CHAIRMAN’S CHAT. Coastal 39s 5d As I sit here writing this, I reflect on this current year of isolation for many and restrictions for others. Its been a year of being able to get those necessary jobs done on the classics for Classics many with the lack of shows. Let’s hope we can see an end to this and hopefully next year be able to get out and about again. Somehow, we will soon have a committee meeting, social distanced of course, to decide on events for next year and to whether the AGM, scheduled for February can go ahead or do we postpone it for a few months. The later looks likely but we shall try to keep you informed of any necessary developments. The same will Covid Show apply to our Annual Dinner which was due to take place in January. Should you be wondering why you have not received a reminder about your Membership well its been decided that this will be suspended for this year and hopefully will start again in 2021. For those that have paid this year a free year next year will be given too you. As you can imagine the lack of our two shows has hit us fairly hard so we shall have to postpone our usual donations to charities this year with reluctance I must admit. What more can I say other than keep safe and let’s hope this dreadful virus comes to an end soon so we can get out and about again and back to normality?

Your Chairman.

Clacton Classic Car Club Newsletter Member

1 Autumn 2020 2

Welcome to the autumn edition of the clubs newsletter. With most classic car shows and auto jumbles cancelled along with steam rallies and country shows leaves us with very little input to report on. A club member has supplied a very interesting history of the tax disc. A good write up from John Bailey on recollections of past events and Ford covering the best classic models and a nice piece on the Jowett a favourite of mine. We look back on the Humber, Riley and Triumph cars along with part one of the history of the S U carburettor. I always considered the S U to be the most adaptable and useable carburettor made, easily set up with just using a colour tune. In my younger days my friend and I had an Autocross car with four S U carburettors on 16 inch long ram pipes between the carburettor and the cylinder head and all four exhaust pipes were 16 inches long. Easily set up using a colour tune and vacuum meter and was a smooth running engine with an increase of usable torque. We were well chuffed in what we had. When running the knocking effect in the ram pipes causes a little bit of back pressure and a drift of petrol vapour comes out of the carburettor and gives the impression of the engine running backwards. At one meeting it was deemed to be putting petrol vapour into the airstream and failed scrutineering and that was the end of it being used. We do not hear much about driverless cars lately and the feasibility of them becoming a 100% safe is in doubt and I would think insurance cover could be an issue. There must be a million variations of what could happen on the roads ask any policeman. Years ago when I was a part time pig farmer the manager of a company I was doing some work for asked if he could have a pig. He came over and with a bit of a struggle we loaded a fattened pig 180- 190 lbs into the back of his small Ford van, a piece of hardboard tied behind the front seats kept the pig in the back as an extra precaution we tied up the back doors. He lived the other side of Colchester as he drove into town the pig got past the hardboard division and clambered into the passenger seat being there was nothing he could do and carried on driving but a half a mile further along he was stopped by the police. (I do not know why seat belts were not compulsory in those days). The police helped him get the pig in the back and retied the hardboard, he was told to get off home, we are not doing any paper work we have had enough of pigs it is only two months ago a Landrover towing a livestock trailer on the way to North hill livestock market, stopped at the traffic lights as they changed to green and jerked off forward. The tailgate of the trailer dropped down not only did the pigs clamber out they clambered out and disappeared in every direction you could think of. I think the programmers for the software of driverless cars have a lot more work to do. Anyway until the next time stay safe.

3 4 The History of Humber

Humber is a dormant British automobile marque which can date its beginnings to Thomas Humbert company founded in 1868. Following their involvement in Humber through in 1928 the Rootes brothers acquired a controlling interest and joined the Humber board in 1932 making Humber part of their . The range focused on luxury models, such as the .

At Humber & Co’s third general meeting in 1897 the managing director said they had received many letters asking if they would produce a motorised vehicle, and they had in fact been working on this project for 2 years, but had delayed production until they found a suitably reliable engine. Having now found an engine they were gearing up for production.

The first Humber car was produced in 1898 under the guidance of Thomas Humber and was a three-wheeled tricar with the first conventional four-wheeled car appearing in 1901. See book Humber history to 1930] The company had in Beeston near Nottingham and . The Beeston produced a more expensive range known as Beeston-Humbers but the factory closed in 1908 after financial problems.

Before the First World War a wide range of models were produced from the 600 cc Humberette to several six-cylinder 6-litre models. In 1913 Humber was the second largest manufacturer of cars in the United Kingdom. The Humber Motor Works in Coventry still survives—a rare thing as the majority of the city was destroyed in the November 1940 air raid.

In 1925 Humber moved into the production of commercial vehicles with the purchase of . In 1928 Hillman was added but independence ended in 1931 when the Rootes Brothers bought a majority shareholding.

Prior to WWII and after, many large long wheel based Humber Limousines were built with English, Australian, American and even a few European ’ special bodies. Thrupp and Maberly of ,later acquired by Rootes, built many of the coachbuilt bodies for the Pullman and Imperial limousines. Most of these surviving cars in Australia are fitted with Thrupp and Maberlyaluminium bodies, the series V Imperial is bodied by Thrupp and Maberly and somewhat rare today. Thrupp and Maberly built a special body for an eight cylinder Sunbeam in 1936 which was given to King Edward VIII. After his abdication the car was returned to the factory and 5 6 significantly altered and then eventually sold as a Humber with a new six cylinder engine Several V8 models had been in pre-production at this time, but were never publicly and altered grille and body. sold. Several of these test examples survive today.

