For Rolls-Royce and Enthusiasts PRÆCLARVM The National Journal of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia No. 4-15 August 2015

Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile præclarvm Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble. Royce, 1924 PRÆCLARVM The National Journal of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia No. 4-15, August 2015 Issue 279 Features Regular Items Events Calendar 6771 From the Editor 6772 From the Federal President 6773 News from the Registers 6794 Market Place 6763

A 2½ hp Crossley gas engine similar to Articles and Features that purchased and funded for Charles Rolls by his Father in 1893 still operating at a UK From the Sir Henry Royce Foundation. Russell Rolls (Vic), Chairman 6774 Rally in 2014. See the story on page 6775. of Trustees, invites all Members to the September Open Day at BAH and LGSI and tells of the 2015 Kangan awards. “Dearest Father” Letters from Charles Rolls. K. J. Swinburne (NSW) 6775 tells Præclarvm of Charles Rolls’ letters to his Father on subjects ranging from buying a new telephone system to how his motor cars are going. From the Sir Henry Royce Foundation. Gilbert Ralph (Vic), Honorary 6779 Archivist talks of his recent discovery of a photo of Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo to Australia, at Geelong in a Rolls-Royce in 1930. The Bentley Mk V - The Rarest of them All. Tom King (NZ) 6780 comprehensively describes the development, production and present owners of the Mk V Bentley produced just prior to and post WWII. Travel Snaps - Photos from the Neely’s European Holiday. David 6786 and Linda Neely were in Europe recently, specifically in Portugal and England, and sent back the snaps. A portrait of Amy Johnston in 1930 after Our American 2015 RROC Annual Meet. Robyn and Mal 6788 she completed the fi rst solo crossing from England to Australia, where she was hugely Henderson (NSW) attended the 2015 RROC Annual Meet in Orlando, popular and mobbed at public events. Read Florida. Here is their report on the Concours. about her experience with a Rolls-Royce in The Bentley Mk V - The Rarest of the All. Part 2 of Tom King’s (NZ) 6790 Geelong on page 6779. comprehensive history of the Mk V Bentley. My Car: The second of an occasional series of members telling of 6792 their cars. This time Mark Roberts (SA) talks on his 1929, 20/25 Thrupp & Maberly Saloon (GXO21). Technical Topics No. 51: Repairable Hydraulic Accumulators. 6793 Here Bill Coburn (ACT) gives some early history of the installation of the hydraulic systems into 1960s and on, Marque cars. Twenty Topics No 58 - German Travels. This edition David Davis 6794 (NSW) talks of the 20 H.P. elements of his recent trip to the Germany and other countries in Europe. Bentley Mk V (Chassis B34AW) the last-built Mk V to exist. Read about the Rarest pre-2000 Production Bentleys of them Captions: Front Cover: all on page 6780. David and Judy Heuzenroeder’s (SA) 1924, 20hp Doctor’s Coupé (Agatha) (GMK4) with the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society’s narrow-gauge, ex W.A. Government Railway, 1951, W class, steam locomotive W934 at Quorn, South Australia as the Society celebrates its 40th Anniversary.

Opposite Page Lower Right: In June 2015, Bentley Motors released its Continental GT Speed Breitling Jet Team Series, Limited Edition, limited to just seven cars, each inspired by one of the seven Breitling aerobatic performance jets.

Club Website: www.rroc.org.au Back Issues of Præclarvm: http://praeclarum.rroc.org.au/ Robyn Henderson (NSW) inspects the recently renovated Radley, 1914 Silver Ghost (18PB) Views expressed in Præclarvm are those of the individual writers. Portholme Alpine Tourer at the 2015 RROC Annual Meet in Florida. Read its story and see The deadline for the October 2015 issue is 15 September 2015. the photos on page 6755. 6770 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Præclarvm (ISSN 0159-4583) is published six times per year by the Federal Council of the Rolls- Events Calendar Royce Owners’ Club of Australia. Whilst every Federal and Registers care is taken to check information published, no responsibility can be accepted for errors. Views 18-21 Sep Dawn Patrol XIV, Bright, Victorian Alps Peter Hiscock 03-5341-3220 expressed by the Editor and contributors are their own and do not necessarily refl ect the policies 12-16 May 16 2016 Federal Rally, Bendigo, Victoria Brian Williams 0458-888-767 of the Club. Nothing in this journal, including Australian Capital Territory Branch - President: Ian Irwin any advertisement, should be construed as endorsement by the Editor or the Club of the quality 16 Aug Library Day and Monthly Meeting at Sutton Peter Hyland 02-6286-4265 or suitability of any product, service or procedure. In Sep Lunch at Rollonin Café, Bowning, details TBA Peter Hyland 02-6286-4265 Change of Address: Members should notify their 17/18 Oct Manildra-Cowra Weekend Run Peter Hyland 02-6286-4265 Branch Secretary (address below), not the Editor, in the fi rst instance to advise change of address or New South Wales Branch - President: Brian Crump non-receipt of an issue. 8 Aug Cucina Viscontini, Breakfast, Homebush Bay Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 Contributions: Articles, letters and/or illustrations 8 Aug Royal Automobile Club of Australia, Dinner, Sydney Brian Crump 0419-417-813 for publication should be sent to the Editor, address below. Articles should preferably be sent as Text fi le 16 Aug CMC Shannons Sydney Classic at Eastern Creek Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 on CD, or emailed to [email protected] (otherwise 19 Aug General Meeting, Barnwell Park Golf Club, Five Dock Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 as typed hard copy). 30 Aug All British Day, The King’s School Parramatta Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 Federal Executive President: Neil Matthews, 12 Sep Cucina Viscontini, Breakfast, Homebush Bay Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 PO Box 443, Berwick, VIC, 3806 12/13 Sep Visit to Bill Allsep House and Victoria Branch Concours Brian Crump 0419-417-813 0408-995-720 (m) 16 Sep General Meeting, Barnwell Park Golf Club, Five Dock Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 Email: [email protected] Secretary: Steve McDonald, 30 Sep High Tea at the Carrington Hotel, Katoomba Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 1/24 Homedale Cres, Connells Point, NSW, 2221 4 Oct Motorlife Museum, Kembla Grange, ‘Get In & Go Event’ Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 02-8064-9900 Email: [email protected] 10 Oct Cucina Viscontini, Breakfast, Homebush Bay Judith Merlin 02-4308-3811 Treasurer: Peter Chan, Queensland Branch - President: Ian Maitland PO Box 827, Fyshwick, ACT. 2609 02-6161-7316 23 Aug Brisbane Planetarium and Picnic Lunch, Toowong Brian Carson 0403-307-198 Email: [email protected] 20 Sep All British Day – Tennyson Glenn Cuffe 0409-593-696 27 Sep AGM and Lunch – Maleny Glenn Cuffe 0409-593-696 The Sir Henry Royce Foundation Russell Rolls, 18 Oct Decades Festival – Strathpine Vicki Batty 0438-746-641 PO Box 140, South Yarra Vic, 3141. 0418-325-086 (m) South Australian Branch - President: Rory Poland Email: rolls@pacifi c.net.au 9 Aug AGM and Luncheon, Kooyonga Golf Club, Lockleys Peter Forbes 0411-246-841

Federal Publications 23 Aug Luncheon, The Barn, McLaren Vale Peter Forbes 0411-246-841 Præclarvm Editor: Tim Dean, 18/19 Sep Three Day Weekend Tour, South East SA Peter Forbes 0411-246-841 1630 Malvern Road, Glen Iris, VIC, 3146. Victoria Branch - President: Ralph Plarre 0401-987-808 (m) 03-9886-9024 (fax) Email: [email protected] 13 Aug General Meeting, Bill Allsep House, Rowville Brian Williams 0458-888-767 Registrar (Chassis Plate): 16 Aug Drive or Be Driven Day (BAH & LGSI) Brian Williams 0458-888-767 David Neely, 23/1 Bay Drive, Meadowbank, NSW, 2114. 16 Aug Tasmania Section, Lunch at Ross Carney Cox 0400-098-197 02-8084-8465 (h) 30 Aug Tasmania Section, Visit to Auto Museum, Launceston Carney Cox 0400-098-197 Email: [email protected] Mailing list: Ian Dunn, 5 Sep Youth Activity - Breakfast Run, Healesville Brad vanRee 0411-385-294 40 Murranji Street, Hawker, ACT, 2614. 10 Sep GM & 2015 AGM, Bill Allsep House, Rowville Brian Williams 0458-888-767 02-6278-3763 Email: [email protected] 12 Sep Concours d’Elegance Judging Day – LGSI Brian Williams 0458-888-767 Branch Secretaries 13 Sep Concours d’Elegance Display, Glen Waverley Brian Williams 0458-888-767 Australian Capital Territory: Peter Hyland, 12/13 Sep LGSI, BAH & Concours Visits for Interstate Members Eric Henderson 0438-775-992 PO Box 773, Mawson, ACT, 2606. 02-6286-4265 (h) 14 Sep Ladies’ Lunch - Gazi Greek Restaurant, CBD Marjorie Wilson 03-9846-5624 Email: [email protected] 7 Oct Youth Activity - Drive-in Movie Night, Coburg Brad vanRee 0411-385-294 New South Wales: Judith Merlin, 9 Twin Lakes Drive, Lake Haven, NSW, 2263. Western Australia Branch - President: Andrew Marsden 02-4308-3811 (h) 0421-690-299 (m) 16 Aug AGM, VCC Club Rooms, Wattle Grove Max Cuypers 0412-630-808 Email: [email protected] Queensland: Glenn Cuffe, 87 Kauri Road, Ashgrove, Qld, 4060 Tel: 07-3366-6306 (h) Email: [email protected] South Australia: Peter Forbes, PO Box 355, Welland, SA 5007 0411-246-841 Email: [email protected] Victoria: Brian Williams, PO Box 21, Kew, VIC, 3101. 0458-888-767 Email: [email protected] Western Australia: Dianne Magrath, PO Box 590, Kalamunda, WA, 6926. 08-9291-6549 Email: [email protected] Section Contacts Northern Territory: Keith Preston, PO Box 1066, Palmerston, NT, 0831. 08-8983-1029 Tasmania: Carney Cox, 115 Gloucester St, West Launceston, TAS, 7005 0400-098-197 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6771 F rom the Editor The Club Relaxes after the Federal Rally: he middle of the year has always been Ta relaxed time for the Club’s activities, the winter weather comes in and people sit beside their open fires (sorry Queensland, you miss out) planning their summers to come. Some of us, of course, are out in their respective shed completing things that perhaps should have been completed some time ago! (see page 6798 to see how Shirley Missen is spending these quiet times!). Enjoy this time and prepare now for increasing Club activity on the run to Christmas. A Long Lost Member is Welcomed Again: oversite by George, but she joined it soon above: How 10MC was shown in the One of the things I am involved with after, in July 1956. Bonhams catalogue to their auction in is the SHRF’s website and the occasional 2012 when the car was sold in the USA for She was forced to sell 10MC in the email it gets from people concerning A$63,000. early ‘70s and has missed it since. She matters Henry Royce and the history below left: The cutting from the May 1962, contacted the Foundation in the hope she of various cars. So it was that the site Women’s Weekly showing Elizabeth Griffi n, find out about the latest details of the as she then was, and 10MC received an email recently from a woman car’s whereabouts and the Club. interested to hear about her beloved Judith Merlin, Secretary of NSW, finally Phantom I which she sold in the 1970s Then the Club’s, brain-trust kicked in spoke to Elizabeth, now living in Tweed with a Martin & King Sedan body (10MC). with NSW President, Brian Crump, already Heads, and caught her up with all the a Phantom tragic, leading the responses Elizabeth Wingfield (nee Griffin) owned news with plans now underway to have to Elizabeth. David Neely (NSW) and 10MC from the early 1950s having been her attend a club meeting or for the Club Tom Clarke (WA) provided the known, sold it by George Sevenoaks. Unfortunately, to pass by when possible. more recent history of the car and the she missed being an Foundation Member details of their entries into Rolls-Royce The import of this story to all other of the NSW Branch, possibly due to an and Bentley in a Sunburnt members is to make sure your Branch is Country, and David added the aware of the full details of you and your specific entries about Elizabeth car. They will then share that with the in the Club’s early history: In SHRF which, if you contact either one, the Rear View Mirror, which, will allow you too to be reunited, at least of course, she had never seen. in knowing about your car and the Club, many years into the future. Items revealed included that in May 1962, Elizabeth Happy motoring, appeared in The Australian Women’s Weekly posing beside her Phantom and confirming its perfect condition! The car even featured in Præclarvm, in the 4-12 edition Editorial, p.6124, as it sold in 2012.

Tim Dean (Vic) GBK58, BSH20044

This year’s contingent of Australians at the RREC Annual Rally in 2015 at Burghley House, home of the Marquess of Exeter, seen behind the group. Standing beside the Milvertons’ 1914, Silver Ghost, Vintage Motor Garage Tourer (6TB) are (l-r) Elizabeth Milver- ton (NSW), Greg Skinner (QLD), Neil Matthews (VIC), John Milverton (NSW), Neil McLean (WA) (holding fl ag), Tom Clarke (WA), Brian Carson (QLD), Frank Carroll (QLD), Beverly McLean (WA) (holding fl ag), Russell Rolls (VIC), Rus- sell JS Rolls (VIC), Fiona Clarke (WA), Louise Mathews (VIC) (holding fl ag). Dating from 1555, Burghley House is placed beside a 26 acre lake and is surrounded by 2,000 acres of gardens and a deer park. 6772 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 F rom the Federal President fter a month of over 30 degrees in be traversing the AEurope, back to reality in Melbourne countryside in the and under 10 degrees most days, I upcoming months. had forgotten how cold it can get in Check your Log Melbourne during Winter. Books and check to No matter, I am full of enthusiasm see when the last after the shot in the arm of over 1000 essential services Rolls-Royces and Bentleys at the RREC were completed Rally and the work and effort those - you may also be custodians had put in to get to the rally surprised! venue at Burghley House. Referring back What I need to do fi rst thing is get to the RREC Rally our own vehicles moving and complete at Stamford, it those annual tasks, oil changes, light was really good to checks etc. First things fi rst, get the catch up with so proper motor vehicles started and many Australian running. But unfortunately I fail at the members there. fi rst hurdle with Bertha our 1953 Silver Burghley House Wraith not wishing to start. makes such a wonderful back- Thinking to myself that this is really drop. It was a strange as Bertha was only fi tted with surprise to see a new battery a couple of years ago. I a number of had better check the Log Book to see Australian cars at what type of battery to buy. N70ZZ, that the Rally, either for sounds correct, the typical electrical sale or as in the power source for most post war Rolls- case of Dick Erskine Royce and Bentleys. Time does tend from WA, an to get away from you as I read with entrant and winner interest that the last battery I installed in the Concours. was in December 2008. Our congratulations Nothing seems to last very long these to Dick with his days and/or time goes by too quickly. splendid Silver Above are two cars that interested me at the RREC Rally at Burghley: Maybe I should read on...... I also note Dawn. above top: A 2-door Silver Cloud III James Young Saloon. that the brake fl uid was last changed While we were in above: A 1933, Phantom II Windovers Sedanca deVille (79MW) with in 2007, hmm a bit more than the 2 Basel, a visit to the an intriguing rear window confi guration. years I always said I should achieve for Schlumpf Museum a change of brake fl uid...... also note in Mulhouse France, was only an hour or In relation to Federal matters, thank that the tyres are 15 years old...... but so away. I was absolutely amazed by the you to those who have responded they still have good tread(could go on number of Bugatti vehicles on display in regarding the website update. We will the Landy though- they are the same the one place, incredible! look at all of the information and ideas size).....maybe there is more work to be and present a package of solutions to done than I thought.....maybe I will put Other marques were also represented, the Branches for consideration over the together a spreadsheet of what needs although the Rolls-Royce and Bentley next month. Some suggestions revolve to be done before the Dawn Patrol XIV collection was sparse by comparison around social media applications and we trip to Bright in September, we might and annoyingly with little details of will investigate the merit of these at the need good brakes and possibly good the provenance of each car - a chassis same time. tyres for climbing, or more importantly number would have been handy to descending Mt Hotham! complete some further investigation of I feel that I am now back from “leave” each proper motor car at a later date. I and my focus is on the Federal tasks to I guess this is a timely reminder that guess they did not expect such a forensic hand and I am preparing a schedule for our cars need to be in tip-top shape to group of Rolls-Royce afi cionados to be the coming 12 months. I look forward to below: Dick Erskine’s (WA) RREC Class 11 (Appleyard) award winning 1954, Silver visiting that day! Overall though, worth a visiting all of the Branches and catching Dawn (SRH12) resplendent with winning visit by any motoring enthusiast. up with as many Members as possible. rosette. Until next time, safe travels. Neil Matthews (VIC)

PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6773 F rom The Sir Henry Royce Foundation Additions To The Foundation “Archive” he Foundation “Archive” contains Ta significant collection that is a historic reference for researchers on the Rolls-Royce and Bentley marques in Australia. For example, the “Archive” contains all the York Motors service records. Copies of these service records are available to Club Members; contact the Honourary Archivist, Gilbert Ralph, with your enquiry. Also, the “Archive” contains a complete run of “Praeclarvm”, a complete run of the NSW Branch newsletter “London and Derby” and a complete run of the Victoria Branch “Newsletter”. The Foundation welcomes donations of documentation that complement the existing collection. In this regard, I extensive collection of Rolls-Royce and above: At a recent Technical Section Day would mention some of the recent Bentley model cars. at LGSI, Club member John Link (VIC) gave additions. David Neely (NSW Branch) attending members a talk on the SHRF’s Sunday, September 13th is the has donated an important collection of Rolls-Royce C6 SFL supercharged industrial Victoria Branch Concours D’Elegance. diesel engine. At one time, John’s Company photographs, ’ plates and So, Members are encouraged to stay on had been the distributor for Rolls-Royce other memorabilia. Johnn Dale (Victoria for this important event in the Victoria industrial engines. Branch) has donated historic material Branch calendar. It is expected that related to the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero- and: there will be around 80 cars present so engine, Ian Irwin (ACT Branch) has it will be an interesting display. Award: Lionel Gell School of donated material related to the last Instruction Award for Automotive Federal Rally in Canberra and Ken Foundation Support For Winner: Mick McCallum Baldwin (ACT Branch) has donated back Automotive Apprentice Training issues of “The Capital Letter” to assist An important objective of The Course: Certificate III in Automotive with the assembly of a complete run of Foundation is the support of technical Body Repair Technology the ACT Branch newsletter. training for automotive apprentices. These awards are subject to specific If you have any documentation Sir Henry Royce styled himself as a performance criteria such as Career and related to the marques or the Club that “mechanic”. The Foundation is dedicated Study Achievements, Personal Skills you no longer require, please make to promulgating Sir Henry’s ideals to and Achievements in other Pursuits. arrangements to send it to Gilbert ensure that this ethos is passed on to The Foundation Awards are highly Ralph. All such donations are entered future generations of “mechanics”. regarded by the Kangan Institute and into the formal register of the “Archive” In this regard, The Foundation in its represent a recognition of achievement and are acknowledged in writing. own right and with the generous support of excellence for the recipients. Foundation Open Day of Victoria Branch Member Lionel Gell presents a number of awards at the Russell Rolls As part of the educational outreach Kangan Institute Technical Gala Night. CHAIRMAN OF TRUSTEES activities of The Foundation there is This year, presentations were made to: an “Open Day” for Club Members and the general public each year. The Award: Sir Henry Royce Foundation below: Lionel Gell presenting the Lionel next “Open Day “ will be on Saturday, Award for Excellence Gell School of Instruction Award for Automotive to Mick McCallum. September 12th. I understand there Winner: Connor Sharman will be groups from the NSW Branch below left: Russell Rolls, Chairman of Course: Certificate III in Automotive Trustees, presenting the Sir Henry Royce and the QLD Branch attending. Both Manufacturing Technology (Bus, Truck Foundation Award for Excellence to Connor Bill Allsep House and the Lionel Gell and Trailer) Sharman School of Instruction for Rolls-Royce and Bentley will be open where the Victoria Branch will be judging the cars entered into their Concours. Visitors will be able to see the historic material in the “Archive”, the Rolls- Royce aircraft engines on permanent loan from Museum Victoria and the Australian War Memorial, The Foundation’s own Australian-built Rolls- Royce Avon jet engine and The Foundation’s

6774 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 “Dearest Father” Letters from Charles Rolls by K. J. Swinburne (NSW) Electric Light, Charles says that he would prefer to have Cycling and Telephones a stop watch “which is ome letters from Charles Rolls to his very useful in almost Sfather, preserved among the Rolls all branches in my family papers at the Gwent Archive in line, and especially in Wales, make interesting reading. A letter cycling, and on Lo- written from Eton in September, 1892, cos., and also in ma- when Charles was 16, is concerned with chinery”. He reports asking his father (“if I get a very good too that he had been report”) whether he can have “a certain doing “plenty of cy- gas engine” and “other things necessary cling”, including riding for an electric light installation”. He says a tandem. He had also that he has found out “all about the en- been having dancing gine” including the cost (£30), and is lessons, but had “put keen that his father wastes no time in off the music lessons placing an order so that it can be “all till next term”. rigged up by Xmas”. Another reminder Charles Rolls would that “I am doing my very best with work have loved the tech- etc” must have won his father over, al- nology, electronics though the engine it seems didn’t even- and engineering of tually live up to Charles’ expectations. today. He always In a letter the next year he asks his seemed keen to have father to buy “for a Christmas present” the newest devices a larger 2½ hp Crossley gas engine spe- to make life easier or cially built for electric lighting “which more enjoyable. In a would suit me simply admirably”. Among letter written some his arguments about the engine’s sim- years later than those plicity, effi cient and economical oper- mentioned above, in ation and so on, he mentions how he January 1900, Charles could get £27 for his old gas engine. A advises his father following letter assures his father that (“sorry to bother you the electric light would be in just three again”) not to delay in rooms at the Hendre, that it wouldn’t placing an order for a affect his fi re insurance, and that he, telephone, otherwise “I’m afraid we shall ity: earnest, sincere, hard-working and Charles, would only use it in the holi- never have it in time for the season”. He enthusiastic. days when he could look after it himself, suggests having an instrument in his “and I would not want an attendant”. A room upstairs, and another “outside the Motoring subsequent letter outlines a plan for re- pantry or underneath the front stairs Buying a Car paying his father in installments and so somewhere”. riting home in February 1896, saving £8 or £9 on interest. Reading the letters shows aspects of WCharles Rolls told his father that From 1894, his letters from Cam- Charles’s character that developed later: he had spent a weekend staying with Sir bridge, as one would expect, have a there is evidence of the fi nancial acumen David Salomons at “Broomhill” at Tun- more mature tone. Apparently in reply which allowed him to set up his business bridge Wells “and never had such an to his father’s offer to buy him a watch, and his interest and ability in mechani- interesting time”. Much of the time was cal engineering is evident. But it is also spent discussing his work at Cambridge, below: a 1893 Crossley engine of the type possible to see offered for the powering of domestic sites something of and bought as CS Rolls second engine. his character right: an example of CS Rolls’ penmanship. and personal-

PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6775 sell it again for considerably more than I gave for it”; “I know of a large number of people who are in immediate want of a number of carriages of any type, but they cannot be got for love of (sic) money”; “One fi rm I am told has enough orders for 2 years” and so on. One won- ders if here might be the seeds of the idea for his future business of dealing in motor cars. On his return from he writes of the diffi culty in selecting a car, and the delays caused by the Czar’s visit “which was a great nuisance to anybody over there for business.” Most of the sec- ond-hand cars were out of date, but he did fi nd by “a lucky chance” a “magnif- icent” 3½ hp Phaeton, “with working parts bright & perfect, rubber tyres not cut noticeably; not a scratch on above: an 1896 and Levassor, the ond-hand car, “temporarily, at any rate”, the paint, & all as new.” After a careful Winner of the 1896, Paris-Marseilles-Paris and predictably has all the information, examination and a written guarantee he race. This fi rst, 4 cylinder model was later including illustrated circulars, price com- bought by Hon CS Rolls in 1897. decided “at length to go in for it”. He parisons and the name of a seller, “a pri- says that although the price may appear with the result that he intended to sit vate gentleman”, to send to his father. big, he considers it a good buy, and of- for the Tripos (honours), and the conse- He had, however, decided that he could fers to pay the difference between what quent extra work this would involve. He do better in Paris, possibly fi nding some- his father had been willing to pay to help also mentions that he “had a ride in Sir thing like the type he described at the him, and the new cost. “The carriage D. S.’s autocar which was delightful, and beginning of the letter, with “wheels built we attained a speed of about 20 at one on cycle lines with time.” He goes on to say that he intends steel tensional “going in for one of these some time, spokes and rub- and have been saving up for a consider- ber tyres, & the able time for the purpose.” whole carriage rather lighter & While the letter mentioned above more elegant”. was concerned almost exclusively with his plans for his university work, a long In convincing letter written in September of the same his father that this year deals almost exclusively with motor would be a sound cars. He explains to his father that the investment, reason he (his father) hadn’t seen any Charles repeated- motor-cars while he was up in town was ly stresses how because “the new act” had not yet come cars are sought into force. “Besides,” he adds, “most after, but scarce: of the carriages are engaged to run at “I could easily various public parks etc.” Sir David Sa- lomons, newly returned from Paris, in- formed Charles that “ the modern car- riages now turned out by MM Panhard et Levassor … are undoubtedly the best made, & do now overcome practically all the objections & weak points of the old- er types, such as vibration, noise etc.” He says that their carriages are “pretty near perfection”. He then explains that Sir D. S. “advises one to go in for this make of carriage”, and also that Charles should go to Paris for three days or so “in order to thoroughly grasp all the de- tails of the mechanism & become thor- oughly expert, & master all dodges”. He goes on to talk about costs and the delay between placing an order and delivery. Because of this delay he says that he is considering buying a sec-

