, so our only option was to do it ourselves if we were to do things on an affordable budget without

compromising the quality of the work. Adequate workshop space is required with heating and lighting for the duration of the project, specialist tools, a two or four post lift and sufficient storage space to store all the parts which would be removed from the car in a secure, dry and organised way. We were fortunate in that David had a large purpose built

workshop with all these requisites. The workshop had a four post lift and so was double height. Upstairs there was a mezzanine floor for storage and tools. Despite having all these facilities, at the very start of the project we decided to fit a floor in the roof of the building so we would have adequate space to lay everything out in such a way that we could easily find what we needed.

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In the previous article, I dealt with the removal of the leather and wood interior. The restoration of the leather seemed the more daunting task of the two, so we started with that. The leather in our car had not been well looked after and had become ingrained with dirt, was dry and cracked and had suffered areas of damage from water which had leaked into the car over a period of years. Each piece of leather upholstery was examined and the repair work prioritised. By far the worst problem was the front bench seat cushion (Photo 1). This had water damage to the leather cover at one end caused by a leaking windscreen seal and also the foam rubber interior had become hard, brittle and had disintegrated so the leather covering had sagged. To remove the seat cover, the seat base was turned over. The underside was covered in coarse hessian which had been quite crudely stitched to the sprung interior of the seat. Once this stitching had been unpicked and the hessian removed, it was easy to see that the leather covering was stitched to the sprung base with waxed twine. This was cut away which allowed the leather covering to be removed in one piece. I had done some research on the internet about how to treat and refurbish neglected leather and had purchased a kit so the leather could be cleaned, have all the old, stained, leather colour removed, be treated with hide food to soften it, repaired, and finally re-coloured and sealed. The kit included leather glue, different grades of fillers to repair splits and cracks, an alcohol based leather cleaner, a leather prep fluid which is a powerful solvent and removes the old leather colour back to the original tanned finish, leather paint which was matched to the original colour and two types of leather sealer. Until I started to research the subject, I had always thought that leather products were coloured in the tanning process but this is not the case. All leather is tanned in its natural colour and then stained or painted to produce the variety of colours we are all familiar with. Once I realised this, the prospect of re-colouring the leather upholstery did not seem quite so daunting.

remove the worst of the cracked and flaking colour from the damaged side of the seat cover. Several applications of hide food were then applied over the next few days to soften the hardened leather and make it flexible again. The hide food soaks in and leaves no residue if the instructions are followed. There was a split in the leather but as this was a clean cut, I was able to glue a piece of chamois leather to the underside of the cover to stick the two halves of the split together. This was done carefully so that the split was barely visible afterwards. The faint crack which was visible was filled with a light application of the leather filler which, when dry, remains flexible. Smaller cracks were filled using the light filler.

replaced over the top. The thickness of the layers of padding was now two inches deeper than it had been so would restore the leather cover to its correct height and fullness.

Turning now to the seat base, the top layer of padding beneath the cover was a padded cotton cushion which was undamaged and this was folded back (Photo 2). The layer beneath was foam rubber which had disintegrated, and which had caused the seat cover to sag. This was removed and all the foam dust cleaned out. I obtained a piece of modern foam rubber from an upholstery stall in the local market, cut it to size and fitted it into the recess left by the old foam (Photo 3). The cotton covered cushion was then

To finish the job, several light coats of colour were applied with a soft sponge. The surface was thoroughly dried with a hair drier between each application. A final coat of colour was sprayed using an airbrush to ensure an even application. Although the newly coloured leather looked very good, the colour itself is very delicate and so it has to be sealed. We had obtained two sorts of sealant in the kit, one gloss and one satin finish. We had been advised by the manufacturers that the gloss finish was extremely hard wearing so this should be ď&#x20AC;´

The leather cover was refitted on to the sprung base and was progressively pulled down and re-stitched with strong twine and an upholstery needle. Some care was needed to ensure that the leather cover fitted correctly and was tight fitting all the way round. The thread was pulled tight and tied off at regular intervals. The hessian cover was stitched back on to the base of the seat, and once completed, the surface of the cushion was tight again with all the pleats sitting proud as they had been originally.

1. Water damaged seat cover 2. Seat cushion dismantled 3. Seat cushion new foam 4. Seat cushion first sponge coat

The leather prep fluid was used to

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In contrast, the individual seat backs were in much better condition. The pleats were brushed out with a stiff brush and leather cleaner applied. They were then sprayed with three coats of colour and again sealed with one coat of gloss sealer and three coats of satin, each coat thoroughly dried before applying the next (Photo 7). The only other piece of badly worn leather was the driver’s door armrest. Despite this being cracked and flaky it, too, responded well to the leather restoration treatment and was as good as new when completed.

There is a large amount of leather trim in a Silver Cloud and all the other parts including the four door cards and the rear seat assemblies were relatively easy to clean and refinish. It is truly surprising how good a finish can be achieved on a tired leather interior using these proprietary kits. All that is required is time and patience. 6

" It is truly surprising how good a finish can be achieved on a tired leather interior using these proprietary kits. All that is required is time and patience."

sprayed over the colour first. This was dried with the aid of the hair drier. This sealant dries to a very high gloss finish which is not what is required on a car seat. The manufacturers recommend two or three coats of satin finish be sprayed over the gloss, drying each coat before applying the next and this tones down the gloss to a subtle satin finish (Photos 4, 5 & 6).

Turning now to the interior wood trim. It is highly likely that the wooden trim on any 1950’s car will have suffered damage through exposure to damp and sunlight. Most cars are affected to a greater or lesser extent. Our car had suffered both types of damage. Sunlight has the effect of cracking and crazing the varnish and failing screen and window seals allow the ingress of moisture which gets under the varnish and causes it to lift and become opaque. In the worst cases, water can cause the veneers to lift and cause the wood beneath to rot. It was noticeable on our car that the varnish had turned yellow with age and did not allow the natural colour of the wood to show through as it would have done when it was new. A curved piece of wood which sits immediately behind the base of the windscreen had been worst affected by sunlight and had split in several places. Fortunately, no pieces of the wood were missing so the splits were glued and clamped to effect a repair (Photo 10). We removed all the metal trim, hinges, locks, brackets and handles from the wooden parts to make the stripping and sanding processes easier. The only handles we could not remove were the pull down handles fixed to the two picnic tables in the backs of the front

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5. Cusion Seat Spray Coat 6. Final Spray Coat 7. Back Passenger Seat after spray 8. Woodwork under restoration 9. Woodwork under restoration

10. Dashboard top roll split

seats. How those handles were fixed is still a mystery. Removing old and damaged varnish is a long and time-consuming process. We were advised not to use chemical strippers as this can soak into the veneers which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a good finish on the new varnish. The other options were scraping using a heat gun to soften the varnish, cold scraping, or hand sanding. All methods have their drawbacks as it is difficult not to damage the delicate veneers once the old varnish has been removed. We chose to use cold scraping on the chipped and flaking varnish of the veneered borders as, with a little practice, this proved to be the gentlest and most controllable method,

although laborious. Some of the flatter areas were dry sanded but care must be taken not to sand too deep and rub away the very thin veneers.

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Once all the damaged varnish had been removed, all the bare wooden surfaces were very lightly sanded smooth. We then applied several light, brushed coats of clear gloss yacht varnish, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before lightly sanding down between coats. We used progressively finer grit sandpapers with each coat to eliminate scratches and swirl marks. The final coats were spray coats of clear cellulose high gloss varnish (Photos 8 & 9).

Once the refurbishment of the leather and wood parts was completed, all the parts were individually bagged to keep them clean and they were stored away until the time when we will refit them into the car. It is worth taking care to ensure that leather parts are not placed on top of each other as it is easy to create depressions and marks in the leather if one piece presses into another in storage. In this and the previous article, I have covered the refurbishment of the cloth upholstery, the leather and the wood. Next time I will start to describe the mammoth task of restoring the engine.

Romande Section’s Rolls-Royce, 110 Years’ Event The Time-Line Continues

‘Back To The Future!’ W a l t er F re i d l

elebrating the 110 years of Rolls-Royce with a timeline of distinguished Rolls-Royce motorcars, spanning all models from 1904 to the present day, to an audience of over 20,000 visitors at Morges overlooking the Lake of Geneva, has been the enviable concept of the Romande Section. More than 100 Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars were present. Also included was the working Merlin Spitfire engine of Peter Grieve and Helen Thirsk. Careful planning, with the close cooperation of our special sponsors, and the firm involvement of the Swiss Rolls-Royce importers led to the success of this important event.

1. W alter Freidl with a Golden Lady 2. O ur VIP Partners tent in front of Morges Castle 3. P hantom l, Doctors' Coupé, 62NC, 1936, 'Imogene' 4. P eter Grieve with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine making a whopping racket ecauville voiturette 5. D 1902; this is the car that inspired Sir Henry Royce to create a better car, to be known as the...'ROYCE' car!

The Rolls-Royce 110 years event Time-Line: Decauville RR 20hp RR 20/25 RR 20/25 RR 20/25 RR Phantom I RR Phantom II RR 20/25 RR Phantom III RR Phantom III RR Silver Dawn RR Silver Wraith RR Silver Cloud III RR Silver Shadow I RR Phantom VI RR new Phantom RR new Wraith

Voiturette Doctors' Coupé Tickford Salon Tourer Park Ward Sedanca de Ville Roadster Barker Sedancalette de Ville Rippon Limousine Sedanca de Ville Sports Sedanca Saloon Park Ward Drophead Coupé Rolls-Royce Ltd Mulliner Park Ward Rolls-Royce Ltd Rolls-Royce Ltd

1902 1928 1932 1934 1935 1926 1929 1935 1936 1937 1953 1954 1964 1969 1971 2014 2014

Pierre Chapuis Rémi Hakim Robin Dean John Goose Sir Sidhi Dutta Jean-Pierre Baudet Ruedi Müller Sven Beham Jean-Claude Givel James Cunningham Gérard Le Clerc Alain Celle Alain Rouhaud Michael Bruce Pierre Favrod-Coune Thilo Martin Thilo Martin

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B ac k t o t he f u t u re

It was remarkable to the extent that our Section members went out of their way to transport their special motors over to Morges to support the Time-Line at their own expense, simply in order to help our Section Romande and The Hunt House make an historic 110 anniversary commemoration for Rolls-Royce in this new and successful manner. We therefore have great pleasure in now providing RREC members, with the complete details concerning all the cars which were on display in the Time-Line, as befits a renowned and international Club of true Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts! It is impressive to relate just how many RREC UK Members were present to support our event. In some cases, members travelled over 2000 miles to attend. These included Trevor and Patsy Baldwin, Helen Thirsk and Peter Grieve, Jim and Angie Reynolds in their 1954 Silver Dawn with friend Karen Bond, John Goose and Minty Landeryou in their 20/25 Tourer. Park Ward, James and Annabel Hinchliffe of ‘allthings-Rippon’, the incredible and inspiring Robin Dean from Scotland, and of course, the transport and display of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. We were able to meet and greet visitors of all interests who wanted to see our fine cars in close proximity, to tell them just who the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club is, and to provide them with detailed information in French and English language concerning the HQ at The Hunt House and how to become a member. We tell of our Sections and of the importance of our original Rolls-Royce archives, including the SHRMF. This is our way in the Romande Section to propagate the club from its position of excellence in the past, into a position of continuing excellence in the future; especially in the important European areas, for we have joint borders with the Italian Section, the French Section and the Swiss Section out of Zurich. This was a costly event which was well covered by the Swiss TV channel TSR1 with no less than two airings, and it could not possibly have been accomplished in the financiallyorientated world of today without the help, support and enthusiasm of our sponsors. Through our Committee,

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Marketing Member Nicole Aebi and Ilir Bllaca, who left nothing to chance, we were fortunate to have the assistance of the Banque Cantonale de Genève Private Banking, Chopard, Barnes International Luxury Real Estate, Blue Harvest Geneva and Watches Gruebel Forsey. The Castle of Morges and its Museums, with Pascal Pouly have been most helpful, along with the Canton of Vaud. Our delicious wines came through Stephan Bourdet from the Cave de Genève. Thilo and Katya Martin from Rolls-Royce Motors Geneva provided new Phantom cars for us, while our cigars came from Rhein Cigars in Geneva. Further thanks also go to the Mayor of Morges and the town of Morges for their special arrangements for this show. As a result of this endeavor, we have now enlarged our Section Romande members by over one third, benefitting our Section Romande together with RREC, The Hunt House. (Now, just how very good is THAT?) This is why we spear head the use of sponsors because without them, we are severely limited in Switzerland and Central Europe, but with their continued enthusiasm we have a great future for the Club ahead of us.

R o ma n d e S ec t i o n ’ s R o l l s - R o yce , 1 1 0 Y ears ’ E v e n t

"Rolls-Royce excellence has always been foremost in our historynow, along with the engaging mixture of Enthusiasts, Partners and Sponsors we can continue successfully ‘back to the future’ where Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars have always been, and shall always continue to be, especially in Europe."

6. An overview in the Castle grounds of some of the 110 Rolls-Royce present to mark the 110 years of Rolls-Royce

7. Reudi Muller with his Rolls-Royce 8. O ur delightful Jim and Angie Reynolds all the way from England with their Silver Dawn 9. Doctors Coupé, GYL44 10. Sedanca de Ville, 3AX59, 1936

We hope that you will wish to enjoy our Megève Rally from 25-28 September 2015 which we are holding jointly with Davide Bassoli’s Italian Section, and the French Section, while for true Geneva Style, we are with the Geneva Polo Club in June. If you are coming over to Geneva, why not ask us for a full list of our events in 2015, president@rrec-sectionromande.ch or www.rrec-sectionromande.ch

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RREC Continental Rally 2015 Ro n n e b y Br u n n H o t e l , Bl ekinge, Swed en 6 – 1 2 S e p t e m b er

Join us for the Continental Rally 2015 based in the south-east corner of Sweden, in the county of Blekinge - “The Garden State” of Sweden! We will be staying at the beautiful and impressive hotel Ronneby Brunn, a well known health resort since 1705! (www.ronnebybrunn.se) The capital of Blekinge is the World Heritage City of Karlskrona, built on 33 islands! We will be visiting selected parts of this beautiful naval region! Welcome to a rally in Sweden! Included: – 6 nights accommodation in Ronneby Brunn Hotel – 6 dinners with wine included – 4 lunches and beverages – Entrances to different locations – Evening entertainment – Welcome drink/aperitif – Friday Gala-Banquet – Formal dress

Daily plan: Sunday 6 of September arrival/check-in from 16.00 Reception drink at 19.00 H followed by dinner at 19.30 As we are in “the Garden State of Sweden” we will enjoy some of the sights, archipelago and nature; Monday: A gentle drive of 40-50 min from Ronneby in semi convoy into the wilderness and wildlife... How about a taste of elk or deer for lunch? Back at base, we meet in the bar at 19.00 and a BBQ at 19.30 with entertainment! Tuesday: A nice drive to Karlskrona town, from where we will take the car-ferry over to the island Aspö, park up in front of the old Kastell. The island is big enough to drive around, so after we have enjoyed the lunch (at 13.00) in the old fortress, you can explore the island on your own. (www.skargarden.net, www.kastellet.net) Don't miss the ferry back to the mainland! Wednesday: A FREE DAY! Explore the area of Ronneby or take a run in the countryside or stroll the small naval towns... BUT, you'll have to be back at 17.30 as we will board a coach to the glasscountry of Kosta where we will enjoy glassmaking, good food “Hyttsill” and entertainment. (www.hyttsillkosta.se) We will see a demonstration of glass-blowing – maybe even try it yourself? Coach will take us back to the hotel in due time. Thursday: A visit to the Marine-Museum and the submarines! We will drive to Karlskrona a World Heritage site, park up in the port and enter the museum and go onboard for a dramatized tour and a close encounter with a real Cold War submarine! (www.marinmuseum.se), many other ships and wrecks to see. After all this exitement, lunch is served at 13.00 in “Skeppsgossen” in the same building. See you in the hotel- bar at 19.00, with dinner at 19.30. Friday: We drive west for about 45 min and park up in front of BroCenter Car & Vehicle museum for a coffee-break and a visit! (www.brocenter.vikingweb.se) A privately owned museum with ca 300 cars of all makes, but also a couple of Rolls-Royces! Having enough of all this, we continue up the road (7 min) for lunch at Hotel Fritzlatorpet at 13.00! (www.hotelfritzlatorpet.se) Make your own way back to the hotel and we meet up as usual at 19.00 in the bar followed by the Gala-Banquet and prizes and dancing! Saturday: Departure – end of rally! Please contact Derek or Mona-Lisa Illingworth at continentalrally@rrec.org.uk for further information.

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Our First Chairman T o m C l ar k e

or those who don’t know the Club’s history it’s useful to turn to the legendary Eric Barrass’s occasional writings on our origins. Eric was in the Club from 1959 until his death aged ninety eight in 2012, and for many of those years he was our doughty General Secretary and latterly our revered President. He was on the Committee from 1960, and retained first-hand knowledge of the pioneers before him and a memory for them. And so we should surely honour the memory of our first Chairman, Geoffrey Frank, who wrote in 1957 ‘Now that the Club has got off to a flying start it is my earnest hope that it will flourish mightily, and prove a source of pleasure and real help, to every member.’

1. Geoffrey Frank, the Club’s first Chairman. He is seen stepping into his 1902 Panhard which sports a tax disc that says it expires on 31 Dec 1949 2. Probably the first ever RREC prize-giving, in 1957. Geoffrey Frank is third from right. Later Presidents are Ted Harris, second from right, and Gladys his sister, at left. Who knows the names of the others? (RREC Bulletin no.115 p.6) 3. Geoffrey Frank’s parents seen in their 1904 Lacoste & Battmann 2-seater reg’d K-352. (Courtesy of Mrs. Anne K. Frank)

The Club had been formed on 11 August 1957 at Edward Harris’s ‘Paternoster Farm’ in Yarnton near Oxford, and on that day Geoffrey Frank was elected inaugural Chairman. A letter from Geoffrey calling for enthusiasts in the Oxford area to get in touch had been placed in the Oxford Times for 19 July 1957 (see Bulletin 109 p.6-7). The newspaper reported on the Club over the next few months, noting that Geoffrey had by now owned eighteen Rolls-Royces. For the Club the rest, as they say, is history. Except that things didn’t turn out that well for Geoffrey. History doesn’t relate officially quite what his ruckus with

us was. He had already had a falling out over an unpaid bill with his local branch of the Veteran Car Club (being secretary of the newly-formed North-West Section during 1948-52). In any event, he found it necessary to step down as our Chairman prior to 1 June 1958. Even with that short tenure, Geoffrey Frank remains secure as one of the co-founders of the Club. In 1957 he was living modestly at 111 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford. Ted Harris (soon to be our first President) recalled in Bulletin no.47 that he had met Geoffrey in January 1957 when Geoffrey, an agricultural lime salesman, was using a 20 h.p. Rolls-Royce. They went searching for a Phantom III in Cheltenham which Ted subsequently bought. Ted then continued, ‘A few months after the formation of the Club, a spot of bother unfortunately arose which put the Club in jeopardy’. That’s the only clue to the short service of our first Chairman.Was money ‘the spot of bother’ once more, the source of all evil? But Geoffrey Frank was quite a significant, if turbulent, car enthusiast and worth recalling. Born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, in April 1904, he was the first of four sons of Henry Frank (d.1954), a well-off grain merchant. Both Henry and his sons – Geoffrey, Alan, Norman and Leslie – drove fine cars. In 1904 Henry had a Lacoste et

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Battmann 6 h.p. two-seater registered K-352 and in 1912 graduated to a fine Stoneleigh tourer which was kept until 1925. Still living in the family’s fine house at 17 Ivanhoe Road in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Geoffrey went on to marry Lesley S. Townshend (b.1917) on 1 June 1940 and they had two daughters, Gillian and Judith. Over the years Geoffrey developed a distinct military bearing and voice, living in a large house with stabled horses, his car collection growing. Writing to Motor Sport magazine in March 1941 he claimed to have been driving since 1913 and with hundreds of cars through his hands. He was friendly with D. B. ‘Bunny’ Tubbs of The Motor, Noel Raymond Chandler (the unofficial Rolls-Royce company historian), and car collectors such as W. O. Attlee and Major James Gardiner amongst others. By the early years of the last war, if not before, he was living at Moreton Coppice near Horsehay, itself a village near Wellington and Little Wenlock in Shropshire. In 1942 he joined David Gandhi’s new Enthusiasts’ Car Club, based at Heaton Moor, Manchester.