During World War II, military ordered cars were produced for the armed services, several Rootes’ last car was the second generation of , a badge-engineered armoured cars were produced under the Humber name, along with heavy-duty “staff’ Rootes Arrow model. [ Audax range ] The marque was shelved in 1976 when all cars. The standard Humber cars, limousines, specially prepared war models and military became badged as . The Hillman Hunter (another Arrow model) 4x4 vehicles [ which were fitted with Rolls Royce engines], were almost literally bullet was subsequently badged proof running gear and heavy duty suspension, gave excellent reliability and performance as a until production ceased in 1979 when Chrysler’s European division in was sold to and the marque renamed . The Talbot marque was difficult terrain in both Northern Africa and Europe. abandoned at the end of 1986 on passenger cars, although it was continued on vans for six years afterwards. General Montgomery, Commander of the British and Allied forces in Northern Africa during the Desert war of WWII, had two specially built Humber Super Snipe four door Aviation Humber produced a number of aircraft and aero-engines in the years convertibles made with larger front wings or guards, mine proof floors, special before the First World War. In 1909 the company signed a contract to build 40 appointments and long copies of the Bleriot XI monoplane, powered by their own three-cylinder engine, range fuel tanks. Two cars were built for him and used in the Africa campaign against and four aircraft were exhibited at the Aero Show at Olympia in 1910. General Rommel [ who used open tourer large, long range convertible Mercedes Benz’s.] Montgomery’s Humbers are known as ‘Old Faithful’ and the ‘Victory Car’. Both cars still exist in full military regalia in museums in England and are a testament to the high engineering and manufacturing standards of Humber and Rootes Ltd. The victory car drove Montgomery and Churchill through the streets of London during the VE parades at the end of WWII.

These side valve, large Humber cars, trucks,4 x 4 vehicles and armoured cars were and still are remarkably robust, reliable and have amazing longevity if maintained and driven sensibly. In Australia many war surplus Humber cars and trucks spent over forty years on farms used by farmers and the Country Main models:- fire authority in very reliable service in tough and harsh conditions. Humber 8 1902

Humber 12 1902 In the postwar era, Humber’s mainstay products included the four-cylinder Hawk and six- Humber 20 1903 cylinder Super Snipe. Being a choice of businessmen and officialdom alike [ministerial, Humberette Voiturette 1903-1911 government cars before the Statesman and Fairlane ], Humbers gained a reputation for Humber 8/10 1905 beautifully appointed interiors and build quality. The Hawk and the Super Snipe went Humber 10/12 1905-07 through various designs, though all had a “transatlantic” influence. They offered disc Humber 30/40 1908-09 brakes and automatic transmission at a time when these fitments were rare. Humberette Cycle Car 1912-1915 Power steering was also available in Australia. A top-flight model, the Imperial, Humber 11 1912 had these as standard, along with metallic paintwork and other luxury touches such Humber 10 1919-21 as extra courtesy lights and vinyl covered black roof and electrically operated rear Humber 15.9 1919-25 adjustable suspension. The last of the traditional large Humbers, the series VA Humber 11.4 and 12/25 1921-25 Super Snipe[fitted with twin Stromberg CD 100 Carburettors, were sold in 1968, 7 8 Humber 8/18 1922-25 sports saloon, tourer and drophead coupe were also listed and bare chassis were also Humber 15/40 1924-28 supplied to outside coachbuilders. In 1930 on the home market the chassis sold for £410, Humber 9/20 and 9/28 1925-30 the tourer £495, coupe £565 and saloon £535. With a 120- inch wheelbase and a total Humber 14/40 1926-29 length of 173 inches, the car was, by the standards of the British market, larger and more Humber 20/55 and 20/65 1926-29 spacious than the average family car such as the more mainstream of that Humber 16/50 1928-32 time, the Hillman business having been acquired by Humber in 1928. With the success of Humber Snipe 1929-47 the Snipe, Humber was seen to be succeeding, “where many had failed, in marketing large cars at competitive prices”. The Humber Snipe was a four-door luxury saloon introduced by the British based There were several minor body updates for 1933 including windscreen wipers mounted Humber company for 1930 as a successor to the Humber 20/55 hp (which remained in the below rather than above the screen, recessed direction indicators and two tone paint on catalogue as 20/65) at the same time as the similar but slightly longer Humber Pullman. the 4-light sports saloon. 1205 of the 1933 models were made. In 1931 a fleet of Snipes Launched in September 1929 under the banner headline “Such Cars As Even Humber was used by the Prince of Wales on his tour of the West Indies. The body and chassis Never Built Before” twelve months after the Rootes brothers’ influence took effect were shared with the smaller engined 16-50 (1930-32) and 16-60 (1933) models. formalized with the Hillman merger in December 1928. Humber nominally joined the Rootes Group as part of a necessary restructure of Humber’s capital in July 1932. 1936-37 The Snipe, or from late 1932, Snipe 80 featured a 3498-cc six-cylinder engine of 80 mm 1936 saw the wheelbase grow by 4 inches (10 cm) to 124 inches (315 cm) while the bore and 116 mm stroke with the overhead-inlet, side-exhaust valve gear that had been a overall length of the standard-bodied car increased by 2 inches (5 cm). The chassis was feature of the company’s six-cylinder engines since the mid-1920s. A single Stromberg new with independent front suspension using a transverse spring. A vacuum servo was carburettor was fitted. The four speed transmission had a right hand change lever (right fitted to the braking system. Body styles available were 4-light and 6-light saloons, a hand drive cars) until 1931 when it moved to the centre of the car facilitating the sports saloon and a drophead coupe. The car now featured a side-valve 6-cylinder engine production of left hand drive examples. The shutters on the radiator grille were opened of 4086 cc with a stated output of 100 hp which was later used in the post war Super and closed thermostatically to control the flow of cooling air. For 1933 the engine was Snipe. A top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h) was claimed. 2652 were made. The same redesigned to have overhead valves producing an extra 5 bhp. Bendix mechanical brakes chassis and body range was used for the smaller engined Humber 18. were fitted. 1938-40 Perhaps prompted by concern that the Snipe was outgrowing the wishes of the market place, the 1938 Snipe was the smallest-engined Snipe to date, with a wheelbase reduced to 114 inches, but the total length was still 175 inches, reflecting the more streamlined shape which the body, the same as on the Hillman 14, had now acquired. The six-cylinder side valve engine of 3180 cc propelled the car to a claimed top speed of 79 mph (127 km/h), reflecting a power-output reduction to 75 hp. 1938 changes for the 1939 models saw a new cross braced chassis and hydraulic brakes. The Snipe and its sister model become more firmly differentiated from one another, since the Humber Pullman continued to be offered with the older, more powerful 4086-cc engine. 2706 were made.

