The Vintage Car Club of Queensland Inc. Queensland’s original and oldest historic motoring club. Founded 1955
Preserving Queensland's Motoring Heritage
“ANNIVERSARY” BIG edition DINNER EKKA Run AGM 2015
see what's to come under events:
60Th Anniversary Rally
Issue no. 370 2015 - VCCQ 60 September 2015 ANNIVERSARY The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 2
THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB OF QUEENSLAND Inc. Meetings Meetings are held at 8pm on the third Friday of each month at the VCCAQ Clubrooms, 1376 Old Cleveland Rd., Carindale QLD 4152. The Club’s well-stocked Library is open before and after the meeting and a pre-meeting BYO everything BBQ is usually enjoyed by a number of our members.
OFFICE BEARERS 2015-2016
PRESIDENT Doug Young 0418 719 430 [email protected] SECRETARY Frank Corbett 3511 0818 [email protected] TREASURER Anne Corbett 3511 0818 [email protected] COMMITTEE Dave Fletcher 3376 1361 [email protected] Ronnie Brown 0419 702 329 [email protected] Mike Hawthorne 3358 4367 [email protected] Brian McMillan 0412 303 477 [email protected]
EVENTS Ronnie Brown 0419 702 329 [email protected]
QUEENSLAND HISTORIC MOTORING COUNCIL Vacant
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Chris Pike 3821 1631 [email protected]
EDITOR Brian McMillan 0412 303 477 [email protected].
LIBRARY Duncan McPhee 3374 1404
REGISTRAR Rob Gabb 3286 4417 [email protected]
VEHICLE DATING Contact the Secretary
CORRESPONDENCE Unless otherwise requested, please address all written correspondence to: The Secretary You can also email the club: The Vintage Car Club of Queensland Inc. 1376 Old Cleveland Road [email protected] Carindale QLD 4152 The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 3
SENDING MONEY TO THE CLUB Cheques should be made out to The Vintage Car Club of Queensland Inc., and posted to the Treasurer at the Club’s postal address (above), unless otherwise requested. Direct Deposit: Payments are easier and faster using Internet direct deposit. Our Suncorp acc. details are: Account Name: Vintage Car Club of Queensland Inc. BSB: 484-799 Account No: 001424831 It is MOST important that you include your surname and a brief description of the nature of the payment (e.g. Smith subscription, or Jones Xmas lunch).
VCCQ ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Here’s an update on things you should know about the Club. We now have: A Website - Access via http://carclubs.shannons.com.au/vccq or Shannons/Car Clubs/VCCQ/more info. See under “Club News” for latest updates. An email address - [email protected] All committee members have access to the mailbox. A Gmail Calendar - The Calendar lists all interesting motoring events not just VCCQ events. Full access can be given to anyone with a gmail address and a gmail calendar. For a quick link to view the Calendar see: https://www.google.com/calendar/b/1/render?tab=mc A list of all books in the Club Library - Send the Club an email requesting a copy of this list. - Members only. A Member's Directory - Listing all financial Members as of August 31 2015. See Secretary for a copy. A Member's Register is also maintained detailing members vehicles. A copy is kept for viewing in the Club Library. Lapel Name Badges - These are given free to all new members. Existing members can get new ones from the Secretary at a cost of $10
Long time member Duncan McPhee enthusing about Brisbanes water supply at Gold Creek. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 4
VCCQ CALENDAR OF EVENTS – SEPTEMBER 2015 DATES CLUB & INVITATION EVENTS CONTACTS Sept. 4-9 60th Anniversary Rally Ronnie Brown Sept 12 Brookfield Country Markets Ronnie Brown Sept 20 All British Day Oct 14 Dayboro Boules Peter Ransom Events in Italics are for other Clubs
VCCQ CALENDAR OF EVENTS – 2015
January Virgin's Brekki 18th
February Memorial run with Veterans 22rd
March Fabulous fifties Clayton's meeting Friday 20th Rosewood Steam Museum 29th
April Rally South to Murwillumbah, Lismore 10-12th
May Dayboro pub lunch run Saturday 23rd QVVA(Q) Ipswich 16th NMH Day Ipswich 17th Historic Winton 30-31st
June Goondiwindi Rally 5-8th QHMC Pittsworth Run 6-8th VCCQ 60th Concours 28th
July RACQ Motorfest 12th Grandchester 150th Steamfest 26th
August Presentation Dinner 1st Ekka run 12th BRHCC Montville Country run 15-16th AGM and General Meeting 21st Vets Club swap 22nd
September 60th Anniversary Rally 4-9th Jacki Howe Festival 4-6 Jondaryan Woolshed Pittsworth sprints 5-6 Brookfield Country Markets 12th Morris Cowley Centenary Albury 13-18th All British Day 20th Gatton Trucks 26th
October Coffs Harbour VVCC Rally 2-5th Dayboro Boules on Wednesday 14th National Highwheeler Rally – Hahndorf 19-23rd Melbourne Motorclassica 23-25th
November Gold Mine picnic 1st. Local midweek run to Swanbank 18th. Midnight to Dawn Rally 28-29th Bendigo 14-15
December NSW Alvis Day 5th Christmas Party 18th Boxing Day on the Bay 26th Event suggestions very welcome. Events in Italics are for other Clubs
Even the Entertainers were blurred at the Presentation Dinner. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 5
EDITOR'S REPORT – Brian McMillan COVER PICTURE. On the 1957 Banana Rally a youthfull Duncan McPhee with the Minerva he still drives today.
