CORRAN CLASSIC CAR RALLY 8/11/15 - Corran Resort & Spa West Wales

ORIGINAL ISOTTA FRASCHINI JOINS THE BONHAMS LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUN

ORIGINAL ISOTTA FRASCHINI JOINS THE BONHAMS LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUN Italian motoring pioneer, once given by Mussolini to America, makes its first ever appearance in the UK   A unique veteran car that Italian dictator Benito Mussolini once donated to the Henry Ford Museum will be making a guest appearance as a special invited entry on the Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday, 1 November. Historically significant, the 1901 Isotta Fraschini is chassis number one, the very first car to wear the famous ‘IF’ badge. At that time the Milan-based company, which had been started by Cesare Isotta and brothers Vincenzo, Antonio and Oreste Fraschini, assembled and sold Renault cars in Italy. Although now best known for its powerful racing cars and the luxury limousines built until the end of the Second World War, Fraschini’s first car was a more modest machine. A small two-seater voiturette, chassis number one was powered by a single cylinder De Dion Bouton engine, as used in the contemporary Renault Type D so familiar to the company. But curiously, the car was never given any bodywork. It was in this state – a rolling chassis – in 1931 when it was donated to Henry Ford’s famous museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The company explained the donation of this ‘dear and precious document of (our) mechanics’ by saying it ‘could not find a more suitable and worthy seat than the one of the Ford Museum in Detroit, which has been created by the prodigious faith of a man who has dedicated his whole life to the mechanical automobile industry.’ In fact, it turned out that it had not been quite so freely given by Isotta Fraschini – the donation had been ordered by Mussolini who was trying to entice Ford to start producing cars in Italy. An idea that Fiat quickly stopped. And the museum appears to have been a little bemused by the donation. Although the chassis was put on display for a while, it spent most of its time in America stored in the museum’s vaults before being sold in the 1980s. In 2014, however, it was bought by an Italian collector who made sure the chassis came home after 83 years away. Aside from getting the engine to run after decades of silence, the car has not been restored in any way. It remains a rolling chassis and wears ‘the coat of time’ according to its owner. So that it can be driven on the Run, however, it has been fitted with a pair of wicker seats mounted on a removable frame allowing it to be quickly returned to its original state. Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Veteran Car Run Steering Group, said: ‘This is a truly remarkable machine. The very first Isotta Fraschini ever built, it is exactly as it left the factory 114 years ago. It has never before been seen in the UK, so its appearance on this year’s Run is something very special indeed.’ More information on the Run can be found at www.veterancarrun.com. The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the pinnacle event in a week of motoring in the capital during ‘London Motor Week’ – a series of events hosted by the world famous Royal Automobile Club which also includes the Motoring Forum, the Motoring Lectures and the Regent Street Motor Show.