4. This 1912 Stoneleigh was the first car Geoffrey Frank drove, aged nine, and it gave him the bug. He is behind the wheel, with his father Henry giving him an early driving lesson. (Courtesy of Mrs. Anne K. Frank) 6. In 1949 at his Moreton Coppice home: 5& Geoffrey Frank poses with his core collection: 1909 Maudslay, 1914 Sunbeam, 1912 Daimler, 1902 Panhard, 1911 Silver Ghost 1676, and his crown jewel, the 1906 Panhard Levassor

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14 9

David claimed it was the first car club ever to use the word Enthusiasts and it existed to nurture old motoring during the difficult war years. David was seventeen years old when he founded the Club that year. Geoffrey’s cars on joining the ECC were two Alvises and an M.G.

In May 1955 Geoffrey became a columnist for the monthly magazine The Vintage & Thoroughbred Car until it ceased publication in April 1956 – Lord Montagu’s Veteran & Vintage Magazine succeeded it. At this time Geoffrey was living in London W.14. As can be seen from the photographs, in his earlier years Geoffrey owned a huge range of veteran and vintage cars, including a 1913 SheffieldSimplex, a rare make. He described all these in Motor Sport for April 1941. Most memorable of his later acquisitions was his 1906 6-cylinder Panhard 60 h.p., a unique time-capsule example bought in 1949 and which since 1959 has survived in America. He wrote about this car in the VCC Gazette for April 1950. The list of his cars included: the 1902 Panhard 15 h.p. tonneau F-643 co-owned with E. S. Berry which he and Berry used on the London to Brighton runs in 1949 and 1950; the 1906 Panhard 6-cylinder no.12260 AW-14 already mentioned, with Regent detachable top limousine coachwork; 1906 Gladiator (possibly car reg’d M-161); 1909 Maudslay 20 h.p. landaulette (probably the one now in the Coventry

Motor Museum, AM-1842); 1910 Leon Bollée 24/30 landaulette BM-1373 bought from David Gandhi in 1946; 1911 Sunbeam; 1912 Daimler 20 h.p. 10569 limousine DU-3648 acquired in 1945; 1914 Sunbeam 16/20 chassis 2875 allweather B-6264; 1920 Hudson Super 6 tourer; 1921 Galloway coupé; 1921 Rover 8 tourer; 1920s Talbot 14/45 fixed head coupé; 1925 Bentley 3-litre 1203 Freestone & Webb ‘Weymann’ saloon UH-418; Alvis 12/40 side valve tourer; 1926 Alvis 12/50 tourer; 1933 Bentley 4-litre VA4095 Freestone & Webb saloon TY-9999; AC 2-litre drophead coupé DPF-839; Alvis Speed 20 drophead coupé AYN-892; Alvis 17 saloon; Singer Le Mans 2-dr saloon ATC-74; Alvis Silver Crest saloon FRE458; 1934 MG L type Magna roadster LV-; Riley 12 saloon; MG saloon CKA251; 1937 AC sports AGG-590. 7-9. Frank’s mighty 1906 Panhard. The huge engine is 11¼ litres and the body is by Regent. Royce’s 1906 40/50 h.p. engine was modern and compact by comparison, although ‘only’ 7 litres 10. 1912 Daimler 4-cyl 20 h.p. reg’d DU-3648 11. 1914 Sunbeam 4-cyl 16/20 h.p. factory-built cabriolet reg’d B-6264 eoffrey Frank briefly owned 12. G 1911 Silver Ghost 1547, rebodied prewar with a Cunard landaulette body from a 1919 Napier. It is seen here in Switzerland, then spent time in Australia in the Percy Markham collection and is now in the U.K. once more. The added Whitehead front-wheel brakes were removed in Australia 13 & 14. Two lovely images of Geoffrey Frank on his favourite Silver Ghost, 1911 chassis 1676 which he never bodied

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15 16

17 18 But the cars that would have drawn attention in our circles were his 1911 Silver Ghost chassis 1676 FY-718 owned during 1945-52, his 1911 chassis 1547 with 1919 Cunard landaulette body briefly owned in 1948, 1928 20 h.p. GFN24 H. J. Mulliner ‘Weymann’ saloon UL-4511 which he owned when the Club was formed, and his superb 1931 Phantom II 195GY Park Ward ‘faux’ drophead coupé GP-329 acquired around 1946. It now resides in America. In early 1952, when he was in bankruptcy, Geoffrey Frank auctioned many of his cars at Dawley near his home. At the sale Frank Painter acquired Ghost 1676, still as a chassis. Geoffrey Frank recovered from his financial setback and that’s how he came to be in Oxford with his 20 h.p. Rolls at the time Ted Harris was dreaming up the idea for a Rolls-Royce club. So something good came out of it all! Geoffrey Frank died of heart failure at ‘Rectory Farm’, Weedon, near Aylesbury, on 28 December 1962 aged only fifty eight. In official records he was listed under the name Franks,

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perhaps an error, perhaps a new identity. His widow remarried in early 1965. Acknowledgements: my thanks to Steve Plimmer for the use of all the images apart from the two from Anne K. Frank. 19 15. After his cars were auctioned Ghost 1676 was bought by Frank Painter who is seen here at a fete in the early 1950s with his decorated car 16 -1 8. Another favourite, 1931 Phantom II 195GY Park Ward faux drophead coupé. In spite of appearances the top does not fold, hence the ‘faux’ 19 & 20. Two grainy views of Geoffrey Frank’s 1925 Bentley 3-litre 1203 Freestone & Webb ‘Weymann’ saloon in the 1940s but not known to survive 21. Completed in 1933, long after the acquisition of the Bentley company by Rolls-Royce Ltd., Bentley 4-litre VA4095 Freestone & Webb saloon TY-9999 no longer carries this body. Geoffrey Frank’s A.C. is alongside his Bentley

When do memories become ‘history’? M i k e F reema n

The year is 1962. Four young men in their early twenties buy an‘old’ Rolls-Royce. ‘They go on for ever, don’t they,’ said one of their parents. Two months later they embark from Tynemouth for Bergen and drive across Norway and Sweden to Stockholm. They return via Gothenburg arriving back home two weeks later. The Rolls is still running – just.

The year is 2014. Four old men in their mid-seventies meet up and reminisce about ‘The Trip’. The amount of saved tickets, photographs, maps, notes and expense calculations surprises them all. This account is their shared memories – perhaps at the tipping point of becoming ‘history’? We left Merseyside at 4:00 for the 16:00 departure of TS Leda of the Bergen Line. The morning light found us ‘somewhere in Yorkshire’ and in high spirits. (1) A mere twenty-eight miles had been put into the first hour but then the car got into her stride and seemed happy to cruise at 55mph. A lengthy ‘check in’ time is needed at Tynemouth because the ship’s twelve car capacity is loaded using an electric crane. But nothing else has changed. We were second in the queue but ended up being loaded last. This Rolls is the second owned by consortia involving these four travellers. The first, at a £40 purchase price, had been considered too run

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down for the trip. This second, BLE 123 at £95, was better – marginally. On the first, the temperature gauge worked and little else; on the second every instrument worked except the temperature gauge. It was a 1934 20/25 Thrupp and Maberley Limousine chassis number GYD41 and had been a following car for a wedding/funeral company in Liverpool since the end of WWII. We hoped it would find Scandinavia no tougher than Liverpool. We bought two new tyres and cleaned the engine. It should be remembered that the RREC was only five years old at this time, and expertise was not as available as it is today. In any case we (half) believed our parents – they go on for ever, don’t they? Arriving at Bergen, BLE was craned out of the hold and failed to proceed. Indeed, throughout the trip she failed on various occasions, and a crowd of onlookers gathered almost every time. In those days fewer Scandinavians spoke English, but they all recognised ‘Rolls-Royce’. Once started we toured Bergen and rode on the cabin lift before driving to Arno and camping in a valley noticeable for its deep quietness, which gave the ability to hear a conversation 200 yards away. The next day she started, but smoke was coming from the fuse box, so we returned to Bergen to purchase yet more insulating tape. With rear lights fixed, and smoke dispersed, we headed out again and stayed at the Gullbotn Turistheim – still operating today as a winter sports centre not far from Bergen – to dry out. Did I mention it was raining? The next day it was not raining and we drove on over the peninsular,

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dropping down again to the Hardanger Fjord. The weather continued more than mixed but the scenery was now ‘Rolls-Royce’.

We had bought some Gammelost cheese in Bergen with a particularly pungent aroma. At the same time our fire extinguisher was leaking its Carbon Tetrachloride. Conditions in the back were becoming intolerable, and, in those non-environmentally conscious days, we threw both of them into the fjord! Motoring further along it we reached the Kinsarvik ferry and argued with the ferryman to convince him it weighed little more than a ton to keep the fare low. Once across we camped for the night. A few more miles the next day took us to the head of Hardanger/Eidfjord, some

1. Somewhere in Yorkshire 2. Loaded last at Tynemouth 3. Unloaded at Bergen 4, 5, 6, 7. Various ‘FTP’ occasions

100 road miles from Bergen but still at sea level. From here a steep 3000 feet climb is required. These days there are tunnels and easy gradients. Then, there were numerous hairpin bends. Nevertheless, in common with most old RR’s, BLE goes uphill better than she goes downhill, 1930’s brakes being what they are. We stormed up it with only one stop to adjust a clattering tappet. Once at the top, the rather barren landscape of higher Norway gave good running and the general downhill gradient towards Hamar and Lillehammer returned something near 24mpg which, in the rain and the rather uninspiring scenery, raised our spirits. As we realised later, it should not have.

Hamar turned out to be on the other side of a long lake and we detoured some fifty miles via Lillehammer where we camped overnight. Our enquiry ‘overnatting?’ usually resulted in someone pointing to somewhere. The weather had very much improved, and we ate well in the sunshine and felt pleased with ourselves and our progress. Next day we drove at a leisurely pace to Hamar where we ate well again, shopped and explained ‘the British way’ to a large group of American tourists.

8. Hardanger Fjord 9. Go right in Norway 10. A few miles of dual-carriageway south of Stockholm 11. Craned out of SS Britannia at Tilbury

Ignoring the road to Oslo we turned left for Elverum, preferring the‘pretty route’ towards the border. Somewhere not far from this town we pitched camp in what looked like a spare field. The nonthin member of the group spent some time looking for a ‘hip hole’. This was a depression in the ground of such dimensions his hip fitted into it when sleeping in the tent. A suitable one was found near the middle, the two tents were duly erected and we turned in. Memories vary, but somewhere between 11pm and 1am we were woken by the sound of gunfire. Instantly outside we saw streams of tracer bullets whistling overhead. Those of us with National Service experience flattened ourselves on the ground, but, after less than a couple of minutes, the firing stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Apart from staying awake there seemed little we could do.

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After a subsequently quiet night, we drove off in the morning looking for some notice or other. We found nothing and continued on the road to Kongsvinger but turned left before it and headed for the nearest border crossing. Perhaps we were keen to get as quickly as possible into Sweden– a country well-known for being neutral in times of war. At that time it was also known for being the only country in continental Europe to drive on the left. We drove steadily through the unbroken forest to the actual border where there were simply a couple of signs inviting us to ‘use the other side’. The wheel tracks in the dirt road showed that everyone else complied - so we did as well. We found out later that this was an ‘unofficial’ crossing we should not have used. But now we were in Sweden and going downhill again towards Karlstat. It was at this town we realised a decision had to be made. Our tardiness meant we were running out of time to go to Stockholm. Should we rather go more directly to Gothenburg? The short answer was: No. The reason was: Swedish girls. We had met four when they had visited Liverpool and were hoping to meet them again in Stockholm. Unfortunately we had mislaid the vital phone number. But we remembered two names: Maude Schmidt and Ulla Norberg. In Karlstat we applied ourselves to the Stockholm telephone directory and spent kronas in the phone booth. The result was that we went to Stockholm and met up with four entirely different Swedish girls.

We thundered across Sweden to its capital and enjoyed the short time we had there before setting out in a hurry for Gothenburg. The short time included a party and a joy-ride round the city. It was during this that a policeman stopped us. He said the only other Rolls in Stockholm was the well-polished one belonging to the King and that ours looked so dirty he would like us to leave the city at once. At least, that is how the girls translated it.

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These days there is a motorway from Stockholm to Gothenburg. In 1962, after a short stretch of dual carriageway, we faced ordinary roads through the town centres of Nyköping, Norrköping, Linköping, Jönköping and Boras. We had two full days but an unwell BLE. The 24mpg had gone down to 14mpg on the journey towards Stockholm. Worse was to come. And it started raining again. The general problem seemed an unwillingness to pull unless the revs were high. Courageous driving kept us going. Unfortunately the road was alongside a railway and swapped sides sharply from time to time. Eventually power was lost. Testing for a spark and finding none we re-gapped the points. In the process we broke the stationary one. It was Sunday – a day of closed garages. In any case, we were out in open country. The usual crowd did not gather. We must have looked forlorn when another policeman drove up. Understanding our problem he took one of our number on his motorcycle, knocked up a friend’s garage and a new part was sourced! It had also stopped raining. We drove on to Norrkoping and camped. We had done 100 miles of the 300 to Gothenburg. Very early the following morning, much bump starting was eventually successfull and we motored off maintaining speed as much as possible.

Things seemed to be going well. We fed her with fuel at increasingly regular intervals, and drove on with Lake Vattern to our right and the sun shining, pressing harder and harder on the accelerator. But yet again power was reduced to the point where we half chose to and half rolled to a stop by a garage. Raising the bonnet we looked at a smoking coil. Unusually, the garage man was uninterested in our plight. Was this the end of our trip? As we considered that possibility, a Saab 96 pulled up and the British passenger introduced himself as the Massey Fergusson representative for Scandinavia. His interpreter driver tackled the garage and the rep advised a Delco coil. While it was fitted, he took us for lunch. Refusing any payment except our profuse thanks, he sent us on our way. All was well for four or five miles but again power was lost. Behind us our guardian angel pulled up again and diagnosed the blown condenser he had half-anticipated. Again one was fitted and BLE gave of her best through Jonkoping and Boras to Gothenburg – 200 miles in one eventful day. We selected a somewhat run-down B&B not for its attractiveness, but because we could park on a hill, pointing downwards. And so it was, the following day we were at the Gothenburg dockside in time to be craned aboard Svenska-Lloyd’s SS Britannia and begin the two-day passage to Tilbury. We needed the rest! But would she start on British soil? 

Craned out again onto the Tilbury dockside, start she certainly did, and we were marshalled into the customs shed. We wanted to keep the engine running but the officious customs man insisted otherwise. Then, when he saw our worried faces, he panicked and let us through and out immediately. In front of us now, we had the distance to Merseyside with the newly built M1 for a good part of the way. We could maintain speed on it and the flag on our off-side wing proudly declared our condition; battered and frayed but still moving.

Still moving, but guzzling fuel at around 8 mpg. There must be something wrong. This was found to be the case some weeks later when we removed the cylinder head. The exhaust valves were burnt to the point of resembling button mushrooms. We supposed an expert could have told us we had been motoring on far too weak a mixture ever since the high ground of Norway. Such was the state of them, we were convinced then, and still are, that BLE had been running mainly on her Rolls-Royce’s reputation for the last 700 miles. After fifty two years, what does one make of a trip like this? Were we adventurous or foolhardy? If we had been forced to abandon or sell BLE in Sweden we would choose foolhardy. Because we made it back, we claim adventurous. What we cannot claim back is our youth. In fifty two years our appearance has changed in the usual and inevitable way, while that of BLE has decidedly improved! Could it be done today? Of course, but it is very unlikely it would be attempted in the same cavalier way. In 1962 BLE’s cost to us was £95 – not a fortune, even in those days. It is equivalent to something like £1800 today. Since then she has had an engine rebuild, a stainless silencer, re-lined and refurbished brakes, relined clutch and – obviously very necessary - a complete rewire. What has not been done is a re-spray. As well as our memories, BLE, now eighty years old, is part of the history of the four participants. The scratches and blemishes relate that history. She would be laughed to scorn at any Concours event. But there is nothing like a re-spray to

obliterate‘history. Do we want her, while in our care, to become another pampered china doll of a vehicle standing in a line with others? Clearly this is an opinion unlikely to be shared by all Club members, but, such has been the effect of the heritage society in Britain, the ‘cost of entry’ is now far higher, perhaps too high, for ordinary young people as we were then. It is doubtful, though, whether anything can be done about it. As usual with the march of time, we gain some things and lose others. The final picture shows the current state of BLE and of the participants. We all have sufficient medical problems that each of us can say: ‘This Rolls-Royce is older than me - BUT SHE IS IN BETTER SHAPE!’

So when do memories become history? How about: When they are published in the Club Bulletin. 12. At speed on the new M1 13. The ‘participants’ in 2014

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" Lennon’s had started as a black Phantom so the omens were very good. I thought, what would Mr Lennon do? Imagine….so we bought it!"

The Art of Creating an Iconic Car F ra n k Nash

or several years I had been buying paintings from Paul Karslake, who is one of Britain’s premier Artists. His sister is Jo Wood, who was married to Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. Paul had done many stage designs and paintings featuring the Stones and had put together an “Icons” exhibition featuring iconic stars of the 60’s. I had purchased portraits of both Lennon and McCartney and an ongoing discussion started with regard to acquiring a Phantom to create an “Homage” (pronounced The French way) to John Lennon’s magnificent 1965 Phantom V. I started seriously looking at the start of 2014 and asked Ted Overton, a Rolls specialist in Leigh on Sea, to look out for a Phantom V. At this point I decided to seek out JP Fallon who had done the work on Lennon’s original car to get them to do the base coat on the Phantom No 2 (as we were now calling it) when found. Sadly, Fallons as a coach builder closed in 1986, but all was not lost. Through Companies House, JP Fallon Ltd as a coach builder was re-established by us and back in business. The next problem we had was that the Phantoms we found were either major projects or with owners who we felt had unrealistic expectations price wise. To be honest we didn’t find one

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1. Original Black Phantom 2. Starting work on the colour 3. Rob Collard works on the base coat 4. The next stage 5. Peter Morris who worked on John's original car in 1968 6. Starting the decoration 6

The A r t o f C rea t i n g a n Ic o n i c C ar

we really liked. After 8 months, when our search had taken us to France and Austria, it was Ted Overton who said; Look,“The Phantom VI is a better car, it’s the same shape and I know where there is one which is lovely!” Although hesitant to look at a Phantom VI, on seeing the 1972 Phantom at PA Wood I must confess I was smitten. It had done only 1000 miles in 20 years as part of a private collection and was magnificent in garnet over black. Lennon’s had started as a black Phantom so the omens were very good. I thought, what would Mr Lennon do? Imagine….so we bought it!

7. Patterns emerging 8. British artist Paul Karslake 9. Rear view patterns 10. Rooftop design 11. Side and bonnet designs 12. Bonnet and front wing 13. Tinted windows 14. Finished side panel design 13

RREC B329 • MAR/APR 15

Once the car was delivered to our workshop, artists Paul Karslake, Rob Collard and Peter Morris who had worked on John’s original car as an apprentice(and is the only man to have worked on both cars) were commissioned to recreate John Lennon’s 1965 Phantom. Firstly, Overton’s partly rebuilt the engine with upgrades, and for three months and many long hours the artists worked from September through until December on the design, windows were tinted, sound system was installed, the interior re-trimmed (we went with red as we felt John’s black interior too dark), identical car badges were fitted to the front, 1965 plates were fitted (similar to John’s) and let’s not forget the 1967 tax disc! Externally the two cars are identical.

