RoycRoft R’oil can
Saturday 8th July 2023
Save the date ! Entry Forms available soon
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Great Re-enactment of the Inaugural Run of the North Shore Branch.
On Sunday the 14th of May (the original was the 12th of May 1973).
Starting where it all began, in Ferry Terminal Queens Pde, Devonport
This Tri Branch Rally starts at 9am to avoid the Peninsular congestion It will cover that same route, a once in fifty-year event never to be repeated. Auckland Branch members and cars also welcome.
Help celebrate the Rally that was the kindling of North Harbour vintage motoring, that led to the blossoming of the North Shore Branch and then the flowering of the Waitemata, Warkworth/ Wellsford Branches. All three branches share their genesis at this event at the same start point in time.
Finish will be at Parry Kauri Park followed by a special 1970’s finger food buffet and mystery Raffle Prize at the Warkworth Wellsford Branch clubrooms, Satellite Road. Warkworth.
Please let Ian Goldingham email goldie@kiwilink.co.nz
or Phone 09 445 8811 know that you are joining us, as we need a reasonable idea of numbers for catering at Warkworth.
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North Shore Branch Vintage Car Club Background
The North Shore Branch of the Vintage Car Club New Zealand Inc. was set up in May 1973 and is now 50 years old. Those members of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand (VCC), the governing body in New Zealand, who were living on the North Shore negotiated with VCC and with the Auckland Branch to take over the membership of the VCC who were residing in that part of the Auckland Branch’s territory, between roughly Pukekohe in the south to Warkworth in the north. To the south was the Waikato Vintage Car Club, which had recently affiliated with the VCC, and to the north was the Whangarei Branch of the VCC. As a result, the territory negotiated was from north of the Auckland harbour to a line horizontally across the country at Warkworth. Most of the North Shore members lived in the suburbs of the North Shore but were scattered northward as far as Orewa and Whangaparaoa. The reasons for the formation of the separate North Shore branch of the VCC were complex, but the main ingredients were as follows:-
1. Most of the Auckland Branch’s rally activities were in South Auckland. Its clubrooms had moved from the use of public premises at Haig Avenue to a shed at MOTAT when that museum was set up. When MOTAT became more successful, and space became at a premium, the Auckland Branch bought a house in Fairfax Avenue in Penrose, where very substantial clubrooms were eventually developed. However, the southern bias of the events still meant a lot of travelling for North Shore members.
2. The Auckland Branch was unwilling to give any resources for what were then called “PVT’s”, (“Post Vintage Thoroughbreds”) in other words, classic and thoroughbred vehicles built after1930, and specified on a list, of which many of the North Shore members were enthusiasts. These vehicles were obviously the future of the Club in any event, and it seemed short-sighted to discourage them. The “list” proved to be contentious in itself.
3. Many of the North Shore members were interested in speed events and hillclimbs. The Auckland Branch was reluctant to cater for these events for a number of reasons. Once the North Shore Branch was set up, hill-climbs were held at Hungry Creek Road, Puhoi, Pinchgut Road, Kaukapakapa, Pebble Brook Road, Wainui, Woodhill Forest and, in association with Ron Roycroft, on a road near his farm in Pukekawa. Very shortly the North Shore Branch’s hill-climb at Chelsea became a very successful and well patronised event.
4. Rallies were also able to be held over really good rally country in Albany and to the north. To emulate the Auckland Branch’s very successful “Hunua 100”
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event, the North Shore Branch set up the “Northern Raid” and similar events, one or two involving 24 hours of motoring.
The core members of the North Shore Branch were those involved in the speed events and restoration. At the risk of missing important people out, the following were perhaps the leaders in the establishment of the North Shore Branch:- Richard and John Stanley, Wallace McNair, Frank de Lautour, Harold Kidd, John (now William) Hearne, Brian Johnstone, Colin and Gaye Keenan, John Stringer, Keith Humphries, David Keruse, Lawrence Poolman, John Gairdner, Ian Goldingham, Peter Maxwell, Warren Johansen, Clive Sandham and Bob Ballantyne.