THE LOW DOWN ON MOTORING'S FUTURE IS ON THE STREET

Media release for immediate distribution: 7/10/15 THE LOW DOWN ON MOTORING'S FUTURE IS ON THE STREET    Go Ultra Low and Transport for London back display of low and zero emission vehicles at the Capital's free-to-view motor show    A chance for people to experience the latest technology in ultra low emission motoring will form a central element of this year’s Regent Street Motor Show (Saturday, 31 October). The latest plug-in electric vehicles from leading manufacturers will be on hand to show an expected 350,000 visitors the sort of car we will all be driving in the not-too-distant future. Fittingly, the display will be backed by two organisations helping to shape the future of low emission motoring in the capital – Go Ultra Low and Transport for London (TfL). The government and industry-backed Go Ultra Low campaign exists to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of new ultra-low emission vehicles on the market. The collaborative campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together a consortium of seven leading vehicle manufacturers as well as the government. TfL is committed to improving London’s air quality. Their aim is to have the greenest bus and taxi fleets of any world city. A range of ULEVs from Nissan, BMW, Toyota, Renault and Mitsubishi will be on display. Staff will also be on hand to highlight the benefits of low emission motoring both in terms of air quality and cost savings. For example, ultra low emission vehicles are eligible for a one hundred per cent discount on the Congestion Charge of £11.50. The cars on display include zero tailpipe emission, 100 per cent electric vehicles and the latest plug-in hybrids powered by both electric and petrol or diesel engines. As well as the cars, the TfL/Go Ultra Low zone at the Regent Street Motor Show will allow visitors to explore inside TfL’s newest electric bus (photo. Credit Irizar, C40 Summit, July 2015). Visitors also can find out more about TfL’s plans for improving air quality as well as the practicalities of owning and running an ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV). There will even be the chance to test drive one of the cars too. Ben Plowden, Director of Strategy & Planning for Surface Transport at Transport for London said: “TfL’s ‘Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Delivery Plan’ sets out how TfL will support ULEVs to become the preferred option for all vehicle travel, including our own fleet. Our partnership with the Go Ultra Low campaign will help us realise these plans, by giving Londoners the opportunity to get up close and experience these vehicles for themselves and increase their understanding of the benefits of ULEVs.” Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “There has been a real surge this year in registrations of electric cars as people start to wake up to the benefits of ultra low emission motoring. They are cheap to run and fun to drive, and with more than 26 models on the market, there’s an electric car to suit every lifestyle. “The Regent Street Motor Show is a fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand the latest technology and get a real understanding of these cars can fit into your lifestyle” The Regent Street Motor Show is the country’s largest free-to-view motor show, popular with enthusiasts and shoppers alike.  More special features will be announced over the next few weeks. The Regent Street Motor Show takes place from 10:30 until 16:00 on Saturday 31 October. Keep up-to-date on all the latest news on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RegentStreetMS or on Twitter @RegentStreetMS or via the official website: http://regentstreetmotorshow.com/.

JAMES BOND'S ASTON MARTIN DB10 COMES TO THE CAPITAL

JAMES BOND'S ASTON MARTIN DB10 COMES TO THE CAPITAL   007's bespoke Aston Martin DB10 to feature at next month's Regent Street Motor Show   Just a few days after the premiere of Spectre, James Bond’s latest car – the unique Aston Martin DB10 – will be one of the attractions of the annual free-to-view Regent Street Motor Show (Saturday, 31 October). Created specially for the movie, the hand-built DB10 is the latest in a long line of Aston Martins to have been driven by UK’s favourite secret agent. Bond’s first Aston was the famous DB5 from Goldfinger in 1964. As well as the DB10, Aston Martin will also be displaying a number of cars from its current model range including the latest DB9 GT, limited edition Vantage GT12 and a four-door Rapide S. The Regent Street Motor Show is just one element in the Royal Automobile Club’s London Motor Week, seven days when the capital honours cars. Enticing as many as 350,000 visitors last year, London’s premier shopping street is closed to traffic for the day to allow cars from the past, present and future to be displayed for all to enjoy. The Regent Street Motor Show attracts not just petrol-heads but also tourists and people shopping early for Christmas. The Show’s centrepiece will be a display of more than 100 veteran cars all taking part in the prestigious EFG International Concours d’Elegance. Many owners and their passengers will be in period costume, preparing themselves for the famous Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which sets off from nearby Hyde Park early the following morning (Sunday, 1 November). The veterans will be rubbing shoulders with classic cars, bikes, new cars and futuristic ‘low or no’ emission electric and hybrid vehicles. The latter display is backed by two organisations helping to shape our motoring future – Go Ultra Low and Transport for London (TfL). More special features will be announced over the next few weeks. The Regent Street Motor Show takes place from 10:30 until 16:00 on Saturday 31 October. Keep up-to-date on all the latest news on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RegentStreetMS or on Twitter @RegentStreetMS or via the official website: http://regentstreetmotorshow.com/.