right above: Rolls’ 1896 3½ hp Peugeot Phaeton (sans hood) with Rolls driving being led by a man showing a red fl ag before the passing of the 1896 ‘Emancipation’ Act. right: Charles Rolls driving the fi rst car he owned, a 3½ hp Peugeot Phaeton, bought in 1896. 6776 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 day. In his letter of “a slight hitch in the mechanism, which 20th October, 1896, I had not time to put right before the Charles mentions this start”. proposed run, saying Motoring that, having his new Peugeot at South ending a photograph of the Peugeot to Lodge, “there was Shis father, he explained that “you will going to be a pro- see a large canopy fi tted, but this is al- cession from London ways detached except for long journeys”. to Brighton on Saty. He reported that the car was a great suc- next but it has had to cess and that “v. great admiration & in- be postponed, as the terest is taken in it at Camb.” and that he Sussex Co. would not was making several improvements “such give necessary sanc- as the addition of a condenser (radiator), tion, & it is going to multiple lubricator, improved starting be held on Nov. 14 to gear, etc”. celebrate the pass- Charles bought other cars including, in ing of the act.” Four 1897, a Panhard et Levasseur, the actual days later he wrote car which had won the Paris - Marseilles (to his mother, this race. It is diffi cult though to clearly de- time) that he and his termine which cars he owned because he friends had set out was photographed in so many. in the car on Thurs- Writing in 1899 he reported a trip day night, having to “through wind and storm”, “pitch dark- take turns for the ness and fearful weather etc”. The jour- fi rst fourteen miles to ney, which continued the next day though walk in front carrying rain and liquid mud, ended with their ar- the red lamp “owing to the riving “like weather-beaten rats” and with present absurd state of the the car covered in mud “deep enough to English Law”. After Barnet, plant potatoes”. Charles noted that this however, he says that they demonstrated that “a modern motor car “let her go”. They arrived is not by any means solely a fi ne weather safely the next morning vehicle”. “without any serious inci- In the same letter he says that he dences (sic) beyond the has just had a “special quotation of £880 circulating pump ceasing for a 12hp Panhard racer with … large action”. They had been unpuncturable Michelin pneumatics”. He met by crowds of people also promises to get for his father “the keen to see the car, and at desired copies of ‘The Autocar’”. Lord Finchley, while they were Llangattock seems to have continued walking at four miles per to take an interest in motoring, and to hour through the town have been willing to help Charles fi nan- “a friendly constable ex- cially with his interests and later with his pressed his wish to have a business. “You were kind enough to pro- ride”. Having climbed up, above top: The fi rst Emancipation Run in pose letting my a/c have an addition of the policeman told them that there was 1896 was a popular public spectacle. say £200 to help … with orders taken”, no-one else on the beat for another mile and again, Charles is careful to outline his below: in 1897 Rolls drove his own 1896 and a half, so they could show him what Panhard and Levassor in that year’s London plans to repay the money “with a 5 per to Brighton event. the car could do. On the 14th November 1896, Charles below: In 1905 Charles Rolls entered 2 cars arrived … the day after me, and I took joined the Emancipation Run to Brigh- in the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man with her by her own power from Vict. to S. ton, but not in his own car because of mixed results. On his return in 1906, below, Lodge” (the family’s London house). “I his car, Number 4, won convincingly. am obliged to take the carriage by road from London to Camb. … (having ob- tained sanction of Hertfordshire & Cam- bridgeshire Police)”. After that exciting news he fi nishes the letter, almost as an afterthought, telling his father that “I passed alright in my exam & took a 2nd class in it, which is satisfactory”. The Emancipation Run s mentioned above, Charles told his Afather that “the new act” had not yet come into force. This was the Act which increased the speed limit for self-pro- pelled road vehicles, and removed the necessity for them to be preceded by a man carrying a red fl ag, or a red lan- tern at night. To celebrate, a group of motorists drove together from London to Brighton, a run which continues to this PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6777 cent interest if required”. Letters written in 1900 show Charles still fully occupied with his cars. In Janu- ary he reports that he now has his car “in wonderful condition of running” after ad- justing the valves and carburettor. “Every new car,” he says, “ usually requires this amt. of time spent owing to the hurried way they are turned out.” (No wonder he was so impressed, when he saw it, by the Royce car which had been so meticulous- ly assembled and adjusted.) He goes on to say “I have added £100 to her value or more; you can’t hold her back now, and I took her up the 1 in 8 of the hill-climbing competition yesterday with 5 people on!” Rolls-Royce n September 1906, Charles Rolls drove not be enough profi t for two companies, above: R. M. S. “Baltic”, which at 23,800 t and that if output increased (“if wks was once the largest ship in the world, took Ithe winning Rolls-Royce 4 cylinder 20 Rolls to America in 1906. h.p. car in the Tourist Trophy race and, make 260 cars p.a. instead of 60”), he would need more capital to sell them. below: a 1906 C. S. Rolls & Co. catalogue making the most of this success, decided of Rolls-Royce cars. to take two cars to the USA to demon- The amalgamation, on the other hand, strate them there. Writing to his father would mean that he would not have to needed to save the fl otation. fi nd capital, “& I shall have a good share on 11 October 1906, on board R.M.S Charles’s trip on the “Baltic” to New “Baltic” on the way to New York, Charles holding in the co. with a certain salary plus com’n on profi ts & be relieved of York was to take two cars, the TT win- says that “both cars are on board” (the ning four-cylinder Twenty H.P. and a 20hp and a six cylinder 30hp), and also a great amt. of responsibility”. It is, he says, a matter of getting the best price six-cylinder thirty hp, to New York to that he had “several orders after TT demonstrate their capabilities on the race, another 6 cyl yesterday”. for CSR & Co’s business and goodwill and the Lillie Hall premises, and tells his fa- Empire City speed track. In this he was The main topic of this letter, though ther that he has left a Power of Attorney able to out-pace several more powerful concerns “RRLtd” and “CSR & Co”. with Claude Johnson (“to which yr name cars. Rolls, who was accompanied on “Manchester”, he says, “is very keen has been coupled at his request”) to ne- the trip by Percy Northey and others, on enlarging Rolls-Royce Ltd into a new gotiate. The matter is pressing because was also able to experience a fl ight in company with a £150,000 public sub- the brokers’ advice has been that they a Wright aeroplane. In all, Charles must scription”. He also says that the idea is should proceed while the TT success is have considered this a successful trip. to absorb C. S. Rolls & Co. to make “one in everybody’s mind. He assured his fa- With the momentous events dealt powerful co.” A detailed report of all the ther that “You will be hearing from CP with in this letter - the fl otation of the steps in the formation of the Rolls-Royce Johnson all about the Company matter”. new Rolls-Royce company, the take-over company is given by Michael Evans in “In of CSRolls & Co and the trip to New York the Beginning - the Manchester Origins The fl otation almost failed. Mr Arthur Briggs of Bradford, who bought the fi rst to promote the cars after the race win - of Rolls-Royce”, but a brief summary the letter ends on a mundane personal here will put this letter into perspective. four-cylinder Twenty, was also the one who suggested to Rolls that he enter a note: “P.S. Will you kindly remind Reyn- From December 1904, Rolls-Royce car like his for the 1905 TT race on the olds re returning umbrella I borrowed motor cars had been produced by Royce Isle of Man. He is credited too with being from Mr Maclaverly on Sunday.” Ltd, the electrical company, and sold by the man who saw the potential of com- C. S. Rolls & Co. Rolls-Royce Limited was bining the two fi rms, Royce Ltd and CS References: registered at Somerset House on 15th Rolls & Co, into a new company and sug- Gwent Archives: Rolls family papers - March, 1906, with its fi rst public share D361/F/P/8/67 gesting this in November 1905 to Rolls fl otation of £150,000 in December of M. H. Evans, In the Beginning - the and Johnson. When the fl otation of the 1906. The new fi rm couldn’t afford to Manchester Origins of Rolls-Royce, RRHT new company fell short close to the clos- absorb C. S. Rolls & Co. until after the SpeedDoctor.net ing date, a personal appeal was made gracesguide.co.uk fl otation. Further, C. S. Rolls & Co. was to Mr Briggs, who provided the capital pinterest.com not a legal entity, so no agreement could greatships.net be made. A new fi rm, Rolls-Royce Dis- tributing Ltd, wholly owned by Charles Rolls, was formed to overcome the dif- fi culty. This letter, then, was written after Rolls-Royce Ltd had been registered, but before its public fl otation, and before C. S. Rolls & Co had been absorbed into it. Charles says that “we (J.L. & Co, C.J. and I) think (it) on the whole (a) good thing provided I can get suffi ciently good return in shares for selling my busi- ness”. He goes on to say that he would expect to have a reduced profi t initial- ly, but that as prices of cars dropped, “the selling end (CSR & Co) would feel it fi rst”. He also mentions that there might

6778 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 From the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Archives Amy Johnson and Rolls-Royce Gilbert M Ralph Hon. Archivist SHRF hen in Adelaide recently I was Wbrowsing through one of my moth- er’s old scrapbooks covering the period from 1920 to 1950. Amongst the eclectic collection of newspaper cuttings I found the attached colored picture featuring a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost carrying Amy Johnson around the Geelong Racecourse in front of a huge crowd of admirers. The color picture appeared in The Aus- tralasian Pictorial on Saturday 28th June 1930. My colleague, Richard Knight, at the Foundation Archive spent some time trying to identify the car and suggests it is probably 65LK, a 1923 short chassis Silver Ghost. He noted its resemblance to his own 1923 Silver Ghost 97LK which carries a Waring Bros tourer on a long wheelbase chassis. According to Tom Clarke and David Neely’s well researched book, Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the Sun- burnt Country, 65LK has had a long his- tory of Victorian owners. It was imported to Victoria by Dalgety & Co for Frank S Austin of ‘Mount Widderin’, near Skipton, in the Western District of Victoria. Frank S Austin was a great nephew of Thomas Austin who is well known for having re- leased 24 rabbits, fi ve hares and 72 par- tridges into his property ‘Barwon Park’ in order to ‘introduce a touch of home’. The Austin family owned many large pastoral above: The color picture that appeared in properties in Victoria and elsewhere. ity she set her objective to fl y solo from The Australasian Pictorial on Saturday 28th England to Australia. With support from June 1930, showing Amy Johnson riding in a According to Clarke and Neely. 65LK Silver Ghost at Geelong on June 18th. was fi tted with a tourer body by Waring her father and oil tycoon Lord Wakefi eld she bought a used de Havilland Gypsy below: Amy Johnson with her Gypsy Moth Bros of Melbourne and delivered to the on the day she left England, 5th May, 1930. owner in May 1924. It is also thought that Moth (G–AAAH) and set off alone from the car was exhibited at the All British Croydon on 5th May 1930 and landed in rough water, Fletcher died. For his effort Motor Show in Melbourne in July 1924. Darwin on 24th May covering a distance to rescue Johnson, he was awarded the At the time this photograph was taken of approximately 17,500km. She was the Albert Medal, posthumously. Amy John- 65LK was still owned by the Austin fam- fi rst woman to fl y solo to Australia and son is presumed to have drowned. Her ily. It is reported that it was sold in 1934 following her arrival she toured Australia. body was not recovered. and rebodied by Martin & King as a sa- Amy married Scottish aviator, Jim Mol- Her fl ight remains a government se- loon for use as a service car. Subsequent lison in 1932 and together they compet- cret and a later report claims that she owners were: Parker Bros, Stuart Rau, ed in several intercontinental fl ights in- failed to respond to calls for identifi cation Miles Maxwell and Maurice Gradman. It cluding the England to Australia air race and was shot down as an enemy aircraft. was damaged in an accident and was re- in 1934 in a DH Comet. They divorced in bodied as a tourer and passed through 1938 and at the outbreak of World War a number of other owners until sold by II Amy joined the Air Transport Authority Robert McDermott to Bryan Harper (a ferrying aircraft from factories to RAF air Foundation Archive volunteer) in 1994. bases. It is currently owned by David Bailie of On 5th January 1941 Amy was deliv- Castlemaine. ering an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk.II. Can any reader help to confi rm that For reasons not known, at approximately the car pictured is in fact 65LK? 3:30 p.m., Amy bailed out of the plane For those interested in aeronautical and parachuted into the Thames Estuary history, Amy Johnson (pictured) became more than 70 miles off-course. The air- interested in fl ying in 1928-29 when she plane crashed into the river and sank. joined the London Aeroplane Club. She Amy Johnson’s parachute was seen became obsessed with fl ying and deter- by the crew of HMS Haslemere. They at- mined to prove that women could be as tempted to rescue her and in the process, competent as men in the air. She was the the ship’s captain, Lieutenant Command- fi rst British-trained woman to qualify as er Walter Fletcher, Royal Navy, dove into a ground engineer. To prove her capabil- the water. In the cold temperatures and PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6779 The Bentley Mk V The Rarest of them All by Tom King (NZ) Praeclarum is proud to publish, over the next few editions, more articles written by the Editor of the New Zealand Rolls-Royce and Bentley Club’s magazine, Tom King. This one, on the Rarest Bentley, initally appeared in the NZ magazine in their August edition of 2014 (14-4) and then in the RROC (USA) Magazine, The Flying Lady, in their March/April edition of 2015 (15-2). Praeclarum is happy to present a slightly revised NZ-english edition for Austra- lian Members and we thank Tom, the NZ Club, and The Flying Lady for their permission to reproduce this article. he Derby Bentley had sold well, but bourne to Buxton in Derbyshire, now the low rating road springs to give a com- Tby the late 1930s the Rolls-Royce A515, and the memo states “…a stretch fortable ride without running into ‘tramp company’s aeroplane engine produc- which closely approaches Continental – our present limitation. A stiff frame tion was subsidising its car manufactur- conditions in that it normally accentu- would also enable us to employ a roll ing. By 1936 the Bentley had become ates all the worst suspension features of rod [i.e. anti-roll bar] to regain any road old-fashioned when compared to its the Bentley. We were astonished at the holding qualities which might be lost with competitors such as Lagonda, which results achieved. From the point of view the low rating front springs… (2) Get all company by that time had W.O. Bentley of the front and rear occupants’ comfort, the information we can from the only working for them. Independent suspen- and the directional control of the driver, sample available of torsion rod springing sion was being used extensively, but the the car was in an entirely different class [i.e. Citroën].” Rm discussed available Bentley chassis, which dated back to the to any Bentley we have previously tried options with Ernest Hives (1886-1965, “Peregrine” design of 1931, was still sus- fi tted with a similar type of body.” Hs and later 1st Baron Hives of Duffi eld), pended by semi-elliptic leaf springs and Clearly, something had to be done, but by that time war seemed inevitable, rigid axles, and only careful attention to and W.A. Robotham (1899-1980, Rm and Hives’ priority had to be getting the shock absorbing enabled the Bentley to in Company parlance) in March 1936 Merlin aero-engine into production. One perform as well as it did. Most of us circulated within the Company a paper of the experimental chassis, 4-B-IV, was know how nice a car with rigid axles can entitled Independent Springing on the modifi ed to take Citroën torsion bar in- be on a good road; the trouble is that Bentley, part of which read “Personally dependent front suspension, and other most roads are not smooth, and eighty we feel that in 18 months’ time it will be manufacturers’ designs were studied. years ago they cannot have been any very diffi cult to sell a £1,500 car without The independent system fi tted to the better. the comfort obtainable with this [front] suspension. Already owners of our prod- below: Experimental chassis 4-B-IV fi tted One Bentley customer was Mr Gordon with Citroën torsion bar independent front Armstrong, who had fi tted the indepen- ucts have compared our suspension un- suspension. dent suspension and shock absorbers favourably with of his own Armstrong Patent Suspen- that of the ‘Even- sion Co. Ltd to his 3½ litre Park Ward keel’ ride provided Saloon, chassis B51EJ. He allowed the by Humbers. We Experimental Department to test this car would like to tack- on a notorious stretch of road, from Ash- le the problem in two ways: (1) Im- below: This painting by Tony Smith, prove the present depicting what might have happened if the events of 3 September 1939 hadn’t, Bentley frame as shows Mark V Bentley, chassis B24AW, far as possible at play with The Embiricos Bentley, with the minimum B193LE, and Corniche, chassis 14-B-V modifi cation. The We are very grateful to Stewart Wilkie, object of improv- who commissioned it, and has given us ing the frame is permission to reproduce this and other to enable us to fi t images he has.