After the North Shore Branch was set up, clubrooms were considered to be an essential element of its future. Harold Kidd and Frank de Lautour already had a storage facility for old cars (36 of them) at the old bus barns in Clarence Street, Devonport. These were scheduled for demolition in the reasonably near future, but in the meantime provided excellent accommodation for the committee meetings in an office, and storage for many vehicles. It was these facilities that enabled the Branch to acquire a Dennis bus to restore and later a Dennis fire engine of the same model from Graham Craw of Anawhata as parts. Club nights were devoted to this restoration project.
The Branch hosted the AGM of the VCC at the Mon Desir Hotel shortly after 1973, an event that put the Branch on the National map. A group of the musically inclined founders formed a band for the event known as “Sue’s Syncopators” which gave a great deal of pleasure to the musicians if not to the rank and file of the VCC.
As the time approached for the demolition of the bus barns in Clarence Street, the Branch had to look for other sites for its clubrooms. Harold Kidd and Brian Johnstone purchased for the Branch a 10-acre block in Oteha Valley Road, a narrow, very picturesque strip of land running between the road and the stream to its north. Harold and Pauline Kidd donated the house which contains the current clubrooms to the Club. The house had been built in about 1900 for the Auckland Harbour Master at the corner of Russell Street and Calliope Road, Stanley Bay, but had deteriorated into a rabbit warren of tenancies by the time the site was being re-developed. The Club raised enough funds to purchase the Oteha Valley Road land from Kidd and Johnstone and shift the Russell Street house under the skilled direction of Frank de Lautour. I am a little vague on the dates but guess that the acquisition of the land and the siting of the house in Oteha Valley Road occurred in mid-1980.
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The Club then went from strength to strength but suffered a similar exodus of its members to the new Waitemata Branch in 1984, when many of the original movers to set up the North Shore Branch decided to leave for similar reasons.
The details of the acquisition of the land in Oteha Valley Road for the motorway interchange and the shifting of the house to its splendid current site are wellknown to all.
Harold Kidd.
Anecdote 1
Frank De Lautour arranged with Graham Craw for the North Shore Branch to purchase a Dennis fire engine he had in the front of his property at Anawhata. This involved a large operation, attended by several of the keener members, who were just as keen to enjoy Craw’s hospitality, his Maxim machine gun trained down the hallway and his delightful violin-playing wife.
As power for the huge transporter trailer, we had my absolutely brand new, bright yellow and matte black Leyland P 76 Targa Sprint V8, which increasingly looked like not man-enough for the job, particularly pulling the Dennis out of its resting place and up a steepish metal road out of Anawhata. Fortunately, the Leyland had extra Force 7 gear, a Warner T4 box and a limited slip diff. Even so, there was quite a lot of wheel spinning but no P 76’s were harmed during the process. (Yes, I was there. Ed.)
Anecdote 1A
" The extraction of the 2nd Dennis which was in fact actually a fire engine. This was acquired as a spares source from Graham Craw's home property in Anawhata! In a funny twist the whole exercise almost came undone, when after loading it all onto John Gairdner's car trailer, Graham Craw demanded that he be paid in cash otherwise we could unload it again! There was an embarrassing huddle amongst the members which established that none of the organisers had foreseen this outcome and no one had such a sum of money on or between them. Fortunately, in those days I was young , single and was paid by South Pacific TV fortnightly in cash! Pay day had been on Thursday, this was the following Sunday and I hadn't broken open my pay packet. So, to the astonishment of some senior members, I stepped forward and offered to pay for the Dennis so long as I was reimbursed asap! There were a lot of relieved faces, as the prospect of having to unload several tons of rusty fire engine was not great.”
Supplied by at that time Young Ian Goldingham.