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The A r t o f C rea t i n g a n Ic o n i c C ar

So on 19 December 2014 for the first time in nearly 50 years, John Lennon’s vision of a Phantom rolled out of the workshop and can now be seen on the streets of Britain and Europe. Where is the original, you may ask? Well, that’s locked away in a museum in Canada and will rarely be seen. So this is a great opportunity to see, touch and feel a magnificent work of art because that is what it is. Our plan for The Phantom No 2 by JP Fallon Ltd is to make it available for event hire and museum and car shows. For further information go to www.jpfallon.co.uk. You will be able to see this car at this years Annual Rally at Burghley House.

15. Abbey Road 19 Dec 2014 16. Montegue Place where John lived in 68 Dec 19 2014 15

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Proud trophy winners on display

36th North of England Rally Harewood House, 8 & 9 August 2015 M IK E B LUN S O M

an Hick produced this introductory piece for the Bulletin every year for 30 years. This is my sixth attempt and I am still finding new things to say, but how did he do it? Enthusiasm (our middle name) is the answer, supported by the feedback which comes after members have had a good time. The weekend starts on the Saturday with the Dales Drive, organised by David Towers, when you can experience some of the Yorkshire scenery enjoyed by the Tour de France Grand Depart last year. This is followed by the Gala Dinner at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, organised by Jeff Dennis. We are never disappointed by Jeff’s entertainment choice! The North of England Rally is intended as a simple weekend to meet old and make new friends. The Sunday at Harewood House is a relaxed gathering with time to browse through the Club Shop, if you couldn’t make the National Rally, and, if you have time after all the socialising, have a look around this

magnificent Harewood Estate, or, weather permitting, just picnic and chat. This year, of course, is the 50th anniversary of the Silver Shadow/T Series models and the 60th anniversary of the Silver Cloud/ S Series models. We will be celebrating these with special displays. We are also testing the water with a new feature. There will be a vintage bus available to take those that wish for a visit to Harrogate on the Sunday afternoon. As well as “retail therapy” in this up-market shopping area, Harrogate has other attractions such as the Royal Pump Room Museum and the famous Betty’s Tea Room. The trip will be subsidised but a charge will be made to contribute to the bus hire. Details will accompany the booking forms. So, come and join us, all are welcome, at this marvellous venue.

Booking forms and all the information you need about the event can be obtained from The Hunt House, by returning the slip enclosed with this Bulletin, or by emailing me at mblunsom@blueyonder.co.uk.

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Memorabilia Moments J ohn Mc G lynn

Ironically, after more than forty years Rolls-Royce chose for their first car the Bentley Mk VI. This was soon to be followed by the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, the Silver Wraith and the Bentley R Type. Later the R Type Continental caused a real stir and was a source of great pride to the workforce, being the fastest production car available. Not surprisingly, many stayed on for the rest of their working lives at the Crewe factory. By the 1960s, there were many, mostly men, who had completed twenty five years service and they were due to be rewarded for their loyalty. The foundry at Crewe initially made mascots and other car parts but in later years the Investment Foundry Division went on to produce medical equipment, golf club heads, aero engine components and much more. It fell to this Division to produce the “Long Service Awards“.

would like to show you how the small Spirit of Ecstasy or Flying Lady mascots were used by RollsRoyce to reward loyal employees for their service with the company. You will see some of the Long Service Awards in my own collection. When the Crewe factory was constructed in 1938 to build Merlin aero engines, there was an urgent need to strengthen the RAF. By the time production was in full swing in 1940, there were some 4,000 people working in the new factory, most living within a short walk or bicycle ride of their workplace. At the end of hostilities, most carried on working at Pym’s Lane where an exciting new era was starting. For the very first time the company was to start building complete motor cars: pre-war production had been limited to the provision of rolling chassis for the coachbuilders. 1 - 4. Show how the ashtray, the box for it, the presentation book, signed letter and a picture from the foundry brochure 2. S hows the trapezoidal base and mascot

R R E C B 3 2 9 • mar / apr 1 5

The first awards were stainless steel ashtrays surmounted by a Spirit of Ecstasy and bearing the intertwined Rolls-Royce symbol. Sadly, in those days most people were smokers! The ashtrays were cast and polished in the foundry receiving the same attention to detail and polishing as the car mascots themselves. They were presented during a celebratory luncheon with the Directors: they also received a book about the company and a letter of appreciation from the Chairman. Recipients were invited to return the award afterwards for engraving with their name and years of service…many never got round to it! The first illustration is of one such, along with the presentation box, in the contemporary brown corporate colour. The letter illustrated is personally signed by Denning Pearson, the Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce. Some years later, the company had a change of heart and a new style of award was designed. I imagine this was motivated by economics rather than a desire to cease focusing on smoking, since their car specification still called for three ashtrays and three cigarette lighters! The new award featured a trapezoidal mahogany base. This was machined and lacquered in the woodworking shop in the traditional Rolls-Royce manner. The half size Spirit of Ecstasy was mounted on the top, cloth headlining material was applied to the bottom and a small metal plaque bearing the staff member’s name and years of service was fixed to the front face. The overall height is 135 mm / about 5 ¼ inches. These appear to have been the standard presentation throughout the 1980s. I have found a number of similar but

R R E C B 3 2 9 • mar / apr 1 5

much grander presentation pieces, each of these having been awarded to managers at the Crewe factory. It is an indictment of British management in those days that I haven’t yet come across one bearing a woman’s name. However, in the early 1990s prototypes of a different style were submitted by the Classic Glass firm: these were considered but not adopted. Again it is a wooden base with an ebonised appearance: the wood had been sprayed and lacquered and cloth is applied underneath. The round centre area is lined in hide. Whilst it looks like an ashtray this clearly is not practical so perhaps it would have accommodated a Rolls-Royce coffee mug! In the 1990s an altogether more stylish piece was introduced. The top part of the wood base was veneered, polished and lacquered. The metal plaque is raised and tilted slightly to make it more obvious. You will notice that the Spirit is now in the style of those on the Rolls-Royce letter openers, i.e. without the bulbous base. These are certainly not as numerous as the previous types of award. Vickers plc, of which subsequent to 1971 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd was a subsidiary, found our Spirit, not surprisingly, to be a suitable basis for a special presentation. This was a twenty one sided figure in clear hard acrylic, incorporating a Spirit of Ecstasy in the centre. This most striking piece was presented in a plush lined case with brass fasteners. This is surely the rarest.

twenty five years or had been obliged to retire early. I show three examples here, each using the later style of small Spirit with varying stainless steel machined bases. John McGlynn is a member of the RREC & RROC, a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry and a Former Rolls-Royce & Bentley Dealership Director.

3. The proposed black base 4. The veneered base 5. The blue case 6. 3 stainless steel pieces

Finally, many of the engineers in the factory were prompted to produce presentation pieces themselves for workmates who had just missed the

Rolls in the Desert Is o be l H aes

When T.E Lawrence famously stated that “a Rolls in the desert is above rubies” he could not have imagined that in 1933 one plucky lady would take him at his word and embark on a daring adventure: an attempt to cross the Sahara desert, not in a sturdy 4x4, but a Phantom II Arthur Mulliner bodied limousine, 74GN. The heroine of our story is Constance Bower Ismay, and even without her experiences travelling across Africa it would be difficult to argue that she had led an uneventful life. Born in New York in November 1877, Matilda Constance Schieffelin married Charles Bower Ismay in London on 13 January 1900 in a notable example of two sisters marrying two brothers. Her elder sister Julia Florence had married his elder brother Joseph Bruce Ismay twelve years earlier. The Ismay family were the founders of the famous White Star Line, and J. Bruce Ismay was its Chairman and Managing Director. He was aboard the company’s magnificent new liner Titanic on her maiden voyage in April 1912 and survived the tragic sinking by climbing into a lifeboat as the ship went down. As a result of this action he was vilified by the press and public. For the rest of his life. Charles Bower Ismay had little input into the White Star Line, preferring to spend his time indulging in his passion for hunting, shooting and particularly horse racing.

His claim to fame was as the owner of a colt named Craganour, which was the hot favourite for the 1913 Derby at Epsom. In one of the most controversial horse races of all time, the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison stepped out in front of the horses as they rounded Tattenham Corner. She was struck by the King’s horse Anmer, who was brought down, and Davison later sadly died of her injuries. Meanwhile Craganour passed the winning post ahead of the field, only to be sensationally disqualified and the race awarded to the 100-1 outsider Aboyeur. In September 1908 the Bower Ismays purchased Haselbech Hall in Northamptonshire where they soon fell into a typically busy Edwardian social life of hunting, dinner parties, cocktails and balls. They were also keen travellers, frequently journeying to East Africa and the Sudan so that Charles could enjoy big game shooting safaris, while Constance took photographs. Charles Bower Ismay died in May 1924, having suffered from sleeping sickness for several weeks. Now a wealthy widow, Constance could spend time on her own hobbies and interests : she loved new gadgets, cinematography, photography and she even learned to speak in Arabic. A diminutive lady, being only 4ft 11” tall, she was described as being lively and entertaining, and was already an experienced motor car traveller, touring around much of Europe in her 1926 Daimler. Having purchased the Phantom II sometime in 1932, she decided to combine the skills of her long-serving chauffeur Billy Wrighton, and the legendary reliability of ‘the best car in the world’ to take on the challenge of crossing the Sahara to the mystical city of Timbuktu in West Africa. She was to be accompanied on the journey by her lady’s maid Edna, and also by her companion Dora Smee. They obtained the required permission from the French Government, and having a relatively small window of

opportunity (the crossing was only possible in December, January and February), the quartet set off from Northamptonshire on 12 December 1933. The roof of the Rolls-Royce had been strengthened to allow for the weight of the many luggage cases. Mrs Ismay was clearly not a lady to travel lightly! Following an overnight stay in London they motored down to Dover in appalling weather and endured a rough crossing of the Channel to Calais. In France they were met with the coldest winter for many years and Wrighton’s driving skills were frequently put to the test as they headed south to Marseilles. There was little relief on the steamship crossing from Marseilles to Algiers, as it was very rough and only Mrs Ismay (who was rarely seasick) felt no ill effects. In Algiers they obtained supplies of food, water and fuel for the four day journey, and paid a fee to the French Consul to ensure that if they met with trouble on the way help would be sent to them. Other, more unusual items that the group carried with them were a typewriter, on which Mrs Ismay typed a detailed record of the trip, and some 400 candles – it seems that she also had a fear of the dark. By any standards, the group were ill-equipped to tackle such a daunting journey and sure enough, they encountered problems just two days after departing from Algiers. The road (such as it was) had been turned into a quagmire by heavy rain and snow, and both Dora and Edna were obliged to help Wrighton push the Phantom out of the mud. Despite this, they arrived at their overnight stop without further ado, having covered a distance of 310 miles. Mrs Ismay was known to be deeply religious and regularly read her Bible, so perhaps they had a little divine intervention. As driving at night increased the risks, the party would leave at dawn in order to reach their next stop before dusk, travelling unarmed and without an escort. As they set off, a telegraph would be sent on to their next scheduled stop, advising of their estimated time of arrival and causing the alarm to be raised if they were overdue. At a

R R E C B 3 2 9 • mar / apr 1 5

time where mobile phones and GPS were clearly not an option, it was common practice that should they meet another vehicle on the road they were expected to stop and exchange details, so it was possible to calculate the location of anyone in need of assistance. Accommodation in the Sahara was not exactly up to the five-star standards that Mrs Ismay would have been accustomed to. On one memorable evening, at Bidon Cinq, the hotel proved to be nothing more than two derelict bus bodies, parked end to end with a table in the space between Them. To make matters worse, it was bitterly cold that night, and the temperature dropped so low that hot water bottles, extra layers of clothing and rugs could not offer much comfort to the travellers. As if to add insult to injury, the petrol that they had hoped to obtain at Bidon Cinq was unavailable: however the Berber who owned the hotel knew of a supply of fuel not far away that the French Foreign Legion had buried for their own use. Wrighton took the opportunity to fill up the tank on the Rolls, plus additional bidons they carried on the roof. Unfortunately, just as he had finished the task the Foreign Legion arrived on the scene. It was a potentially tricky situation, but Mrs Ismay saved the day by writing a letter in perfect French to the Legion’s commanding officer explaining that they were travelling to Timbuktu in her Rolls-Royce and had run out of petrol “so we have stolen

R R E C B 3 2 9 • mar / apr 1 5

yours. We are prepared to pay for it, but we are not prepared to return it!” Far from being offended, the Capitaine was sufficiently impressed with Mrs Ismay’s spirited attitude that he promptly requested that she and her companions join him for dinner, and they continued to exchange correspondence for many years after – continued over A good French dinner would have been a most welcome change for the group, as food generally consisted of packed lunches provided by their hotels, along with biscuits, figs, dates and, on Christmas Day, a Christmas pudding provided by Dora Smee. For someone like Mrs Ismay, who had a hearty appetite and was said to have a cooked breakfast every day it must have been very unsatisfactory. They set out on 28 December from Bidon Cinq, having already covered over 2,200 miles but with Timbuktu still a considerable distance away. Shortly into this stage of the journey the heavy Phantom sank into the soft desert sand, and no amount of manoeuvring by Wrighton could easily free it. Fortunately he had collected some sheets of corrugated iron which were placed under the rear tyres, and the car could be driven for a few feet, before sinking once again. Even after letting some air out of the tyres, the party struggled for several hours under the hot Sahara sun before the car was finally free. Exhausted and demoralised, Mrs Ismay was forced to concede that with such treacherous conditions ahead of them, it was

" Accommodation in the Sahara was not exactly up to the five-star standards that Mrs Ismay would have been accustomed to." neither sensible nor safe to try and continue, and with heavy hearts they changed course and headed back to Algiers, arriving there on 3 January 1934. Since leaving Calais they had covered over 3,800 miles. In fact Wrighton, Mrs Ismay and Edna continued their North African adventure for three more weeks without mishap, finally returning to Haselbech Hall on 27 January. While much credit must go to the gallant Wrighton, and the redoubtable Mrs Ismay, surely the real star of the story must be the Rolls-Royce Phantom II which came through unbloodied and unbowed, and in need only of a service and a good wash to remove all the sand! It seems that a Rolls in the desert really is “more valuable than rubies” and the noble 74GN proved it. Mrs Ismay died in February 1963 aged 91. She left her cars to her other chauffeur, Kenneth Hunnisett.

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Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club

INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND www.rrec-international.co.uk

“Hands Across the Sea”

Saturday 23 to Monday 25 May 2015 • Westenhanger, Hythe, Kent

he fine tuning of our arrangements for the International Weekend over the May Bank holiday are nearing completion. We have invited a number of guest Car Clubs to join us from both the UK and the Continent to celebrate the best of British automobile manufacturing. We are very pleased that the Bentley Drivers Club, Aston Martin Owners Club, Jaguar Enthusiasts Club and the Morgan Sports Car Club have confirmed their attendance and we await final confirmation from the remainder.

The Spares Sale will take place on Saturday and Sunday and the Club shop will open on the Sunday The South Coast Stompers, a six piece traditional jazz band, will wander through the event on both Saturday and Sunday and a Bell 206 Jet Ranger Helicopter will be offering flights over beautiful Kent countryside.. St Johns Ambulance will be in attendance and there will be overnight security. On the Monday we are organising a tour of the unknown local Kent countryside ‘The Garden of England’ (no motorways) culminating in a visit to the magnificent Leeds Castle.

Hobbs Parker the premier auction house in Kent will hold their prestige car auction on Saturday with viewing on both Friday evening from 6pm to 8pm and Saturday from 9am. The auction will commence at 12 noon and admittance will be by catalogue on the Saturday from 9am at the auction marquee. The catalogue price includes a charitable donation to the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation and our other chosen charities. Please contact Hobbs Parker on Tel. 01233 506266 if you wish to enter a motor car for sale in the auction.

If you have something to sell in the Spares Sale (details on the event website) please contact Ben Grew bennygrew@yahoo.co.uk Entry forms for the event can be downloaded from the main Club website www.rrec.org.uk or the event website www.rrec-international.co.uk or you can turn up and pay on the day. The closing date for entries, to be included in the programme, is 30 April. Confirmation of pre-booked entries will be posted out in the first week of May.

For any guests requiring transport to the Saturday night gala dinner we have arranged a coach shuttle between the venue and the Hythe Imperial Hotel and possibly an Ashford hotel.

“Hands across the Sea”

RREC INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND Samstag, 25. Mai bis Montag, 25. Mai 2015

Die Detailplanung für das International Weekend (Pfingstwochenende) ist nahezu abgeschlossen. In unsere Einladung haben wir auch andere Clubs von „best of British manufacturing“ Marken einbezogen, sowohl aus UK wie vom Kontinent. Wir freuen uns über die grundsätzliche Zustimmung von: Bentley Drivers Club, Aston Martin Owners Club, Jaguar Enthusiasts Club sowie Morgan Sports Club; weitere werden noch erwartet. Hobbs Parker, das Auktionshaus Nummer Eins in der Grafschaft Kent, werden am Samstag ihre Auktion für Prestigeautomobile abhalten. Die Besichtigung der Fahrzeuge ist am Freitag zwischen 18:00h und 20:00h möglich, sowie am Samstag ab 09:00h morgens. Die Versteigerung selbst beginnt um 12:00 mittags, der Katalog ist zugleich Eintrittskarte zum Auktionszelt am Samstag ab 09:00h. Ebenso im Preis inbegriffen ist eine Spende an die Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation und die andere von uns ausgewählte charities. Sollten Sie auch ein Fahrzeug in die Versteigerung einbringen wollen, kontaktieren Sie bitte Hobbs Parker direkt telefonisch unter +44 (0)1233 506266.

Für Gäste, welche für das Gala Dinner am Samstag einen Zubringerdienst vom Hythe Imperial Hotel (eventuell auch vom Ashford Hotel) wünschen, wird ein Shuttle Service zur Verfügung stehen. Der allgemeine Teilemarkt findet samstags und sonntags statt, unser Club Shop öffnet am Sonntag. „The South Coast Stompers“, eine sechsköpfige traditionelle Jazzband, wird an beiden Tagen durch´s ganze Gelände schlendern, zudem kann man Helicopter-Flüge an Bord eines „Bell 206 Jet Ranger“ über die schöne Landschaft Kents buchen. „St. Johns Ambulance“ ist rund um die Uhr dienstbereit, ein eigener Bewachungsdienst ist während der Nachtstunden eingerichtet. Für den Montag ist eine (autobahnfreie) Fahrt durch eine weitgehend unbekannte Gegend von Kent, den „Garten Englands“, geplant, mit dem grossartigen „Leeds Castle“ als Höhepunkt dieses Ausflugs. Anmeldeformulare können einfach von der allgemeinen Club website www.rrec.org.uk oder der eigens eingerichteten Event website www.rrec-international.co.uk heruntergeladen werden; es gibt aber auch Tagestickets an der Kassa. Anmeldeschluss für Eintragungen ins Programm ist der 30 April. Die Bestätigung für vorausgebuchte Tickets erfolgt am Postweg in der ersten Mai Woche.

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

U. K.

DENMARK Sunderland

Dublin IRELAND

Berlin

Warsaw GERMANY BELGIUM

Krakow

LUX.

CZECH

Paris Nantes

SLOVAKIA

ITALY

SLOVENIA CROATIA BOSNIA YUGOSLA

Toulouse

Valladolid

Madrid

PORTUGAL Lisbon

AUSTRIA HUNGARY

SWITZ.

FRANCE

Porto

POLAND

London

Cork

Bayonne

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Gdansk

NETH.

Barcelona

Rome Naples

ALBANIA

SPAIN Sevilla

RREC LE WEEK-END INTERNATIONAL

voiture aux enchères.