1940-45 Civilian availability ended in 1940 when the factory was largely given over to production of the ’Ironside’ Reconnaissance Car, though Humber saloons based on pre-war designs continued to be built for government use.

1945-48 Before the end of 1945, Humber had announced its post-war model range. Four cars were listed, which closely resembled the Humbers offered just before the war. At the top of the range was the Humber Pullman. The other three models shared a body which, while smaller than that of the Pullman, nevertheless sustained the Humber tradition of offering a lot of car for the money. These were the four-cylinder and the six-cylinder Humber The conservatively boxy 4 or 6 light saloon body with spare wheels mounted on the front Snipe and Humber Super Snipe. The six-cylinder engine of the 1945 Snipe was a side-valve wings incorporated rear-hinged doors for back passengers. A fabric saloon (until,1930), 9 10 unit, of only 2731 cc. The engine block dated back to the Humber 18 of 1935. Maximum IN THE WORKSHOP power output and speed were stated respectively as 65 hp and 72 mph (116 km/h). For Over the years I have accumulated several old two gallon petrol cans and customers who remembered the Snipe as a more powerful vehicle, the car could also be specified with the 4086-cc 100-hp engine which had been fitted in the 1930s and which was nearly all of them seem to have sustained dents, many of the dents seem still the standard power unit in the 1945 Humber Pullman. Fitted with this engine, the car always awkward to deal with. The answer I came up with was to make arms was branded as the Humber Super Snipe. When the Humber range was upgraded for 1948, with a small anvil pad the Snipe was withdrawn, leaving only the Hawk and the Super Snipe listed, alongside the larger Pullman. 1240 were made. on the end of each arm to reach the Humber Catalogue for 1930 damaged area. To “Such Cars As Even Humber Never Built Before” reach all parts of the cans inside area I Humber “Snipe” Touring Car £495 needed eight, these I Humber “Snipe” Six-Light Weymann Saloon £535 welded together in Humber “Snipe” Saloon £535 Humber “Snipe” Four door Weymann Coupe £545 two sets of four to fit on the anvil. Humber “Snipe” Drop head coupe £565 Humber “Pullman” Landaulette £775 Humber “Pullman” Limousine £775 Humber “Cabriolet de Ville £1095