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Anecdote 2
Soon after the North Shore Branch was set up, I was appointed National Club Captain, which was an incredibly large task as it involved going to most of the major rallies in the country. For a while I did this with my quick Nash 6 Roadster. Then Dick Stanley and I owned a 1938 de Havilland DH94 open twoseater monoplane* which we decided to fly to some of the major rallies. We were later joined in the ownership by Wallace McNair. It became a point of honour to attend on behalf of the North Shore Branch, the Irishman’s Rally, every year in mid-June. It was quite a task going through the adiabatic lapse rate. It became extremely cold at any altitude in the open plane. We also had to traverse Cook Strait without radio and without life jackets. Life jackets weren’t much use if you went down because, being a wooden aircraft, we had no radar image anyway.
At Evening Civil Twilight after a long flight, it was a joy to land on Rob Shand’s home paddock at Fairlie( which had a light snow covering) where the festivities took place after the Irishman’s Creek Rally. The highlight was playing Caveman Football. The football was a sheep’s head sewn into an old towel, which got bloodier and bloodier. (Once a feral expired cat sewn into an old football, Ed.) One way and another we made as much impact as we could in the national scene for the North Shore Branch.
From the editor: Our thanks to Harold Kidd and additional material from our archivist, Ian Goldingham for this epistle of the origin story of the rise of proper vintage motoring in the region. I was one of the early members of this Branch from 1974, at that time owning two Velocettes, still in my ownership, both remaining one year younger than I, restored but require to be used. The hillclimbs were great fun as were the events, the evenings in the bus shed, the sagas retold of heroic adventures on two, three and four wheels. I sang badly in the band, but the practice evenings were very exciting as we fought over the notes and rhythms, beating it into a well delivered memory of the music of the vintage period. I also renamed the Dennis project as the Long-Range Dennis Group, how prophetic.
*ZK AKM was recently in the tender care of Stan Smith, now in new hands.
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Flinging the M type round the Mangaweka
Once upon a time back in the 1920’s Lea Francis made a name for themselves by promoting their vehicle’s abilities in a variety of regularity trials all over the United Kingdom. Teams led by works manager Burt Tatow achieved an astonishing number of gold medals and richly deserved publicity. Fast forward a hundred years and we’re still thrashing these same cars over what little rugged countryside, is still to be found! Recently we took the M type down South for a two day purely back country roads, vintage cars only event. This is the second time we have done this rally and felt it was a good time to stretch the Lea Francis and give Jacqui the opportunity to become acquainted with driving something other than the Sunbeam.
Branded as the “Highland Fling”, this relatively new Rally has been specifically created to exclude the post 1931 cars and return to the challenge of VCC motoring as we knew it in the 70’s! Organised by Bay of Plenty Branch, it’s organisers Kaaren Smylie and Alastair Jones have no doubt taken inspiration from both the Irishmans Creek event and our own R’Oil Can Rally, to which they are both no strangers!
Run over Anzac weekend the Rally has been based out of Taihape, which meant we were able to immediately access 200 plus miles of tarmac and unsealed rural roads with little traffic. There were plenty of changes in topography, gradient,
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one-way bridges, slips, washouts, and gravel galore! It was evident that road repairs had taken priority over road maintenance in some stretches!
Due to the post tropical cyclone disruption of the Cook Strait ferry services, our lack of South Island entries meant the expected 120 vehicles dropped to about 80. Regardless we were swamped by Model A’S and Chevs and those few of us with something different such as Delage, Hotchkiss, Standard 6 and Vauxhall 23/60 briefly shone like bright pennies until covered in multiple layers of Mangaweka mud! Saturday morning was a good steady tour out over some of the roads we had done in 2021 but coming at them from the opposite direction. Waitemata Branch just one of 14, was ably represented by the Beesley brothers in the irrepressible Hotchkiss which should have been sponsored by Every Ready, because it just kept on going and going! After a box lunch at the River Valley Lodge Café on the Rangiteiki River, we crawled up into the back country of the Gentle Annie and endured a 30 km run over full width corrugations and the occasional series of kamikaze potholes. As the day progressed the attrition rate rose with various cars succumbing to crippling aliments such as blown head gaskets, split fuel tanks, air leaks in vacuum tanks and unforeseen damage cause by the vintage nature of the metal roads. The M type was not immune to the conditions and managed to lose a securing nut for a friction shock absorber, then detached the rear section of its exhaust pipe, which was no bad thing noise wise, according to our fellow entrants who were impressed. But all these minor setbacks were all dealt with on the roadside with the help of friends and whatever was in the toolbox. It meant we were soon on our way and able to assist someone else who had fallen by the wayside. One of the key features of this agrarian event is the use of the private access roads on the larger farming stations. True to tradition, this year did not disappoint with a 20 km detour deep into the back blocks of Ohinewairua Station, followed by a muddy link through a grassy paddock onto Erewhon Station, where we did a challenging steep slog uphill onto the main road. Some entrant’s vehicles seemed to be running out of puff by this stage of the day be it overheating, lack of fuel on the inclines or not enough grunt under the bonnet?