6780 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, and in slightly modifi ed form to the Wraith, was a Gen- eral Motors design which was rejected by GM as too expensive. It had been designed by Maurice Olley (1889-1972, Oy), who had worked with Royce before moving to America during the Great War, when he worked towards Rolls-Royce aeroplane engines being manufactured there; he stayed on when Rolls-Royce opened their factory at Springfi eld, Mas- sachusetts. When that enterprise closed, he joined General Motors as a specialist in suspension design. Hs was appointed General Manager in 1936, and he had to act decisively to re- above: The Mark V chassis store the Company’s profi tability, which with the post-war Jaguar Mark V and the had deteriorated after Royce’s death due subsequent invention of its predeces- ard’s design was copied. One end of the to factors such as the disparate model sor, the quite spurious Jaguar “Mark IV,” wishbone design ran back from its outer range and the consequent high manu- Bentley’s post-war car being known as point, so that braking forces would be facturing costs, and warranty problems. the Mark VI, Jaguars leap-frogging to in- absorbed, rubber bushings were used These were associated with the Phantom troduce their Mark VII, and Bentley giv- to insulate the chassis from road shocks III’s premature introduction, and bear- ing up the “Mark Race,” introducing their without compromising precision, and ing failures which could occur on the 4¼ R Type and Jaguars only giving up after an anti-roll bar was fi tted. The Mark V litre Bentleys when they were extended their Marks VIII, IX and X. chassis can be readily identifi ed by any- on the new highways of Europe. Bodies The new chassis was a radically dif- one who has examined a Mark VI Bent- of inadequate design or quality refl ected ferent design, with channel section side ley and its descendants right up to the on Rolls-Royce, rather than on the indi- members of 7½ inches depth instead of Silver Cloud III/S3. vidual coachbuilders, and the offering of 6½ inches, diagonal or cruciform bracing all-steel standard bodies, built by Park running from the rear axle to the front of Ward Ltd after an injection of Company The Mark V engine, although of the the gearbox, and another bracing from same dimensions as the previous design, capital, was a step, bold at the time, but there to the front suspension mounting, wise in retrospect; by 1938 Park Ward 88.9mm by 114.3mm for 4,257c.c.s, meaning that the chassis was the equiv- was closer to the Wraith engine, which, were entirely owned by Rolls-Royce Mo- alent of box-sectioned for most of its tor Cars Ltd. unlike the previous 20/25 and 25/30 length. It used the shortest wheelbase Rolls-Royce designs, featured a cross- With war seeming inevitable by this of the three proposed, of 10' 4" length. fl ow push-rod overhead valve cylin- time, Hs re-organised the Company into This was two inches shorter than the Aero-engine and Chassis divisions, the chassis it replaced, but with the engine below: The Mark V engine: latter led by Robert Harvey Bailey (1876- mounted a full 5 inches further forward, top: Nearside. 1962, By), and By was the guiding hand interior space would be improved, albeit bottom: Offside. behind the next phase in the Compa- with the loss of that classic ny’s history, the “Rationalised Range.” ideal of the radiator mount- Three different chassis lengths, of the ed no farther forward than same basic design, with a new engine the front axle. of the same dimensions as the 4¼ li- The gearbox used for the tre, but with overhead inlet and side Mark V had similar ratios to exhaust valves, would be used across the Overdrive unit fi tted to the full range of Company cars, with an the MR and MX series of objective of 90% interchangeability. A 1938/39, but synchromesh cheaper rear axle, of semi-fl oating de- was also present on sec- sign with steel disc wheels, were further ond gear. 16 inch diameter departures from previous Company pol- steel disc wheels were used icy. The proposed variants were given on all but one of the proto- code names as follows: types, and steering was the Clipper - Standard chassis proprietary Marles cam and Comet - Standard chassis with 8-cyl- roller system, also used in inder engine the previous Overdrive se- Corniche - Lightweight chassis using ries, but with a lower ratio some Elektron components, giving 3.7 turns lock to lock. with streamlined body The front suspension Ripple - Standard chassis with used a wishbone design 3½ litre engine which had originated for Phoenix - Long wheelbase chassis the “120” line of Packards Cresta - Long wheelbase chassis with in 1935, and was referred 8-cylinder engine to in Rolls-Royce internal The fi rst design result of this policy memorandum as “our Pack- was to be a Bentley, to be introduced at ard suspension,” although it the Motor Show of 1939. Experimental was not until 1981 that a Bentley chassis by this time had reached lecture given to the Royce the fi fth generation of Latin numeric pre- Foundation by one of the fi xes, B-V, so the new car became known design team, Donald Ba- as the Mark V. This is not to be confused stow, admitted that Pack- PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6781 der head design. The combustion chambers were designed to promote turbulence of the fuel mixture, and the valves, with a pronounced tulip shape, were placed within a “bath- tub” shaped recess. Improvements in bearing materials led to bigger diameter but narrower bearings, with stiffer webs, and the engine’s safe working range was extended by the improved crankshaft torsional strength. A sheet of thin “saw” qual- ity steel between the crankshaft and fl ywheel, as described in Laurence Pomeroy’s “Quiet Interiors” article in The Motor 20 May 1942, absorbed small movements the crankshaft made, so that the rim of the fl ywheel ranges, with the development costs be- above: Tony Smith’s portrayal of the Mark would run true. This, as well as the ing amortised across those varieties of Vs outside the Crewe works, with signifi cant clever use steel of pressings with rubber engines. Generations of owners of Mark personalities in their history on the balcony inserts for engine and gearbox support, VIs, R-Types, S Types, Silver Wraiths, Sil- (from left) Sir Ernest Hives, Raymond Mays, the dash structure mounted with rubber Lord Lloyd-Webber, Capt. Woolf Bamato, and ver Dawns, and Silver Clouds can attest Stewart Wilkie. bushes in two planes, and the new wide- to the excellence of that design. eral cars and a number of drivers based ly spaced wishbone design of the front there permanently. suspension, launched the new Bentley This is probably a good time to con- Latin “V”, as it was to be called, into an sider the testing regime of Rolls-Royce “A look at the map suggested that era of refi nement which would not be Limited, as described eloquently by W.A. Châteauroux, a market town of about recognised by Bentley drivers fi fteen Robotham, surely the main reason we 30,000 inhabitants lying on the main years earlier. don’t hear of the Company’s products road from Paris to Biarritz, would prob- being recalled... ably meet our requirements, as it was The new B60 engine was under de- the centre of an excellent road system. velopment by this time, again of 4¼ li- “About May 1924, Hives decided that we were not getting enough endurance I therefore took a car across to Dieppe tres and the same dimensions, but with and drove to Châteauroux, where I very large overhead inlet valves, and running on the experimental cars. Be- fore any new component was released stayed at the Hôtel de France. Enquiries side exhaust valves. This was intended produced details of a garage to let…and to power the new “rationalised” range, for production we always tried to cover at least 10,000 miles on the road and, the building turned out to be just what planned for the 1940-41 trading season, I needed. I took it immediately on a with the B80 straight-eight and B40 four of course, if it gave trouble it had to be modifi ed and the endurance test start- twelve-months’ lease, and by the begin- cylinder variants also available. The B80 ning of June we had started operations. was subsequently fi tted to the twelve ed all over again. Trying to get a big Phantom IVs built after 1949, while the mileage on a car in England was a slow “We soon established our testing rou- B40 was eventually used in the Austin business as one soon fell afoul of the tine. The programme was to run each Champ in the 1950s. The B60 had a police if one drove at high speeds on car two shifts of 250 miles a day, with different cost structure from the Wraith a fi xed route. Besides this, if the least four drivers. Each shift at the end of engine, since the basic design would be thing went wrong, there was a tendency their run inspected the car and wrote shared among the B40, B60, and B80 to bring the car back to the factory at out the log-book before handing it over once and pull it to pieces. to their colleagues. A tyre-fi tter worked below: The scene in the Smith painting reimagined by New York-based British artist “After discussion it was agreed that night-shift and did the greasing and Anna-Louise Felstead who doesn’t only paint we must set up a testing centre some- washing. I took two or three shifts a cars but drives them competitively too. where on the Continent and keep sev- week for the fi rst month, to enable me to assess the best routes to use and the kind of punishment to which the car would be subjected. Starting at fi ve in the morning in spring or autumn we would pass long strings of horse-drawn vehi- cles, their occupants dressed uni- formly in black, moving out of the villages and towns to start work on the farms at dawn. Many of the horses…were unused to mo- tor traffi c, and more often than not we left behind chaos in the cavalcade as we swept by. This did not increase our popularity, and it soon became clear that the police were keeping an eye on our activities. The cars had come into France on triptyques, which were documents issued to bona fi de tourists enabling them to avoid paying duty. It was obvious that no tourist would be insane enough to cover 500 miles a day, 6782 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 (NSW) photographs which he took at Pebble Beach Concours in August 2009. “The car generally known as ‘The Embiricos Bentley’ was built on an ear- ly chassis in the last series before the overdrive MR series, B27LE. Reference books are coy regarding its mechanical modifi cations from standard, but it was fi tted with an overdrive gearbox giving the very high fi nal gear ratio of 2.87:1. It was developed through the initiative of Walter Sleator, (Sr 1903-64,) then the manager of the Rolls-Royce branch in Paris. The newly developed auto- bahn system meant that cars could be extended for long periods beyond their safe maximum engine speed, and Sle- ator was well aware of his customers’ above: Bentley Motors’ photograph of “The burgh, who enjoyed it so much that he concerns, as were Arthur Robotham and Embiricos Bentley” (B193LE). persuaded the Company to build such a his team at Derby. W.A. Robotham’s book car for Princess Elizabeth. This led to the seven days a week, always returning to Silver Ghosts and Silver Dawn is a beau- Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, chassis 4AF2, sleep at the same hotel. However, we tifully written account of Rm’s 44 years with H.J. Mulliner limousine coachwork, were spending a lot of money on pet- with Rolls-Royce, although his memory delivered on 6 July 1950, which remains rol, and the Hôtel de France was doing and his role in events when compared in the Royal Mews, and is still used today. well out of the accommodation which to others’ has been questioned; for in- we were using; so, after a talk with the Fifty Mark V chassis were to be laid stance, his boss Robert Harvey Bailey is chief of police and strict instructions to down, quite an ambitious fi gure in the mentioned only once. However, this ac- the drivers to respect the rights of other shadow of a brewing war; most chassis count of The Embiricos Bentley has been road users, we settled down reasonably series of Bentleys from Crewe were of drawn from it. well as part of the local scenery… one hundred chassis each. Thirty-fi ve André Embiricos was a racing driver chassis were built, (even) numbered “At least six main roads radiate from from a Greek ship-owning family, and from B2AW to B70AW, and nineteen en- Châteauroux like the spokes of a wheel, with Walter Sleator he commissioned the gines had been numbered before war and all have straight stretches up to 20 French designer Georges Paulin (1902- kilometres long. The surfaces of most intervened. In early 1940 Hs reassigned By to Merlin aeroplane engine produc- below upper: The Embiricos Bentley of these roads were so bad (the one (B27LE) as photographed by David Neely at tion, and Rm took over the chassis team running north to Orleans was execra- Pebble Beach Concours in 2009, behind it ble) that the cars received an appalling as they were reassigned to wartime sits EXP8, the 2001 Le Mans car. fi ghting vehicle tasks. hammering, particularly as, after a few above lower: Another view of the The days’ driving, one became completely The fi rst four chassis built, B2AW Embiricos Bentley (B27LE) in 2009. inured to the fantastic buffeting which to B8AW, were to Corniche the chassis was sustaining. Looking specifi cations, and the fi rst back on the operation, it was undoubt- two were intended for bod- edly a good method of achieving 10,000 ies by Carosserie Vanvooren miles in the shortest possible time, but a in Paris, similar to the pro- doubtful means of reproducing the trou- totype 14-B-V to be built for bles which one might expect the average the 1939 Paris Motor Show driver to experience. In any event the (B2AW) and Continental tri- coach-built bodies were quite unable to als (B4AW), but they did not stand up to this sort of treatment.” reach France, and all four By February 1938 the fi rst prototype, chassis were scrapped. chassis 7-B-V, weighing 34 cwt with a The following short item, Park Ward saloon body, was ready for in slightly different form, testing. Another six prototypes followed, appeared in our magazine omitting number 13 as was custom- 09-5, and accompanied ary, to a fi nal 14-B-V, the Corniche, de- our member David Neely’s scribed below. Most of these cars served throughout the Second World War as Company transport, and accumulated a huge mileage. 11-B-V had the cast-iron B80 straight-eight engine of 5.3 litres fi t- ted, which involved modifying the front chassis cross member, moving the radi- ator forward, and making a longer bon- net. Code named “Comet” it was alter- natively named “Scalded Cat” for obvious reasons, and could achieve its target of 100 mph, while, when compared with the V12 Lagonda, it achieved 2 miles per gallon better economy. Before be- ing eventually scrapped in 1953, with a mileage of 143,000, it had been loaned to H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of Edin-

PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6783 42) to draw up a body, to be built by ownership until 1969, and was en- Marcel Pourtout. Paulin also designed thusiastically driven and modifi ed Peugeot bodies, and there are similari- with additional vents, wheel spats ties to be seen in the Peugeot 302 from off or on, as necessary for its rac- the mid-30s. The Munich Crisis of 1938 ing career in Hay’s hands. By 1949 intervened, and Embiricos tried to bring the car had covered 60,000 miles forward delivery of the car; it was deliv- and came 6th at Le Mans. In 1950 ered in July 1938. it fi nished 12th, and at its last ap- Ironically since it has always been pearance there in 1951, having by known as ‘The Embiricos Bentley,’ he that time covered 125,000 miles, it owned it for less than a year. The Pau- fi nished 14th; it was hampered by lin-designed body gave a weight saving generator failure. of about 150 kilograms over the standard In 1971 the car was repaint- Park Ward body, and since it dispensed ed and re-trimmed from its original with the traditional Bentley radiator and gun-metal grey with tan leather to blue P100 headlamps its shape gave it a con- with biscuit, but as may be seen from siderable advantage. In January 1939, David’s photographs it has been restored despite snow and ice, Sleator covered by its present owners, Arturo and Debo- 107 miles in an hour at Montlhery racing rah Keller of Petaluma, California, to the circuit, and shortly after that a proving form in which it fi rst appeared. trip to the autobahn was organised, with It was the inspiration for the modern Rm accompanying in a ‘standard’ Van Bentley, by way of the Corniche, and above upper: Georges Paulin’s nephew Vooren pillar-less saloon. John Dugdale was the last Bentley raced at Le Mans, Michel-George, who died in 2013, holds of ‘The Autocar’, Jules Le Fèvre of ‘L’Au- in 1951, until the triumphal return to Le the “Corniche” mascot. to’, and V.E. Morgan of ‘Reuters’ were Mans in 2001. At Pebble Beach in 2009 above lower: The stylish ‘Corniche’ mascot invited, with Sleator driving. The winter it was appropriately parked next to EXP8, a thrown tread after only 15 miles. In weather on leaving the Paris showrooms the 2001 Le Mans car.” his offi cial report on the testing, Rm not- in Avenue George V was fi ne, and they ed “there is no doubt that it will not be were able to achieve an average speed of The logical successor to the “Embir- long before tyre makers produce a cover 87 mph for a long distance on a normal icos” car was the Corniche, where the which will meet with our requirements” French main road as they approached the body designer Georges Paulin devel- but, probably because of the interruption German frontier. Fuel consumption tests oped his ideas from the 1937 coupé into caused by the war, tyre failure was still showed 26 miles per gallon at a constant a four-door saloon of revolutionary (for a major problem fi fteen years later with 60 mph and 21 mpg at a constant 80 such a conservative company) design on the development of the Bentley Conti- mph. On the autobahn there were long the prototype Mark V chassis 14-B-V. Rm nental. patches of ice where the concrete was wrote to Sr on 18 July 1938 suggesting shaded, but Sleator managed to average Another problem unexpectedly arose that Paulin should make some drawings 112 mph for 5 minutes, at 4,500 rpm, with the Corniche, as the car became of a frontal design similar to the Lincoln shown in a photograph taken at that unstable over 80 mph with over-steer. Zephyr, and these have come down in his time from the back seat, which appeared The reason for this has still not been family (tragically, he was a French Resis- in ‘The Autocar’. The car did 1,000 miles resolved. Various engineering tweaks tance hero who died after being tortured) during this trip, which must have been to steering design were mooted, and as the project went ahead with some op- treated as a last tasting of gastronomic because of the then inexact science of timistic delivery deadlines. He was also delights before the prospect of war, and aerodynamics, the centre of aerodynam- commissioned to design a unique mascot ‘Le Fèvre’s’ published account concen- ic pressure has been suggested as be- to be used on the Corniche and MK Vs. trated on the food and drink, rather than ing too far forward. Laurence Pomeroy’s Dugdale’s more technical report. Thinner gauge steel, of 0.092" as op- 1949 book The Grand Prix Car 1906-39 posed to 0.128" for the “standard” Mark stated “…a reduction in drag brings the On 18 July 1939 Captain George Ey- Vs was used for the chassis (this thin- centre of wind pressure (i.e. aerodynam- ston covered 114 miles in an hour at ner gauge steel was also used for the ic pressure) considerably forward of the Brooklands despite strong winds and post-war Mark VI Bentleys), and Elektron centre of oscillation (i.e. centre of grav- constant drizzle. Presumably at that time magnesium alloy was specifi ed for cer- ity). The car becomes aerodynamically the car sprouted the obligatory bonnet tain parts, including the gearbox casing. unstable and at high speeds particularly strap which it wore for much of its life. In the event, after the fi nished car’s de- sensitive to cross-winds, such as may Four days later the car was displayed for but at Derby in June 1939, it was sent to impinge on it suddenly as, for example, sale in the Conduit St showrooms, and France to begin its 15,000 mile testing when running out of a line of trees into in August it was bought by H.S.F. Salton with an aluminium gearbox casing, and open country,” and Pomeroy gave this as Hay of Cornwall. It stayed in that family’s cast iron brake drums rather than the the reason why no pre-war Grand Prix below: The Autocar photo showing Walter specifi ed aluminium. Weight therefore car had been comprehensively stream- Sleator’s hand helping to steady B27LE at was a problem, as the car weighed 34 lined. The hardly satisfactory solution 110 mph at 4,500 rpm. hundredweight, more than the tyres of suggested to solve the Corniche’s prob- the time could reliably carry at lem was to place 200 pounds of sand- the speeds which could be ob- bags on the car’s roof, causing body lean, tained from the 143 bhp engine which would bring the front anti-roll bar output and 2.86:1 fi nal drive into action and produce a compensating ratio in overdrive. A 100 kph under-steer. speed limit had been imposed There is evidence that 14-B-V was in- on the German autobahns, so volved in other accidents during the six the high speed testing was car- weeks it was actively under test, but on 8 ried out in France and Italy, but August 1939 it was badly damaged when in the high temperatures which the test driver Percy Rose skidded on a prevailed during that summer wet road to avoid a vehicle which came of 1939, tyres could fail, with out of a farm track into his path, and left 6784 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 car and the pre- vious type. It is true that it retains all the virtues of the previous model; also that it avoids its few vices. In charac- ter, however, it is wholly changed, and, in my view, it is the fi nest car for every-day mo- toring that it has been my pleasure to handle. In this seemingly ex- treme statement I am backed by my co-drivers.” The independent front What were they like to suspension, damping, light steering, drive? Opportunities to gearbox, and brakes were all praised. enjoy them are limited, but The braking proportion front to rear had we imagine them as pos- been changed from 40/60% to 57/43%, sessing that subtle pre-war and The Motor (16 April 1941) writers charm, together with the noticed that “there is no tendency for pleasant handling char- the rear wheels to lock.” acteristics of the Mark VI, and it is obvious that the Moving closer to our time, actually seven surviving Mark Vs the early 1960s, Andrew Wood wrote are regarded affectionately “During my early days at Rolls-Royce by their owners. Stewart (Hythe Road, London) there was a cus- Wilkie, who owns two of tomer, Mr Becker, who had purchased them, has commissioned several Mark V Bentleys. There were paintings from Tony Smith only about 18 of these cars built before and Anna-Louise Felstead the war stopped production. Mr Becker depicting (well, actually, gave the cars to members of his family, imagining) events in the and one of his sons wrecked the engine cars’ lives, and has given in his car (chassis B34AW) due to hard us permission to publish driving and over-revving. The car was them here. sent to Rolls-Royce for an engine over- haul, but shortly afterwards the engine Intended to appear at was wrecked again for the same rea- the 1939 Paris and Lon- sons. By this time Mr Becker was fed don motor shows, both up with the car, and asked Rolls-Royce of which were cancelled, to give it to an apprentice who would the few cars which were appreciate it. completed were delivered to customers during 1940, “An announcement to this effect was above top and centre: Comiche, chassis 1941, and as late as 1945. No road tests placed on the notice board, and I ap- 14-8-V, during Continental testing. therefore appeared, but in late 1940 plied for the car with great enthusiasm. above lower: The original engine of 14-B-V Laurence Pomeroy Jr (1907-66), Tech- As it turned out I was the only one who that survived the war. nical Editor of The Motor, managed to showed any interest, and when I was borrow a Park Ward four-door saloon presented with the car I said I would the road. The car was dismantled during from Rolls-Royce Managing Director Ar- arrange with my brother to tow it away. the next few days at the testing base of thur Sidgreaves (1882-1948, Sg), and The Department Manager told me that Châteauroux, with the chassis and en- obtained enough petrol to carry out a nobody towed cars out of Rolls-Royce gine returning to Derby, and the body full report on the car for The Motor, 4 and that I was to repair it in my own repair done by a local coach-builder. Be- December 1940. It was chassis B20AW, time. This was like a dream come true, fore the car could be rebuilt, war was and Pomeroy and his associates drove and with Paul we started to rebuild the declared on 3 September, so the chas- the car on a circuit of the Home Coun- engine in the evenings. My charge hand sis remained in England, while the body ties, enjoying the space for fi ve people gave us some gaskets and other pieces, seems to have been destroyed on the aboard (and their luggage!) although and together with the engine shop they wharf at Dieppe in 1940. With the oth- their estimates of the Mark V’s top speed all offered advice and help. er four bodies VanVooren had built for at between 85 and 90 m.p.h. were lower “The Mark V engine was basically a production Corniches supposedly also than had been achieved on previous road pre-war Wraith engine with twin carbu- stored at Châteauroux we cannot but tests of Derby-built Bentleys. Pomeroy rettors. A lot of time was spent to make wonder what artefacts survived the war. had another drive in B20AW, by which the engine compartment look good, In one of the most interesting proj- time the carburettors had been correctly and to make the engine run quietly and ects of recent years, a perfect copy of tuned, and he found that the car would smoothly. Wherever we went, people Corniche is being built by the Rolls- easily reach 90 m.p.h. in direct drive, were most impressed. Royce Heritage Trust in Derby, and we which the overdrive would then main- hope to be able to report on this in due tain. “Superlative,” the testers reported, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6790 course. “There is no comparison between this PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6785 Travel An occasional series of Rolls-Royce taken by David and Linda Neely were i Portugal and England, and se

Tom and Fiona Clarke (WA), now resident in England, met up with David and Linda in Kent in May for the RREC’s ‘Interna- tional Weekend’. above, and above right: This stylish 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, SKG33, a H J Mulliner Convertible built to design 7410, the only one with rear fi ns, was on display.

above:above: IInn PoPortugalrtugal iinn MaMay,y they saw a large gather- ing of classic cars in the main square of Porto. The cars were setting off on a tour south to Lisbon and then Marbella, a city and resort area on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol. The sunny and warm weath- er was perfect for open motoring in these cars from the Netherlands, 1986 Rolls-Royce Cor- niche II (ADG13407) and 1991 Bentley Continental (BDM30358).

6786 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Snaps e and Bentley inspired photographs Members n Europe recently, specifi cally ent back these Travel Snaps.

right and below:This 1933 Rolls- Royce Phantom II Continental, 130MY, is resplendent with its touring saloon coachwork by Barker.

below and left: This 1923 Rolls-Royce Springfi eld Silver Ghost, 112JH, has New Haven Salamanca Rolls-Royce coach- work, which provides for fully enclosed or open motoring.

left: This 2000 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, AAY04698, was ordered for Sir Ernest Thomas Harrison OBE, Chairman of RACAL and its subsidiary Vodafone. So understandably it is well equipped with three phones, but the unusual feature is that it has a fl ag mounting point on the bonnet. PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6787 Our American 2015 RROC Annual Meet Mal Henderson (NSW)

n late March and early April occurred with the fi nal dinner in the Ithis year, Robyn and Mal evening. At the dis- Henderson (NSW) attended play day the Club the 2015 RROC Annual Meet had a very moving tribute to US veter- in Orlando Florida, This is their ans; with an honor report on the Concours. guard, presentation of fl ags, the Na- bout 130 cars attended the Meet tional Anthem, taps (Rally), nowhere near the number I A and the Oath. They expected given the size of the US Club. clearly have high Rolls-Royce dominate most classes in regard for their Vet- numbers in their Club, up until the di- erans of all services. vision of the Marques in the mid-2000s I found this very im- so clearly Rolls-Royce was better recog- pressive. nized throughout the US for many years. 64 cars were en- Of Pre-war cars, there were 18 tered for judging, Rolls-Royces and two Bentleys (1 Derby 24 in Concours and and 1 WO) attending, with that number 41 for Touring and including 9 Sliver Ghosts, 7 of which Special Awards. were pre-1915. A very signifi cant atten- An astounding dance and quite noteworthy. percentage of at- The Ghost turnout was pretty good tendees entered to due to Mike Sierra (a local Member) hav- be judged, almost ing a hand with two, including the old- 50%. est known Silver Ghost, an 1907, which The quality of the unfortunately was not on the list of at- cars was exception- tendees, but won the Newman Award al, with a number for Oldest Car at the Meet and the Jack of which I would Frost Award for Most Popular Car (Ladies have expected to Choice). achieve maximum The Ghost fraternity is strong and ef- points. I had trouble fective in the USA, which explains why understanding the results as they were above upper: The Australians at the 2015 4 of the 6 Australians who attended the RREC Annual Meet (l-r): Keith Wherry, Marie announced progressively over the loud Harland, Coralie Ogle, Mick Illek, Robyn and rally have a signifi cant Ghost involve- speaker during the day and I could not Mal Henderson all from NSW. ment. Keith Wherry and Marie have keep track of them. Unfortunately the above: Kjell Anderson (USA), Mal attended the last 5 US meets, which is presentation during the cocktail party Henderson (NSW) and Pres Blake (USA) impressive. was impossible to hear or see as well. stand beside the 1931 Phantom II Mal drove The Concours d’Elegance was set in the Rally. Kjell owns the car while Pres At least 18 cars were trailered to the designed and had the body made. down for the sixth day of the Meet and rally including a number of moderns. after extensive questions we actually Something totally different to an Austra- Karger had the longest drive to the meet found out exactly where and at what lian rally. I do not pretend to understand time it was being held. On the seventh covering 1,200 miles, winning the Dudley why a Silver Cloud II needs its own trail- Award. Mermie services her own cars! and fi nal day, the public display day er, but the owner is entitled to his choic- As an aside, there was a Bentley spe- es, however, I do understand why a pre- below: 12 Judges surround this Bentley cial boat-tailed racer with a shortened WWI Ghost might be trailered. Azure to judge it. Mark 6 chassis, a worked-over S1 motor, below right: The oldest Silver Ghost in The 1938 Phantom III, Gurney Nut- disc brakes, racing differential and gear the world: 60547, a 1907 Rippon Bros. ting saloon (3DL122) driven by Mermie Limousine. box, which was awarded 3rd place in the