One weekend we had relatives from up North visit us and on the Sunday morning I was in the workshop busy tapping out dents in two cans. Elizabeth who is an old doddery lady on her last legs asked if she could have a look around the workshop, she then had a wander about and the next thing she stood next to me and said "I would not do that like you are doing seems to me you are going around the houses a bit" I then thought to myself (what!!!). Elizabeth went on to say that when she was a young girl her Dad worked down the mines. His aluminium water bottle he took with him each day often got partly squashed and dented when working in confined spaces of a coal mine. Elizabeth’s job was to straighten out the water bottle and have it ready for the next day. In the evening she would fill it with wheat and add water and in the morning when it had expanded a light tap round with a mallet and then shake out the wheat and feed the chickens and told me that is how to straighten cans. 11 12 The History of the motor car part 2 Britain's first racing car was a 40 h.p. Napier, built in 1902 by a London firm of gunsmiths. This car competed on the Continent, winning the Gordon Bennett Cup of 1902 and beating a number of Continental drivers and cars. British Progress at Last. A speed limit of 12 m.p.h. was still in force, so fast road races on British roads was not The year 1896, then, can be said to be the real beginning of motoring in Britain. Freedom possible. But a year after Napier's win, a special race track was opened in Surrey. from the red flag gave the necessary encouragement to British engineers to go ahead , as it is called, was later to be the scene of many exciting battles between with their own designs. Thus, it was that F.W. Lancaster, who was a designer of gas racing cars of the world. engines, formed a company in to build motor cars. The Humber Cycle The Rolls Royce Partnership Company of Coventry turned to car making, and the was founded, also Probably the most renowned name in the history of motoring was heard in 1907, but in Coventry. We can see that right from the beginning, the British Motor Industry was three years before this date Henry Royce was making small 10 h.p. cars. Right from the centred in Coventry and Birmingham areas of the Midlands where, of course, the greater very beginning he set himself a very high standard of workmanship, because he part of it was until the 70s/80s. wanted his cars to be the best that is possible to make. The Honourable C.S. Herbert Austin, who in 1900 was working in the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Rolls, who was in the Motor Agents business, heard about Royce cars and was so Company in Birmingham, made motor tricycle. This turned out to be the first Wolseley impressed by them that he agreed to sell all that Royce could build. vehicle ever made, and Austin drove it with much success in the Automobile Clubs 1,000- mile Trial that same year. Another historic event occurred in 1900, William Morris, who had been apprenticed to an Oxford cycle maker, started his own garage and built a motor cycle from parts he bought. Ford Struggles to Success. At about the same time that Austin and Morris were building their first motor machines, in America Henry Ford was becoming interested in making cars. In 1899 he started the Detroit Automobile Company, but good fortune did not favour him and he left. The Company itself continued. And later became the Cadillac Automobile Company. Ford had another try, and in 1901 he formed the Henry Ford Company, but again failed. Not to be beaten, he made a third attempt. This time he was fortunate, and in 1903 he founded the Fordmobile Company. After only three years he was planning a production programme of 10,000 cars a year. An amazing achievement in such short time. The most famous of all Ford cars was the Model T, sometimes known as the "Tin Lizzie". It was first introduced in 1908. Production was concentrated on this model because it was in such great demand. More than fifteen million were made before it gave way to new models in 1923. In 1909 a Model T Ford won the Transcontinental trial over a distance of 4,000 miles. It was Henry Ford who first tried to make a car cheap enough for ordinary people to buy And so, it was in 1907 the first Rolls-Royce car was produced. It was a 48 h.p. "Silver and the Model T sold for only 950 dollars (about £770 in today's value). Ghost", much bigger than Royce's earlier models. Royce's high standard of Rapid Expansion. workmanship was there and is still continued to this day in cars that are universally The Motor Industry grew very rapidly in these early years. In 1902 there were 209 car accepted as the best in the world. The Rolls and Royce partnership unfortunately did makers: a year later there were 300, half of them American. By 1906 the number had not last long. Rolls, who was a keen sportsman, had become interested in aeroplanes risen to about 700. Several more countries started making their own models, including and in 1910 he was tragically killed in a flying accident. Australia, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Russia and Sweden. Reliability and speeds were The Company continued to build under the sole direction of Royce. In 1911 a increasing and engines were becoming more powerful. This is clearly shown in Rolls-Royce "Silver Ghost" was driven from London to Edinburgh in top gear only and comparing two motor races. The to Bordeaux race in 1895 was won by a 4 h.p. car averaged a petrol consumption of 24 mpg. A surprising achievement over such a long at an average speed of 15 m.p.h. Eight years later a 70 h.p. car won a race of 340 miles at distance. an average speed of 65 m.p.h.

13 14 CLASSICS AT GLEMHAM CAR SHOW SEPT 6th

Glemham Hall is an Elizabethan stately home set in around 300 acres of parkland on the outskirts of the village

15 16 Brief History of the Tax Disc Little Glemham in Suffolk. It is a grade one listed building called Little The Changing Appearance of the Tax Disc Glemham Hall built in 1560 it is a 3000 acre estate with a working 1921: First appearance of the tax disc. farm. Many club members travelled 1923: Vertical colour bar introduced. (This was seen as a to Suffolk for this event apart from deterrent against forgers and for ease of recognition.) delays of getting in to the Show and a few cars overheating in the queue. 1924: Refunds for surrendered licences for each complete month of the unexpired A very enjoyable day was had by all, period of the currency of the disc introduced. a very spaced out show to meet new guide lines. 1932-34: Horizontal coloured bar.

1935: Cross shaped Coloured bars introduced.

1938: Perforations introduced and diagonal coloured bar. Wording changed from "Road Fund Licence" to "Mechanically Propelled Vehicle Licence".

1939: A large "F" was printed on discs allocated to agricultural vehicles. These are known as "Farmers Discs".

1943: Perforations suspended (reintroduced 1952).

1948: Standardised rate of duty for all cars £10 per year. (Taxation on goods vehicles, buses and taxis retained a high level of complexity.)

1951: The UK's four main emblems (Scotland's Thistle, the Irish Shamrock, the Welsh Daffodil and the English Rose) that had been on tax discs from the beginning were dropped. The size of the typeface for the expiry date increased.

1957: Design changed from traditional format to two solid band of colour top and bottom. Less information required to be put on the disc.

1960: Change from tax period ending the 31st of December. Licence fee now related to the month the disc was purchased. Also, a radical design change took place, which stayed in vogue through to 1977. Due to political unrest during the early 1970's, which led to postal strikes, emergency tax discs had to be issued during this period.)

1963: Expiry date in light tint on the lower half of the disc introduced to help deter forgery. 17 18 1970: Political correctness kicked in and discs issued in Wales became bilingual. The History of Triumph