Sunday was more of the same, 7.50am roll call and directions. 8.00am a rolling mass start down the main street and out of town to ascend the surrounding hill country through the low cloud. Breaking out the on the top ridges to rainbows and scattered sunshine, we again dive down into the back roads and valleys to
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emerge 35miles later in Hunterville for morning tea. Then, its back on a deeper, parallel, hinterland route to a fulsome lunch at the Mataroa School where we did a fair trade of the best of country cooking for a few free rides for the local mokopuna. Of course, it was all a cunning ruse to add weight to those entrants who were then lured into Derek Haycock’s afternoon entertainment of some seemingly simple field tests in a grassy paddock! Jacqui was keen to have a go but having seen the mechanical carnage from the previous year, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour. After all we still had to drive all the way home to Auckland.
As an interesting aside I did note that most of the cars that became hors de combat during the event had arrived on trailers and went home the same way!
At the end of Sunday, a full-on Highland Dinner was held at the Gretna Hotel with Robbie Burns, Haggis, Pipers and of course good Scotch to finish a great weekend with vintagents.
Monday morning saw us loaded up and heading North to home through some appalling alpine weather which broke the windscreen wipers! The old guard would have been proud of us, none of this modern big SUV and trailer malarky! Cruised home through evening rush hour traffic, arriving back at dusk with 782 extra miles on the odometer!
Foot note: Jacqui drove the M type properly for the first time on this trip, her impressions are as below.
Ian has owned the Leaf for 50+ years and although it has been restored for 20 of those, it has always been a work in progress to correct the balance of the car having been modified in the 1940s by Coombes Bros CHCH. The engine having been moved back to mount a supercharger off the front timing chest that ultimately damaged the engine! The position of the engine created problems for the thermo-syphoning radiator resulting in overheating. The wrong offset on wire wheels made the car extremely heavy to drive and a touchy gearbox made the almost impossible to learn to drive in the Auckland traffic. Numerous improvements by trial and error, now created a well-rounded car.
So, when Ian announced that we would take the LeaF to the Highland fling I was excited and decided I should learn to drive it, so we could share the driving, as we do in the Sunbeam. Months went past quickly; the bad weather and a fuel
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line problem took longer to solve than expected. The warrant of fitness was gained a few days before leaving but I hadn’t had a chance to learn to drive it.
We took off from Auckland 10am and the traffic was still heavy, we made the decision to stop the night in Turangi to break the drive. With plans to head down the western side of Lake Taupo, Ian pulled over a Whakamaru Dam and suggested I give driving a try. I expected to try a few miles going up and down the gears a few times and getting a feel for the car.
I swapped to the driver’s seat worked out the gear pattern on the right-hand gear change, fiddled about under the dashboard to find invisible switches for water pump and windscreen wipers, turned key on and pushed the starter. The LeaF roared in the life first time, I closed my eyes as I put her in to gear, no graunch that’s a good start and I pulled on to the road. The first gear changes were done at too higher revs but after a while I settled in to being able to hear the engine.