6788 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Mark 6 touring class. This surprised me. above left: This Corniche was A number of 2014/15 cars took out unwrapped before the awards. I am very glad I wasn't trying Concours. to judge them, as, short of plugging in a above right: The service computer, I do not know how it replica of the Radiator could be done. Statue on the Radley I guess the spectacular car for us was Ghost. the Radley, 1914 Silver Ghost (18PB) right: the Radley Portholme Alpine Tourer. Car is fi nished to a very high standard, Steve Littin restored this car beautiful- winning Best Silver ly and in exacting detail. Tom Clark was Ghost and most Silent supplying newly discovered photos up Ghost at the Meet. until a few days prior to display. Steve showed us recently arrived photos of the Radley with the car car during its winning of the Alpine Ral- in 1914 to give his ly. In 1914 the car had 3 minutes each newly born daugh- morning to be started and on the line ter. At age 90, the ready to leave. As it was the leading car daughter contacted it was fi rst away each day. The photos the Company with show plenty of snow in some places. the intent of having They fuelled and serviced the car each the statue reunited with the car. Silent Silver Ghost. evening and covered most of it with what Several replicas were made of it , one Generally the judging appeared to looked like blankets. of which is now on the car. The original move like clockwork with up to 12 judges Steve Litten was born in New Zealand will be reunited with the car when it goes working on each vehicle. I know that the and lived at Grays Point in the Sutherland on display at the Rolls-Royce Goodwood slightest blemish or error was noted. One Shire (Sydney) for a while, until bush headquarters later this year. (Forgive me Corniche (about 1990) arrived in its trail- fi res took the family home and his school. if I have the minor details slightly wrong er wrapped in plastic to protect the paint, He now lives and works in Chardon, Ohio but Steve told me the story on the day but unfrotunately the judges picked-up and does magnifi cent work. when I could not accurately record it - I a mark on the paint on that vehicle. We retell it because I think it's a wonderful spoke to the owner and now that his 2 There is a statue (replica) of a lady on tale!) year restoration is complete he will use the cowling which was on the original car. the car regularly. I understood his desire The original statue was given to a Rolls- 18PB had a successful Meet and won to protect the car up until judgement Royce company employee who assisted the Samuel L Scher Award for best Silver day. below: The Radley Alpine Ghost after its Ghost, the Rolls-Royce of England Senior fi nal preparation before the Concours. Award and the Barrymore Award for Most Our assessment of the day was very positive and certainly the numbers in- volved at all levels were impressive. Interestingly, one of the ladies judging had overalls and bare feet and the as- phalt was very hot. Perhaps they have a little room to move on OH&S? One of their Technical Sessions was Learning to Judge, and I believe that was very successful for them. The stu- dents judged several of the "show only cars" and then immeditely went on to assist with the judging on Concours Day. I was asked why I had not entered the 1931 Phantom II that I drove to the rally in. I pointed out that I was not interested, given the amount of work involved. The questioner pointed out that if I had entered I would have learned a lot more about the car! Mal Henderson PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6789 ed to gather some The Bentley Mk V Mark Vs togeth- The Rarest er. To be invited by Johnnie Green, of the All who was some- by Tom King (NZ) what of a hero, being the owner CONTINUED FROM of ‘Honeysuckle’ PAGE 6785 and the author of ‘Fifty Years of “Paul and I wanted to take it to Bentley the Marque’ was Drivers Club events and had heard about quite something. the Kensington Gardens Concours. We A few weeks be- decided to go but this fi rst encounter did fore Goodwood not turn out well. As we pulled into the we decided to re- entrance and explained that we were not spray the car in members but wanted to join, we were told creamy yellow and that we were not allowed in until we had black from the original membership, and had to turn around in maroon, but the tyres front of everyone and go out. were absolutely worn out and new ones could “Not to be outdone, Paul and I parked not be afforded. It just outside and went and had a look around. so happened that Paul’s Johnnie Green’s ‘Honeysuckle’ (chassis and my 21st birthdays B154MR) was there, which was like noth- were coming up and a ing we had ever seen, and a tremendous friend invited us to din- inspiration. We asked a BDC offi cial what ner. When we arrived we had to do to join, and he looked us up at his home there was and down in our jeans and sweaters and a stack of fi ve brand new tyres waiting for said very sarcastically that fi rstly you have above: Photos of the ongoing construction us. The fi rst trip out with the new tyres of a Corniche by the Rolls-Royce Heritage to buy a Bentley! was to the Goodwood Festival Motoring Trust in Derby. “This was a big put-off and it was not Pageant.” Webber bought a Mark V, chassis B20AW, until sometime later that Johnnie Green B24AW was fi nished by Stewart Wilkie in 1972, and Lady Lloyd Webber has said wrote to say he was helping to organise in 2013 after the Trust arranged for the that it is the only car he drives now. He cars for the Goodwood meeting and want- original maroon paint to be made avail- was given a print of the painting by Tony below upper: Stewart Wilkie’s Park Ward able to him, as his cars were both painted Smith depicted in Nightingale Road for his saloon B24AW is on display these in the same colour as the Corniche. The birthday four years ago. days in a Bentley museum in Germany. car was road tested by James Fack, and David Scott has written vividly about below lower: Chassis B34AW originally his thoughts will be published soon, when his purchase of chassis B24AW, the only bore Jack Barclay’s registration JB 1. It is his book is published. Stewart has spoken Park Ward saloon panelled in aluminium, the last-built Mark V to exist, now fi tted with to David Baldock, Michael Elman-Brown in December 1974, and his drive from engine K5BF, which was originally in Woolf and Paul Wood, who actually owned all Barnato’s Park Ward saloon, chassis B16AW. Carmel, California into the Canadian win- the Mark Vs between them at one time ter. This entailed travelling through the or another. Stew- Californian mountains into Oregon, with a art promised Paul pass of 4,310 feet. Apart from an inop- Wood that he erative heater (another innovation of the would lend the car Mark V; at least it had a heater to become for the opening inoperative. Conversation between new celebrations of the owner of Derby Bentley and veteran: “I new P. & A. Wood haven’t found the heater switch.” “Let me Rolls-Royce show- know when you do fi nd it”), he was de- rooms in April lighted with the car during its 1,275 mile 2014, and also delivery journey, and compared the car’s promised to return performance to the R Type Bentley Con- the original India tinental. tyres. Stewart Wilkie bought B24AW from Da- Andrew Lloyd vid Scott in 2009 after he had spent the previous forty years restoring the running gear and interior, ex- cluding the upholstery which could not be saved, but which was copied exactly as the original. David had sent six hundred and fi fty photographs and information, gathered during the forty years he owned the car, to the Rolls-Royce Her- itage Trust, and to 6790 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Stewart, helping in the recreation of the Corniche, and Stewart continued the cooperation. Stewart gave the Trust a Mark V gearbox, so Bentley Motors could repair their own car, cur- rently having an engine rebuild, and he has lent the Trust parts for them to copy; they refurbished Stewart’s parts to Rolls-Royce standards free of charge in exchange. He also has managed to purchase the patterns for the inlet and outlet exhaust manifolds for the Corniche which he has lent to the trust whilst they re-create a spare engine for the Corniche. The Mark V mascot has been copied four times and the original is now on display in Hunt House at the Sir Henry Royce Heritage Trust Muse- um. Two of the others are on Stew- art’s cars, and one other on a Mark V collector’s car in Germany. The fi nal mascot was presented last year to Michel-Georges Paulin, the only rela- above right: Corniche, chassis 14-B-IV in tive of Georges Paulin, on behalf of Rolls- articles in The Bentley Drivers Club Review by a suitably louche setting outside Maxim’s in Royce. Unfortunately Michel-Georges died David Scott (No 118, November 1975), by Ian Anna-Louise Felstead’s painting. in December 2013, aged 82 years. Prof Rimmer (No 119, February 1976), by James below upper: A wartime photograph of Ken Britten had made the copies for Stew- Fack (No 148, May 1983), and by Alex Har- B20AW in company with the Rover fl eet vey-Bailey (No 150, November 1983); an ar- art just prior to his passing last year after ticle in Cars For the Connoisseur by Andrew which Raymond Mays was running by then, his wonderful presentation of the Charles and his mother (and dog) outside Eastgate Wood; an anonymous article in Automobile Sykes exhibition. Stewart purchased his House, Bourne, Lincolnshire. Engineer May 1941; Rolls-Royce – the fi rst Wraith WMB11, an experimental car cars from Crewe by Ken Lea (Rolls-Royce Her- below lower: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber owned by Rolls-Royce Managing Director itage Trust 1997); Rolls-Royce and Bentley Ex- with his Mark V Park Ward Saloon, chassis perimental Cars by Ian Rimmer (Rolls-Royce B20AW. A. F. Sidgreaves (Sg 1882-1948), which was once de- Enthusiasts’ Club 1986); Bentley 3½ and 4¼ scribed as a litre 1933-40 In Detail by Nick Walker (Her- ridge & Sons Ltd 2002); Laurence Pomeroy’s Rolls-Royce writing in The Motor between 1940 and 1942; on steroids, personal correspondence with Stewart Wilkie, as it had so Tom Clarke, Mike Evans, Sabu Advani and Ken many Mark V Lea; Silver Ghosts and Silver Dawn by W.A. parts fi tted to Robotham (Constable, London, 1970); Bent- increase the ley the Silent Sports Car 1931 -1941 by Mi- performance. chael Ellman-Brown (Dal-ton Watson, London 1989); Queste Phantom (Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Crewe, 1988); and James Fack’s This article article “Entente Cordiale: Georges Paulin, was compiled Rolls-Royce and the Bentley Corniche” in The with the help of Roycean Number 3 - 2012.

PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6791 MY CAR: 1929 20/25 Thrupp & Maberly Saloon (GXO21) by Mark Roberts (SA) This is the Second of a new occasional series of members telling of their cars and their histories.

arly in 1962, a young Aeronautical EEngineering Professor from Sydney named Russell (Sam) Luxton, was visiting Adelaide and at the same time, purchased 1929 Rolls-Royce 20/25 GXO21 from Bishop Lionel Renfrey for £250. Records show that Sam had the engine fully rebuilt by York Motors, Sydney in 1963 and also purchased a replacement body in Bowral NSW as well. Chassis Plate has the noted as “London Auto Bodies”, but there are no coach plates confi rming this and a set of 4 Martin & King plates accompany the car. Why Sam replaced the body is a the bores, mystery. Maybe the practicality of and managed having a hardtop, for added comfort, to get a for the long drives between Sydney reading of 20 and Adelaide (which he did regularly psi on the oil at the time) or perhaps the existing gauge with body was damaged beyond repair some serious from years of driving on harsh swinging on Australian roads? However, the body the crank now on the car fi ts extremely well and handle! according to records is the fourth to We be fi tted to the chassis. decided 1985: Documents included with that it was the vehicle show that George Williams a worthy of Sydney carried out extensive project and work refurbishing the coachwork, not beyond including paintwork, Connolly leather our technical upholstery, new felt head lining, abilities to Wilton carpets and wood-work re- get it back on the road, so we decided surrounding: Photos on this page show varnishing. His work has withstood to buy it. I have no doubt the engine various views of 1929 Rolls-Royce 20/25 the test of time extremely well will run after some recommissioning (GXO21) when recovered from storage in considering 30 years of storage. work has been completed. My goal is March this year. 1990: Sam remarried and his to get GXO21 back on the road before [photos: Mark Roberts] second wife Jeanie, innocently asked Christmas this year. about the high cost being outlaid In 1929, the company made a every month on this old car’s storage. decision to upgrade their popular Sam felt he now had the approval he 20hp model to counteract the trend of needed to go ahead and build a new customers to fi t heavy coachwork to shed at the rear of their Eastwood their chassis which impeded the car’s residence, which he did! This is where performance. The new 20/25 model she rested (the car that is, not Jeanie) was introduced mid-way through the on blocks and under covers for the year, starting with chassis number next 25 years. No further work seems GXO11. to have been done, as only two tools Unfortunately, that car was broken were found with the car, a wheel up in a wrecking yard in 1966. spanner and starting handle. GXO12, a Thrupp & Maberly coupe 2013: Sam passed away and the was discovered in 1972, subsequently family later wished to sell the vehicle. restored and still survives. This is the 2015: In late February this year, oldest 20/25 chassis surviving in the my father and I went to inspect the world today. GXO13 was not made, vehicle and what we found was a very which makes GXO21 the 10th “20/25” “vintage” saloon with a beautiful “V” produced and the fi rst to arrive in shaped wind screen in very sound Australia, and was shown as a chassis condition. The doors opened and at the 1930 Melbourne Motor Show. closed with a lovely “clunk”. The Of course, I found out all this chassis and engine appeared to be information after I purchased the about 99% complete. I removed the vehicle and needless to say the work spark plugs, squirted some oil down is now proceeding apace.

6792 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Technical Topics No. 51 REPAIRABLE HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATORS by Bill Coburn (ACT)

rewe fi rst introduced accumulators Con its ground breaking new model the SY otherwise known as the Silver Shadow in 1966. By then they had gained confi dence in their V8 engine having used it in the Bentley S2 and S3 cars and Rolls- Royce companions. Later would come the American automatic gear box and a host of other ‘bought–in’ components that dampened the trauma of introducing a new model by a small company with a conspicuous reputation. The hydraulics of the car were adapted under licence from Citroën, sadly retiring the memorable gearbox-powered servo motor which had always powered the brakes, both mechanical and hydraulic. The old servo system used the kinetic energy of the car to apply braking which was excellent in performance, particularly when powering the massive drum brakes developed by the Factory over the previous 50 years. They were very proud of this system and very wary of the budding disc brakes that fi rst appeared on the American Chrysler after the war. The new system worked well but did have fade problems largely due to brake friction materials and disc metallurgy both being in need of more development. The Rolls-Royce claim of no fade was correct and displayed very publically in an English test run for the media with a Silver Cloud repeatedly crash stopping until the smoke from the car’s brake linings made press photography a real problem! The Factory went further and offered to reline the almost worn out shoes and have a repeat performance. It was probably the driver who declined that offer to avoid asphyxiation! But what owners did discover that was that during serious descents and repeated brake applications, it was not the wheel brake linings that faded but those on the servo on the gearbox!! By the mid-60’s, brake discs and pads, the latter complete with the dreaded mesothelioma-inducing asbestos, were very much improved as were brake discs and cooling. But the pressure required to apply a couple of pads either side of a brake disc top: Here we have two accumulators each one for a separate brake system nestled have to be very great to achieve their aim of stopping the car. Today all cars have disc under the ‘B’ bank of a Shadow engine. brakes and all cars have servo systems to apply them. Almost universally, natural air pressure is used in vacuum assist systems today. above: With the arrival of the Shadow II, it seems that the French Authorities The Citroën system, licensed to the Company for the Shadow, uses the engine to insisted on reducing the capacity of the pump hydraulic oil into a sphere in which there is a rubber diaphragm pressurised on accumulators, which is not apparent to the one side by nitrogen. The pumped hydraulic oil is forced into the sphere against the driver. diaphragm forcing back the pressure increasing the latters pressure. It is this pressure that is used to apply the brakes and also to lift the car when required. left and left lower: Before the ‘minders’ reduced their size it seems that a conscious decision was made to strengthen the charging side of the units by increasing the ‘lip’ of the lower half in thickness, and widening the containing ring holding the two pieces together. right: If you feel that you would like to refurbish your accumulators at home, the fi rst problem is to separate the two halves with a special spanner. As they have been done up by an aspiring body builder, you will require incredibly long levers. Then you will need an a nitrogen supply, an overhaul kit, a holder bolted to something that will not move and a lot of patience. PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6793 News from the Registers Twenty Topics No. 57

German Travels uring June, Clare and I stayed at the DMyer’s Hotel in Berlin. The owner, Wolfgang Meyer owns a Corniche which he has had for some years. The Hotel is in North East Berlin in an area that was deliberately not bombed during the War as it was known that many Jews lived there. The Russians occupied the Hotel during the period when the area was part of the GDR. Following the fall of the Wall, the area was found to be very run down. Mr Meyer bought the Hotel from the original Jewish Family which had owned it before the War and had to resort to litigation in order to obtain possession

above and left: Two views of the Australian Twenty, chassis number 82K3, with its home-built, 3-door, aluminium station-wagon body at the 2015 RREC Annual Rally. Photos by Andre Blaize (France) from the Russian occupiers. The area is very interesting as it housed a lot of artists and the like but is now becoming gentrified. Most of the buildings are flats built in the 1870s utilising French Repatriations following the Franko-Prussian War. The Hotel is in Metzer Str. named after the city, Metz and the reparations paid in respect of damage to it. Mr Meyer had never heard of Twentys. I have since enlightened him about Sir Henry’s greatest design. In Dresden, we took a trip on one of the Elbe Steamers. Named Leipzig, the steamer we travelled on was one Registrars of nine dating from 1879 until 1929 Bryan Inder, 7 Pibrac Avenue, Tel: 02-9487-4153 which was when the Leipzig was built. Registrar, Warrawee Fax: 02-9489-8323 It is about 50 metres long, ten wide, the Silver Ghost Register NSW 2074 [email protected] paddle boxes doubling that. It draws about a metre, the rudder is enormous Les & Carol Hearne, 10 Morvan Street Tel: 02-9874-3486 Registrars, Small Horsepower West Ryde [email protected] but, again, not deep. The vessel is in Register NSW 2114 concours condition. The engine has 2 cylinders at about Frank Carroll, P.O. Box 6007, Tel: 07-5446-68810 Registrar, Upper Mt Gravatt, Fax: 07-3343-4299 a 5 degree slope from the horizontal Derby Phantom Register QLD 4122 [email protected] driving a conventional crankshaft across the vessel directly connected to the Mal Henderson, PO Box 150 Tel: 02-9542-8401 paddles so that they are fixed together. Registrar, Caringbah, [email protected] The boiler is a huge closed-in affair Derby Bentley Register NSW, 1495 which had no visible signs of how it was John Harriman, Registrar, 5 Moore Street, Tel: 03-9598-6702 fired but it certainly produced lots of Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn, Sandringham, [email protected] heat. There was no smoke from the sole Bentley MkVI and R-Type VIC, 3191 funnel which lay back to clear bridges. Register The fuel used was either oil or gas, Geoff Down, Registrar, PO Box 18183 Tel: 03-9415-6760 perhaps nuclear! The engine produced Silver Cloud, Bentley S Series, Collins St East [email protected] a pulse similar to 2 cylinder cars. That’s Phantom V and VI Register Melbourne perhaps why so many ships had triple VIC 8003 expansion engines. The machinery is very similar to the Murray Steamers. Bill Coburn, Registrar, PO Box 1775 Tel: 02-6161-7316 Silver Shadow, Bentley T Fyshwick Fax: 02-6296-5892 While the ship was built in 1929, it Series and Derivatives Register ACT 2609 [email protected] was sunk during the War and ended up on the bank with its stern drooping. David Doyle, Registrar, 5 Boschetti Road Tel/Fax: 03-5829-8416 Returned to service it was re-engined Silver Spirit, Bentley Mulsanne Tallygaroopna Mob: 0439-621-385 in 1993. I timed the engine at 32 and Related Types (SMART) VIC 3634 [email protected] revolutions per minute, estimated the Register speed of the current against us at 2½ 6794 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 News from the Registers left: 82K3 at Martin & King being rebodied in the 1930s in its previous body. Photos courtesy Tom Clarke (WA) left lower: David McPhee’s 1909 early Silver Ghost, chassis number 1122, at its 100th birthday celebrations in Queensland in 2009 on the day of the incredible ‘Dust Storms’ on the East Coast of Australia.