Du samedi 23 au lundi 25 mai 2015

S’il y a des invités qui ont besoin d’un moyen de transport le samedi soir pour aller au diner dansant, nous avons organiser une navette entre la réception et l’Imperial Hythe Hotel et la possibilité d’un autre hôtel à Ashford.

Gibraltar

Liens d’amitié et d’intérêt Outre-Manche

Les derniers préparatifs pour le week-end International qui se déroulera durant le week-end férié du mois de mai sont encore d’achèvement. Nous avions invité un certain nombre de personnes du Car Club à venir se joindre à nous du Royaume Uni et du Continent pour fêter le meilleur de l’Industrie Automobile Britannique. Nous sommes heureux que le Bentley Driver’s Club, l’Aston Martin Owner’s Club, le Jaguar Enthusiast’s Club et le Morgan Sports Car Club aient confirmés leur présence et nous attendons confirmation des autres clubs. Hobbs-Parker, la première société de commissaires-priseurs dans le Kent, organisera une prestigieuse vente aux enchères de voitures le samedi avec une présentation le vendredi de 18h à 20h et le samedi à partir de 9h. La vente aux enchères commencera à midi et l’admission se fera sur listing le samedi à partir de 9h du matin à la grande tente sur place. Les prix marqués comprennent un don caritatif à la Fondation en La Mémoire de Sir Henry Royce et envers d’autres organisations caritatives. Merci de contacter Hobbs Parker au 00 44 1233 506 266 si vous souhaitez mettre une

“Verenigd over de zeeën heen”

RREC INTERNATIONAAL WEEKEND Zaterdag 23 tot maandag 25 mei 2015

Momenteel wordt de laatste hand gelegd aan de voorbereidingen van het Internationaal Weekend tijdens het Pinksterweekend van mei. Hierop zijn zowel een aantal Engelse als continentale autoclubs uitgenodigd om samen met ons het beste te vieren dat de Britse autoindustrie te bieden heeft. Wij zijn bijzonder trots te kunnen aankondigen dat de Bentley Drivers Club, de Aston Martin Owners Club, de Jaguar Enthusiasts Club en de Morgan Sports Car Club hun aanwezigheid reeds bevestigd hebben en andere clubs volgen mogelijk nog. Op zaterdag zal het meest vooraanstaande veilinghuis in Kent, genaamd “Hobbs Parker”, een veiling van prestigemerken houden; bezichtigen kan al vanaf vrijdagavond van 18h tot 20h en op zaterdagochtend vanaf 09h. De veiling start op het middaguur en toegang geschiedt d.m.v. de veilingcatalogus vanaf 09h aan de veilingtent. De catalogusprijs omvat een schenking aan de Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation en andere liefdadigheidsinstellingen. Indien u een auto wil laten veilen, contacteer dan Hobbs Parker via +44 1233 506266.

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

Les ventes des pièces de rechange se déroulera le samedi et le dimanche. Le magasin du Club sera ouvert le dimanche. Les South Coast Stompers, un orchestre de jazz de six musiciens parcourra l’événement le samedi et le dimanche. L’hélicoptère Bell 206 Jet Ranger offrira des vols au dessus de la campagne belle du Kent. L’Ambulance St Johns sera présente tous les jours et une sécurité est mise en place pendant la nuit en ce qui concerne les voitures. Le lundi nous organiserons un tour (pas d’autoroutes) d’une partie du Kent peu connue qui s’appelle « Le Jardin du Kent » terminant par une visite du magnifique château »Leeds Castle ». Les billets d’entrée peuvent être téléchargés depuis le site Internet du Club ou vous pouvez payer sur place le jour même. La date butoir pour s’inscrire est celle du 30 avril 2015 qui figurera dans le programme. Les confirmations des billets réservés vous seront envoyés la première semaine de mai par courrier.

Gasten die vervoer wensen om op zaterdagavond het galadiner bij te wonen kunnen gebruik maken van een shuttlebus tussen de plaats van het evenement en het Hythe Imperial Hotel en mogelijk ook een Ashford hotel. De verkoop van wisselstukken geschiedt zowel op zaterdag als op zondag en de Club Shop zal zondag de deuren openen. The South Coast Stompers, een 6-man sterke traditionele jazz band, zal het terrein tijdens het volledige weekend doorkruisen terwijl een Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter klaarstaat om u het mooie Kent te laten ontdekken. St Johns Ambulance waakt over uw veiligheid en ‘s nachts wordt het terrein bewaakt zodat ook uw eventueel achtergebleven edele voertuig rustig kan overnachten. Op maandag is er een (autoweg-vrije) rondrit doorheen het prachtige Kentse landschap met als afsluiter een bezoek aan het imposante Leeds Castle. U vindt het inschrijvingsformulier op de website van de RREC www.rrec.org.uk of op de website van het evenement www.rrec-international.co.uk. Maar u kan ook gewoon op de dag zelf afzakken en ter plekke betalen. De voorinschrijvingen worden afgesloten op 30 april; tot die datum wordt uw naam mee in de programmabrochure opgenomen. De bevestigingen van voorinschrijving worden in de eerste week van mei verstuurd. 55

Spares Corner T on y J a m es Independent, knowledgeable, commentators have stated that the spares situation for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars is very good. This positive position is due to the dedication of Crewe Genuine, Authorised Dealers and Specialists in pre 1940 and post 1945 models who respond to information that demand exists for a specific part by re-manufacturing it. In this regard the Club archives of original drawings provide vital information about the dimensions and specifications. An example of this is displayed by Ristes Motor Co, telephone: +44 (0)1159 78 5 834 who have re-manufactured virtually all the parts for pre 1940 ignition systems. Ristes have in production ignition coils of the well-known mushroom topped variety and the ignition plug which fits into the side of distributor caps of pre-1940 cars. 25/30 Derby Bentley Terry also has some Phantom II hotspots new, cast in bronze which is more reliable than the original at a price of £575.00 each and an excellent condition Phantom I exhaust system complete with fishtail for £500.00, post free in the UK.

Ignition Coil

HT plug

In the late 1930’s, attention being diverted to international conflict and economic depression led to a reduction of demand for new Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars. Thus, there is a shortage of parts for 25/30 Wraith cars. Terry Talbot, telephone: +44 (0)1253 738 265 or email: masteroftherolls@hotmail.com has for some very rare items including a 25/30 Wraith handbook, gearbox, a pressure tested cylinder head and a complete carburettor and manifold set. These are very rare items due to the small production volume of the 25/30 Wraith model. Terry also has a project for sale, consisting of a 25/30 HP chassis with a Derby Bentley body complete with interior trim, all the long chrome body mouldings, a full set of instruments and a mass of body parts to complete. In view of the high price of complete Derby Bentleys the asking price of £17,500.00 seems good value.

Phantom II hot spot

For a number of years Fiennes Restorations, telephone: +44 (0)1367 810 438 have manufactured the 20/25 HP cylinder heads marketed by W H Alden. Recently they have introduced 20/25 HP cylinder blocks with both 3 or 4 stud carburettor mountings. These cylinder heads are also manufactured by Ristes Motors Ltd. It is worthwhile to check availability and prices. Fiennes Restorations have sorted through a vast array of rare, uncatalogued stock and will, in the near future, be selling hundreds of parts at prices up to 75% off list price. They are selling this stock on e-Bay and intend to list new items every week. Thus, there are bargains available for the discerning. Contact Fiennes email: enquiries@fiennes.co.uk In this Anniversary year of the silver Cloud S Type, it is important that the engines of these cars are running as

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smoothly as they can. It is vital to ensure this by checking the ignition timing. The SCI/S1 and SCII/S2 used Delco Remy distributors with two sets of points. To synchronise the points a special tool reference STD410 Silver Cloud/S-type is needed for SCI/S1. For SCII/ Synchronising Tool S2 cars built before December 1959, synchronising tool RH7216 is needed. For cars later than December 1959, synchronising can be carried out using a B4 timing mark on the flywheel. In the past these tools have been difficult to find. At present, both Flying Spares, telephone: +44 (0)1455 292 949 and Introcar, telephone: +44 (0)20 8546 2027 have ignition synchronising tools in stock. Flying Spares have also announced that they have RR363 brake fluid in 1 litre cans in stock. This brake fluid is the correct fluid for all post 1945 cars up to 1980 when mineral hydraulic fluid was introduced. During 1907, C.S. Rolls and F. H. Royce collaborated together and wrote the first book of instructions for the care of Rolls-Royce cars. It was published in January 1908. On the 4 February 1909, Rolls wrote a letter to F.H. Royce in affectionate terms, describing the revised instruction book

1909 Instruction Book that he (Rolls) had written. The letter describes the layout and content of the instruction book. A transcript of this letter is on pages 48 and 49 of Bulletin B156. The first edition book by Charles Stewart Rolls was published in March 1909, inscribed on its cover “The Care of a Rolls-Royce Car”. A copy of this instruction book, in very good condition, is available in the Club Shop at a price of £250.

25 REGISTER

NORMANDY RALLY 21-30 September 2015

he 25 Register Continental Rally will be to the Maine area of Normandy. We will be travelling overnight from Portsmouth to St. Malo on Monday 21 September . From there it is an eighty five mile drive to the Hotel Spa du Beryl, in Bagnoles de l’Orne. Bagnoles de l’Orne is in the Andaines Forest and is set around a small lake. There is a thermal spa, a casino, some rather nice shops and a museum of fire-engines! Bagnoles is just to the south of the spectacular Suisse Normande area. Other places to see locally include Falaise, where William the Conquerer was born, the Chateau de Carrouges and St. Céneri le Géri, which was voted one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France.

We will return by the overnight ferry from St. Malo, which arrives in Portsmouth on the morning of Wednesday 30 September. The aim, as with the Gelderland Rally, is to provide a relaxing holiday with plenty of free time and easy driving. The cost of the rally will be £2500 per couple, which includes: The ferry, with dinner, breakfast and an outside cabin. The hotel, with breakfast and dinner, visits, etc.

Places are limited to twenty five cars, so please apply early to:

Malcolm Heath, Dormy House, Linstead, Suffolk IP19 0AD. Tel: +44 (0)1986 785289 • Email: mlheath@aol.com

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m o c l e

Celebrate 50 years of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow & Bentley T Series and 60 years of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud & S TYPE Series Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2015 – Crewe, Cheshire

n the 30 September and 1 October 1965 RollsRoyce demonstrated two extremely significant new cars to a small group of journalists at Crewe, these were the first monocoque cars produced by the company, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and the Bentley T Series. They were officially launched at the Paris Motor Show on 7 October where two cars were shown and then two weeks later at the Earls Court Motor Show where three Rolls-Royce and two Bentley cars were displayed. Towards the end of April 1955 at Bray in Berkshire, Rolls-Royce demonstrated the cars that had been developed from the Silver Dawn and Bentley R Type with a most elegant body designed by chief designer John Blatchley, the new cars were called the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S Series. These were powered by the final version of the venerable 6 cylinder engine of 4887cc and continued the principal of a separate chassis and all steel body. These were built at Crewe.

We are putting together a special weekend of celebration near Crewe on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October 2015. We will be staying in the luxury of Crewe Hall, a magnificent Grade 1 listed Jacobean mansion.

2015 is a very significant in the history of cars built at Crewe • 60 Years of the Silver Cloud & S Series;

• 50 Years of the Silver Shadow & T Series; • 40 Years of the Camargue; and 35 Years of the Silver Spirit & Mulsanne.

The weekend starts with a tour of Bentley Motors; then drinks reception before dinner in the magnificent Long Gallery at Crewe Hall with entertainment; after breakfast on Saturday, a drive through the beautiful Cheshire countryside taking in many of the company test routes of the time used for the Silver Cloud & S Series and the Silver Shadow & T Series; followed by a drinks reception before our Gala Dinner with entertainment on the Saturday evening; before leaving for home on Sunday after talks and special photograph opportunities. Further information from: John Beecroft, Lilac Cottage Byley Road Byley Cheshire CW10 9NL or jcab1950@aol.com or Ailsa Plain at The Hunt House or ailsaplain@rrec.org.uk JOHN BEECROFT

R R E C B 3 2 9 • MA R / AP R 1 5

S ection N ews South Africa Section line up outside Boschendal Manor House

Northern Section: New committee member Neil Hampson with his wife Lesley and their 1969 Silver Shadow

Middlesex Section: Henry Fitzhugh’s Park Ward 25/30

Central Southern Section: Possible new member’s Ghost

 Welsh Section: George and Sharon Miller’s 1924 Silver Ghost by Cockshoot 54RM has been owned by several Club members since being restored initially by Rex Sevier in 1960s

Paulerspury Section: David Hennessey resplendent in his kilt at the January Sunday Burns lunch

East Midlands Section: Kay and David Webster’s Rolls-Royce 20/25 at Dovecliff Hall 

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Gérard Le Clerc with Pianist Anne Chollet playing music 'all-things-Rolls-Royce' at Morges

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CENTRAL SOUTHERN SECTION

AGM, 7 December 2014 Once again we held our AGM at the Chichester Park Hotel and the meeting consisted of more than ninety members. We were joined by RREC Ltd board member Ian Hick, who was invited by the Section Chairman, Chris Tween, to present the long service badges: 40 year to Doug Skipper; 30 year to Bill Cottell and Graham Bennett; 20 year to Maurice Pitchford. Chris also announced that earlier in the year Mark Tidy had been presented with his 50 year badge and Michael Marriage had been presented with his 20 year badge. At the end of the meeting Ian was invited to say a few words on behalf of the RREC Ltd. Ian said, he had no need of the PA system, and obviously he did not! He “felt at home with the welcome he had been given by the Section”. Ian discussed cost cutting savings of the Bulletin, the SZ register and that a new Register for the Goodwood motor cars had been formed. He also focused on the need for new members, and that Lindsay Robotham is concentrating on trying to achieve that gaol. After the AGM we enjoyed our annual Christmas lunch with a backdrop of a slide show showing photographs from all the 2014 Club events. The Old Tollgate Bramber, West Sussex, 21 January 2015 This was the first Section gathering of 2015, at our favoured early post-Christmas luncheon restaurant. The location and time of year designed, I have no doubt, to test the mettle

Central Southern Section: Ian Hick presenting a 30 year badge to Bill Cottell

of all but the faint-hearted. One can almost guarantee cold, wet and windy weather. The worse the weather, the fewer Club cars. However, on this occasion there was a pretty good display. We were joined this year by the restaurant owner and his son, the latter having recently become the proud owner of a high spec Goodwood Rolls-Royce Ghost. Needless to say, as a younger non-Club member he was warmly embraced and handed the necessary paperwork for Club and Section membership! CHRIS TWEEN

EAST ANGLIAN SECTION

Our popular AGM and Christmas lunch at Hunstanton was well attended, with several useful suggestions now being acted upon. The Section appreciated Club Chairman, Duncan Feetham, making the trip to talk to us and join us for lunch. After a quiet 2014, the Committee has worked hard to put together a range of new and varied events for 2015. Section members who receive the newsletter will have already noticed the significant changes to the newsletter and to the events list. When you read this, we’ll have just had our early spring lunch at Hintlesham Hall near Ipswich. The Hall is also the new venue for the Section AGM and Christmas lunch on 6 December. On 26 April, Drive It Day, we’re meeting at the Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough, for an afternoon of steam and scones! On 10 May we’re off to Mergate Hall, near Norwich. Our hosts, Philip and Rosita Chubb, are opening the grounds and principal rooms of their 15th Century home to us. On 14 June we gather at Spencers Garden, in north Essex, near Clare, Suffolk. This fantastic private walled garden is rarely open at weekends. On 21 June we’ll meet for pre-lunch drinks at the Annual Rally. On 26 July we meet at the renowned gardens at East Ruston Old Vicarage, near Norwich. After lunch, the garden creators, Section members Alan Gray and Graham Robeson, will tell us about their garden and their cars.

East Anglian Section at The Rose, Cambridge in front of Steve Horne’s 20/25 GSY40, a 1933 Park Ward fixed head coupé

On 2 August we’ve taken a stand for the first time at the Helmingham Hall Festival of Classic & Sports Cars, near Stowmarket. In addition to the 700+ attending cars, there’s a beautiful rose garden to visit. On the same day, at the other end of the region we’re joining the East Midlands Section as they visit Grimsthorpe Castle, between Peterborough and Grantham. For details of any of these events contact the Section Secretary or see our newsletter on the Club website. RICHARD FENNER

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EAST MIDLANDS SECTION

We returned to Scalford Hall for our Christmas lunch, warming ourselves by the welcoming fire. We were pleased to see several new members attending and hope that they are to come to more of our events in the year. We had a raffle and, separately, auctioned off a food hamper, which was donated by one of our members. We raised £200.03 in aid of our charity, which was Cancer Research. We should like to thank all of our members who generously donated the raffle prizes. Our New Year Lunch in January was held at the Dovecliff Hall, near Burton on Trent. This venue is situated on the banks of the River Dove. There were over seventy diners and quite a few proper cars braved the salt on the roads. We were pleased to see Chris and Doug Eastman attending as Chris has been very poorly of late, but she stoically carried on and joined us. Russell Taroni brought a stylish Weymann style bodied Rolls-Royce 20/25. In addition to the one day small Workshops that we hold on Rolls-Royce 20hp and 20/25s, we are holding three different ones covering Silver Ghost motors in June. If you are interested in attending, or for more information, please contact Roger Cockfield on roger-cockfield@hotmail.co.uk. To come to any of our other events, one may telephone either John Newton or George Milburn, on +44 (0)1773 768883 and +44 (0)1332 386259 respectively, who will put you in contact with the Event Organiser. Our pub nights are

ESSEX SECTION

Let me start by saying sorry to the Club Chairman, Duncan Feetham. In the last issue I reported on our weekend away in York, but omitted to mention that Duncan had paid the Section a visit while at Castle Howard. It was good to see him and good that he was able to give the time to chat to members. Sunday 1 February saw seventy Section members attend Channels Golf Club, Chelmsford for the Section AGM and lunch, with Martin Carnell representing the Board. Leaving the usual reports aside, part of the meeting was taken up by the discussion on the future of Section events – the type of events and locations. Unlike other counties Essex is not blessed with an abundance of stately homes or other places of interest which means that we have to travel some distance if we are not going to repeat visits each year. However, the discussion was more low-key than expected with comments mostly being aimed at the weekends away.