VCCQ FLASH DRIVE. As this is our 60th year the committee looked for something special to commemorate it. No one came forward to write a Yearbook but we are producing a USB Flash drive with all the mags for the last 10 years in digital format. Pdfs for only 2 mags could not be found so we have done a scan of the printed versions of these. These will be available for $10 – much cheaper than a yearbook and with a huge amount of data and good stories. They will be available by the time of the 60th Anniversary rally. Over 200 pics from the club's early days are also on the drive. The 10 years file is 500meg and the flash drive is 4 times this size so as each new mag arrives you can add it to this handy storage file. Much easier than boxes full of mags.
2015/6 MEMBERSHIP. The VCCQ now has about 100 members. If you don't get this mag you know why.
ANNIVERSARY RALLY. Print off your rally instructions from last month's mag and bring along any map,s etc., that you may need. Check where we are going. Last rally I brought along route instructions which no one followed but everyone got to the destination. Make sure you let Ronnie know what you are doing and check your accommodation booking as we have had stuff ups at both motels. Motel reservations for the last night in Warwick have been made at Warwick Motor Inn. Ronnie has phoned all starters. Joe has the competitive stage from Ipswich to the Barn organised. Don't be late for the start. Bring your name tags.
COMMITTEE. It has been a real pleasure being on the club's committee for another year. We will miss our three retiring members, Katrina, Jak and Chris, who have all been great to work with and loads of fun. Being Editor has its advantages. Any work I do is on display every month. What most of the committee does is never seen and often goes unrecognised. Every one of them does a huge amount of work and, to the outsider, everything seems to happen seamlessly. Some of the long time members have penned some of their memories of their time in the club for this special mag. They go back a long way. I am still regarded as being a new Johnny on the block only having joined in September 1981- a mere 34 years ago. I did however purchase my first vintage car – a Riley Redwing – 59 years ago and joined the VSCC and VMC in Sydney a couple of years later. I do occasionally get a whinge from some grumpy old buttercup member for some mistake I make in the mag. eg. Dear Sir, I wish to register a complaint relating to your description of the cover picture on the July magazine. You appear to have confused me with a Silver Ghost belonging to a Graham Singer whose colour is less violent than mine but close enough to be mistaken for that car . A retraction in the September meeting will be sufficient to avoid me taken further action viz running over a certain Aston Martin. Yours, Roddy Prangley. Makes it tough on an editor when his club has 2 purple Silver Ghost R-Rs. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 6
THE FIRST 60 YEARS OF THE VCCQ.- Graeme Peters. I was both shocked and vexed, when the current Editor asked me to biro a few paragraphs on what I can remember of the decades to date in VCCQ life. Shocked, because remembering my “phone number” presents quite a task and vexed because these exercises eat into my precious contemplation time. And why me, as I haven't been very active in recent years. If “P.G” made an unscheduled visit to a VCCQ monthly meeting he would feel quite comfortable in the clubby atmosphere, only rising to his feet when the eligibility issue was raised. I could imagine how he would gag if/when some bold member bought up the subject of Ford V8 eligibility. Most of these issues have been chewed over before, and generally everything settles down. The election process is a quaint affair being a bit like a game of drop the hanky. The more things change the more they stay the same. Concessional Registration was a big one but thanks to Peter Gargett's (the late) heroic efforts with the bureaucracy it finally made it through. Even from early on stages, members were made aware that the VCCQ was a driver's club, so runs of varying lengths from Amberley to Jimna and everything in between have been on the menu. Some brave souls even completed runs to Birdsville and beyond to the very edge of Queensland. Some mild competition was introduced by the more hairy chested and great fun they were too until insurance niggles raised the head. Major feast days in the form of VCCQ birthdays are always good for a dining in night and many ladies (Jennie, Jan, Alison (the late) have put on the most lavish repasts. The most epic of the long distances would be Max Stephenson's 23/60 Vauxhall north/south traverse of South America as reported on the Internet along with his Peking to Paris grind. A good read of the VCCQ 50th year book will serve to give one a feel for the events over the years if taken with the 25th year book. P.G. would be in raptures over the latest version of the club mags – from a single sheet of paper to the glossy production covering all aspects of club life. I felt it only lacked a segment on recipes, preferably one on how to make Anzac biscuits. I was always very tentative about publishing stories about ships and planes, but emboldened by Wm. Ewing's exhortation to “Publish and be damned”, I did and no repercussions so so. The latest two editors being something of computer heads have served us up a professional mag with a full complement of cars, members and useful information. Paul Reed, a decade or so ago,implored us to drive and enjoy our cars while there was still time. I'm sure P.G. would find the VCCQ in good shape and highly recognisable as the one they founded. Many of us are now of a certain age and have light brushes with the medicos, and judging by the numbers of Grandpas and Grandmas trying to drive into coffee shops it may get worse. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 7
HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY Sixty years of VCCQ, means we have been around for 55 years!! The Club has been a very important component in our lives and we relish the many memories we have of adventures over those years. Times and circumstances change and for better or worse, I don’t, so for me the good old days have long gone. We have lost so many great members in the last few years, making me more determined than ever to enjoy “vintage” motoring to the best of my ability for the years still left. 1965 President Joe Wilson presenting trophy to Gil Leach for winning the rally to the opening of the Bribie Island Bridge. Our thanks for the friendship and companionship so many have extended over the years. Happy 60th birthday VCCQ. Joe and Bev Wilson.
BIRKERS. Memories of 1961 Disclaimer: No attempt has been made to check the veracity, actuality or originality of the following – it is subject to correction by people with better memories. Back in 1961 I was a new graduate in Architecture, single, carefree, employed by the Commonwealth Department of Works, and the proud owner of a 1938 SS Jaguar 100, newly restored by others. I was aware of the VCCQ mainly through my brother-in- law Robbie Robb who drove vintage cars as his everyday transport. In those days old cars in running order and original but knocked about condition were available for very little money. I remember one, an Armstrong Siddley, was advertised for 10 pounds. He put down 5 pounds, was allowed to drive away in the car but never returned with the promised other 5. Robbie’s best car was the 1922 Itala tourer shown on page 7 of the Club’s 25 Year Book. He drove me up onto the ‘Downs’ looking for the fabled Bugatti. This eluded us but we did see rusty remains of an early Riley and an O.M. exposed in farmers’ fields. But in those days nobody was interested in car remains in such a decrepit state. I was acquainted with Stan Marquis Kyle as he had been one of my lecturers at UQ and Duncan McPhee was in the year above me in Architecture having bought his Minerva while a student. In 1961 the Club was only 5 or 6 years old but seemed to me quite well established. I was very much the new boy at the age of 24 while the Club was run by The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 8 mature men such as P.G. Woodhouse, Alan Hale, Cliff Beatson, Stan Kyle, Dean Prangley Sr and Malcolm MacDonald. P.G. and Cliff and Eileen Beatson in particular were kind to a new member. The Club was specifically not the Vintage Sports Car Club of Queensland as most of the cars wore touring bodies. Stan’s 12/50 was a sports car but I only ever saw it on one rally, the Banana Rally of 1961. Typical Club cars were the 3 litre Bentleys, Vauxhalls 30/98, 23/60 and 14/40, Rolls Silver Ghosts and 20s and Duncan’s Minerva. The greatest rival of the SS100 in terms of performance was Tom Binns' Railton. He loved to show its performance, taking off in a shower of gravel with great verve and panache. My first Club event was the 1961 Concours. My recollection is that there were not the manifold prizes and cups awarded today but just one prize for the best Club car. My car was shiny and looked like new but the prize went to the Wilsons’ Bullnose Morris which had been beautifully prepared. One of the judges said to me later, “your car could have won but we docked points because it was so young.” And it was, being only 23 years old at that time. Most of the Club cars showed signs of use, often on gravel roads, and there was not the obsession with shiny paint, nickel plate and chrome exhibited by today’s Concours-Wallahs. In those early days the Club events calendar was much more modest than today’s, with some of us now expecting a weekend or longer away in each cooler month from April to September. There was one 2-day rally such as the Banana Rally to Murwillumbah (where my car boiled in the procession), the Concours, Gymkhana and various one-day events. A little later the hill climbs were established with early drives at Marburg, Kooralbyn and later Donnans’ Palmwoods. They were always chaotic, semi-controlled and dangerous to competitors and spectators alike – the Club was lucky no serious accidents ever occurred. So here we are 60 years on, with some members from the 50s and early 60s still driving early cars down the highway and still spending hours on maintenance and repairs and in my case a very limited time polishing. Greg Berkman August 2015