1971: To counter postal strikes emergency discs were printed with blank spaces for the So what went wrong? expiry date to be added by use of a rubber stamp. These were either yellow or pink. As with the case of , Triumph suffered in the confusion that followed the formation of in 1968 - the disparate group of companies when brought together, 1976: Production and issuing of emergency discs stopped. 1977: Expiry date was produced a huge and overlapping range. Triumph, it seemed, were affected more than digitised, although some office continued to issue the existing style for a further year. anyone else by this: The discs were also embossed and given two small oval shaped holes. This digital design format was nicknamed the "Swansea Disc" and remained in use until August 1987. : clashed with Austin-Morris 1300 Triumph GT6: clashed with MGB GT 1979: Farmers discs became mainstream with the large "F" no longer printed, although : clashed with MG Midget the "F" did continue in a crude overprint. Triumph 2500: clashed with Rover 2200 1981: The four-month taxation periods were abolished and motorists only had 6-month, or 12-month options. So as far as British Leyland’s accountants were concerned, at the time of the merger, most of Triumph’s range could justifiably be described as being surplus to requirements. 1985: Some Post Offices started issuing "temporary discs" for first licences. These were That was a simplistic view of the situation of course, and the reality is that Triumph’s only valid for two weeks. reputation was very strong with enthusiastic motorists who demanded something a little special. Although it terms of size and price, the Triumph 1300 and MG 1300 might have 1987: Another design change. A 'wavy line' motif was introduced to again deter forgers. been quite similar, they appealed to very different drivers. This stayed the course, with certain modifications, up to October 2003. After the formation of BL 1993: The expiry date was considered too difficult to read quickly, so the format was Following the merger, it became very apparent that Austin-Morris was in a bit of a mess changed from day/month/year to month/year with the month more prominently and the money that had been rolling in from the successful Leyland truck operation, as printed. A transition period entailed an overlap of five months between March and well as Rover and Triumph was diverted into turning around the beleaguered volume division. Product strategies were devised rapidly, with the priority being placed on the August. rapid replacement of the ADO 16 and ADO 17 to the detriment of the ageing Triumph 1300/Dolomite. 1999: New counter forgery elements were introduced. The designator letter of the DVLA The ongoing sales of the small Triumph were are embossed across the top of the disc. healthy, and ongoing development led to the superb Dolomite Sprint, but the truth is that 2003: As a further security measure the expiry date was changed to gold over black. it was by now a 1965 design and it was falling behind newly emerging opposition 2005: It became apparent that the gold over black was a bad idea due to being hard to from Saab and BMW at an alarming rate. read, so this was reversed to black over gold. The delayed Sprint - due 2011: The gold colour was removed in this year. for release in 1972, put back until 1973: Spen King's reworking of the Dolomite 1850 2014: The DVLA ran down their stocks of tax discs and instead printed many of them at slant four engine produced remarkable the bottom of an A4 sheet of paper. For the final time in the history of the tax disc there results. The Sprint was the first generally available 16-valve,four cylinder engine - and the numbers produced by the single cam engine were highly impressive. Maximum power were no longer any perforations on them. From October 1 of this year, amid a blaze of was 127bhp, giving the bluff fronted saloon a maximum speed ofll5mph and 0-60 national publicity, the Government abolished the tax disc. The last expiry date to be seen acceleration of 8.7secs. on any disc would be for 30 September 2015. Serious work on the P6/2000/2500 clash only began in 1971 and although the car was

19 20 conceived to replace the products of both marques, the decision was made early on to call it a Rover. Triumph, it seemed were already beginning to lose out - and when the SD2 Dolomite replacement was shelved in favour of an Austin-Morris model as a result of the Ryder Report, the future for Triumph (or should we say, lack of it) was sealed. Triumph 1300 Estate: an interesting concept, killed by budgetary constraints. (Right) The pre- prototype mock-up of the Triumph 2000GT shows refreshingly original thought in a 1963 design. The company had also been hard at work on the replacements for the GT6 and TR5 models: Following hard on the heels of the Stag, project Bullet and Lynx were to spearhead Triumph’s attack on the market - the closed Lynx model and targa-topped Bullet were both in the early stages of development at the time of the formation of BLMC. The sports car question Although the Bullet did eventually go into production (in a much modified form) as the TR7, it was considered a corporate sports car, not a Triumph sports car. The very promising Lynx, however, was dropped as a result of post-merger rationalisation - there was only room for one new BLMC sports car. The Lynx name was not buried, though in the aftermath of the launch of the Stag, and even allowing for the loss of the upcoming Lynx sports car, Triumph possessed an enviable range of cars, which were viewed as something quite special: sporting, luxurious and above all, stylish: in modem terms, something akin to BMW. The sporting saloon image that had been fashioned out of the Mk2 /2500 (restyled to echo the Stag) and Dolomite was only heightened by their family resemblance to the Stag. In fact, by 1972, the range looked unstoppable.

In the climate of post merger within BLMC, the position of Triumph would also have looked very good indeed: their new technical director was the gifted Spen King; there was still that inventive streak within the Triumph technical department; best of all though, BLMC’s chairman, Donald Stokes had his first taste of the car industry through Triumph, and it was the company that added to Leyland’s prosperity. In short, Triumph had the inside track and a lot of advantages.From the jaws of victory...Bullet and Lynx together in miniature - a sensible sports car strategy had been built around these cars and the Stag. The Triumph plan would have worked in isolation - once MG came on board, there was no room for all three.