GREAT WESTERN SECTION

By the time you receive this we shall have enjoyed our first ever New Members' Lunch, which we have entitled March Hare Lunch, on 5 March at the Batch Country House, Lympsham. Our programme for 2015 has grown. We have been invited to Downside Concours d’Elegance at Downside School on 3 May and The Bristol Motor Show at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway on 24 May; both of which are exciting in slightly different ways. Our visit to Cothay Manor is now fixed for 19 July and will include a tour of the house and the gardens. The Earl and Countess Bathurst have again, kindly invited

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East Midlands Section: Sue and Russell Taroni’s 1930 Rolls-Royce 20/25 with Weymann style/Addleston body at Dovecliff Hall

on the third Thursday of every month at The King’s Arms, Derby Road, Hathern, near Loughborough, unless we have an evening event during the week in that month. Our next few Section Events are listed in the Diary of Events at the back of the Bulletin. GEORGE MILBURN

Opinion was that the distance to be travelled should be 200 – 250 miles and that there was no particular objection to extending the event to include the Thursday. These comments will be taken into consideration when future events are organised. Martin then gave a talk on the reasons for changes at The Hunt House, in particular the publication side of things for which he has responsibility. Also he mentioned that the relationship between the Club and Foundation is better than for a long while. The following were awarded with 30 year badges: Russell Brenner, Ron Monks, Pam Monks, Tony Copsey, Trudey Copsey. Congratulations each of you. A trophy sponsored by member James Grinter of Reeman Dansie Auctioneers was presented to Charles Tabor in recognition of his work and support of the Section over the years. Your contributions, Charles, are much appreciated. D AV E B R O O K S

us to Polo at Cirencester Park on 28 June and this is a high spot in our calendar. All Sections of the Club are invited to join us for a splendid day. As you will see from the events list below, we are joining up with other sections for events – with South Western for Drive It Day and Powderham Castle and Wessex for the visit to Highcliffe Castle near Bournemouth. For full details of all our events, including booking forms, please see our Section Newsletter or the Club website. Looking forward to renewing lots of friendships this summer. MA R G A R E T B A L L

SECTIONS

IRELAND SECTION

We had an excellent turnout from our members at the Ireland Section AGM which took place on Saturday 24 January 2015 and the following report has been kindly prepared by Donna Channing. We look forward to seeing many of you at our first event of 2015 at Harvey’s Point in Donegal 8-10 May which is being organised by Raymond Moffatt. Happy and safe motoring with a healthy and successful 2015. GERALD STEINBERG AGM, The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co Laois, 24 January 2015 It was the South’s turn to host the AGM this year and thanks to Joe Clarke, we found ourselves in Co Laois in the Heritage Hotel, Killenard. Whereas a few members arrived on Friday night, most of us arrived on Saturday and whilst the committee beavered away prior to the AGM itself, the rest of us had a leisurely lunch in the hotel catching up on news with old friends. Unfortunately, some of that news was not very cheerful, as we heard about Hazel Moffat’s broken hip and Joe told us that Phil wasn’t very well either. Sadder yet was the news that Elma Kane had tragically passed away the night before. We had all heard that Elma was not well but this news was very sobering indeed. The members stood and observed a minute’s silence for Elma. Our thoughts are with Iain and their families. Our Chairman, Gerald Steinberg, brought us up to date with Club news and plans for 2015 ably abetted by our Vice-Chairman, Joe Clarke, our secretary, Carol Plunkett and

ISLE OF MAN SECTION

As I write at the beginning of February, there is as yet little of the year to report on but there are one or two items deserving of mention. The need to meet deadlines caused me to miss the final chapter in the story of the building of the new petrol tank for the Flying Spur BC28FM. Though it was intended to build the new tank in aluminium, by way of corrigendum I have to inform you that because of the desire to reproduce the tank in original detail with all the original baffles, it was again made in steel so as to be able to withstand the rigours of all the necessary welding. To save me from straying outside my knowledge comfort zone, I am, as before, happy to refer members to Roy Cameron at Cameron Lunt in Liverpool.

Bill Dunne, our treasurer. Our President, Jim Boland was also in attendance. We were very happy to welcome our Club Chairman, Duncan Feetham and his charming wife Vivien from England to our meeting for the second year running. We were particularly pleased to have him speak to us again this year. Thank you to Bill and Isabelle Dunne and Gerald and Maris Steinberg for looking after the Feethams what with airport pick-ups and chauffeuring duties! It was lovely to have two couples join us whom I had never met before but heard much about: Jim (our section President) and Breda Boland and Peter and Eve Dunne. Peter and Eve had brought along a great friend and super musician, Dr Larry Fulham, who, along with his portable piano, provided great musical entertainment during dinner. Dr Fulham is well-known in these parts for his playing and singing. It also transpired that we have some very talented singers in our group: Both Eve Dunne and Patricia Fitzpatrick serenaded us with Larry Fulham’s accompaniment. It goes without saying that James Black also gave voice as well as acting as compere and we all sang along with him. We missed Joe Clarke and Roy Nelson who weren’t able to stay for dinner due to their other halves being under the weather. Thank you to both for coming to the AGM and we hope that Phil and Margaret made speedy recoveries. The following morning was the usual sociable round of table-hopping at breakfast and fond farewells with everyone hoping to meet again at Harvey’s Point in May. DONNA CHANNING

Our major events of the year are worth highlighting: a visit here by the South Western Section and 20hp Register from 13-17 September and our own visit to the Lake District from 1-5 September. Though strictly speaking a matter previously properly recorded as Foundation News, I could not let the news of Bob Riding stepping down as Chairman of the SHRMF pass without adding the specific appreciation of Isle of Man Section members for the efforts of our Section member at the Foundation and to record our relief at his return to better health. We send him all our best wishes for the future and are looking forward to seeing more of him this year at IOM Section events. R O L A N D H AY E S

MIDDLESEX SECTION

Goodwood Factory, 28 November 2014 Eighteen members of the Middlesex Section attended the home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. We were certainly spoilt with a very factual and interesting tour of the Goodwood plant. The tour started with a brief insight into the history of the company and then split into two groups starting at the paint shop. We were shown a multitude of different colours and how the members of staff are protected from the vehicle. More clinical than an operating theatre! We then moved on down the production line seeing the first stages of production, wiring being fitted and the Middlesex Section cars at Goodwood

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Rolls-Royce famous marriage where the car receives its engine, gearbox and back axle and suspension in one go. We were all very impressed with not only the number of cars being produced, but also the number of staff that the company employs. There was a very chilled and quiet ambience in the factory. Our thanks to the two tour guides and the staff at Goodwood for accommodating us and our cars on an excellent tour.

Harte and Magpies, 17 January 2015 Once again we are very grateful to Andy Pinto for arranging our annual New Year gathering at this excellent pub. We had a total of twenty five Middlesex, Oxford and Thames Valley members and a handful of cars. Congratulations to Henry Fitzhugh for donning the fur coat and bringing a 25/30 in such inclement weather. RICHARD EDGELL

NORTHERN SECTION

Northern Section ended 2014 with our traditional Carol Service at Little Lever at our Christmas lunch. This year it was at a new venue for us, Wellington Park near Leyland. When we arrived we found a delightfully decorated room and started our event by all the ladies receiving a surprise present before enjoying a really good traditional Christmas lunch followed by entertainment from Arthur Casson and concluded by our traditional raffle. An excellent and fitting end to our year’s events, our thanks go to Marion and Matthew Frayne. 2015 started with the Blow the Cobwebs Away event at the Owls Standish where twenty one members gathered. This year, as Marion and Matthew had jetted off down under, Joe and Jackie Kerrigan stepped in to host the event. Our AGM took place on 1 February as usual at the Park Royal Hotel Stretton. Lindsay Robotham came from the main board and reported on the positive changes that are being made. This year marked a significant change to our Committee in that Tony Flood who had been Secretary for the last seven years was retiring. We will certainly miss him for his wise council but in particular for his unparalleled knowledge of Rolls-Royce Crewe having worked there for forty one years. We welcome Neil Hampson to the committee. Neil is one of our most active ‘young’ section members not yet having reached forty so we are looking

Northern Section: Tony and Christine Flood at our AGM - Tony was awarded the Duncan Cranna Trophy for exceptional enthusiasm

forward to a different twist from his contribution. The AGM was followed by an excellent lunch and auction. We had been left a number of books by Alick Hadwin, some of which were included and these made some £290 which was split 50:50 between the section and a charity Alick had nominated in his will. We have prepared a very active year of events. If you look at the programme at the end on the Bulletin and fancy joining us please contact our Events Coordinator Elizabeth Earp elizabeth.earp@me.com or +44 (0)1614 393079 and you will be made most welcome. JOHN BEECROFT

OXFORD FOUNDERS & THAMES VALLEY SECTION

AGM and Lunch, 7 December 2014 The Chairman, Jane Pedler, opened proceedings by welcoming Johan Vanden Bergh, representing the RREC Board, and his guest Celia Fitzhugh. Following Apologies and approval of the Minutes for the previous meeting, the Chairman summarised this year’s events and concluded that it had been a good year and our events were generally well supported. The Treasurer, Andrew Payne, presented his financial statement. The deficit over the past year of £1862 was mainly due to event subsidies, confusion regarding Section subscriptions, sponsorship of the Annual Rally and the purchase of Section banners. The Secretary, Gerald Garratt, highlighted the Summer Picnic which will be held in conjunction with City Barge at Sandhurst on 15 August 2015. He then asked members to recommend any local events which included a classic car display which the Section could support. The existing Committee was re-elected en-bloc. In his presentation Johan agreed that improvements were necessary at The Hunt House to move the Club forward

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Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Section members’ cars in front of Hartwell House

and, having explained some of these, was upbeat about the future. In reply to questions/comments from members, he still contended that some control form The Hunt House was necessary for international rallies. With regards to losses on Publications he stated that a new Publications Manager had

SECTIONS

been appointed and this will be taken on board. It was agreed that next year’s AGM would also be held at Hartwell House on 6 December 2015. With no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 11.50am. G E R A L D G A R R AT T New Year Lunch, 17 January 2015 Once again it was time to join with the Middlesex Section for the New Year Lunch at the Harte and Magpies near Beaconsfield organised by Andy Pinto. Members enjoyed

a hearty lunch in a very convivial atmosphere. Four RollsRoyce and Bentley motor cars turned out. The two Bentleys were GTs which are better able to cope with the salty roads. Hats off to the Fitzhugh’s who came all the way from Ealing in their 20/25. CHRIS MOTT Future Events 10 May 2015: Picnic at Highclere Castle, tbc 23-24 May 2015: Hands Across the Sea, Folkestone

PAULERSPURY SECTION

AGM and Christmas Lunch, 7 December 2014 The Section has traditionally combined the AGM with the Christmas lunch but 2014 saw a change in venue, Corner 5 restaurant at Box End, Kempston Beds. This is a Scandinavian wooden building overlooking a large lake which is used for water skiing and some brave souls were out there on a chilly but sunny December day. Ruth Gallafant and Pippa Oliver, disguised in their sun glasses, booked members in and extracted money from them for the raffle which raised £250 for MacMillan nurses, the Section’s nominated charity. Fifty four members attended the AGM and were joined by Martin Carnell, an RREC Board member who spoke to the meeting updating them on some of the changes taking place within the Club but particularly with regards to the Bulletin and Advertiser. Frank Gear, a 50 year member, was presented with his badge by Martin Carnell, actually a replica badge fashioned by the receptionist out of cardboard; she had clearly been on a Blue Peter course. There had been a mix up with The Hunt House in receiving the badge. Frank took it in good spirit, however, and went on to recount his years as a member. He still has one the cars he owned when he joined and now has his real badge! Sunday Lunch Park Golf Club Whittlebury, 25 January 2015 The first outing of the year, which was fortunately dry, took

Paulerspury Section: Frank Gear receiving his 50 year badge from Martin Carnell at the Christmas lunch

the Section to Whittlebury Park Golf Club, a magnificent complex with stunning views overlooking the golf course and surrounding countryside. With the dry day a good number of Club cars were lined up in their reserved parking area. It was Burns night so there was a Scottish theme with much tartan on display including some splendid trews worn by Peter Nightingale and David Hennessey resplendent in his kilt. Some forty seven members sat down to an excellent carvery lunch. The event was organised by Janet and Steve Dolan and was a great start to a busy calendar for the Paulerspury people. D E R E K F R E E MA N

SCOTTISH SECTION

Sixty four members and guests attended our Section AGM and Christmas Lunch on 7 December 2014, a superb turnout for our retiring Chairman, Jim Rice-McDonald and our incoming Chairman, Peter Rae. Allan Rosetzsky addressed us on behalf of The Hunt House Board and dealt with a lively question and answer session. Thus ended our 2014 season and we now look forward to our 2015 programme. Details are in Forthcoming Events section at the back of this issue. All members resident in Scotland, together with those members resident outside Scotland subscribing to the Section, should have received our calendar highlighting the proposed programme for the year. When this report appears we will be ready for our first event of the year, a visit to a Go-Karting venue in Cambuslang which is something new for our Section and which I hope will be well received. Members still have time to apply to attend our Drive-it-Day outing to the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway and the Bo’ness Motor Museum on 26 April. Also, before the next issue appears we will have held our May weekend at the Loch

Scottish Section: Incoming Chairman, Peter Rae, makes the Section’s presentations to retiring Chairman Jim Rice-McDonald and Nancy Rice-McDonald at the Section AGM

Melfort Hotel in Argyll, another new venue for us. Section Secretaries have been asked to keep these reports to less than 300 words so I take this opportunity of reminding members that full details of what is going on

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in the Section can be found in our quarterly Newsletter. I would ask any members who do not subscribe to the Section to consider doing so. You will be made very welcome and your support will be greatly appreciated. I will conclude by thanking all those who have helped to make

our Section a success and I look forward to the continued support of our members to help make 2015 another successful year. NICOL M CLELAND

SOUTH AFRICA SECTION

Last year was another great year for the Cape Town Section as we enjoyed thirteen memorable visits to some of the finest vineyards and restaurants that the Cape has to offer. The year’s final assembly, our AGM and luncheon, took place at what has become our traditional Christmas venue, the magnificent Boschendal wine estate in the lush rich green Franschhoek Valley. The end of year celebration is customarily a large turnout but this year our comparatively small section excelled itself with over fifty members and guests, plus an exceptional turnout of cars in immaculate condition and appearance. The weather could not have been more perfect nor the setting more compelling and after the AGM, held in an adjacent chamber, we trooped into the dining room for a memorable buffet luncheon with all the attendant bells and whistles. Thanks to the generosity of Boschendal, a number of cherished prizes were on offer for guessing the sterling value of a gold plated Rolls-Royce radiator badge. This was won by Gerald Digby who was visiting from the UK. We are indebted to Beverley and Johann Marais for their hospitality for hosting the January Chairman’s Picnic which drew a record turnout of members with an impressive array of beautiful cars which filled their spacious driveway. We were warmly greeted by our charming hosts with a delicious

South Africa Section members’ cars, left to right, 1981 Silver Spirit BCH01790, 1934 20/25 GRC17 and 1957 Cloud I SFE329 glass of champagne before settling down to a serious braai (barbecue) and picnic experience in the most gorgeous garden setting imaginable. The horticultural perfection was complemented by the intrinsic attractiveness and charm of the domestic scenery nestling in the lee of mighty Table Mountain. Club members visiting Cape Town are always welcome to join our monthly events which are usually held on the second Sunday of the month. T R E V O R K O MA R O MY

SOUTH WESTERN SECTION

Bideford Weekend and Christmas Lunch The Commodore Hotel at Instow near Bideford was an excellent venue. They provided us with a private room for a reception prior to Saturday dinner and again on Sunday for our sparkling wine before lunch, and coffee and raffle after lunch. The food and service were exceptional and we thank Tricia Mayers for organising the event. Future Events (of interest to the broader membership) The South Western Section organises regular drives, visits and social events, and we extend a warm welcome to all Club members who may be visiting the beautiful West Country. Please join us! 26 April 2015: Drive it Day visit to Haynes Motor Museum, Sparkford We meet at the Beambridge Inn, Wellington, at 10.30am before driving 40 miles to the museum, where we have a buffet lunch in a private room. The price is £31 per person which includes all food, coffees, teas etc, reserved parking and admission to the museum. This event will be of interest to younger members of the family, so please bring them along: price for under fifteens is £26. Contact John Field for information and to reserve your place (Tel +44 (0)1823 673236, johnfield@btopenworld.com). Other classic car clubs will be at Haynes on this day, so it will be an exciting day out.

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3 May 2015: Merton Village Fayre, near Okehampton The Fayre includes a vintage and classic vehicle rally. Bring your own picnic and the South Western Section will be providing wine and canapés for RREC members and guests. The inclusive price is £7.50 per person. Club cars to arrive 9-10am. Please contact Tony and Linda Hunt for details, +44 (0)1805 603591 (evgs), linda@tawandtorridge.co.uk. 17 May 2015: Visit the Waie Inn at Zeal Monachorum, near Crediton This is a ‘bring your young children/grandchildren’ day; the inn has large fun and play areas for children, both indoors and outdoors. It also has a high reputation for its food and bar facilities. The three-course Sunday lunch is £16 or £9 for children, payable in advance. Please contact John Pearce for booking form, +44 (0)1884 254040, johnpegpearce@gmail.com. 7 June 2015: Explore the area round Hartland Point This is a beautiful area of Devon just north of Bude. We meet for coffee then a scenic drive which includes Hartland Lighthouse and on to Hartland Quay Hotel for lunch. In the afternoon we visit Hartland Abbey house and gardens. The inclusive price is £30 per person. For reservations please contact Tony and Linda Hunt (see above). BERYL STONE

SECTIONS

SURREY SECTION

The first day of 2015 began with our annual gathering at Brooklands. Again this year the Surrey Section was allocated a row of ten parking spaces adjacent to the main entrance to the Paddock. The Gathering is open to all marques of Classic and Vintage cars and this year must have seen the biggest turn-out of cars since the Gathering began some five years ago. Our January curry lunch was a break from our traditional English Fayre and was held at Jai Ho in Horley on 25 January. With a good selection of cars on display and a memorable lunch with a difference, everyone agreed that the Section should arrange some lunches in the future that sampled different cuisines from around the world. On 22 March our first country pub Sunday lunch is being held at the Queen’s Head, a 17th Century inn at East Clandon in the heart of the Surrey countryside. On 16 April we have our first lunch ‘inside’ at The Clink. This restaurant, which is within the walls of Her Majesty’s Prison, Highdown in Surrey, is run by the prisoners. It is a

unique experiment to train some of the residents in the art of preparing and serving food. The sequel will follow in the next Bulletin if they let us out! The 10 May sees our visit to Bletchley Park, the major code breaking station during the Second World War, which started the work of deciphering enemy messages and eventually led to the understanding of how the Enigma machine decoded messages. From 25-27 May we will be assisting the Hands Across the Sea International Weekend at Folkestone, Kent run by the South of England Sections of the RREC. We still have availability for our Autumn Break to Stratford upon Avon from 17-20 September including a visit to the Crewe factory. Anyone interested should contact either Len Meades (events@rrec-surrey.org.uk) or Charles Forrest (chasforrest@live.com) before 31 March. MICHAEL THACKERY Future Event 16 April 2015: Lunch at the Clink

WELSH SECTION

During the winter months, our first Tuesday lunchtime meetings at different venues in South Wales have been well attended. Some question why we no longer have evening meetings but the fact is that at these, numbers dwindled to almost zero. Nowadays, most members are either retired, semi-retired or at least can get away one lunch time a month. Details of the forthcoming venues will appear in the Welsh Section Magazine. In January twenty seven members enjoyed the hospitality at the ever-popular Aubrey Arms, Bonvilston, just west of Cardiff. Just three Club cars appeared – Huw Lloyd’s Bentley Brooklands, Mike and June Hayes’ Silver Spirit IV and our faithful 25/30. February saw us at a new venue, The Caesars Arms at Creigau near Cardiff where twenty eight people enjoyed a convivial lunch. Four Club cars travelled the salted roads to attend. Various vehicles were being attended to over winter including George and Sharon Millers’ 1924 Silver Ghost Cockshoot limousine 54RM. Another progressing well towards the end of a total rebuild is Ian Turner’s 1937 Bentley 4¼ Park Ward sports saloon B40LS having been rescued after some forty five years inactivity in Northern Ireland. It is now resplendent in two-tone blue/grey livery with complementary upholstery.

WESSEX SECTION

In December we held our AGM followed by an excellent Christmas lunch, at the Burley Manor Hotel in the New Forest. During the AGM the Committee presented reports covering past events, membership, and finances, all of which seem to be in reasonably good shape. We had three guest speakers, starting with Rolf Kuhnke who outlined the changes that have taken place at The Hunt House to create more control and transparency. He also discussed the re-organisation of the Bulletin plus the Spares room and the Tool hire room at The Hunt House.

Welsh Section: The attractive 1949 Bentley Mk VI Freestone & Webb two door saloon coupé B380DA owned by Peter Tompsett of Wrexham at The Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells last year

Welsh Weekend Rally, Parkway Hotel, Cwmbran, 17-20 April 2015 Full details appeared in B327 and B328 under Welsh Section News as well as in our Welsh Section magazine. We are pleased to say we are virtually up to capacity but there may still be a vacancy if you contact the hotel. All those booked in should receive a welcoming letter indicating routes and K E LV I N P R I C E things to bring.

He concluded by announcing that he himself would be standing down at the next Club AGM, and our Chairman Doug Ryder thanked him warmly for attending our meeting today and more especially for the years of service that he has given to the Club as a whole. Our second guest speaker was Commander Tim Winter from the recently de-commissioned HMS Illustrious. He described how the ship had helped last year with the typhoon in the Philippines and at the floods in Britain (amongst many other things) before sailing to Rosyth to hand over to HMS Queen Elizabeth and to unload the military hardware.