Royal Automobile Club to present Motoring Lectures

Royal Automobile Club to present Motoring Lectures In celebration of London Motor Week the Royal Automobile Club will host a series of expert motoring lectures by some of the most prominent historians in the industry. The lectures will take place at the Pall Mall clubhouse on Tuesday 27th October, 2015. With such a stellar cast the lectures are sure to appeal to a wide cross section of motoring enthusiasts. The Lectures: Behind the badge: Symbolism & Confusion – Giles Chapman Emblems, badges, logos – every car has one, and almost every manufacturer has tried to use these graphic devices to relay important facets about their products. To play it safe, the default choices have frequently used coats of arms or the imagery of wings, but even these have often proved controversial. The event will highlight a dozen historic car badges to demonstrate the wide spectrum of symbolism car badges convey, and untangle some very convoluted back stories. This lecture is presented by Giles Chapman, an award winning writer and commentator on the history and culture of the motor industry. A former editor of Classic & Sports Car magazine, his career has gone from strength to strength not only as an editor and journalist but also as a well-respected writer of over 40 books including ‘My Dad Had One of Those’, which has proved to be one of the best-selling car books of all time. Motoring to Define a Nation: Motorisierung and the Third Reich – Anders Clausager Motorisierung was the programme developed by the Nazi regime of the German Third Reich between 1933 and 1939. This talk explores the reasons for adopting the policy, the individual elements of the programme, and its effect on the German nation before and after its inception.  Combining political, social and technical history, this fascinating talk explores the manufacturing, financial and engineering legacy generated by the programme. Guest speaker Anders Ditlev Clausager worked briefly as a designer for VW and British Leyland before becoming an archivist for both the British Motor Trust and the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. Now retired, he has a number of published books to his credit mainly featuring his love of British cars such as Austin, Austin-Healey, Jaguar and much more. An Extreme Adventure: The Peking to Paris Rally, 1907 and Beyond – Daniel Ward The Peking to Paris Rally remains one of motor sports most extreme races for vintage and classic vehicles. Covering a variety of terrains including the Mongolian desert, Daniel Ward’s witty talk explores the history of the event and its participants through to his own experiences as a competitor driving his 5.3 litre, 1908 Talbot Roi-des-Belges. Back to the Future: Rolls Royce Technologies shaping Transport Sir Ralph Robbins is former Chairman of Rolls-Royce and has had a varied career which included working on the development of civil aero engines and boldly going (in industry), where other men feared to tread by investing heavily in aero engine technology through the 1990s when others were running in the other direction! His lecture will give a unique insight into the technologies that shaped aviation and motoring, propelling society towards a new age. Sir Ralph is a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his achievements. Itinerary: 11.00am                      Coffee & registration 11.15am                      Chairman’s welcome address and introduction to the Club 11.30am - 12.15pm    The relationship between motoring and aviation 12.15pm - 1.00pm      Badges, Emblems and logos: History, design and development 1.00pm - 2.00pm        Lunch 2.00pm - 2.30pm        Tour of the Club incorporating a brief history. 2.30pm - 3.15pm        Motoring to Define a Nation: German Motoring Policy and the Third Reich 3.15pm - 3.45pm        An extreme adventure: Peking to Paris Rally, 1907 and beyond Lecture Price:  The lectures cost just £15 per ticket and are open to all motoring enthusiasts to attend. Price includes all lectures, a light buffet lunch and a historical tour of the club. Please note that pre-booking is essential, please contact: heritage@royalautomobileclub.co.uk  Members of the media wishing to attend, please contact: rebecca@eventspr.co.uk  Notes to Editors: About London Motor Week London Motor Week is presented by the Royal Automobile Club and runs from Monday 26th October until Sunday 2nd November, culminating in the world famous Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Other events include: Monday 26 October:     Royal College of Art - Design Presentation Evening Tuesday 27 October:     Royal Automobile Club Motoring Lectures Wednesday 28 October: Motoring Book of the Year Award Thursday 29 October:    Royal Automobile Club Motoring Forum Friday 30 October:        Bonhams Auction Saturday 31 October:    Regent Street Motor Show Sunday 1 November:     Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWN - LBHVR

BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BRAWN Formula 1 technical supremo Ross Brawn gears up for a second trip down memory lane to Brighton The magic of the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run always attracts a host of high profile personalities from right across sporting and entertainment spectrums. Last year’s staging of the world’s longest-running motoring event starred TV personality Paul Hollywood and Olympic heroes Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Steve Redgrave. Formula 1 legend Ross Brawn OBE was another of last year’s well-known figures making his debut on the hallowed route from Hyde Park to the Sussex coast. Now, bowled over by that ‘tremendous experience’, he’s returning for another veteran car adventure next month (Sunday 1 November). Brawn is renowned for his engineering wisdom. Before stepping down as Team Principal of Lewis Hamilton OBE’s all-conquering Mercedes outfit in 2014, he was the technical genius behind the championship-winning Benetton and Ferrari Formula 1 teams as well as owner of his own Brawn Grand Prix team that took Jenson Button to the 2009 title. Indeed, it’s this deep-seated fascination with automotive mechanics that attracted him to not only participate in last year’s Run but also to buy and enter his own pre-1905 veteran car. Adding further to his involvement, Brawn also joined the judging panel for the EFG International Concours d’Elegance which, as tradition now dictates, takes place during the Regent Street Motor Show on the eve of the Run. He’ll be joining the judging line-up once again this year. The pioneering machine the 60-year-old Lancastrian mastermind now owns is unsurprisingly very special and highly innovative. It’s the only known surviving British-built Wilson-Pilcher dating back to 1904. Among a host of groundbreaking components, it features a 2.7-litre, water-cooled, flat-four 12/16hp engine, a Phaeton chassis, a remarkably low centre of gravity and a novel transmission fitted with dual epicyclic gears. The forward-looking four-seater remained in its creator’s family for more than a century before Brawn acquired it in 2013 via a sale organised by auctioneers Bonhams. It was then recommissioned just in time for last November’s trip to Brighton – a memorable outing the rare Wilson-Pilcher’s new owner relished for lots of reasons.  “It was a tremendous experience,” he recalls. “I was just staggered and impressed by the support the event gets from the public – they love it. Even though the weather wasn’t great, the amount of people out waving and cheering was really enjoyable and impressive. “Driving the car for the 60 miles was completely novel. I’d had some lessons from someone who knew what they were doing but driving that far was certainly an undertaking. It was nice to challenge myself with something different – normally I’m watching someone else do the driving!” As well as enjoying his time behind the wheel, Brawn is still intrigued by the technically advanced Wilson-Pilcher. “It appealed to me because of the history of Walter Wilson who designed the car,” continues the brains behind no fewer than nine Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships. ‘Wilson was one of the most innovative engineers of his era and went on to design the First World War tank and the famous Wilson Pre-Selector gearbox. You just look at the car and there are so many interesting engineering concepts. They didn’t have the materials or the methods that exist now but what they achieved within the limitations they had is just staggering. Every time I look around the car, or do something on it, I discover something new that really impresses me. It’s a great car.” Despite having to overcome a few little problems in true period style as well as battling a heavy rain storm when crossing the South Downs, Brawn and the Wilson-Pilcher made it all the way to Madeira Drive last November – a feat he is now aiming to repeat next month. “As you get more into it, I think finishing becomes more of an important objective,” he admits. “For me the first year was just taking part and I was just glad to finish – now I want to make sure I finish! “I can see the compulsion of people wanting to get to Brighton - we’ve had some more work done on the car this summer to get it ready and we’ll keep doing that. The car had been kept in reasonable condition but not had that much done to it over a number of years, so it’s now my responsibility to ensure it’s kept in full working order.” Those wanting to catch Brawn en route to Brighton can find full route information on the officialwww.veterancarrun.com website. This year’s Run takes place Sunday 1 November with the first cars departing from Hyde Park at 06:54. The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the pinnacle event in a week of motoring in the capital during ‘London Motor Week’ – a series of events hosted by the world famous Royal Automobile Club which also includes a Literary Festival, Motoring Forum, motoring lectures and the Regent Street Motor Show.

‘Dougal at the Double’ at the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s Snetterton Race Season Finale

                    

‘Dougal at the Double’ at the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s

Snetterton Race Season Finale

                                                                                                                                               

This past weekend saw the VSCC celebrate the end to a successful 2015 Race Season with a triumphant Seaman Memorial Trophies Meeting at Snetterton on Sunday 27 September, where another strong turnout of Spectators was on hand to witness a fantastic day of Pre-war and Historic motorsport.

Amongst the day’s success stories was a double-victory for Dougal Cawley in his popular Ford-engined GN Special ‘Piglet’. After a disappointing season of non-finishes, the Longstone Tyres Chief’s persistence finally paid off as he held off a battling Patrick Blakeney-Edwards in the Frazer Nash Super Sports by less than 0.3 secs to claim the Club’s prestigious Vintage Seaman Trophy, ending a 10-year wait for success in that particular competition. This was followed by victory in the Sports-Car ranks, as he led home a ‘Chain-Gang’ 1-2-3 in the final race of the day.