21 22 The SU Carburettor petrol, had not been thought of. The two brothers continued to work together and their first carburetters were made at the premises of George Wailes& Co. at Euston Road, London, F Herbert was the inventive genius, his brother Carl was the where Carl became a partner with George Waile's son. In 1908 Herbert was granted another practical "engineer". Carl was born at Ealing in June 1882 and patent (no. 26,178) for a carburettor having a 'collapsible chamber* and a 'fuel needle educated at the Leys School in Cambridge. Again it is not known valve', which was located in an adjustable block (i.e. a jet). Herbert's inventive genius had where or even if he received any technical training. Carl also therefore devised the basic principles of the later 'constant vacuum' S.U carburetter. In joined the family business but by 1906 he had teamed up with R.P. August 1910, 'The S.U. Company Ltd' (S.U being a contraction of 'Skinners Union') was Wailes to manufacture and fit carburetters. There was also a third brother by the name of formed and some time later moved onto premises at 154 Prince of Wales Road, Kentish John, of whose involvement little is known other than that he appears to have been a Town, London. By 1913 the company's accounts showed that they were supplying 'Sloper* director of the Company by about 1913. carburettors (so called because the suction chamber and needle assembly was positioned at It is not clear when the first experimental carbs were produced, but they were almost an angle from vertical, in order to reduce the fluctuations of the chamber when driving over certainly made at George Wailes& Co.'s works at 258 Euston Road. When George Wailes the rough, unmetalled, roads of the period) to and the Rover Co. sold the works and premises in 1906, Carl became a partner with George's son and they During the First World War, the S.U Company Ltd. became engaged on munitions took temporary premises in Euston Buildings while new works at 386-388 Euston Road contracts, which included making carburettors for Aero engines, with a staff of about 250. were being built. Normal production resumed after the War but the company had few customers and it For some years carburettors showed a loss for 1919 were fitted and tuned to and 1920. Although the individual cars. The new works S.U ’Sloper* had the had an 8 ft by 16 ft, 30 cwt advantage of capacity lift which served all automatically adjusting four floors as well as the roof the flow of petrol to the and basement. Surprisingly, the engine, it was top floor was used to fit and expensive and it had no tune while the carburetters proper means of themselves were manufactured providing a rich in the works below from mixture for cold working drawings prepared by starting, other than the Chief Draughtsman, Mr J.O. ’flooding the float Gardner, to Herbert's sketches. chamber*. This Herbert's main responsibility appears to have been one of design and Improvement, which deficiency was tackled he pursued with vigour and also protection by way of patents of his ideas; a full patent by Wolseley Motors covering the constant depression idea was granted in England in 1906, and additional Ltd, who added another patents were taken out in Belgium, , Germany, Italy and the USA. jet and a physically Herbert's inventive genius was not confined to the S.U; he took out patents in 1907 and operated needle. 1908 on a hydraulic variable speed gear and a detachable strap for ladies' court shoes and Wolseleys patented slippers, and later for a paraffin carburettor, an aero-carburettor and a supplementary fuel their modification (no. supply valve for cold starting. 119187) in 1918, for There is some evidence to suggest that the carburettor was originally branded "The Union which they received Carburettor" but this was soon superseded by "The S.U Carburettor", being the royalties from S.U. abbreviation of "Skinner's Union". The general depression of the 1920’s saw the company resorting to general engineering Over the next few years, Thomas Carlyle Skinner (known as Carl), who was Herbert's work but some development continued and the alloy suction chamber and piston replaced younger brother and who had a practical ability, had begun to try some of his brothers the leather bellows used on earlier types. When the leather bellows were first introduced to concepts on a Star motorcar that he then owned. The idea was to place the fuel jet in an air control the movement of the tapered needle, there was much skepticism that they would channel that could be varied in size, in accordance with the demand of the engine, thereby soon perish and fail, but the family connection with the shoe business allowed access to a giving a constant depression and air velocity. Herbert was granted a full patent (no. 3257) supply of the finest glace kid leather which worked very well and did not perish. These for this device in January 1906. At this stage a tapered metering needle, to vary the flow bellows were made by hand by Herbert’s wife Mabel right through to 1928 - presumably,