The LeaF is much lighter than the Sunbeam to drive and is quite hard work to gently cox her on the windy road, she dances in the wet conditions but has a lot more torque on the hills if you take them at the right speed. It takes a while to get use to her, but it is not long, and I am beginning to enjoy the drive. An hour and a half of driving in damp conditions on SH 32 and I feel that I can drive this pretty light sports car. The LeaF requires your attention at all times and is not a relaxing car to drive, in return she is light and fast and a joy to drive.
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Not in the LeaF ,at the rear of the Hotchkiss.
Opposite the Gretna, Taihape.
The Highland Fling 2023.
Passing veils of Scotch mist cloaking the green hills and hazing the glens. Angus cattle, black and solid against green pastures. Scotch thistle blooming along the back country byways. The high road, the low road, the “is this really a road?”
Welcome to the 2023 Highland Fling. Upwards of 70 drivers from eighteen different VCC branches. Fords ‘T’ and the ubiquitous A, Essex, Hudson, Willys Knight, Dodge, Chevrolet, Chrysler, a preponderance of Americana, interspersed with the odd Brit and Europeandiminutive Austin 7’s, Hotchkiss, Vauxhall, Standard, Delage, Talbot, Lea Francis.
Way out back of beyond, always on the road less travelled as evidenced from time to time by the grass growing down the middle and by the lack of other traffic.
Vintage vehicles, line astern on the road ahead, sometimes close, sometimes flashes of colour glimpsed in the distance. Vintage vehicles coming up behind.
Vintage vehicles swinging around corner after corner, hauling up the inclines, cautiously navigating steep declines, dodging potholes, weaving around washouts, axles tramping over corrugations. There were a lot of corrugations.
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Vintage vehicles pressing on, some progressing at more leisurely pace, vintage vehicles pulled over to admire views, to refasten loosened components, to top up water or oil levels.
Vintage vehicles stopped to give the chauffeur’s arms a rest and the passengers’ legs a stretch. Vintage vehicles wherever you looked. Welcome to the 2023 Highland Fling.
Kevin Beesley
True vintage motoring roads and conditions.
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Picture credits are from Jacqui Goldingham, Beesley, and other participants in the event. Chev below was a favourite of Ian. Proper chap, he said.
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Leader of the Pack!
After being cancelled earlier in the year, the event proceeded in good weather. I took the Riley to be part of the Branch’s display of selected vintage and post vintage sporting offerings. The traffic was easy in the early Sunday which was unexpected, and I arrived to be directed quickly to the display area that was designated to us. For a Branch of the Club that has impeccable taste and presence, we were allocated the prime spot at the main entrance .under the spreading arms of trees and backed by heritage buildings.
As peoples entered, they had before them the prize crop of the best the region could offer; The Mighty Sunbeam of David Adams, well admired on the day, the 1931 Riley 9 Overseas Tourer ( the WD), the open Riley 12/4, now run by Stan, Club Captain and driven by his grandson (who had conquered the preselect box and is longing to start on the MGA. He is considering assisting me to recommission the bikes in the shed at home. Good chap.)
Next in the line was the Ferner Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mk II. It was besieged by small boys bouncing up and down telling Father what it was and others weak at the knees, genuflecting and wanting the touch the hem of Ray’s garments. Next in its sartorial elegance, was the Riley Kestrel 12/4 of Harold. A sporting gentleman’s transport of the mid 1930’s, a pleasure to drive, a joy to own. Our final offering was the Singer Le Mans of Mike Hope-Cross, an exponent of the marque for many years, and provider of the finest grass gymkhana in the region.
With the fine weather, there was a good crowd and plenty to see from the mediocre to the exotic. I viewed the Z Club, but no 350 Roadster. Might join them for some events. Talked to the Jowett group and those with Jupiters who
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The Ellerslie Car Show.
seek events to show their prowess. There is a batch of these under rebuild for the track, will be good to see them play with us.
Rob and Dean ponder on the purchase of another car for the collections, and the cones, seen everywhere are sending confusing messages.
Team Andrew admire his selection chosen for the event.