Also celebrating multiple achievements on the day were Austrian father and son, Martin and Niklas Halusa. Driving his Bugatti T35C, Martin scored two podium finishes from his three races whilst Niklas put on a stunning debut performance in the family’s Alfa Romeo 8C Zagato, with three top three placings, including victory in the day’s opening ‘Set 3’ salvo for Standard & Modified Pre-war Sports-Cars.

A drama-filled race saw pole-sitter, Andrew Mitchell forced to start from pit-lane after issues for his HRG in the Assembly Area; a heroic charge through the 26-strong field saw the perennial front-runner momentarily capture third place, but the car finally gave in and forced his retirement on the penultimate lap. Despite the disappointment, a strong 2015 season had already assured him top billing in the series’ celebrated ‘Owner-Driver-Mechanic’ standings.

Another highlight of the day was the Williams Trophy, which saw a fantastic line-up of Bugatti machinery take to the grid – again in honour of Grover-Williams’s famous victory at the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix – with Type 13, 35B, 35C, 39, 51 and 59 models all on show. An impressive getaway for Julian Majzub’s T35B saw him take an early lead before Charles Knill-Jones took charge in Charles McCabe’s T59, who was able to hold off the Blockley Tyres man to repeat his 2013 victory. Behind, Simon Diffey and Stephen Shoosmith    enjoyed a titanic race-long battle in their T51 cars, with the former just edging the contest for third in Richard Collier’s impressive machine.

Calum Lockie was victorious once more as he claimed a third consecutive Snetterton victory in Sean Danaher’s Maserati 6CM. Starting from pole for the Club’s finalPremier Cru Racing event of the year, the Pro GT Racer took a lead he was never to relinquish, with Nick Topliss unable to stay with him, settling for a runner-up spot in R4A, the sole ERA survivor after supercharger issues for the unfortunate Paddins Dowling’s R10B. Following top three finishes at all events, including victory at the opening round Silverstone in April, the result was enough to see the Bicester-based Topliss claim top spot in the Premier Cru season standings, with Lockie the top Continental entrant and Chris Hudson’s Bugatti T35B the leading Pre-1931 Vintage car.

There was to be more success for Topliss later in the day as he defended his Historic Seaman Trophy crown, bringing R4A home in third place and top Pre-war finisher in ‘Set 2’ for Pre-1961 Racing Cars. The same race saw Fred Harper bring a triumphant season in the Kurtis Indy Roadster to a victorious end, repeating his Flockhart Trophy win of last year, ahead of John Ure in Peter Mann’s Cooper Bristol T24/25, making his first VSCC appearance since 2010.

The versatility of the unusual 1953 2-seater machine was on full show, as the experienced pilot also scored a fourth place finish in the preceding race, the Hawthorn International Trophy for 1950s Sports-Cars. Despite a slow start, Majzub’s mighty Sadler led the way as expected, with Darren McWhirter’s Tojeiro Jaguar hounding him all the way before a spin at ‘Riches’ on the final few laps for the Scotsman finally relieved the pressure and assured Majzub his fourth win of the trophy.

There were also exciting Handicap Race victories for Club Director, Dennis Johnson in the Frazer Nash Colmore, and David Seber, the youngest of three generations of the family competing in their Wolseley Hornet Specials on the day, whilst Eddie Gibbs took home the spoils in an All-Comers Pre-war Scratch in his Frazer Nash Monoposto.

Away from the track, we said farewell to Chief Timekeeper, David Morley, who retires after 50 years of motorsport timekeeping, whilst the Paddock was again busy with fascinated Spectators getting a close look at the competing machinery, as well as a terrific 80 car gathering from the Fressingfield Oily Rag Club. The circuit’s Cream Tea Tent, Jazz Band and an inspiring aerial display along the Start/Finish Straight during the Lunch Break by an historic T6 Harvard Trainee aircraft all contributed to another spectacular Vintage Festival.

The Club extends its thanks to all those who supported the day, from the Competitors and Spectators, to the Snetterton Circuit Team, who again made us feel most welcome, and finally the loyal band of Marshals and Officials who ensured a safe and enjoyable day for all involved. 

‘Chain-Gang’ pilots Patrick Blakeney-Edwards and Dougal Cawley thrilled the crowds

with their wheel-to-wheel battle in the Vintage Seaman Trophy.

Photo: Simon Arron