23 24 by this time for spares, not production. In 1925 S.U introduced the 2m, which is significant Oil Pump was transferred into S.U from the Morris Engines Plant in Coventry, which was because it set the general pattern for S.U carburettors thereafter. Financial matters came to a being closed down. Other additional products were acquired in 1984/5 when the UK part of head in 1926 when G. H. Skinner withdrew from the company. Carl Skinner was now in a Solex went into liquidation and in conjunction with Burien Fuel Systems, negotiated the difficult position and approached W. R. Morris (Lord Nuffield) and following negotiations manufacture and supply of Zenith Solex components required for spares support. the S.U company was purchased by Morris for £100,000. This was a considerable sum for a Administratively the period of 1976 to 1986 saw the company on a roller-coaster ride, loss making concern but Morris obviously saw potential in the product-retaining Carl as during which time no fewer than ten top mangers came and went. This lack of continuity at manager. Soon after purchase, S.U was relocated to a part of the old Wolseley Plant in the top meant that the business declined. The only additional products added in this period Adderley Park in Birmingham. Carl was given £17,000 for plant and equipment needed to being low volume throttle bodies for Rolls Royce and Lotus both of which were prepare for mass production of carburettors, to meet the demand of 1,000 units a week for manufactured to the customers own design, In 1988 following the restructuring of Austin Morris Ltd alone. From this point, growth and development were the order of the day with rover by Michael Edwards, S.U were sold to the Hoboum Group and the company name new products such as the S.U Petrolift in 1929, an Aero carburettor in 1932 and the now changed to Hobourn S.U and subsequent to this, in September 1989, the Hobourn Group familiar S.U Electric pump in 1934 along with improvements and additions to the was acquired by Echlin Inc of the USA. The Echlin Group's UK companies included carburettor range. In 1936 the S.U Carburettor Company Ltd was formed with Carl Skinner Quinton Hazell and this gave S.U another route for sales. A Design and Development as Managing Director. facility capable of covering both oil pump and throttle body work was created allowing After the out break of World War 2 in 1939, realising the importance of S.U carburettor existing and potential customers to be approached with a comprehensive service. Product production to the war effort, work was started at the Riley Plant in Coventry to duplicate design and development over the next four years saw the company supplying Rover with oil production. S.U manufactured the carburettors for the Rolls Royce Merlin engines fitted to pumps and a refined version of the HIF carburetter for the Rover K Series engines. This unit Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lancasters and many other aircraft, and when the factory was known as the KIF was to be the last new specification carburetter to be produced by the damaged by two air raids on Birmingham in 1940, the Air Ministry evacuated it to another company. A major development exercise led to the manufacture of a 'Plastic' throttle body factory in Highlands Road, Shirley. In 1941 the S.U Company acquired a shadow factory in for the Rover K series engines. The requirement by customers for larger unit assemblies the Wharfe Valley in Yorkshire, and during these years a fuel injection pump was saw S.U supplying induction manifold assemblies complete with throttle bodies to Rover, developed for use on Merlin aircraft engines. Rolls Royce and . In spite of these initiatives the 'added value' of the in house In 1945 the production of car carburettors and petrol pumps resumed and the company content of the company's work suffered in line with the overall requirements of its major moved to a site in Wood Lane in Erdington Birmingham in July 1947. Later in the same customers and manning reductions were made. In August 1999 Dana Inc of the USA (a year, in December, the link with the company's founder ended when Mr T C Skinner retired. major American car parts supplier with an increasing presence in Europe) took over the With the end of its military requirement, the company’s interest in fuel injection Echlin group and the company name changed once again to Dana-SU. Automotive. manufacture was sold to the Stirling Company of America. The company's market for E4r5The change to fuel injection in various forms for nearly all new vehicles saw carburetters and fuel lift pumps expanded considerably as Ltd merged with carburettor manufacture decline to very small volumes, most of which were for the service the Austin Motor Co. Ltd in 1952, to form the British Motor Corporation, and then still market, and this led to S.U negotiating with Burien Fuel Systems Ltd (its major parts further when in 1965 was formed in association with Jaguar Guy customer and already a small volumes manufacturer in its own right) to take over the and . This period and the following few years saw the peak of production responsibility for manufacture and supply of all S.U carburettor units, pumps and spares, for the company ranging from 'H' through 'HD' to 'HS' types when in excess of 30,000 May 1999 saw the end, after ninety four years of the manufacture of carburettors by the carburetters were produced each week. In addition to carburetters, the company expanded descendant of the original S.U company, and the closure of Wood Lane, Birmingham; as a its product range with the introduction of a Mechanical Fuel Lift Pump and an Automatic manufacturing plant. During the next three years, manufacture of all carburettors, fuel Cold Start Enrichment Device. In the late 1960's the HIF Carburetter (Horizontal Integral pumps and some throttle bodies passed to Burien Fuel Systems Ltd and in 2002 Burien Float) incorporating temperature compensation was introduced, leading to a need to expand acquired the intellectual property rights and the S.U trademark. Burien is now the world's the plant. With the various amalgamations and restructuring of the parent company over the sole manufacturer of genuine, new S.U product, and can supply new carburettors, pumps next few years the name of the company was changed, in 1976 to S.U Fuel Systems as part and spares for almost all models from 1930 to the present day. The company has invested of the S.U Butec division, and in 1983 to Austin Rover Fuel Systems as part of the Light heavily in new tooling where replacement has been necessary and to reintroduce models Medium Cars division of British Leyland Cars. In 1984 the Design and Development that have not been available for many years. Quality assured to BS5750 (IS09002), Burien Departments were transferred to Longbridge and S.U had become basically a has a policy to produce genuine, new S.U product to the original specification or better manufacturing plant. Product development during this same period saw the introduction of where new metallurgy, manufacturing techniques or materials allow. Now in 2007 the 'S.U ‘Ball Bearing' piston slides to the range, and an electronically controlled cold start system Carburettor Company' is back and trading as a subsidiary and trading arm of Burien Fuel for the HIF type. Carburettor manufacture declined with the introduction of Fuel Injection Systems Ltd and along with the 'AMAL Carburettor Company' supplies fuelling products to Systems for cars, and S.U started production of both Single Point and Multi Point Throttle vintage and classic cars and around the world." Update to "In 2007 the SU Bodies. An alternative product line started in 1983 when Austin Rover's '0T Series Engines Carburettor Company was reincorporated as a subsidiary of Burien Ltd.