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The car pictures were taken by Ray Ferner. I gave him the camera, with charged batteries, to give us his personal view of the day. Marvellous shots. The Ed.
Chairmans Report
It has been a very busy month with the running of two previously postponed events one at the beginning and one at the end. Unfortunately, our scheduled gymkhana at the North Shore Airfield had to be cancelled. Being low lying the airfield gets the runoff from the surrounding area. So with the real chance of running a mud plug it will be rescheduled for dryer times.
Our next events are the re-enactment of the first run of the North Shore Branch Fifty Years ago. The event is almost 50 years to the day a rerun. The original route sheets will be followed .We encourage you dress up or down for the occasion either in period or 70s attire. It is an early start, not get you out of bed but to beat the traffic getting out of Devonport on a Saturday morning. There is also the running of the Roycroft Trophy near the end of the month. Hopefully we may be able to bring Terry along.
Yearly WOFs are on their way I am told. However, you will need a VIC (vehicle identity card) for your car. Headquarters in Christchurch are anticipating a busy period when it comes through. Apply now and avoid the rush.
Chairman Rob
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From Head Office, Christchurch
Hi Everyone
We have been negotiating with Peter Martin from Targa with regard to various issues of concern the VCC has about the event going forward, specifically around entry pricing, communication and the level of organisation and support to our entrants.
We have not been able to make satisfactory progress and sadly Rod and Anne Corbett have made the difficult decision to stand down from the position of Speed Steward and their involvement for the event. On behalf of all of us, our very grateful thanks go to Rod and Anne for their untiring commitment to the event and their hard work is very much appreciated. Regretfully I have to advise that the Vintage Car Club has made the decision that it will be in the best interests for the Club to withdraw from Targa this year. We must have absolute confidence in the organisation and integrity of any event which is run under the Vintage Car Club/VCC name. We understand that Targa NZ may be considering running a time trial event of some sort in October 2023, but the VCC is unable to confirm this. For anyone who has already entered or is possibly considering entering, we recommend that you contact Targa NZ directly, especially if you would now like to withdraw and require a refund.
Kind regards
Diane Quarrie National President
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated
The Historic Vehicle Authority of New Zealand
Comment from the Editor:
A bit sad to hear of this as the event last year was a personal eye opener to this sort of motoring. I had never considered this but under the direction and joint venture with the chairman I entered into another world of motorsport. I took naturally to the dust, the spinning wheels, the red mist as the timing counted down and of course the seduction of the Mighty Mercedes as a potent demon on the closed road. I would encourage members to undertake this challenge when it returns.
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*****************************************************
THE"GREYHOUND"V8FORD.
ACARWITHAHIGHPERFORMANCEATAMODERATEPRICE.
TAKEapowerfulandsmooth-runningV8enginedeveloping65h.p.andputitinalightchassis.Theresultis acceleration,themostdesirablequalityinasportscar.TheaccelerationfiguresoftheV8Fordarecomparablewith thoseofcarscostingdoublethepriceandareputupinaneffortlessmannerwhichshouldpreservethechassisfrom prematurewearandtear.Thepetrolconsumptionisabout15m.p.g.,andthe£30taxisoffsetbyaninsurance premiumof£15.
Theeight-cylinderenginehasitstwofour-cylinderblocksmountedat90°,andtheboresareoffsetsothattwo connectingrodsoperateoneachcrankshaftthrow.Thethrowsarearrangedat90°tooneanotherandthetwobigendsoperatealongsideoneanotheronafloatingsteelbushfacedwithwhite-metalinsideandout.Thecrankshaft runsinthreeplainbearings.Aluminiumpistonsareused.
Theside-by-sidevalvesareoperatedbyasinglecamshaftwhichiscarriedabovethecrankcasebetweenthetwo blocks.Thedistributorisdrivenfromthefrontendandthepetrolpumpattherear.Fuelisdrawnfromanelevengallontankattherearofthechassisandsuppliedtothelargedown-draughtcarburettor.Thishasalarge mushroomshapedairfilter,andaneasystartingdeviceintheformofanauxiliaryjetsupplyingrichmixturewhen thechokecontrolispulledoutonthedash.Thethrottleisslightlyopenedatthesametime.