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SECTIONS

Finally Captain Simon Petit from HMS Queen Elizabeth, to which Wessex is now affiliated, described the new carrier. She already has a crew of 150 who are engaged in writing her operating manuals. When complete she will have a four acre flight deck and will need a crew of 670. He left us with the somewhat scary fact that the man who will be her last Captain has not yet been born!

Following the AGM we enjoyed a splendid Christmas lunch, during which we had some fun completing a quiz based on photographs of Section cars compiled by Stuart Bladon. J E A N MA R P L E S Future Event 10 May 2015: Hotel lunch, New Forest area, venue tbc

WEST MIDLANDS SECTION Two major events we have planned are:

Mid-Summer Jazz, 4 July 2015 A day with Jazz Music at the National Trust Property, Brockhampton Estate near Bromyard from 10.00am with music from 3.30pm until 4.30pm, provided by Section member, Tony Billingham. The cars will be parking adjoining the road into the House and main car park, a prominent location thus displaying the cars to the visiting public, hence a 10.00am arrival time. There is space for approximately thirty cars. Once filled, parking will be in the main car park. There are plenty of woodland walks around the Park (dogs welcome) as well as the house to visit. The National Trust only has a coffee shop at this venue so bring plenty of picnic food and drinks. There is a shop, art gallery and public conveniences. West Midlands Section Rally at Pershore Plum Festival Bank Holiday, 31 August 2015 We have the prime location next to the Abbey, with a large Marquee, so there will be a limit of eighty cars, however, visitors from other Sections are welcome. The Flags will be flying to identify the parking area. Parking pass and full directions will be provided to all those who book and you will need to bring your own chairs. Arrival time is 10.00am.

YORKSHIRE SECTION

Springing ever hopeful and poetically “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” (Tennyson). In the Yorkshire Section spring makes us all poetic and joyful. Please come and join us in our joyfulness, bring your beloved, and your spouse to wander over hill and dale with us. We look forward to welcoming you, however we can’t always guarantee there will be poetry. Spring brings us to the lovely market town of Beverley, Oh, wait I am rambling on unpoetically now, why not look at our calendar and see if the is anything you ‘fancy’ and perhaps ‘lightly turn to thoughts of love?’ 4 May 2015: Rippon Race Course, Classic Car Show Picnic. Rippon is a pretty town and the drive to the racecourse is breathtaking. 17 May 2015: Yorkshire Sculpture Park Picnic Is it Art? Our Cars will be! Dame Barbara Hepworth’s Family of Man, is a permanent outdoor exhibition, there are new exhibitions both inside and out. Some lovely photographs of the cars to be taken here? 31 May 2015: Beverley in the East Riding We can park in the Market Square - easy staggering distance for shopping bags! For Culture Vultures the 13th Century Minster is a gem for you to enjoy, remember

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West Midlands Section at Pershore

Marshalls will be present to direct you. Around the car show there are numerous activities; music at the Bandstand. In this area there are food outlets. For those choosing to make their own arrangements, there will also be The Town Crier, Plum Princess, roving music, Tours of the Abbey Tower, Teddies on the Zip wire from the top of the Tower. In addition many other car clubs will be present. All we need for the day to be a success is you to come along and the good weather! BRIAN BREMER

to bring a chair so we can catch up on your news. Explore and shop, dine in the middle of the town. 21 June 2015: Father’s Day Classic Car Show Picnic, Harewood House This is a chance to visit Leeds,Harrogate, or Ilkley (b’aht ‘at) 28 June 2015: Hog Roast, Woolley near Wakefield A chance for fresh air, feasting and fun. 11 July 2015: Driving day, Elvington Airport, York, and Yorkshire Air Museum with Buffet Lunch Last few places. It’s a real chance to drive in large airfield space. You’ll only need a deckchair, everything else is here. 12 July 2015: Burton Constable Picnic This is a lovely stately home in East Yorkshire (tbc) 26 July 2015: Sledmere House Picnic, North Yorkshire 8-9 August 2015: North of England Rally Day or weekend event: on Saturday stay in Harrogate, sample Betty’s Teashop, drive around Yorkshire with the ultimate guide book, Gala Dinner and Entertainment. At the Rally on Sunday see cars, shop, picnic and visit glorious Harewood House. 22 August 2015: Summer Proms in front of Castle Howard & Picnic Fireworks and fine music. Black tie and ladies dressed to impress, champagne optional. 30 August 2015: Wentworth Woodhouse Picnic

SECTIONS

A Classic Car show with a huge array of classic cars. 20 September 2015: YHVS Picnic, The Knavesmire, York Racecourse. York is always a great place to visit: culture, shopping and river cruising. 25-28 September: Section Weekend, Forest of Bowland 11 October 2015: Lunch at Waterton Park, Wakefield A mansion in the middle of a lake, the front doors have happy and sad faces! 15 November 2015: The Parsonage Lunch and Comedic Speaker

This is a great traditional place to return to, with lashings of gravy and custard! 6 December 2015: Christmas Lunch with Raffle, Rogerthorpe Manor, Badsworth Break out the Christmas titfers, and save Christmas shopping money by winning presents in the raffle. I do hope “In the spring a young person’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love of events in Yorkshire!” (Apologies to Tennyson) Good driving! A U D R E Y B O O T H

S ection N O T I C E S SWEDEN SECTION Annual Rally and 35th Anniversary

5 – 7 June 2015 at Lundsbrunn Hotel and Spa in Lundsbrunn “A source of enjoyment and wellbeing since 1724”

ur celebration weekend is open for all Sections to take part and we are especially pleased and honoured to welcome, as Guests of Honour, Mr Duncan Feetham and wife Vivien. Arrival at hotel Friday 5 June at 15.00, check in and welcome package. A guided tour around the historical premises, followed by a welcome drink and BBQ, with wine. Saturday 6 June (Swedish National Day). Trip to Läckö Slott, guided tour, followed by a luncheon at the little fishing

village and restaurant “Spikens Brygga” by the Väner lake. At 19.00, aperitif and gala dinner in the hotel, inclusive wine and entertainment, prizes and surprises! We will dance the night away to the music of “Buen Boyz”! Sunday 7 June: Departure. Cost: SEK 2.480:- per person in double room, single SEK 2.880:-

Free entry to the Spa. Interest/registration/payment before 22 May 2015 to: treasurer@rrec.se Further information: Mona-Lisa at cloud1@telia.com On behalf of the Sweden Section and the organisers Derek & Mona-Lisa Illingworth. You are welcome to join us in Sweden!

Oxford FOUNDERS AND Thames Valley Section Sunday 15 August 2015 You are invited to join us for a Summer Picnic at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst www.sandhurstcollection.co.uk; www.sandhursttrust.org; www.city-barge.org This year we are again joining our friends, City Barge, for a Summer Picnic

and are privileged to hold it at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. We hope you will be able to join us for gondola rides on the lake, weather permitting, courtesy of City barge. Please put this date in your diaries, more details will be published nearer the time. Gerry Garratt; Tel: 01844 292481; Mob: 0780 346 4902

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The Question of Lady Drivers p44 - B328

Annual Danish Rally 14-16 May 2015

May I congratulate Isobel Haes on her article: ‘The Question of Lady Drivers.’ It was very thought provoking.

The annual Danish Rally from 14 - 16 May this year is held in Aalborg the fourth largest town in Denmark. We have an exciting program for two days in Aalborg and the surrounding area of the town, which is located at the Limfjorden.

I am organizing a Driving Day at Elvington Airfield, York on the 11 July. We will be based at the Yorkshire Air Museum so non drivers will have some entertainments and facilities to enjoy. I am particularly keen to encourage lady drivers to drive club cars. The event is for all club member drivers: with lots of driving tests (not racing); there will be an opportunity to drive or ride in each other’s club cars (subject to agreement). Any help or ideas, or if you are interested in driving or are willing to support new drivers, please contact me as soon as you can. Audre y B ooth , Yorkshire Section Secretary. My new email address: audrey.booth@live.co.uk

For further information please contact Jens Georg Hansen Secretary RREC Danish section, email jensgeorg@dadlnet.dk or telephone + 45 2164 5867.

Surrey Section Autumn Break Stratford upon Avon Thursday 17 - Sunday 20 September 2015 Charles Forrest from the Surrey Section Committee is organizing an autumn break to Stratford upon Avon from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 September 2015. We will be staying at the Arden Hotel which is in the town centre, close to the river and just opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. There are numerous tourist attractions in and around the town, including Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Mary Arden’s house and Shakespeare’s final resting place, all of which can be visited via the ‘hop-on, hop-off’ bus. We have also

organized an optional trip to the Bentley factory in Crewe on Friday 18 September but there are limited places for this so please apply as soon as possible. The cost for three nights will be approximately £750.00 per couple, to include dinner, bed and breakfast. The optional night of Sunday 20 September will be an additional £190.00 per room. As with all our Events the Autumn Break is open to and welcomes members from all Sections. If you would like to join us please contact our Events Co-ordinator, Len Meades, by 30 April 2015 on:

Tel: 01306 730373 • Email: events@rrec-surrey.org.uk Address: Shootlands Farm, Abinger Common, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6JX

SILVER CLOUD EVENT AT THE ANNUAL RALLY

“Dear fellow Silver Cloud owner, We invite you and your Silver Cloud/S Series to join us on June 20 and 21 for this celebration. Twenty nine of you had already accepted our invitation by early February, and we confidently expect that at least sixty Silver Cloud owners will join us at the event. We have already had a great response from our European Members (including Transylvania) and from South Africa. This includes our Deputy Chairman Johan Vanden Bergh, famed for his dashes back to Europe in his 1962 Silver Cloud II. The main event takes place on the Saturday, starting with a welcome drink and food celebration over lunchtime, and an optional parade lap later in the afternoon with a commentary, to show off our cars to the other members. The Club has provided us with a reserved area for our cars, which will also be used for the judging on the Sunday. Elegant though our standard steel Clouds look, we

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are hoping to attract examples of each of the great coachbuilders – HJ Mulliner, Park Ward, Hooper, Freestone and Webb, Radford, and James Young. We will especially welcome the S Series Continentals, and drophead convertibles, of which there are approximately 100 on the Club database. 150 members own more than one Silver Cloud, and are welcome to bring their entire fleets, although it would be helpful if the three members who own, respectively, twenty three and fifteen cars would give us some prior notification! To join us, please simply send us an e-mail expression of interest as soon as possible before the closing date at the end of April. Please e-mail Bernard Walker, Cloud/S Series 60th Anniversary Parade Organiser, at adscan@tiscali.co.uk, listing your name, chassis number, and approximate number in your party. As the event develops, we will keep you informed of the cars and attendees by e-mail and through the Bulletin.”

reg i sters 20hp REGISTER

Aquitaine and Jersey, 20 June - 4 July 2016 On Monday after the Annual Rally we take the overnight ferry to St Malo, with dinner on board, and then take two days to drive to the Chateau Hotel la Fleunie where we have reserved all thirty four rooms for seven nights. The chateau is in a beautiful rural area of Dordogne Périgord, near the village of Condat-sur-Vézère. Two 20hp Register members, Donald Hulsman and Etienne Poulalion, live in the area and they are already planning daily routes, places to visit, luncheon parties etc, see below. Then we take the ferry back to Jersey for four nights at St Brelades Bay Hotel over the weekend 30 June - 4 July. This is a special motoring weekend on 20hp Register: Insert - GYK3 is a 1926 20 h.p. Barker cabriolet reg’d YR5025 in Jersey; we are honoured to be invited oak grain finish, enjoying life in the south of France, owned by Donald Hulsman. to join the Jersey Old Motor Club And a 20hp Enjoying Life in the South of France in celebrating their 50th anniversary. They have arranged a tour of the private Manors, scenic drives, places of interest to visit, live near Aurillac. It was previously owned by Peter Bibby. country fairs, and a static display in People’s Park. Saturday evening we will enjoy a banquet and entertainment in the Annual Rally, 19-21 June 2015 Great Hall of Victoria College. We return to Poole by fast There are two technical seminars of particular interest to ferry on Monday 4 July. 20hp owners: on Friday, 3-4pm on small hp brake servos; on Saturday 2-3pm on magnetos, presented by John White. The total cost for fourteen nights half board, all ferry And on Sunday from 12 noon the 20hp Register will be crossings and all visits and entertainments etc is estimated having its traditional get-together with wine and snacks. to be £3,500 per couple sharing. Please contact Tom Jones All welcome – come along to the 20hp line-up and meet for further details and to reserve your place. fellow enthusiasts. The photographs capture the atmosphere of two well-known 20hp cars being well looked after in the South of France. The wood grained car is GYK3 (shown on back cover), a Barker cabriolet with its original paint work. It belongs to Donald Hulsman, who lives near Nontron, and was previously owned by David O’Connor. The blue car is GXL62, also a Barker cabriolet and belongs to Etienne and Odette Poulalion who

25 REGISTER

Normandy Rally, 21-30 September 2015 The 25 Register continental rally will be to the Maine area of Normandy. We will be travelling overnight from Portsmouth to St Malo on Monday 21 September. From there it is an eighty five mile drive to the Hotel Spa du Beryl, in Bagnoles de l’Orne. Bagnoles de l’Orne is in the Andaines forest and is set around a small lake. There is a thermal spa, a casino, some rather nice shops and a museum of fire-engines. Bagnoles is just to the south of the spectacular Suisse Normande area. Other places to see locally include Falaise, where William the Conqueror was born, the Chateau de Carrouges and St Céneri le Géri, which was voted one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France. We will return by the overnight ferry from St Malo, which arrives in Portsmouth on the morning of Wednesday 30 September.

The Grand Tour; 20hps visit the Alps and Venice, 23 June-12 July 2015 We have two vacancies due to unavoidable cancellations so if you are interested in joining us please contact the Registrar, or Len Meades the rally organiser on +44 (0)1306 730373 for details. T O M J O N E S , Registrar

The aim, as with the Gelderland Rally, is to provide a relaxing holiday with plenty of free time and easy driving. The cost of the rally will be £2,500 per couple, which includes: The ferry, with dinner, breakfast and an outside cabin The hotel, with breakfast and dinner, visits, etc Places are limited to twenty five cars, so please apply early to: Malcolm Heath, Dormy House, Linstead, Suffolk IP19 0AD. Tel: +44 (0)1986 785289. Email: mlheath@aol.com. MA L C O L M H E A T H At the Register AGM in 2014, the choice of venues for 2015 was almost unanimous. It was agreed that we would visit the border country with Wales and also visit Normandy in France. The bureaucratic approval of the RREC Board was obtained and organisation of the Rallies could begin.

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registers

Mary and I (Tel: +44 (0)1327 350145. Email: james@ bengalfarmhouse.freeserve.co.uk) are the organisers of the border country Rally based at the Albright Hussey Hotel in Shrewsbury from 17-23 May 2015. Very soon after it was announced in the events list, we received applications and the hotel is now fully booked, indeed there is an overflow list. There are many interesting places to visit in this area and final plans will be completed in March. The Register AGM will be held during the Rally at the Albright Hussey Hotel. If you are interested in joining us at the AGM, please contact us so that we can book a room large enough to accommodate everyone. If you are unable to attend, please advise us of your preferences with regard to Register matters and Rallies for 2016.

FAQs I am frequently asked if a three-brush dynamo can be converted to a two-brush dynamo and can a post war regulator replace a pre-war one. The answer is yes to both of these questions. However, the post war regulators worked with field windings in the dynamo connected in parallel with the armature. Pre-war dynamos made by Rolls-Royce were built with the field winding in series with the armature. Therefore, pre-war dynamos made by Rolls-Royce have to be modified internally so that the field winding and armature are connected in parallel. T O N Y J AM E S , Registrar

DERBY BENTLEY REGISTER

Correspondence - Derby Bentley Rocker Cover Finish I am writing in connection with the comments recently about the correct finish on a Derby Bentley rocker cover. The Rolls-Royce drawings for both 3½ cover and 4¼ give the same instructions. In both cases the lower edge of the cover is polished, not painted, as is the word Bentley. The surrounding frame to Bentley is left black. I would not want to contradict Rolls-Royce and suggest otherwise! My observations of actual engines bear this out. Engines removed from cars that were scrapped relatively early in their life long before any ‘restorer’ might have got to them are finished in this way. However, there is no accounting for the whims of early owners. There is the well-documented 3½ that was fitted with a Spirit of Ecstasy mascot rather than a flying B because the first owner insisted, and Rolls-Royce bowed to his wishes. Others opted to have their chromework painted black. So there may have been exceptions. The notes in the Derby Bentley Authenticity Guide are as a result of the input that I made to Steve Styers when he was compiling this. WILL FIENNES An Autumn Expedition to France Last October Graham and Gill Adams, Jeremy and Margaret Oates and Geraldine and I took our Derbys for a couple of weeks to France crossing on my favourite Portsmouth/St Malo ferry (on board by 8.00pm, an excellent dinner, a good night’s sleep, and jousting with the local traffic at 8.00am next morning). Using byways rather than highways we worked our way south through the Loire, Cognac and the excellent Auberge de la Salvetat 24480 Cadouin in the Dordogne, before continuing to the Auberge de Concasty, 15600 Boisset in the Auvergne where these photographs were taken. The proprietor is Mme Martine Causse who is also the chef. She runs an excellent establishment way out in the country in this very empty part of France. If she had her way the cars would have been brought into the house! MIKE SPENCE Events As mentioned in the last newsletter, our next Register event is A Meander to Mortehoe in North Devon. This is a new area for us to visit and all the twenty eight rooms were quickly taken up. However, there is a waiting list and

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Derby Bentley Register: Bentleys at Auberge de Concasty l to r B173MX Park Ward saloon (Oates), B55MX Vanden Plas dhc (Adams), B148CR Park Ward dhc (Spence)

Derby Bentley Register: Balloon over Auberge de Concasty

Derby Bentley Register: Derby owners balloon watching; l to r Mike Spence, Graham Adams, Jeremy Oates

registers

participants do drop out for various reasons so if you fancy your chances contact Kingsley and Ann Sleep Tel: +44 0(1)279 792918. It will be a pleasant change for me, living in Cornwall, not to have to set off from home several days before an event! Annual Rally Steve Lovatt has sent me details of the seminars planned for the Annual and there are two on the Friday of particular interest to us Derby Bentley owners: Friday 19 June 2015 - 11.00am – 12.30pm ‘Touring In My Derby Bentley’ David Webster describes his preparation of B25CW for touring and explains his experiences whilst touring. 3.00pm – 4.00pm ‘Small Horse Power Brake Servo’

MK VI & SILVER WRAITH REGISTER

Our newsletter editor reports that he is still short of material to compile a worthwhile newsletter, so if you have an item which would be of interest to members, please let Giles Usher know. In the last Bulletin we asked for any offers to run the 2015 Register event. At the time of writing no offer has been forthcoming and so Eric and Marion Healey (who ran the very successful Lake District event last year) have taken up the challenge again. Eric has penned the following notes to tempt members. Advance Notice for the Mk VI Rally 2015 We have looked at several venues for this year’s rally and have found it challenging to come up with somewhere original which will compete with last year’s event. Due to other personal commitments we felt that we could not choose a venue which needed as much input as last year so have looked for something closer to home. Our home that is! Therefore, we have chosen to base the Rally in the beautiful Nene Valley in the delightful, unspoilt village of Wadenhoe. Built mainly of the local limestone the village has remained largely in the control of the Wadenhoe Estate which is probably why it has not suffered the traumas of unmitigated expansion. An excellent overview and history of the village by the Wadenhoe History Group can be found on the web. Our accommodation will be at Wadenhoe House. The former home of the Rt Hon George Ward-Hunt, who was Lord Chancellor under Disraeli, it is now a hotel and conference centre of some repute. It is a regular haunt of

SILVER CLOUD & S TYPE REGISTER

60th Anniversary of the Silver Cloud in Crewe, 2-4 October 2015 The event is fully booked and there is great expectation. But this will not be the only event this year to celebrate this important Anniversary. At the Annual Rally, 19-21 June, a parade of selected Silver Cloud and S Series cars will be organised and members will be able to admire many coachbuilt variations of these cars.