25 26 A History of Riley Cars 1899 - 1969 Rileys had a distinguished competition record. In the 1925 London-Exeter-London Trial BY A. J. DRAPER three Gold medals and seventeen Silver were won by Riley cars; they had the highest The first Riley car was a small single-cylinder, belt-driven light car which did not go into number of cars in the list of finishers out of 152 entrants. The London- Edinburgh Run held production. Motor tricycles followed in 1900, and a handlebar steered tricar with two in 1925 was a more important event for Riley enthusiasts, because at a dinner given for the Riley competitors and their passengers at the Peebles Hydro Hotel, the Club forward speeds driven by a 517cc engine with mechanically operated inlet valves in 1903. was founded, eventually becoming the largest one-make car club in the world. Although Tricars were made until 1907, later examples being twins with drivers’ seats in place of not being able to claim to be the largest in the world today, it still has quite a large number saddles, water cooling and wheel steering. The 1034cc V- Twin engine was also fitted to the of enthusiastic members in all parts of Great Britain, and a number of overseas members company’s first 4-wheelers, which had amidships mounted engines with gearboxes . alongside and chain drive. Bigger V- Twins of 2 litre capacity, more conventional layout Class wins in the 1929, 1930 and 1931 TTs were followed by outright victory in 1932 and and round radiators were made from 1908 onwards. These incorporated pressure two later wins by a 1 ½litre in 1935 and 1936,4th place at Le Mans in 1933, and 2nd, 3rd, lubrication, shaft drive, constantmesh, 3-speed gearboxes and Riley patented detachable 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th places in 1934. Three successive wins were achieved in 1934, 1935 wheels, the demand for which brought the car production almost to a standstill and was the and 1936 in the B.R.D.C. 500 Mile Race at Brooklands. A ‘Nine’ won the light car class in reason for the formation of the new company, Riley (Coventry) Ltd, in l912. In 1914 2 the 1931 . The 6-cylinder racing Rileys of 1933/34 formed the basis of cylinder cars were still being made, but there was also a new 2.9 litre side-valve four the ERA racing cars. Both the ‘Nine’ and the 14/6 were progressively developed, the cylinder with worm final drive which was produced for a time after World War I by the former having a lowered chassis and semi-panelled body in 1932 and optional preselector Riley Engine Co. gearbox in 1934, which later became standard. A Super-Sports 6-cylinder 1½ litre appeared in 1932, followed by the introduction of the touring Mentone, the fast-back The first Rileys produced after the First World War were the Ils, with side-valve 1.5 litre Kestrel and the more conventional Falcon. Two sports 2-seaters were produced in engines, alloy pistons and full electrical equipment, spiral-bevel final drive being added in 1934-35, the 9 Imp and the 1633cc 6-cylinder MPH which was capable of over 90 mph. 1921. The Redwinger sports version (wire wheels and polished aluminium body) appeared This car could also be in 1923 and had a top speed of 70 mph. Side-valve cars continued in production until 1928, obtained with a 1½ litre having a 1645cc engine, and later (in 1925) front wheel brakes. One of these 12s was used engine for competition to prospect Kenya’s road system in 1926, and in 1927 there was a supercharged version of work. Another new the Redwinger available, though this was overshadowed by Percy Riley’s new ‘Nine’, model in 1935 was the which had a 1087cc 4-cylinder engine with twin camshafts set high in the crankcase. This 1½ litre four (with preselector gearbox, rod operated Girling brakes and central chassis lubrication system) in single or twin carburettor versions, later developments being the 85 mph Sprite two seater and the Kestrel Sprite saloon and Lynx Sprite tourer which offered more room with the same highly-tuned engine. A lower priced version of the ‘Nine’, called the Merlin, with pressed steel body was produced in 1936, in addition to the 1 ½ litre, 6/15 and a 2.2 litre V8 formed the basis of all Riley engines made up to 1957. using two 9 cylinder blocks on one crankcase, of which only a small number were made. A new six-light body was introduced for the 1937 ‘Nine’ with a twin-carburettor engine. In 1926 came the Monaco fabric sports saloon which sold well from the start. There was Other models for 1937 were a 2.8 litre V8 luxury car produced by Cars (a also a lowered and tuned Brooklands Sports with a twin-carburettor engine and capable of subsidiary of Riley) and the more successful 2.4 litre Big 4 with 3-speed synchromesh 80 mph. A twin-carburettor version of the touring ‘Nine’ was introduced in 1929, as well as gearbox and . (A recent sale in the USA of a Riley MPH raised $308,000) a new 1.6 litre 6-cylinder ’ 14’ variant. 27 28 In 1938, due to the financial insecurity of Riley, the company was acquired by the Nuffield Organisation. Only the 1 ½ litre and the Big 4 (later the 2 ½ litre) were continued in production. They had disc wheels, conventional synchromesh gearboxes and bodies similar to Wolseley. The post-war successors had the same engines (1½ & 2 ½ litre) but more attractive bodies with torsion bar front suspension and fabric covered roof. The 2 ½ litre engine was used by in the 1946-54 period. A three seater Roadster version of the 2 ½ litre was made by Riley for export and was later available on the home market. Hypoid final drive and fully hydraulic brakes were introduced in 1952.

After the Austin-Morris amalgamation, the 1½ litre was continued until 1955, with little change apart from a change to wing shape and the introduction of sills for running boards. In 1954 the 2 ½ litre Pathfinder was introduced with a body similar to the Wolseley 6-90 and a new chassis design, coil-spring rear suspension and cam type steering. This was replaced in 1957 by a car with similar body using the BMC 2.6 litre 6-cylinder engine. Subsequent Rileys were the 1.5 (with similar body to the Wolseley 1500), the 4/68 with Farina styling and 1500cc engine, and later the 4/72 with 1622cc engine, both having twin-carburettors. 1966 saw the introduction of a new 1100 Kestrel, which was later available with 1300cc engine. The Riley Elf, a version of the with larger boot and 948 cc engine, was also produced. After 70 years Rileys finally ceased to be produced by British Leyland towards the end of 1969.

Club Cothing

As I hope you are all aware the club has a range of clothing with club Logo on, that it sells. Items can be ordered at any time through Ian the Treasurer below is a list of items and there cost the club sells them at the price we pay for them. When ordering please state what item you want and sizes required:- Hats £7.95 P olo Shirts £12.95

Polo Shirt with Pocket £12.95 Classic T Shirt £8.95

Sweat Shirt £13.50 F leece £16.50 29 30

Regular monthly meetings are usually held at the KINGS ARMS, Frating on

the last Wednesday of each month from 7-30pm unless otherwise stated in

"Forthcoming Events". Please visit our web-site or enquire from committee

for further info. We are members of the Federation of British Historical

Vehicle Clubs, (FBHVC). And fully insured.

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