Theignitionadvanceandretardisautomaticallycontrolledbyavacuumdiaphragmontheinductionpipe.The inductionmanifoldoccupiesthespacebetweenthetwo-cylinderblocksandthroughitprojectstheoilfilter.The sumpholdsagallonofoil,andapumpcirculatesittomainconnectingrodandcamshaftbearings.
Abeltfromapulleyontheforeendofthecrankshaftdriveswater-pumpsoneachcylinderblockandalsothe dynamoandfan.Adjustmentisaffectedbymovingthedynamo.
Theengine-gear-boxunitisrubber-mountedontwoconesatthefrontendandonarubber-facedplaterestingona cross-memberattherear.Whentheacceleratorisdepressed,thewholeenginerocksaninchormore,andalsothe gear-leverandbrake-lever.Petrolandotherpipesarethereforeflexible.Whenthecarisontheroad,thepower-unit doesnotmoveperceptibly,buttheflexiblemountingdampsoutanyvibrationwhichmayoccur.
Asingle-plateclutchtransmitsthedrivetoathree-speedgearboxandsecondgearisasilentratio,drivingthrough helicalgears,andisalsoprovidedwiththesynchro-meshmechanism.Anopenpropellorshaftisused,withspiral bevelfinaldrive.
Thechassisframeisdroppedforeandaft,andthetransversesprings,forsolongafeatureofFordcars,havebeen retained.Theaxlesarelocatedbyradiusrods.Thefour-wheelbrakesareoperatedbyrodsandthehandlever appliestherearbrakesonly.
The"Greyhound"openbody,whichismarketedjointlybyArthurGouldLtd.ofUpperRegentStreet,W.1.andW. ArthurPerryofNorthFinchley,providescomfortableaccommodationforfourpeople.Thefrontseatshave pneumaticupholsteryandcanbemovedbackwardsorforwardsonslackingoffwingnuts.Thedrivingpositionbrings allthecontrolsunderthedriver'sreachbutforalong-leggedandtalldriverthesteeringcolumnmightwith advantagebetwoorthreeincheslonger.Thisshouldnotbedifficulttoarrange.TheAshbysteeringwheelprovides acomfortablegrip.Therearseatsarewellpaddedandhavegoodlegroomevenwhenthefrontseatshavebeen movedback,andthehighbodysidesprotectthepassengersfromwindandcold.
PHOENIX Number 328 May 2023 Page | 21
Thecarisfittedwithwell-fittinghoodandsidecurtains,butinordertoallowthefrontonestobefittedclosetothe windscreenonfuturemodelsthedoorswillbehingedattheforwardends.
Thesuspensionwithnormaltyrepressuresandshockabsorbersettingswastooflexibleforfastrunning,butby increasingtheformerandtighteninguptheAndrefrictiondampers,fittedadditionaltothehydraulicdevices,a satisfactorydegreeofsteadinesswasattained.
Theaccelerationgraphshowstheverygoodperformanceofwhichthecariscapable,andupto40m.p.h.avery usefulspeedintrafficandoncrowdedroads,fewsportscars,evenatdoubletheprice,canholdit.Evenupto70 theV8holdsitsown,and60isreachedfromastandingstartin21½seconds,whichshowsthevalueofalight chassisingettingquickly"unstuck."Allthisisaccomplishedinalmostcompletesilence,withoutvibration,sothat onecanusethecar'saccelerationtothefullincrowdedareaswithoutattractingunwelcomeattention.
Thethree-speedgearboxwassuchthattheabsenceofafourthratiowasnotfelt.Comfortablespeedsinthegears are30and50,atrevs.of4,100and3,900respectively,whileatthemaximumspeedonthelevel,76ontop,the engineisrunningat3,700r.p.m.Byadvancingtheignitionanother6degrees,whichthedistributoradjustment allows,theconcessionaireshopetoreachaneven80m.p.h.,afineperformanceforacaroftheFord'scomfortand flexibility.