Description of removal, overhaul, re-assemble and adjustments. An understanding of the servo mechanism. Please note: There is no charge for attending the presentations/seminars. Spares for sale Following a clear-out in their workshops, Fiennes Restoration is selling off a host of second-hand (and in some cases brand new) parts at knock-down prices, which will be of particular interest to Derby Bentley owners. Go to www.fiennes.co.uk for more details. Finally I hope your Derby Bentley is fully prepared for its Meander to Mortehoe next month and look forward to a convivial weekend together in a lovely setting. D O U G L A S R E E C E , Registrar

ours and we have previously organised successful events there. We are sure it will meet with your approval. As last year, it will be a four night event commencing on Monday 28 September. The hotel has twenty seven rooms and if there is sufficient support we will have the house to ourselves for the whole of the event. We need at least twenty cars to ensure exclusivity. There will be drives out on three days with the routes and visits yet to be finally determined. However, we have in mind some interesting places which should cater for all tastes. We shall aim to keep the routes to less than 100 miles. We will not be driving over spectacular landscapes such as we experienced in the Lake District but we promise that the routes will be through some delightful countryside and pretty villages. We are also trying to arrange something just a bit out of the ordinary during our time at the House. We are endeavouring to keep overall prices about the same as last year. This will cover four nights’ accommodation, DB+B with a special last evening, tea and biscuits on arrival, all coffee and lunch break costs as well as any visit entry fees. To secure our place at Wadenhoe we do need to give a commitment quite quickly so an early response to us is essential. We will then give you details of how to make your reservations direct with the Hotel. Room allocation will be in the order we receive the responses. In the first instance respond to: Eric and Marion Healey, Hillside Cottage, Wigsthorpe, Peterborough PE8 5SE. Tel: +44 (0)1832 720262. Email: eric@healeybros.co.uk. T O N Y J E N K I N , Registrar

But the major event is organised by the Register for 2-4 October in Crewe. For that occasion, our cars will celebrate the Anniversary together with another milestone in the Rolls-Royce history: the Silver Shadow. A tour of the factory, where our cars were built, is planned – now Bentley Motors only – and also we will visit many locations where period pictures of the Silver Cloud were taken when new. Accommodation will be at Crewe Hall. To book this event please contact me at bassolidavide@libero.it or Ailsa Plain

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registers

at ailsaplain@rrec.org.uk or John Beecroft at jcab1950@aol. com. More details of the event can be found in this Bulletin. Silver Cloud III SCX481 Roy Allan from Great Britain sent me some pictures of his Silver Cloud III SCX481. The car went under a ground-up restoration at P&A Wood’s premises and after three years, is nearly ready to be back on the road. This is what Roy wrote: “Clearly the coach lines are yet to be painted and the hub caps fitted, but the car is restored to better than new condition. As you can see the car is the standard steel saloon, which has been a passion since childhood, ever since I was playing with a friend at the impressionable age of seven (it was 1964) when his father drove a brand new Silver Cloud III up the gravel drive, gleaming in the sunshine and, of course, the colour was Shell Grey over Tudor Grey. To my mind quite simply the most beautiful design with elegant and flowing lines. It was the last of the truly great separate chassis and body Rolls-Royces. I was fortunate to find the registration number ROY 63, which is both my name and year of build of the car, further personalising my dream.” SCX481 was delivered in January 1963 to the first owner W R Vaughan of Vaughan Associates Ltd and originally painted Black Pearl and registered 181 FGH. Roy, we are all looking forward to admiring your beautiful Silver Cloud in the major Club event this year. Silver Cloud I SED431 Silver Cloud I SED431 was delivered to the first owner E G Walpole-Brown of Shipston-on-Stour, Worcestershire through the London Dealer Pass & Joyce on 19 August 1957. The car was originally delivered in Sand over Sable with Beige VM3234 upholstery. The car was fitted from new with power assisted steering – it was an extra in 1957 – and with Registration number ULB 404. The Club didn’t have any information on this car since new, and we thought it was lost. Dutch member Fokko van Tuikwerd recently contacted me informing me about his SED431. It made me particularly happy, as it was another car which had survived. Fokko informed me the car is still in the original colour combination. Last summer he went to England to visit the previous owner, a trip of over 1,000 miles. On the way back, the car stopped once because of the fuel pump, the first, and so far last, time during his ownership. A lot of Clouds! Barry Lengden from Oldham sent me a Christmas card together with a nice letter reporting all the Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars he has owned during the years. Barry currently has a Silver Shadow II, but as a long time Silver Cloud enthusiast (because of the beautiful lines traced by John Blatchley) in the past he has owned many of these cars. The list is very long: a Silver Cloud II SXC493 and registered 536 JWB, a Silver Cloud I SKG37 and registered 801 DJJ, a white Silver Cloud II, a Bentley S3 B330CN with a Rolls-Royce radiator grille, another S3 B244HN in Tudor over Shell Grey, a Silver Cloud III lwb CBL23 and a Silver Cloud I SFE443 painted Sand. Barry informed me that he bought many of these cars through the Advertiser, very useful for finding good cars, and we all hope to see Barry again soon behind the wheel of a Silver Cloud. D A V I D E B A S S O L I , Registrar

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

Silver Cloud & S Type Register: The 2-4 October Rally in Crewe to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Silver Shadow & T Types and the 60th Anniversary of the Silver Cloud & S Series

Silver Cloud & S Type Register: Silver Cloud III SCX431 near the end of the restoration by P&A Wood

Silver Cloud & S Type Register: Silver Cloud I SED431 near the only flying Spitfire in Holland

Silver Cloud & S Type Register: One of Barry’s previous cars: Silver Cloud II SXC493

registers / N ew Me m bers

SILVER GHOST REGISTER

French Rally, 16–22 May 2015 Bookings for our Silver Ghost rally in May through northern France from Caen to Calais in the week leading up to the RREC International Weekend at Folkestone are now finalised. However, if any European members planning to cross through the Channel Tunnel on the Friday of the International Weekend wish to join us at Chateau Tilques in St Omer for the Thursday night (21 May) I would be pleased to try and make arrangements for additional accommodation. Silver Ghost Workshop, 17–19 June 2015 I would like to add one final reminder that several Silver Ghost enthusiasts within the East Midlands Section are holding a three-day, hands-on Workshop in June in the week preceding the Annual Rally. This is a splendid chance for Silver Ghost owners to gain some useful hands-on experience under the guidance of some well-known and

SILVER SHADOW REGISTER

Silver Shadow & T Series 50th Anniversary Celebration at Crewe, 2-4 October 2015 John Beecroft, Chairman, Northern Section, writes: “On 30 September and 1 October 1965 Rolls-Royce Limited demonstrated the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow & Bentley T Series to a small group of journalists, in Crewe, before the official launch to the public on 7 October at the Paris Motor Show. This was the first time the company had produced monocoque cars which were to become the most successful models made by the company.” The Northern Section has accordingly arranged a three-day meeting for 2-4 October 2015 at Crewe as part

very capable experts. This is sure to be heavily subscribed by the time this appears in print so please contact the organiser, Roger Cockfield, by email roger-cockfield@ hotmail.co.uk without delay if you wish to secure a place. Silver Ghost Tools I have had a request from a new member seeking original tools for his Silver Ghost and it was an easy matter to direct him, and to refer anyone else seeking similar information, to the Club’s main website. Simply go to the Model Register index and under the Silver Ghost sub-index one will find a ‘Technical and Maintenance’ section. This contains not only descriptions, reference (piece) numbers and dimensioned drawings of tools for the 40/50 chassis but also includes comprehensive notes on Maintenance, Driving Instructions (including starting procedures) and Magneto Timing. A N D Y C O U R T N E Y, Registrar Future Event 16–22 May 2015: Rally to Northern France

of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary. They have also reserved rooms at the Crewe Hall Hotel. The programme includes an optional tour of Bentley Motors. The event is fully described in the News on the Club’s website with the cost and a booking form. I commend the Northern Section’s action in promoting this event as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Silver Shadow and the T Series. Please contact either John Beecroft jcab1950@aol.com or at Lilac Cottage, Byley Road, Byley, Cheshire CW10 9NL or Ailsa Plain at The Hunt House for an application form. T E R E N C E Q U I N N , Registrar

NEW MEMBERS

MEMBER

TOWN

COUNTRY

CHASSIS

YEAR

MODEL

MAKE

REGISTRATION

Mr K Abrahannsson & Mrs B Sjölin

Göteborg

SWEDEN

SRX21294

1975

Silver Shadow

Rolls-Royce

JDS452

P R Aeschlimann

Herisau

SWITZERLAND

SRH33303

1978

Silver Shadow II

Rolls-Royce

302JRR

SRH17638

1974

Silver Shadow I

Rolls-Royce

MCY135M

D Allen Esq

Pendine

S Allonby-Briggs Esq

Chipping Warden

G Barbalias

Athens

GREECE

P Bilimoria Esq

Luton

HCH21677

1987

Mulsanne

Bentley

D160ELN

G Burn Esq

Haverfordwest

HCH21895

1987

Turbo R

Bentley

E739TEW

J Byrnes

Beverly Hills

USA

R J Campbell Esq

Rugby

A Celle

St-Germain

FRANCE

BLW101

1954

Silver Wraith

Rolls-Royce

452BRA06

S Christer-Nilsson

Östersund

SWEDEN

P Montague Esq

Braunton

A Counsell Esq

Rugeley

Mr & Mrs P de Keghel

Saint Luc

SWITZERLAND

C Duff Esq

Doncaster

4CO21062 LRH23894 SRH14912 SRH38496 SRH40137 SRH39231

2004 1977 1973 1980 1980 1979

Continental GT Silver Shadow Silver Shadow Silver Shadow II Silver Shadow II Silver Shadow II

Bentley Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce

PA04HHP ULN972R ESO194 WGO290W NUE336V GHE939V

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

N ew Me m bers MEMBER

TOWN

COUNTRY

CHASSIS

YEAR

MODEL

MAKE

REGISTRATION

SBH4378

1968

T Type

Bentley

WGK779G

G Fritchley Esq

Warsop

Mr & Mrs E Geraghty

Hanley

R Gray Esq

Brighton

GLJ67

1935

20/25

Rolls-Royce

CLA575

R Green Esq

Swanley

SRH37187 KCH25377

1979 1988

Silver Shadow Eight

Rolls-Royce Bentley

MWK559V F728NVR

R Griffin Esq

Fintry

WAB64

1948

Silver Wraith

Park Ward

820YUM

JCX23736

1989

Silver Spirit

Rolls-Royce

Unknown

M Grobe

Berlin

GERMANY

C Guay

Tannay

SWITZERLAND

Z Haq Esq

Pinner

DRH50567

1981

Corniche

Rolls-Royce

YLW671X

S Hartley Esq

Bath

GOH20

1935

20/25

Barker

BYW131

I Harrison Esq

Penrich

GF12

1922

20hp

Rolls-Royce

XR1292

M Hawkins Esq

Milton Keynes

JCH24146

1988

Silver Spirit

Rolls-Royce

E80WKH

Mr & Mrs V Hess

Sudbury

M Kernan Esq

East Stockwith

B282FA

1958

Bentley

774XUH

T Lardet

Lausanne

SWITZERLAND

62NC

1926

Phantom I

Rolls-Royce

Unknown

B L’Hullier

Rochetaillée sur

FRANCE

SRX8388

1970

Silver Shadow

Rolls-Royce

Unknown

C Liddell Esq

Walsend

SRH26063

1976

Silver Shadow

Rolls-Royce

83JGD

J Lopez Esq

New Malden

J Lorente

Bulle

SWITZERLAND

O Makings Esq

Melbourn

Mr & Mrs M McAllister

Sittingbourne

R Mills Esq

Huddersfield

J Minchell Esq

Whitchurch

B123CM

1956

Bentley

VRR40

R Montgomery Esq

Birmingham

P Moores Esq

Bracknell

VCH59667

1997

Brooklands

Bentley

XMO878

L Morin

Lier

NORWAY

M Phillips Esq

Worcester

H Pommery

Paris

FRANCE

R Quayle Esq

Patrick

BRITISH ISLES

B73KU B184WH

1937 1954

4¼ R Type

Bentley Bentley

363MN RMN979

A Reymond

Le Brassus

SWITZERLAND

CCX04296

1982

Silver Spur

Rolls-Royce

Unknown

D Roedel

Westerland / Sylt

GERMANY

5CO28371 5CO29536

2005 2005

Flying Spur Continental GT

Bentley Bentley

Unknown Unknown

P Rostagnat

Vesenaz

SWITZERLAND

Mr & Mrs D Schambacher

Geneve

SWITZERLAND

O Schaffrath

Zumikon

SWITZERLAND

R Shipton Esq

Hilton

R Shoebridge Esq

Northampton

B227YA

1954

R Type

Bentley

RNN111

Mr & Mrs A Simpson

Boroughbridge

TCH58220

1996

Brooklands

Bentley

P469FNA

M Smith Esq

Attleborough

SRH33146

1978

Silver Shadow II

Rolls-Royce

XVL333S

B Smith Esq

Broadstairs

P Sutcliffe-Brown Esq

Shrewsbury

A Templeman Esq

Rotherham

G Tuck Esq

Bristol

A Vineis

Genève

SWITZERLAND

P Waite Esq

Birmingham

1CH06253

2001

Arnage

Bentley

N10PAW

M Wilcox Esq

Ullesthorpe

Mr & Mrs J Worth

Harpenden

JRH25192

1977

Camargue

Rolls-Royce

BRN4R

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

B o o k R e v i ew ROLLS-ROYCE and BENTLEY IN THE LAND OF THE SILVER FERN The first seventy years in NEW ZEALAND by Roy TiIley and Ken White

The exceptional achievements of the 6 cylinder 40/50 Silver Ghost one hundred and more years ago earned for Rolls-Royce the right to claim their car to be "The Best Car In The World" and some thirty examples of this Edwardian motoring icon are believed to have come into the ownership of New Zealand families. Additionally, aircraft powered by RollsRoyce engines have ensured that the British Commonwealth came out on top in two World Wars. These engines having contributed to the economic and military progress of this country, they are also included in this book. Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the Land of the Silver Fern, the first seventy years in New Zealand, outlines the fate and fortunes of the cars from completing their stately lives, only to be re-bodied and used by later generations. Many eventually succumbed to being converted for use as taxis, hire cars, farm utility vehicles, or hearses. Others were dismembered for roles as tow trucks and saw benches, or to use

FRONTIERS – A COLONIAL DYNASTY

By Simon Best Steele Roberts, Box 9321, Wellington First published 2013 Soft-bound 19 cm by 24.5 cm, 431 pages. Numerous colour and black-and-white illustrations. ISBN 978-1-927242-21-6 Available from www.fishpond.co.nz What relevance has “A Colonial History” to Rolls-Royce? Well, a great deal, actually. It is an extraordinary story, covering New Zealand’s earliest colonial history; ownership of RollsRoyce 40/50, chassis 1571 and 2281; friendship and business partnership with James Radley; early flying; Maori ancestry; and the awarding of the first aviation Victoria Cross, just at the time of the Gallipoli Campaign almost 100 years ago. Who better to write the book than Simon

their chassis frames as bridges over ditches, and others served in the two World Wars as armoured cars, ambulances and staff cars. More than twenty years of research into the individual histories of the cars has breathed new life into these significant, fascinating and historic vehicles. The work has involved research of Rolls-Royce factory archives, Government archives, workshop personnel, and exhaustive contact with descendants of many original owners, as well as subsequent owners of these fabulous vehicles. The text is supported by a wonderful array of absorbing period photographs, many of which have not been previously published. The photos of many of the cars in their original livery are superb. The work is a scholarly, social and motoring history. The authors, Roy Tilley and the late Ken White, spent almost twenty years researching government, company, club and private records to produce this definitive portrayal

of the contribution that Rolls-Royce and Bentley have made to the development of New Zealand, both on land and in the air. Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the Land of the Silver Fern is surely one of the most evocative books on these marques ever published. Approximately 700 pages A4 Portrait format. Profusely illustrated in black and white. Published by the author, Roy Tilley, For further details please contact rmt@xtra.co.nz

R o y T ille y

Best, whose own life’s occupations alone could be described as “extraordinary”. Many people have dabbled in research on this subject, but Best has brought this book to print, at his own expense; it is a great achievement. The amount of research, including six trips to Britain, which has gone into “Frontiers” is formidable; there are twelve pages of Bibliography, forty eight pages of notes, and of course a good index. It is a sad story, but told dispassionately and well by Simon Best. The close links between Britain and New Zealand, despite the 12,000 miles and many weeks then separating them, are well demonstrated, and this important book will be of interest to many of us with an interest in history, both social and automotive. T o m K ing

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

c o rresp o ndence Lessons have been learned RREC B328

For your fellow P-I sufferers across the pond: While LH/RH are quite clear, we need a lesson regarding the meaning of 'Near side' and 'Off side'. As we drive on the wrong side of the road, the meaning may not be the same - if we know it at all! Otherwise, a very helpful article. When I restored S231FP in the 1970s all bearings were still available. If I am correct the Springfield cars used US sizes for bearings, and I had no difficulty getting them. The nuts and bolts are British sizes. P a trick M a ue , Pasadena, CA USA Hi Patrick You make a good point. The lesson has been learned! Glad you liked the article. Regards David Dudley

YOUNG MEMBERS OF THE RREC

A Protest Aganist Extravagance

In this time of monetary incertitude and financial tedium-all-sorts I may have found an answer and here it is; This advert was used in the late 30s-early 40s in the USA and I am sending it in the same light and inspiration that gave me the idea to send you the bit on B Britten and Sir E Elgar that you kindly published in the last Bulletin. A smile always goes a long way amongst the technical pages etc.... They offer a '100 mile trial trip, arranged at your convenience'. I think I'll call them TOMORROW ! G é r a rd L e C lerc

Central Southern Section Event

It was noted that one of the Central Southern Section events in 2015, a non-pub meet, has disappointingly been omitted from our diary of events notification in the last Bulletin. On behalf of our Treasurer and retired Chairman, Tony Leach, the event organiser, we would appreciate that the omission be rectified. The event, an enjoyable hog roast, being held this year on 9 August at ‘Staddles’, near Chichester, is one of the most popular gatherings in our calendar, so much so in fact, it is held almost every alternative year by popular demand attracting RREC members both near and far, including other sections. CHRIS TWEEN

I was reading Roland Hayes Isle of Man Section news (B328 page 59) when I saw his question "How young are other sections recruiting their Members?" Well, as for our Section Romande out of Geneva, I made my little grand-daughter Miss Alexandra Gachet a junior Member when she was two years old - now she is three-and-a-half. We have high hopes that she will be enjoying the activities of the Section Romande for many years under the chairmanship of Gérard Le Clerc, the concert cellist. In addition, we hope that she will enjoy driving the family S1 Bentley (1956) and my wife's Silver Shadow (1975) around Switzerland and France when she has passed her driving test! Right now she is enjoying driving around our hall in her own car - an Austin 7 pedal car - as the photograph shows. As for later? Well we all have high hopes for her but right now the Bentley and the Shadow are being driven by her Father, Thierry Gachet and her mother Vanessa while Alexandra sits at the back serving her apprenticeship! Gérard and I feel that it is absolutely vital for the future of our cars and our RREC that we attract and develop youthful enthusiasm for these lovely cars and the gracious appreciation of style, beauty and the many interesting people that you meet which goes with it ! W a lter F reidl , Romande Section

I am very sorry for this mistake which has now been corrected – Bulletin Assistant

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

CORRESPONDENCE

Vintage Bentley

I was given this photograph at a classic car event by someone who had found it in a drawer of furniture he had bought. Taken 1936/8 at Conduit street or some dealer's premises. Anyone any information on this?

