1927/39 ERA Delage

This car took part in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's Ray Potter's ERA Delage which appeared alongside ten ERAs in the 29 car field for this race. The car had a 6-cylinder 1,488cc ERA engine with two-stage Roots supercharging, and the programme of the event said this about the it:

 

'Ray Potter's ERA-Delage has the engine from one of the ill-fated E-type ERAs in a 1927 GP Delage chassis.'

 

The Delage was one of Albert Lory's 1927 Delage 15 S8 cars which had dominated the 1927 season, winning all four of the European Grand Prix races.

1911 Vauxhall C-type Prince Henry Tourer

This is a photograph that I took in Manchester before the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It’s a 1911 Vauxhall C-type and the programme of the event had this note about the car:

 

21.      Vauxhall Motors Ltd., Luton, Bedfordshire.

             (Driver – Mr. A.A.Garland).

             1911 Vauxhall C-type “Prince Henry” Tourer, 20 h.p.

Here is an early example of the famous “Prince Henry” models designed by Lawrence Pomeroy and regarded by some experts as the first true Vauxhall sports car. It is named after Prince Henry of Prussia who sponsored early motor reliability trials, and the original price of the chassis alone was £485. The 3-litre side-valve engine of four cylinder construction has a cone clutch, four-speed gearbox and bevel gear rear axle. Maximum speed is around 70 m.p.h. at about 25 m.p.g.

1935 Frazer Nash

This car took part in a ‘Handicap Race for Frazer Nash and GN Cars’ at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It’s the 1935 Frazer Nash of B.Hopkins, and the only information about it in the programme of the event is that it had a 1,498cc engine, presumably the 4-cylinder inline Meadows unit.

1925 D.F.P.

This is a photograph that I took during a Handicap race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

The entry list for this race in the programme of this event says that number 178 is the 1925 D.F.P. of W.R.Halkyard and it has a 1,098cc engine. A further note in the programme says "Other unusual cars in the handicaps include No. 178, W.R.Halkyard's 1925 D.F.P., a make made famous before the first World War by W.O.Bentley".

1896 Lutzmann Victoria

This is a photograph that I took amidst road works on the Crescent, part of the A6 in Salford, during the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It's an 1896 Lutzmann Victoria., one of two such cars taking part in the run, and this one was entered by the St. Annes Motor Museum. A note in the programme of the event covered both cars and this is what it said:

1.     St Annes Motor Museum, St. Annes, Lancashire.

        (Driver - Mr. N.E.J. Bradshaw)

        1896 Lutzmann Victoria, 4 h.p.

2.     Mr Bernard W. Garrett, Hurst Green, Oxted, Surrey.

        1896 Lutzmann Victoria, 4 h.p.

These two rare examples of the single-cylinder (2,370 c.c.) Lutzmann "gentleman's carriage" are the only known models still in running order to survive from the Lutzmann automobile works at Dessau in what is now East Germany. Which is the elder brother is a fine point of discrimination not easily decided, but both have common link in one-time ownership. It is known that both were imported into this country by a Mr. Cousons (or Koosens) of Southsea in Hampshire, who must have been most impressed by the reports of their performance on the Kaiser's roads - long before Hitler's autobahns. The fact that they are still in road-worthy order despite their great age and years of neglect is certainly most impressive by present-day manufacturing standards. Without making an issue of it, Mr. Garrett has an authority from the Veteran Car Club dated November 1956 stating that his entry is the earliest known Lutzmann. On the other hand, Mr. Nigel Bradshaw thinks that his model was the first brought into this country. It matters little. The splendid old Lutzmann machines, which incidentally are the great grandfathers of the present Opel car, are certainly the oldest veterans ever to take part in the Manchester - Blackpool Run. Both were entries last year, but brake trouble forced Mr. Garrett to be a non-starter.

1932 Morgan three-wheeler

This is a photograph that I took in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's the 1932 Morgan three-wheeler of M.J.Guess which has a V-twin 980cc engine and competed in a 4 lap handicap race for Vintage and P.V.T. Cars and Morgan 3-Wheelers at the meeting.