Secondgeariscompletelysilent,andthoughthesimplestofdouble-clutchingensuresasilentchange,the synchromeshmechanismisworthusingsimplyasamatterofinterest.Tomakeuseofthis,theclutchisfully depressed,andthegear-levermovedgentlyintothesecondgearnotch.Conesonthepinionsarebroughttogether andsynchronisetheirrotationalspeed,andtheyengagesilently.Theclutchpedalisthenreleasedgently,preferably withadepressionoftheacceleratortobringtheenginespeeduptothatoftheclutchmemberwhichisbeingdriven bythebackwheels.
From40m.p.h.thebrakesbroughtthecartorestin69feet,whichisnotuptothenormalsportscarfigure.In practiseowingtotheirsmoothactionandthefactthatthecardidnotswerveatallwhentheywereapplied,we werenotinconvenienced.Furthermore,bytakingadvantageofthesynchro-meshdevicethebrakepedalcanbe keptonrightuptoacorner,theacceleratornotbeingrequiredforthechange-down.
Handlingthecarontheroad,wefounditwouldmaintainaneffortless60-65indefinitelywithoutfussornoise.The steering,whichisratherlowgearedandwithoutcaster,behaveswellontheopenroad,asitislightandaccurate, butfortwistyby-roadsthesteeringwheelhastobewoundaboutagooddeal.
Theheadlampsgiveanevenlyilluminatedfieldofview,andallow50-60m.p.h.tobekeptupinsafety.Acontrolin thecentreofthesteeringwheeldipsthebeamorswitchesofftheheadlightsfortownrunning.
TheV8Fordcombinessportscarperformancewithsilentrunningandeasyhandling,allatamoderateprice.Withits compactbuildandhigh-powerratio,itshouldbeanidealtrialcar,anditsgoodaccelerationmakesitsuperiorin gettingawaytoagoodmanycarsbuiltinitiallyasasportsproduction.
T.G.M.
Period article from ‘Motor Sport, January 1933
This is an option for those with passions for Fords, here using the Model B with the V8 or could use the 4-cylinder motor with the pressurised crank with all bells and whistles. The Midgley driven Ford is a sporting and touring fine example. There is one of these motors in a Riley 9 chassis, and they are seen in the occasional Fraser Nash chassis. Aeroscreens or a fold flat screen off a Morris 8 Sports and you are ready for the track, hillclimb or trails, the
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Anoff-sideviewoftheengine.
R’oil Can, all bid a welcome. Body in ply or perforated sheet metal with Everflex covering Sweeping wings with running boards for luggage. Plenty of options. There would be as many Ford chassis’ as Austin 7s, Food for thought!
Penance section
A new one for the sins of the editor.
Miss Spelling of Branch Heroine’s name.
Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys
Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys
Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys
Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys Dee Humphreys
(I had to do this penance at school.)
To Branch Scribe, photographer, and Riley exponent, John King.
His Riley is a Plus Ultra Tourer. (I should have known this as it was the first Riley I was instructed in driving , in the proper manner.)
There are occasional miss- spellings and incomprehensible grammar in this periodical, but I plead that it is due to excessive enthusiasm which attacks the fingertips on the keyboard.
From the Hillclimb comes further news.
You will remember the presence of Bill Hohepa and his wife at the event who were filming. They have produced a couple of episodes in “Dad’s old Car” on his YouTube channel which has the event with the Editor doing the voice over. There is an interview with the Branch Poster Boy, Les Harris and another one with Joe Bruntlett in the Badger U2.
The links are below and are Episodes 18 and 20.
https://youtu.be/PDYnjqPBd2E
https://youtu.be/mqmiAXZNd9U
Thanks Bill, brilliant job.
For the event we give thanks to the landowners, entrants, the Historic Racing and Sports Car Club and the MG Car Club, and infrastructure suppliers, without whose help, this would not have happened.
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