Thanks to the Ireland Section and Recollections

Liz and I sailed to Ireland on one of the Tall Ships in October – The Tall Ships Youth Trust is a charity worthy of support! We arrived in Dublin on the Saturday of the Ireland Section Annual weekend at the Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow, but could not be ‘signed off’ from the brig until the morning of Sunday 19. A modest hire car got us to the Mount Wolseley Hotel by late morning. Joe Clarke and his team knew that we hoped to call and a few had waited around especially for us. We were made extremely welcome, a short scenic excursion took us to ‘The Arboretum’ where we were ‘wined’ and dined in a separate wing of the café/restaurant, in the company of around a dozen Ireland members, and presented with a rather super piece of Glassware (their ‘Finisher’s Award’) and the Section calendar for the forthcoming year. The hotel accommodated us that night at the discounted rate that Joe and his colleagues had negotiated. An excellent and most comfortable venue. May we use the Bulletin to thank the Ireland Section for their superb welcome and hospitality. We hope to join them for the full weekend for the West Cork Rally, and thoroughly recommend it to other members. Whilst in Kilkenny we called to see Knocktopher

LadyDrivers

I read with much interest the recent article in the RR Bulletin concerning lady drivers in the First World War. My mother Marjorie Laine (née Bunch), having left school, proceeded to take her RAC Driving Certificate and I believe was the first woman to pass this test in Manchester.

G err y C ohen

Hall,– which is undergoing building works. Some long standing members may remember its enthusiastic former owner– the late Dave Kyle. He died tragically in a road accident in a Lamborghini many years back. He was a great enthusiast for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, having owned sixty four Derby Bentleys during his short life as a specialist car trader: he was – great pals with Dan Margulies, Jack Bond, Gerry Porter, David Baldock and others. He used to stay with us when travelling between London and Kilkenny and we had some fascinating cars including the LHD Cloud Convertible, EUC 500 C - a rare 4 door Silver Cloud III Convertible as well as other interesting marques. When he died I think he still had B9AE, the 1934 Olympia Bentley, which he had found in very distressed condition in Shropshire with Brigadier Tooser – the officer on whom the C.O. in the film 'Bridge over the River Kwai' was alleged to have been based. An important Bentley and I hope someone somewhere has restored it. Once again to the Ireland Section many thanks. Outstanding hospitality and reawakened memories. Allan Fogg, Cardiff email allanliz@fsmail.net

She then went on to drive an ambulance in England for the rest of the war. I attach a copy of her Driving Certificate on which the faint text states that the test was taken in a 15hp Arrol-Johnston on 15 September 1915. Also attached is a photograph of a group of like minded ladies, my mother being on the right. This photo is embossed with the stamp Daily Sketch London and Manchester. Later on, and before she married my father, she flew with Sir Alan Cobham’s flying circus, probably as a passenger, though knowing my mother anything would have been possible. Best wishes J a ck L a ine

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

C O R R E S P O N D E N C E / obitu a r y

Richard Hepworth’s 1957 Silver Cloud 4dr saloon SDD54 I can only apologize Richard. SDD54 did a great job of attracting the crowds to our NEC stand and I hope this administrative error has not ruined for you what was a very successful show for the Club.

Publications Development Manager

Seminar 363, MK VI & R TYPE

I am now setting about stripping the tank out of the car, giving it a thorough clean and then seeing what kind of state its in. The crudge in the photo was fresh from the car and soaked in petrol. Its now dried out and looks like fine dust, maybe soil, maybe bits of rusty tank ! The course was great and gave just the right inspiration and confidence to get stuck in to my car and get it properly recommissioned after its long period in storage. From the way it was running one would never guess at least one vital system was in a dire state - I guess these cars can be a tad deceptive ! Thanks again for a great course and I feel I much benefited from your advice.

OBITUARY Richard Meynell Lees 24 October 1932-22 December 2014)

It is with great sadness that we have to advise you of the passing of long serving RREC member, and past Central Southern Section committee member, Dick Lees. Dick, renowned for his penchant for driving pretty quickly in his Bentley Mk VI, joined the RREC on 29 January 1992 and was a regular attendee at the Central Southern Section gatherings. He will be sadly missed and he and Sally, his

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

wife, are in our thoughts. We arranged for three Club cars and Dick's own Bentley to be on parade outside the church in Bishops Waltham during the memorial service. Sally contacted the writer and said how much she, her family, and so indeed would Dick, have appreciated the gesture. The display met with much admiration and comment from the other mourners. CHRIS TWEEN

THE TOOL TEAM

The identification, labeling and cataloging of all the tools at The Hunt House has begun. The Tool Team are working hard to ensure that a hire system can be put into place for the benefit of all members. Enquiries to lindsay.robotham@outlook.com From the left: Douglas Newton, Glynn Saunders, Tim North, Martin Carnell, Jeff Booker, Lindsay Robotham, Robert Hutley. Front Row: George Millburn and David Towers

e v ents APRIL 11 Workshop visit, Spellbound Cars, Farnham. Central Southern Section 11 CLUB AGM 11-12 CLUB CONFERENCE 11-12 Frühlingserwachen. Swiss Section 12 Walton & Frinton Lifeboat. Essex Section 12 Galerie Continua. France Section 16 Clay Pigeon Shoot, Nr Congleton. Northern Section 17-18 Wine/Champagne tasting, Bjertorp. Sweden Section 17-19 Spring Meeting. Dutch Section 17-19 Meander to Mortehoe, north Devon. Derby Bentley Register 17-20 Welsh Weekend Rally, Parkway Hotel, Cwmbran, Gwent. Welsh Section 18 Spirit Workshop, Bowling Ryan, Kearsley. Northern Section 18-19 Silver Clouds & S Types Seminar, The Hunt House 19 AGM. Isle of Man Section 19 Haselbury Plunknet. Great Western Section 21 Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. Middlesex Section 22 Memorial Meeting, West Wittering. Central Southern Section 24-26 60th Anniversary of the Silver Cloud & S Type Weekend, Bray, Berkshire. Silver Cloud & S Type Register 25 Les Crayères, Reims. France Section 26 Nene Valley Railway. East Anglian Section 26 Forde Abbey. Wessex Section 26 Drive it Day, Bo’ness Steam

Railway & Motor Museum. Scottish Section 26 Drive it Day with the CCVC, Writtle College to Colchester Castle. Essex Section 26 FBHVC Drive it Day, Venue tbc. Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Section 26 Haynes Motor Museum. Great Western & South Western Sections 26 St George’s Day Run. Paulerspury Section

May 1-3 Generalversammlung, Bad Zurzach. Swiss Section 1-3 Annual Spring Rally, Stuttgart. German Section 1-4 Long Weekend in France, Chamouille, nr Laon. South Eastern Section 2 Technical Day, Gland, Switzerland. Romande Section 3 Merton Classic Car Fayre. South Western Section 3 Downside Concours d’Elegance. Great Western Section 4 Rippon Race Course, Classic Car Show Picnic. Yorkshire Section 4 Gawsworth Hall Car Show. Northern Section 4 Bluebell Run with Cornwall Vintage Vehicle Society. South Western Section 7 Fiennes Engineering & Cotswold Woollen Mills. Great Western Section 7-11 Rally in Castiglioncello, Tuscany. Italy Section 8-10 Harveys Point, Donegal. Ireland Section 8–11 Loch Melfort Hotel Weekend, Argyll. Scottish Section 10 Mergate Hall. East Anglian

Section 10 Sherwood Restorations. East Midlands Section 10 Bletchley Park. Surrey Section 13 Chairman’s day at The Hunt House. West Midlands Section 14-16 Spring Rally in Aalborg. Danish Section 16-17 20hp, 20/25, 25/30 & Wraith Seminar, The Hunt House 16-22 French Rally. Silver Ghost Register 17 Hall Place, Leigh. South Eastern Section 17 Yorkshire Sculpture Park Picnic. Yorkshire Section 17 Robinson’s Brewery, Cheshire & lunch. Northern Section 17 Special Lunch to encourage youngsters to join the Club, Waie Inn. South Western Section 17-19 Dedham Vale Weekend. Paulerspury Section 17-23 Rally to Shropshire, Albright Hussey Hotel, Shrewsbury. 25 Register 19 May- 2 Jun Sweden Rally. Swiss Section 23-24 Inaugural Register Picnic at International Weekend, nr Hythe. SZ Register 23-25 Hands Across the Sea, International Weekend, Westenhanger, Hythe. South of England Sections 24 Bristol Motor Show, The Mall, Cribbs Causeway. Great Western Section 24 Afternoon tea, Niarbyl. Isle of Man Section 25 Knebworth Rally. Middlesex Section 31 Robin & Jacky’s Barbecue, Ash. South Eastern Section 31 Beverley. Yorkshire Section 31 May– 3 Jun Spring Break, Lake

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

June

District. East Midlands Section

5-7 Section Weekend, Storrs Hall, Lake Windermere. Northern Section 5-7 AGM & Rally, Lunnsbrunn. Sweden Section 6 Gloucester Motor Show, Highnam Court. Great Western Section 7 Trophy Day, Brooklands. Surrey Section 7 Summer Meeting. Dutch Section 7 Headcorn Aerodrome. South Eastern Section 7 Hartland Quay, Bideford. South Western Section 7 Chippenham Lions Cherished Vehicle Show. Great Western Section 7 Portrack Gardens, Dumfriesshire. Scottish Section 7 Asparagus Day. Swiss Section 13 Polo de Geneve. Romande Section 13-14 Dig for Victory, Wraxall. Great Western Section 14 Spencers Gardens. East Anglian & Essex Sections 14 Ken Hucknall Award & Picnic, Haselour Hall. East Midlands Section 14 British Car Show, Nantua, France. Romande Section 17-19 Silver Ghost Workshop. Silver Ghost Register & East Midlands Section 18 Rolls-Royce Motors Factory, Goodwood. Scottish Section 19-21 ANNUAL RALLY, Burghley House, Stamford 21 Tailgate Get-Together, Annual Rally, Burghley. Paulerspury Section 21 Pre-lunch drinks, Annual Rally. East Anglian Section 21 Father’s Day Rally, Harewood House. Yorkshire Section 21 Bewl Water, Wadhurst. South Eastern Section 21 Highcliffe Castle. Wessex & Great Western Sections 22-24 Carry On in Clevedon. West Midlands Section 23 Jun- 12 Jul The Grand Tour of the Alps. 20hp Register 25-28 Tirol Rally. Swiss Section 26-28 Loeche Les Bains/Leukerbad Rally. Romande Section 27 Hickstead. Central Southern Section 28 Hog Roast. Yorkshire Section Chipping Sodbury Road Run. 28 Great Western Section 28 Lymm Historic Transport Day. Northern Section 28 Pique-nique du Président. France Section

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

28 Polo at Cirencester Park. Great Western Section 28 Broadwell Driving Day. Paulerspury, East Midlands & West Midlands Sections 28 The Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, Enfield. Essex Section 28 Quex Park, Birchington. South Eastern Section 28 Jun-5 J ul Historic Austria Rally, Lienz, Eastern Tyrol. Austria Section 29 Jun-6 J ul Royal Savoy Hotel, Funchal, Madeira. Northern Section

July 3-6 Weekend in Wales to celebrate 50 years of the Silver Shadow. Silver Shadow Register 4 Mid-Summer Jazz, Brockhampton Estate. West Midlands Section 5 President’s Picknick. Dutch Section 5 Wiston Steam Rally, Wiston Park. Central Southern Section 5 Belmont House, Throwley. South Eastern Section 10-12 British Classic Car Meeting, St Moritz. Swiss Section 11 Manchester Airport Transport Fair. Northern Section 11 Yorkshire Air Museum and Elvington Airfield. Yorkshire Section 11-12 Powderham Castle with the Crash Box Club of Devon. Great Western & South Western Sections 12 Kimbolton Fayre. Paulerspury Section 12 Burton Constable Picnic. Yorkshire Section 12 Wiston Steam Rally, Wiston Park. Central Southern Section 12 Multi-Make Rally, Glamis. Scottish Section 12 C S Rolls Memorial Meeting. Wessex Section 12 Newark Air Museum. East Midlands Section 12 Godinton House, Ashford. South Eastern Section 12 Section Rally, Baddow Park. Essex Section 17-19 West Cork, Seaview House Hotel, Ballylickey. Ireland Section 19 Cothay Manor. Great Western Section 19 Sherborne Castle Car Show. Wessex Section 19 Uxbridge Rally. Middlesex Section 19 Foulness Trip. Essex Section 19 35th Anniversary Garden Party, The Hunt House. Paulerspury Section 19 Thames Boat Trip, Henley. Surrey Section

19 Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath. Central Southern Section 19 Chiddingstone Castle, Tonbridge. South Eastern Section 22 Classics on the Common, Harpenden. Paulerspury Section 23 RAF Benson Families Day. Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Section 24-26 Chateau Impney, Worcs. Middlesex Section 26 Pic Nic. Swiss Section 26 Sledmere House Picnic. Yorkshire Section 26 Historic Vehicle Rally. West Bergholt. Essex Section 26 East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens. East Anglian Section 26 Andrew and Jacky Lilly’s, Picnic & Barbecue. West Midlands Section 26 Prize Giving, Aylesford Priory. South Eastern Section 29 Parham House, Storrington. Central Southern Section

August 1 Practice Day, Prescott Hill Climb. Great Western Section 2 Helmingham Hall. East Anglian Section 2 Grimsthorpe Castle. East Midlands & East Anglian Sections 2 Rochester Airport. South Eastern Section 5 Classics on the Green, Croxley Green. Paulerspury Section 8 Astle Park Steam Rally & Classic Car Show. Northern Section 9 Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel. South Eastern Section 9 South Beds Classic Car Show, Pulloxhill. Paulerspury Section 9 North of England Rally, Harewood House 9 Kilbryde Castle, Doune. Scottish Section 9 Hog Roast, Staddles. Central Southern Section 12 Stanway Fountain. West Midlands Section 15 Summer Picnic with City Barge, Sandhurst. Paulerspury & Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Sections 16 Great Dixter, Northiam. South Eastern Section 21 Flying Rally, Castleknock Hotel, Dublin. Ireland & Sweden Sections 22 Summer Proms & Picnic, Castle Howard. Yorkshire Section 22 Technik Seminar, St Gallen. Swiss Section

EVENTS

22-23 Tatton Park Classic Car Show. Northern Section 23 Family Day, Raum, Ostschweiz. Swiss Section 23 Thoresby Hall. East Midlands & Yorkshire Sections 23 Doddington Place Gardens. South Eastern Section 23 Shoreham Airshow. Central Southern Section 30 Wentworth Woodhouse, Classic Car Show. Yorkshire Section 30 Andere Oldtimer. Swiss Section 30 Blenheim Rally. Middlesex Section 31 The Pershore Plum Festival. West Midlands Section

September 1-5 Lake District Rally. Isle of Man Section 3-11 Boppard Rally, Germany. Central Southern Section 4–7 Northern Ireland Part III, Co Londonderry. Scottish Section 5-6 Derby Bentley Seminar, The Hunt House 6 Capel Manor. Essex Section 6 Chantilly Arts et Élégance. France Section 6 Polo De Geneve. Romande Section 6 Churnet Valley Railway 40s Day. Northern Section 6-12 RREC CONTINENTAL RALLY, RONNEBY BRUNN HOTEL & SPA, BLEKINGE, SWEDEN 6-12 Welsh Rally 50th Anniversary, Llandrindod Wells. South Eastern Section 12-13 50 Years Shadow/60 Years Silver Cloud Celebration. Swiss Section 13-17 Isle of Man Rally. 20hp Register & South Western Section 16 Falconry Centre, Moreton-inMarsh. West Midlands Section 16-18 Galgorm Hotel, County Antrim. Ireland Section 17 Autumn Break to Stratfordupon-Avon including visit to Crewe. Surrey Section 19-20 Journées du Patrimoine. France Section 20 Lullingstone Castle, Eynsford. South Eastern Section 20 YHVS Picnic, The Knavesmire, York Racecourse. Yorkshire Section 20 Kelly Castle, Fife. Scottish Section 20 Driving Day, Trough of Bowland. Northern Section 20 Kop Hill. Middlesex Section

21-30 Normandy Rally. 25 Register 25-27 Autumn Leaves Rally, Cambridge. Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Section 25-28 Weekend in Forest of Bowland. Yorkshire Section 25-28 Rallye du Mont Blanc. France & Romande Sections 25-28 Weekend in Bournemouth. Essex Section 26-27 Derby Phantom Seminar, The Hunt House 27 Sortie Mucoviscidose, St Germais-en-Laye. France Section 27 Dartmouth Naval College: Rally & picnic. South Western Section 27 Southwick House, Portsmouth. Central Southern Section 28-29 Autumn Break, Thames Barge Trip. Paulerspury Section 28 Sep- 1 Oct Nene Valley Rally, Wadenhoe House, Peterborough. Mk VI & Silver Wraith Register

October 2-4 Silver Shadow & T Series 50th Anniversary/Silver Cloud & S Series 60th Anniversary, Crewe Hall. Northern Section 3 Greasy Fingers Day. Swiss Section 3 Swiss Classic British Car Meeting, Morges. Romande Section 3-4 Autumn Tour. Dutch Section 4 Bluebell Railway. Middlesex Section 10 Silverstone Tour. Paulerspury Section 11 Waterton Park, Wakefield. Yorkshire Section 11 New Members’ Lunch, Willington Hall. Northern Section 25 Cars on ramps Technical Day, A Scott Services, Abernethy. Scottish Section 25 Halloween Lunch. Northern Section 25 Boys and Toys. Surrey Section 25-28 Mt Blanc Rally. Romande Section 31 Technik Seminar, Brütisellen. Swiss Section

November 1 London to Brighton Run, Oak Barn, Burgess Hill. Central Southern Section 6-8 Epoqu’auto, Lyon, France. Romande Section 7 Technical Meeting, Daatselaar. Dutch Section

7 West Hoathly Garage. Central Southern Section 8 Barton Grange. Northern Section 11 Men & Their Ladies & Their Motors, The Abbey Hotel, Redditch. West Midlands Section 13-15 NEC Classic Car Show 18 Langrish House. Central Southern Section 22 AGM & Lunch, Devon Hotel, Exeter. South Western Section 22 AGM & Lunch, Chart Hills Golf Club, Biddenden. South Eastern Section 28 President’s Luncheon. Romande Section 29 AGM, Burnham. Middlesex Section 29 AGM & Christmas Lunch. Surrey Section

December 6 Christmas Lunch, The Glebe. West Midlands Section 6 AGM & Christmas Lunch. Paulerspury Section 6 AGM & Christmas Lunch. Central Southern Section 6 Christmas Lunch, Rogerthorpe Manor. Yorkshire Section 6 AGM & Christmas Lunch, Crieff Hydro. Scottish Section 6 AGM, Hartwell House. Oxford Founders & Thames Valley Section 6 Christmas Lunch. Essex Section 6 President’s Chlaus Höck. Swiss Section 13 Christmas Lunch, Holiday Inn, Wrotham. South Eastern Section 13 Christmas Lunch. South Western Section

April 2016 18 Apr-1 May Cornwall Rally. Swiss Section

June 20 Jun - 4 Jul Aquitaine and Jersey. 20hp Register

RREC B329 • mar/apr 15

ROLLS - ROY C E EN T HUSIAS T S ’ C LU B The H un t H ouse, H i gh St ree t, Paulerspury, Nor t hamptonshire NN12 7NA

ROLLS - ROY C E EN T HUSIAS T S ’ C LU B

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T h e B u l l e t i n I S S U E B 3 2 9 & a d v e r t i s e r issue 3 9 4

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • issue B329

i n c o r p o r at i n g AP R I L issue 3 9 4 MARCH/APRIL 2015

Bentley Mulsanne Hybrid Concept • Silver Cloud Restoration Series - Part 5 • Our first Chairman