1930 Alvis 12/50

I took this photograph in the paddock (when it was a paddock and not a tarmac strip) at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's Frank Spencer's 1930 Alvis 12/50 which competed in a handicap race at the meeting. The Alvis 12/50 was produced from 1923 to 1932 and 3,705 were built, with a choice of 3 different sizes of the 4-cylinder inline ohv engine. Frank Spencer's car had the 1,645cc unit.

 

1904 Quadrant Tri-Car

This is a photograph that I took on the Crescent, part of the A6 in Salford, during the Lancashire Automobile Club’s Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973. Not really the most photogenic place to pick in view of the road works that were in place!

It’s the 1904 Quadrant Tri-car of Dr C J Brooks and the programme of the event had this information about the car4:

 

11.   Dr. C. J. Brooks, Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire,

          1904 Quadrant Tri-Car “Carette”, 5 h.p.

Built at the Quadrant cycle manufacturing works in Birmingham, the “Carette” model has two completely separate single cylinder engines (left hand 400 c.c. and right hand 450 c.c.) with drive to a common countershaft. This shaft has a cone leather clutch at either end so that two speeds can be selected to drive the single rear wheel. Speed is controlled by advancing or retarding the ignition once the mixture of throttle and air has been set. It is one of only three Quadrants still in existence.

1939 Delage

This car competed in two handicap races at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies race meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

The only information about the car in the programme of the event is that it is a 1939 Delage with a 2,995cc engine and was driven by P. Graham. It looks like a Delage D6, though that car had a 2,798cc engine - the DVLA record says that it can't find any details for FGJ 809.

1936 ERA R12B 'Hanuman II'

This car competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's the 1937 ERA R12B of Bill Morris which has a supercharged 6-cylinder inline1,488cc engine and was driven in the race by Tony Stephens.  Bill Morris owned two ERAs, R12B and R12C and the two cars have a strange history, R12B being a works car that was originally built in 1936 with a 2 litre engine as a B-type car, but in 1937 it was rebuilt to C-type specifications, thus becoming R12C, and given a 1½ litre engine. In 1938 it was sold to Prince Chula to become one of his White Mouse stable's trio of ERAs driven by Prince Bira, where it was given the name 'Hanuman'. In 1939 the car was badly damaged in a crash during practice at Reims and was rebuilt with a B-type frame, reverting to being R12B and the name changing to 'Hanuman II'. After passing through various hands after the Second World War it came to Bill Morris. Bill Morris had managed to acquire the rest of the wreckage left over from the 1939 crash and using the damaged chassis frame rebuilt the car to its 1939 C-type specifications by 1982. That car was now R12C, as if the 1939 accident had never happened, and was given the original car's name of 'Hanuman'.

1909 FN

This was one of the participants in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It's a 1909 FN and this is the note about the car in the programme of the event:

18. Mr. Frank E. Dell, Long Grove, Seer Green, Bucks.

       1909 F.N. (Fabrique National) Two-Seater, 8 h.p.

The F.N. has been in Mr. Dell's ownership for the past 25 years, and he still finds it a very reliable and pleasing car to drive. It has won awards in rallies all over England.

1935 MG Q-type & 1933 MG J4

This is a photograph I took in the paddock of two cars that competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

Number 51 is Colvin Gunn's 1935 MG Q-type special of Colvin Gunn which has a 939cc supercharged engine and number 52 is the 1933 MG J4 of Colin Tieche which has a 746cc supercharged engine.

1927/39 ERA Delage

This car took part in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's Ray Potter's ERA Delage which appeared alongside ten ERAs in the 29 car field for this race. The car had a 6-cylinder 1,488cc ERA engine with two-stage Roots supercharging, and the programme of the event said this about the it:

 

'Ray Potter's ERA-Delage has the engine from one of the ill-fated E-type ERAs in a 1927 GP Delage chassis.'

 

The Delage was one of Albert Lory's 1927 Delage 15 S8 cars which had dominated the 1927 season, winning all four of the European Grand Prix races.