Silver Ghost Register

A Touch of Ghost History he oldest 40/50 HP in Australia is T1909 Silver Ghost Chassis #1122 and is under the custodianship of David McPhee in Queensland. He lovingly restored this Silver Ghost over a long period of time and the result is a magnifi cent vehicle and a credit to David. The photo attached to this report was taken during its one-hundredth birthday celebrations in 2009. The oldest surviving complete 40/50 HP is 1907 Silver Ghost Chassis #60551, in the United Kingdom. It is the originally named ‘Silver Ghost’ with registration ‘AX 201’. Claude Johnson, using AX 201, gained much publicity by setting motoring records in 1907 and earned the title for Rolls-Royce “ The Best Car in the World”. It is now ‘owned’ by Bentley Motors Ltd. and is currently on permanent display at the Rolls-Royce Heritage Centre in Derby, after being at the Rolls- Royce Enthusiasts’ Club headquarters ‘The Hunt House’ for the past eleven years. knots and our speed over the ground Annual Rally. Seems another Australian Engine and chassis parts from against the current at about 4½ knots. Twenty has gone overseas. two vehicles earlier than Silver Ghost Chassis #60551, namely Chassis The pressure gauge showed about 230 And Finally: so I presume that it was pounds. The #60546 [engine] and #60547 [chassis] From “Concerning the New 20 H.P. handling of the ship was a delight to were used by Millard Newman [USA] Rolls-Royce; ... the new 20 H.P. Rolls- see. The Captain used the flow of the in 1990 to complete a restoration of a Royce is particularly silent, well sprung, river which was not much wider than vehicle on Chassis #60547. I estimate and is endowed with that peculiar verve the length of the ship, to turn it around and response that are the prerogative using the paddles to avoid it running below: Peter Willcox [Victoria] beside two of only the best cars”- The Motor, into the banks. A great experience, late model Silver Ghosts. His blue Silver 24/10/1922. similar to driving a Twenty! Ghost Chassis #125AU and Morris Franklin’s BMW News David Davis 42G1 NSW cream U.S Silver Ghost Chassis #55EU, photo taken in 2014 in Tasmania. I am reliably informed on two matters. One is that the 2016 7 Series BMW is to have radiator shutters to improve streamlining. The Twenty, of course had them in 1922 (not for streamlining purposes!) as well as the Springfield Ghosts, as an option, before that. The 4 cylinder Essex had them too. It was a fast car and many were used for racing. Its 6 cylinder successor, which was popular in Australia, was a disappointment in comparison. The second is that the VW Phaeton has many shared parts with Bentley. The Phaeton is a very impressive car. Seen Overseas Greg Johnston (VIC) reports that Australian Twenty 82K3 which has a home-built, 3-door, aluminium station- wagon body, was seen at the RREC PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6795 News from the Registers (VIC) there are about one thousand one hundred and ten Manchester-, Derby- and Springfi eld-built Silver Ghosts still surviving from the seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-six that were built. There are eight earlier Royce and Rolls-Royce vehicles built between 1904 and 1907 still surviving and some parts of other early vehicles. So all Rolls-Royce vehicles certainly have a good heritage. Attached to this report is a photo of two late-model Silver Ghosts, these being Chassis #125AU, a well know vehicle now in the custodianship of Peter and Suzanne Willcox of Victoria and Chassis #55EU under the custodianship of Morris Franklin (USA), the photo being taken in Tasmania last year. Chassis #55EU was built in Derby and shipped to New York where in 1927-28 it was destroyed by fi re. The vehicle was then rebuilt in the Rolls-Royce factory at Springfi eld, Massachusetts, using available US parts and a Springfi eld Pall Mall open tourer body was fi tted to the original chassis. Morris Franklin is a keen Silver Ghost enthusiast travelling to Australia regularly sometimes with his vehicle and is a member of the NSW Branch of our Club. The Future In the next edition of Praeclarum I look forward to reporting on the July Silver Ghost Register lunch run for NSW members to Kurrajong. Planning is well under way for our ‘Silver Ghost Register Lunch’ in Melbourne on Sunday 6th March 2016 to On Sunday morning I secured some above top: On display at the RREC give the Victorian Silver Ghost Register more R-R memorabilia, along with the Rally was The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie’s members an outing and to welcome heavy two-volume publication (just Phantom III (3AZ158), with Gurney the Register members travelling on the released) by André Blaize (France) Nutting ‘Owen’ Sedanca Coupé body and ‘Silver Ghost Getaway’ on the Cunard entitled “Phantom II Continental”. Not above lower: its 7.3 litre, V12 engine. liner Queen Victoria. I am hoping that inexpensive, this beautifully boxed set Photos: Tom Clarke (WA) the Silver Ghost owners in Victoria will has over eleven hundred pages detailing bring out their Silver Ghosts on this the 279 Continental Phantom II vehicles successful in aircraft engines) and it day to join the lunch. More information produced from 26 EX in August 1930 was this plant that powered the new on this event will be posted out closer through to 62 UK in September 1935. Phantom III series late the following to the time to Register members in With lots of high quality photos and year. Victoria and further mention will be in quotes from Ivan Evernden, the designer I salute André Blaize (who has future issues of Praeclarum so please of this series, the easy reading book is keep this Sunday free. worked on this project for years) and packed with information on these cars. all those custodians of the remaining Bryan Inder 12HG NSW Only eight of them appear to be still in Continental Phantom II cars who Australia, though at least two others contributed detail and photos (historical have passed through the hands of and recent) for this amazing book! I Derby Phantom Register Australian owners but now are overseas. commend it as a “must-have” for Derby A surprisingly high number are now in Phantom devotees. South Africa! Frank Carroll - Registrar A Successful Rally As Andre reports, the above- mentioned Continental 62 UK was one urghley House was a great venue of the last Phantom II vehicles made Bfor the RREC’s Annual Concours in – eleven chassis later, the model was Derby Bentley Register England on the third weekend in June ended. Eighteen months earlier, the last 2015, with a thousand Rolls-Royce and Phantom II prototype 26 EX had been Bentley vehicles on display. My family fi tted with an 8 litre engine and tested RROC Annual Meet and I really enjoyed this three-day with the aim of eradicating shortcomings recently attended the RROC USA weekend, with great weather, lots of of the model. However, Rolls-Royce had I Annual Meet Orlando, Forida. trade exhibits and stalls, along with the determined to substantially upgrade Unfortunately only 1 Derby Bentley usual competition. I was able to gain the model. By late 1934, tests on a V16 attended the event. The club includes experience, assisting Judging Class 1 engine were undertaken but Sir Henry WO Bentleys and is also the parent of (Silver Ghosts). Royce had long favoured the V12 (proven the Derby Bentley Society (DBS).

6796 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 News from the Registers

Noel McIntosh (from Australia) is a director the DBS which can now accept members from around the world for a fee of $25.00. You no longer need to join the parent body (the RROC). I am certain that anyone who contact’s Noel will be assisted to join this excellent organization which is probably the premier Derby Bentley group in the world. They work closely with the RREC Derby register. The DBS have prepared a CD listing the results of their research into originality and authenticity which is available to members. It is very useful tool if you wish to check details of any Derby Bentley. Revs Institute While in the USA I visited the Revs Institute for Automotive Research Among the earliest museum in Naples on the west coast of purchasers of the new 3½ Florida. An excellent display including Litre Rolls-Royce designed many cars with a racing history. Bentley was the Yorkshire Included in the cars on display was industrialist E.R. “Eddie” Eddie Hall’s, 1933, 4¼ Derby. With Hall. Immediately, he took thanks to the Revs Instiute’s website its his Rolls-Bentley to Italy story is very interesting: to learn the circuit prior to “The car on display was the only running the Mille Miglia in Bentley ever built by Rolls-Royce that an M.G. K3 Magnette. Some was raced with the assistance of the 4,000 miles in that “practice Derby factory. car” convinced Hall that his ‘The Odd Couple’ - was the public’s Bentley deserved to be raced reaction when Rolls-Royce acquired too. Bentley Motors in 1931. But the Returning home, he obvious advantage of owning a rival convinced Rolls-Royce notwithstanding, the Bentley purchase likewise. Factory sponsorship was opportune because Rolls-Royce was out of the question, but Derby agreed was 9 mph faster than ever recorded had already decided to build a sporting to modify the car for Hall to enter in the by a W.O.-era Bentley; in 1936 the model. Now such a model could carry Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, Britain’s most Rolls-Bentley’s 80.81 mph average was the name which for a decade had been prestigious road race. Hall competed the fastest yet recorded in the Tourist a literal defi nition for sports car. there for three successive years. Trophy. The factory replaced the engine with a Prewar, Eddie Hall and this Bentley 163-bhp, 4¼ litre unit in never lost their class anywhere, putting 1936, the same year Hall up particularly impressive performances fi tted the new streamlined at Shelsley Walsh. Postwar, Hall’s last body by Offord & Sons event was LeMans in 1950, where Ltd. that you see here. the Bentley averaged 82.951 mph The result was always and fi nished 8th overall amidst a fi eld the same: Hall and his dominated by brand-new cars. Bentley ran away from the Speculation is idle, but one is fi eld, but fi nished a close tempted to wonder what might have and heartbreaking second been the result had Rolls-Royce decided each time on handicap. to forget its dignifi ed image and go Still, the fi gures spoke racing seriously in the 1930’s. Three for themselves. In 1934 successive Tourist Trophy victories Hall’s 78 mph average would have been the minimum.” The museum had a drop head replica of the Embiricos Bentley. The original of this car was at Frank Dale’s mid-last year. That car also raced at Le Mans, but without company support. Finally The DBS had a dinner at the U.S. Meet which, as you would expect, was full of great bonhomie. They were very welcoming. Mal Henderson Photos this page: Eddie Hall’s 1933, 4¼ Derby (B35AE) with an Offord & Sons Ltd streamlined, racing body. Courtesy Revs Instiute for Automotive Research. PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6797 News from the Registers

Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Bentley Mark VI/R Type Register

The Winter is Upon Us he wintry blues are all around. They’ve Tkept me inside more than I’ve been outside, so my tinkering has been severely curtailed. I’m just looking forward to Spring to get started again in earnest. We are all different and unusual. So I am looking forward to the Dawn Patrol XIV and yes, as the weather improves, we are rushing up into the Alps to get one more taste of the Winter before we leave it behind. At this time of writing we have a very good response and the Motel will be fully booked soon. I hope all who wish to join above: Shirley Missen fi nally us were able to do so (see below). has Lloyd in the position she The Technical ‘Stuff’. wanted, in a pit under Helga, as I shall table my ‘stuff’. I have now she managed the block and tackle found a local company to undertake the to reinstall Helga’s engine and transmission. restoration of my Water Temperature and Oil Pressure gauges. So that is my target right: Photo 1: The water pump for July. And as I need to drain some housing and the tools used to coolant, I shall also change it too. Which clean the corrosion from it. reminded me that I also need to clean up right lower: Photo 2: The carbon the taps. If yours show signs of weepage gland seal ring which can be do not forget that, as you prepare to open resurfaced using 800 grade wet these tapered taps, it is essential that and dry abrasive sheet. they be lightly hammered off their seats NSW members have been prior to attempting to open them, anti- updated somewhat and he has clockwise. Please take note! prepared a few words to share That is all from me. Our Technical Guru, with us all as he tackles these components. Lex Lynch, has been kept busy with other This edition he starts on his water pump, aspects in his life (home renovations) but which will interest those who are or may be Lloyd Missen has provided us a report on contemplating such a job. how he is going with getting ‘Helga’, his 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn (SFC138), “The gland assembly in the original seal back on the road. has a number of components as illustrated in the workshop manuals. A minimum of Helga Revisited 2 components need replacing, the bearing, Lloyd is progressing very well, engine (readily available) and the rubber seal in and components being overhauled (from specialist suppliers). prior to installation. It is fascinating to see There are three possible leakage points: Shirley giving him a hand to ‘replace’ the engine, she must be wanting to ensure 1. between carbon gland ring and that it all gets fi nished now! machined face of pump casting DAWN PATROL XIV Friday 18th to Monday 21st September, 2015 This year’s Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Bentley Mark VI / R Type Register’s Dawn Patrol XIV will be based at Bright in North Eastern Victoria, and we will stay at the High Country Motor Inn, 13-17 Great Alpine Road, Bright, 03 5755 1244. On Saturday we will fi rst explore the old gold mining town of Wandiligong then drive up to Mt Buffalo for lunch at the ‘Dingo Dell’ café. After lunch we will drive to the high points on the Buffalo Plateau. It will be cold, so dress appropriately. Dinner Saturday is at the award–winning, Sole e Luna in Bright. Sunday we will journey to Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain. To avoid carrying chains we will only drive to Harrietville to park securely at the Hoys Bus Depot where we board a coach to Mt Hotham and the Dinner Plain Hotel where we will have lunch before a walk around the village. At this time of year the peaks should be snow-bound so the views will be rewarding. We will be back at the Motel to relax prior to a buffet dinner. Please contact the Motel directly for bookings, telling them you are from the RROCA and contact Rally Director, Peter Hiscock, by email: [email protected] - for a $165 per person Rally Booking Form for the Saturday evening dinner, two lunches and coach hire; less for children. All Members, in all Models of Cars are more than welcome to join this Event!

6798 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 News from the Registers

the way! It will be reassuring to have the cut and the correct LHM was inserted. . much heralded liquid back on the shelves And for the moment everybody lived and not feel rather insecure on rallies when happily ever after. But it seems that the followed by other Shadows that may have scenario where the pressured attendant their systems clagged up with castor oil as announced that ‘brake fl uids is brake fl uid’ a stop gap to the recent shortage! and topped up the depleted tanks with So the LHM deesingated oil fi rst appeared good old DOT3. Apocrypha that I have for use in selected very late Shadows (and access to does not record the subsequent even later, some converted Phantom VI’s). results. Whether the designers ever thought about This recollection is prompted by a topping up these new exclusive reservoirs phone call from a dear friend to the above: Photo 3: The water pump bearing is one of those personal facts that will effect that he could not get a section of shaft showing the corrosion that develops be recalled in posthumous recollections a Spirits hydraulics that he was working under the rubber seal. from a discovered diary, but the advent on to pressurise. How he arrived at the 2. between carbon gland ring and of hydraulic suspension in the now much problem is beyond my word allocation but rubber seal loved SZ spurs and Spirits did bring in the suffi ce to say the problem was traced to a 3. between rubber seal and bearing concept of discreet leaking. And I refer reservoir of LHM that is not subject to the spindle. to the little drain pipes on the rear struts malevolent hydroscopic ingress of mater Photo 1 shows resurfacing the face in which start out with an air of arrogance from the atmosphere or in this case the the housing using drill and dies and small and some time later are sources of concern inadventant input of RR363 but simply the sanding discs. to new owners. ‘Why are those little tubes accumulation of sludge. I cannot defi ne always a bit wet with oil Daddy’. Be quiet the last term exactly as the laboratory is Photo 2 shows the carbon gland ring, son and fi nish your porridge! There is also still out for the announcement. which, if in good order, can be resurfaced a pipe on each of the associated reservoirs In summary the introduction of on both sides by rubbing with 800 W/D for these car that allows excess LHM to paper on fl at glass surface. LHM probably induced in us a sense of drain off, down the sub frame and discreetly complete confi dence in the fl uid working Finally, the seal between the bearing drip on the ground. If that fact gets to the our hydraulics provided we were sure spindle and the rubber seal. Stainless steel environmentalists we are done!!! no demon had got near the system with spindles are not available so the coolant is So the owner of a new SZ Spur is touring the dreaded RR363! Sadly, as with all trusted to do this job with its inhibitors. As through the back streets of Walgett and a systems in this world, most good things we know this may not be the case. Photo 3 low hydraulic light comes on on the dash have their Achille’s Heel, in this case it shows the corrosion on the bearing spindle panel! The owner, as the Factory, bless is one of age. And the lesson it would immediately beneath the rubber seal”. We them, foresaw, completely forgot the seem is owners after 35 possible years of rest our case, again.” detailed instructions in the Hand Book, LHM security would do well to open up Thanks Lloyd. Lunged into the nearest service station and and clean out the relevant reservoirs and Lloyd is planning to discuss his cooling lamented that he was in desperate need fl ush their systems. repairs and future corrosion control plans of brake fl uid. Again foreseen, when the Happy spannering. Bill Coburn (ACT) at the upcoming Dawn Patrol XIV. This hapless attendant was is another reason to join us; to hear the shown the reservoirs latest on this important and controllable for the stuff they were subject. securely wired shut. You can construct Till next time. John Harriman (VIC) the conversation that followed. Ideally the attendant would press Shadow & T Register the excited owner who may remember those The Dilemma of Brake Fluids strange bottles lodged here are some among us who in his boot. Wire cutters Thave extricated themselves from were found, seals were the canapé tent at the Concours and wandered past the gaping maws of right: The hydraulic our wonderful beasts oft half covered reservoirs and their by sweating owners ensuring that the instruction plates that lettering on the knob of the top of the have often confounded dipstick is clean and legible and that the members and service private area of The Flying Lady does not attendants alike. include the corpse of an unfortunate right: As an aside: Have insect that misjudged its manoeuvring you ever wondered why ability. Accepting my frivolity in writing I when you are in a hurry, assure you that the aforementioned has, you have to wait until the in my experience been witnessed. It’s all new engine oil you are pouring in drains away part of the fun. before you can continue For the moment I hope you can recall topping up. The reason the rather Titanic shift in the Factory’s is in the picture below, choice of brake fl uids and I instance where you will notice RR363’s introduction as notifi ed in a hole in the triangular Service Bulletin number SY/G53 dated 7 end of the cylinder head May 1953! which is normally covered by the oil fi ller assembly. Calm down! I am not about to lament Thick oil and the need the alleged scrapping of this life saving to let entrapped air out fl uid this year, better still word has it that combine to test your supplies have been resumed and are on patience! PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6799 Market Place - Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club Classifi ed Advertising

2003 Bentley Arnage Ser 2 1926 20 H.P. (GUK68) Martin & King 1979 Silver Shadow II (SRH35716) (BF409730) Magnifi cent example of Saloon built for Mr AR Stenhouse of Silver grey with dark blue interior. 78748 Bentley Arnage T Black Label, a tribute Glasgow, arrived in Australia 1935, re- KM Has travelled less than 400 Km in last to the care and attention lavished on it. bodied as a Martin and King Saloon. Blue year. Very good condition. Handbook, Build Continually garaged (Books and Records and black body with cream leather interior. sheets & Records go with car. Sorry to available for inspection) irrespective of Interesting past, registered to Lord Mayor of sell but age is creeping up on me. Asking usage and mileage. Perfect order inside Melbourne in 1947. Excellent condition and price $18000 or genuine offer. Call Norm: and out, travelled only 63,400 km. Its reluctant sale due to health reasons. Own 02-4981-8312 leather work and interior breathes quality zip-up sleeping bag, various R-R books and and retains classic English leather aroma. other relevant items. Garaged at Port Elliot, All standard manufacturer’s features. Price: SA. Price $75,000. Contact Allan 0407-716- $99,000, Contact Ian Dear 0412 822 000 or 726 or e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

1985 Silver Spirit (FCH13847) Magnolia Duco, Tan leather - 2 owner car 100,880 kms. Orig books. Adelaide delivery. As new condition. Excellent mechanically. Serviced Lance Dixon. Unmarked leather 1933 20/25 (GWX75) Limousine and woodwork. Always garaged and always Originally chauffeur-driven and owned covered last 25 years. Perhaps the best by Burdett Laycock of Laconia Blankets Spirit offered. For quick sale $28,000. Elderly For Sale Veteran Rolls Silver Ghost running this vehicle was purchased by its present owner. No offers - Contact Daryl on 0410- board picnic set. The set is a four place owner, Frank Shield (recently deceased) 233-666 setting in stunning original condition and in 1963, then restored by Frank. With two comes with full provenance. The case is dickie seats it has seating for 7 with a glass covered in black leather with metal top division. Mechanically very good, body/trim foot plate. Price $12,000.00 fi rm. For more is fair to good. Original owners handbook information please contact seller, James, by and some Rolls-Royce genuine tools. Price email: [email protected] $32,500. For further information please contact Rod Shield on 0413-883-524 Parts for Sale for Shadow and Spirit and Derivatives 1. Spirit/Mulsanne hand book 87-89 EFI as new: $80. 2. Spirit and derivatives power steering rack overhaul kit from Flying Spares 1996 BENTLEY TURBO R (BPV59094) FSRRK102 for Vin7356-24496: $150. 3. Front The best Turbo R in Australia. Selling on shock absorber for Turbo R may fi t Spirit only behalf of one of our fastidious clients. Vehicle done 500 miles bought pair from FS but only meticulously maintained with complete fi tted one to the left which is the one that documented history. Always garaged, only goes there are two rubber boots one for driven on ‘good days’. Travelled 62,242 km, each shocker: $100. 4. Height control valve 1976 Silver Shadow (SRH24334) Last presents in As New Condition, won numerous 87 (EFI) onwards, second hand no leaks, model with Steel Bumpers. An elegant car Concours d’Elegance awards. In stunning problem was priority valve: $60. 5. 3x R-R in excellent condition. Extensive mechanical combination of midnight blue with cream oil fi lters for Shadow 2/Spirit onwards: $30 work carried out in 2012 including hydraulic leather upholstery and is fi tted with all the each. 6. New single electric window switch system, brakes, motor, self-levelling refi nements one would expect in a superior including fascia cover $80 all Shadow and suspension, transmission and more by John luxury vehicle of this calibre. Price: $99,000 on. 7. Spirit radiator cap S/H $5. Aerial top: Vawser Motors in Sydney. This car does not ex orc. The fi rst to see will buy. BID4U. DL $5, Rubber buffer Spirit fuel door: $5. 8. RHR fail to preceed, is a pleasure to drive and 18363. Contact Lance: 0407-479-379 bumper corner for Spirit with chrome trim, slight dent: S/H Rubber, good back bolts, everything works. AC was recently gassed. Small Parts for Sale: need replacment centre chrome strip: $30. Price $32,000 ono including personalised 295058/295061 Washer bottle & Carrier suit 1. 9. Rebuilt water pump, Spirit and derivatives Vic reg. plates. Call Chris: 0450-323-463 Silver Cloud/S (original Lucas packaging) $125 vin 20001-50000 RH134955SXR: $150. 10. 2. 1 only 52467 Gasket for front Indicator/side For Sale: Dismantling 1990 Bentley Bottle of Mineral oil R-R fi tting to fi ll $10. 11. lamp suit SCIII/S3/Shadow/T $10 (36,000 kms) All parts available including LHF complete indicator parking light for Spirit 3. UE 40361S1P Coolant Temp Sender Unit suit interior which is ‘as new’. Note engine has derivatives slight damage on lens $20. Silver Cloud/S $55 already been sold. Located in Burnside, Adelaide, local pick- 4. UB3595 Strip for fi nish Internal Boot lid at Dismantling 1984 Rolls Royce Silver Spur. up wecome, but happy to post anywhere Hinges suit all Cloud/S $15pr Most parts available. Engine removed from at cost. Contact: Nigel Coombe 0401- 5. Wooden (not Bakelite) Handle Screwdriver vehicle (120,000 klms) in good working or- 045-167, home: 08-8333-1347 or email: suit Small tool Tray $40 der - $4500. Gearbox extra. Contact Gary: [email protected] Sensible offers considered. Contact: Geoffrey 03-9562-8288 or 0411-601-133 May 03-5985-4774 or 0418-596-298 Wanted: Cigarette Lighter for 1934 20/25 Wanted: for 20HP Complete Front Spring Wanted. 23 inch wheel rims to suit a 1924 hp located on top of dash board near the Assembly for one side only. Phone Steve Silver Ghost. Any quantity up to six. front window in sports saloons bodied by H.J. 0403-495-603 or 02-9666-4129. Contact Ossie Miller 0407-670-767 Mulliner. Contact Les Hearne: 0422-810-882 6800 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 In 2016, on the 1976 Bendigo Federal Rally’s 40th Anniversary, the Victoria Branch invites you to join them at: THE GOLDEN HERITAGE RALLY Bendigo, Victoria 12th – 16th May 2016 Gold in Bendigo: Rally Highlights: • Alluvial gold rush in 1851 • The Welcome Party in the Historic, 1859, Bendigo • 30,000 ‘diggers’ on the fi eld Town Hall • Red Ribbon Movement, • Register Dinners at local Restaurants equivalent to Ballarat’s Eureka • A public Concours d’Elegance at the Bendigo Jockey troubles Club • After 1860 – 5,000 shafts sunk - • Riding on the Talking Tram to: 11 deeper than 1000 m - The Deborah Gold Mine Underground Tour, • 2nd largest gold fi eld in - Visit the Golden Dragon Museum, Australia, 7th in World - Visit the Bendigo Art Gallery, • 777 tonnes of gold taken – - View the City including the World’s largest • Visit Bendigo Pottery nugget: the 71 kilo ‘Welcome • A country Observation Tour to the Morris Minor Garage Stranger’ • The Presentation Dinner at Rally Headquarters

Full Details and Booking Forms will appear in the December 2015 Edition of Præclarvm

EKBERG & HAMANN Nick Michaloudakis Lic no: 37291

Bentley T Series (1975) Bentley 3½ Litre (SBH19982) Hooper Saloon (1934) (B129AE) Melbourne delivered and low mileage, Highly attractive and original • Body fabrications in steel or the best example available. Regency coachwork. Runs and drives nicely, Bronze with Beige Trim restore or enjoy aluminium $54,777 + ORC $74,777 AS IS • Complete coachbuilding service • Smash repairs • Rust repairs • Spray painting • Metal polishing & Chrome repair • Restoration Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Touring Rolls-Royce Corniche FHC (1975) • Detailing Limousine (1970) (PRH4603) (CRH19097) Black with Beige, no division. Melbourne delivered and Australian • Insurance Repairs Super rare, optioned and compliance, Regency Bronze with interesting history Beige. Lovely $78,777 AS IS $79,777 + ORC Ph: (02) 4227 6003 Just a small selection from our current stock Fax: (02) 4227 6004 Mobile: 0411 480 475 Email: [email protected] www.eandh.com.au 14-16 George St, Sandringham VIC, 3191 136 Auburn St ph: 03 9533 5777 Wollongong 2500 LMCT 10169 NSW Australia

PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6801 For almost 30 years Shannons have been committed to providing tailored insurance products for the motoring enthusiast. We understand what motoring enthusiasts want from their insurance. Today, Shannons is the insurer of choice for motoring enthusiasts across Australia, providing innovative and fl exible insurance options, like a 10% Multi policy discount when you add a home and/or contents policy to your existing Shannons car or bike policy. You can even pay your premium monthly at no additional cost. So call Shannons for a quote on 13 46 46.

6802 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 Ken Balmforth Præclarvm Advertising Independent Information: Classified advertisements must be factual and accurate. Persons misrepresenting cars, parts or services will be denied further use of this space. Ads for cars for sale must include chassis number Rolls-Royce & Bentley and asking price. Ads may be edited to optimise use of available space Specialising in 1965 vehicles onwards and to conform to a standard format, and may be rejected at the discretion of the Editor without discussion. Photographs: Digital prints are preferred, please forward by email Currently Dismantling: or CD. • 1970 Silver Shadow Dealers: Parties dealing in motor cars must, where required by law, • 1973 Bentley T quote their dealer’s licence number and comply with all other statutory • 1974 Long Wheel Base Silver Shadow requirements relating to their advertising. • 1976 Long Wheel Base Silver Shadow Cost: Full Page: $496; Half Page $273; Quarter Page $157. Ads with • 1981-88 Silver Spirit / Silver Spur x 5 photograph are free to non-trade members and are placed in up to • 1985 Bentley Turbo R two consecutive issues. Non-members are charged $38 (inc. GST) for • 1988 Bentley 8 ad and photograph. Trade ads at commercial rates. Where applicable, • 1990 Bentley Turbo R cheques made payable to RROC of Australia must accompany Always buying damaged Rolls-Royces & Bentleys for cash advertising copy. Send ads to the Editor at: 43 years in the business (23 years in Brisbane) 1630 Malvern Road, Glen Iris, VIC, 3146. Tel / Fax: 03-9886-9024. New & Used Parts: Email: [email protected] Reconditioning Service Exchange Units including Note: Præclarvm allows advertisements to support owners/enthusiasts Hydraulic Parts, Spheres, etc and to allow businesses to promote themselves and make people aware of the services they offer. Præclarvm cannot and does not recommend MasterCard, Visa welcomed (no extra charge) or endorse the advertising businesses or offer any comment on the quality of the services provided. Anyone contacting these services For Fast, Reliable and Friendly Service should satisfy themselves in the normal way as to the standard of services offered, by asking for references if necessary. Phone Ken (07) 3856 4911 Next deadline: 15 September 2015 for the October 2015 Edition.

Paradise Garage carry in stock a comprehensive selection of regularly used service parts for all models. By fitting trusted parts you will avoid quality compromise. We offer genuine and selected new, reconditioned and used parts for all Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. Specialist testing, overhaul and component rebuilds. Our factory training and expertise ensures you get the right parts for your car. We can help protect your investment in Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Paradise Garage Australia Pty Limited 25-27 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018 Ph: 02 9313 7866 Fax: 02 9663 2105 [email protected]

An Association devoted to the conservation of Rolls-Royce and Bently Motorcars

UNION OFFSET CO. PTY LTD Print Post Approved PP229219 100048 16 NYRANG STREET, FYSHWICK, ACT 2609 (02) 6295 4500 Lodgement Office: Canberra Mail Centre, Fyshwick, 2609 PRÆCLARVM 4-15 6803 6804 PRÆCLARVM 4-15