1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

This is a photograph I took before the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It's the 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost of Kenneth Neve and the programme of the event had this note about the vehicle:

'35. Mr Kenneth Neve, Aston-by-Budworth, Cheshire

       1911 Rolls-Royce "London-Edinburgh" Silver Ghost, 45 h.p.

In 1911 Rolls-Royce won a Challenge from Napier. The late Lord Hives, at that time Mr. Hives and the company's chief tester, drove a Silver Ghost with underslung cantilever rear springs, enlarged carburettor and higher compression ratio from London to Edinburgh in top gear. The journey was completed at a fuel consumption of 24.3 m.p.g. and then to prove that the axle ratio was not absurd, the car was taken to Brooklands where it clocked 78.3 m.p.h. Thus did the first sporting Rolls-Royce get the name "Type London-Edinburgh", and R1075 was the car that made the historic journey. In 1963 Mr. Kenneth Neve recognised a dejected chassis in Hampshire for what it was. Now, some 5,000 working hours later, the first "London-Edinburgh" is just as it might have been seen more than 60 years ago, serenely whispering its way on the Great North Road in top gear and heading for the Scottish capital.'

Kenneth Neve was at one time President of the Vintage Sports Car Club.

1902 James and Browne Tonneau

This was one of the cars that took part in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It's the 1902 James and Browne Tonneau of the City and Guilds Motor Club and was a regular competitor in the early years of this run. The James and Browne cars were produced between 1896 and 1910 and only two cars are known to have survived. The programme of the event had this information about the car:

14 Professor H. Ford, City & Guilds College, London, S.W.7.

(Driver Mr. P Wilkins).

1902 James and Browne Tonneau, 2,460 c.c.

Named "Boanerges" after the Old Testament sons of thunder, the rare James and Browne four-seater is the mascot of the City & Guilds Motor Club. The London-built car with its twin-cylinder 9 h.p. engine is painted in the livery colours of the City of London and has taken part in the Lord Mayor's Show on several occasions.

1929 Bentley Napier

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's the 1929 Bentley Napier which was driven in the Historic Trophy race by David Llewellyn. This is a vehicle that he and Peter Morley created in 1968 using a 24 litre Napier Sea Lion engine which has a 'W' configuration - two banks of four cylinders in a 'V' with a third upright bank between them. The car was originally built on a Sunbeam chassis but after an accident was rebuilt using the chassis of a 1929 8 litre Bentley. The nose of the car was later altered to resemble that of the Napier Railton. On the right the blue car number 7 is the 1936 ERA R5B 'Remus' of the Hon. Patrick Lindsay. This car has the 1,488cc supercharged version of the 6-cylinder ERA engine and it was originally one of the cars in the White Mouse Stable of Siam's Prince Chula and driven by his cousin, Prince Birabongse, known simply as 'Bira'.

Alfa Romeo 8C 2300

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's two of Chris Mann's 8C Alfa Romeos, and he drove the 1932 Monza on the left in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race at the meeting.

1930 Renault Type KZ5

This is a photograph I took on Broad Street, Salford during the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1973.

It's a 1930 Renault Type KZ5 which was built with a 4-cylinder inline 2,120cc engine, but the DVLA record says that the engine size is 1,698cc. The DVLA record also says that the vehicle has been untaxed since September 1998. A note in the programme of the event reads as follows:

'182. Mr Bernard Bailey, Collingham, Wetherby, Yorkshire.

          1930 Renault Type KZ5, 12.9 h.p.

The only known car of this type in the United Kingdom.'

1929 Packard

The Cheshire Life magazine used to sponsor the Concours d'Elegance at the VSCC's Richard Seaman Memorial Trophy Meetings at Oulton Park and there was a parade of the entrants between two of the races during the meeting. This is a photograph I took at Old Hall Corner of one of the cars on the parade at the June 1973 meeting.

The only information in the programme of the event is that it is a 1929 Packard and was entered by H.U.P. Edwards. The DVLA now has no record of 620 WJH and I can only assume that it's been repatriated to the USA at some time in the intervening years. As far as I can ascertain all 1929 Packards were produced with straight-8 engines of either 319 cu in (5.2 litres) or 384 cu in (6.3 litres).

1924 Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio

This car competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Vintage Trophy Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in June 1973.

It's the 1924 Alfa Romeo Targa Florio of Chris Mann which has a 6-cylinder inline 2,996cc engine. The Alfa Romeo RL was produced in 1922 and the Targa Florio was a special version of the RL built to take part in that race.

Here's Chris Mann at Old Hall Corner during a handicap race earlier in the meeting leading Kenneth Neve in his 1914 Humber TT.