RONNIE BROWN. THAT WAS THE DECADE THAT WAS!! 2005 – 2015 This was a decade which would change my life forever!! Driving my restored Alvis Grey Lady with the support and encouragement of my friends in the VCCQ. 2005 was my husband, John’s 70th birthday, the obvious present was a vehicle he had wanted all his life – a classic British Alvis. When as a newly appointed Industrial Pharmacist working in London, he stood outside the Albert Hall, in the 1950s, watching all the lovely cars passing by, he hoped that one day he’d be able to afford such a car. After a lifetime working in third world countries, we moved to Australia in 1981, taking up the hobby we’d loved in the West Indies – sailing old wooden boats. This eventually led to our meeting two VCCQ members, Peter Anderson & Bill Ewing. A firm friendship developed with both, all being classic wooden yacht owners & with a love of classic British cars. Knowing that Bill had a selection of gorgeous vehicles, I approached Jo Sherwood to see if Bill needed space in his garage & as a result our Alvis TC21/100 dhc arrived at our house on a trailer, in late 2004 ready for renovation. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 9
The greenish-white colour was from the days when Anne Gunnell owned the car in 1974. The engine was out as Rob Gunnell sold 2 Alvises to Bill, one had been involved in a major accident at Uralla, at an Alvis Rally, with the intention that the correct engine in each car be returned to its rightful chassis. This was obviously a major restoration project & John decided that he would remove every part down to the chassis & rebuild!! There was so much dirt on the steel frame that John wondered if the Gunnells had owned a quarry!! The wooden frame had some damage & John with his boat building skills was able to scarf in new pieces of wood & return it to its former glory. There was a towing bracket on the back, which John suggested was the reason for the damage to first gear so the gearbox was stripped & a new first gear made by two South African brothers John found in Sumner Park. Bill took the engine to Terry of Coorparoo Engineering and after identifying the parts required to rebuild the engine, this was undertaken over the next several months. Four years later we were ready to join VCCQ as recommended by Peter & Bill and we planned to drive in our first rally, the Alvis National Rally held in 2009 in Toowoomba. Unfortunately it took several more months to sort out the teething problems & I remember well John telling me this was an ongoing project, which would never be finished!! Our first VCCQ outing was to Joe Wilson’s house in Kenmore, when Joe was President, the start of many such outings with VCCQ. We signed up for the next Alvis rally in 2011 but our dream ended when John was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in early February & died three weeks later. With the assistance of my son and son in law, I learnt to drive the Alvis but did not have the confidence to drive the Alvis such a long distance to the rally in Orange NSW. My daughter in Sydney and her husband offered to drive me to the final dinner of the 2011 Alvis Rally in Orange. I entered the Hat prize with a model of a TC21/100dhc attached to a green taffeta covered gardening hat. Our daughter-in- law had the model made of wire & beads in South Africa for John’s Christmas in 2009. I was very proud of winning & being able to explain to the other Alvis owners that as I was unable to drive the Alvis to the Rally, I had brought its model as a tribute to my late husband. Gradually, with huge encouragement from VCCQ members, I joined in some of the local events & as my confidence grew I considered attending the next Alvis National Rally in 2013 in Traralgon, Victoria. At first I looked at shipping the Alvis on a transporter but at one of the weekly VCCQ “Prayer Meetings” on a Tuesday night at Toowong Bowls Club, I was invited to join the VCCQ contingent driving to & from the Rally. This sounded very exciting & I shall be ever grateful to Brian Mc. Bruce Jorss, Greg Berkman & Frank Corbett for their support. So we were five drivers in three very different Alvises. We had tremendous fun, taking three days to drive down the Eastern side of Australia & returning via western NSW amongst country I had never seen before. When steep hills were to be climbed, Brian was offloaded from the smaller engined Alvises into my 3 litre. This was an exercise known as Extra Ballast & Brian became known as EB for the rest of the trip!! I still have the chocolate rabbit (Alvis Hare) which the organising Committee gave me for attending the Rally & I shall ever remember the camaraderie we shared during that 2976 miles (4761 kms) trip. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 10
John is with me every time I drive my Alvis, his gentle, quiet voice often whispers in my ear – why did you hit that pothole?!!! It is a tribute to his ability that I am enjoying driving a 1954 British classic car on Australian roads to-day & a credit to the people who make up our VCCQ who made it possible. My thanks to you all & I hope I have been able to repay your support & kindness by adopting the role of your Events Co-ordinator. Ronnie Brown.
A GOOD THING. Looks like some of our members enjoy their driving and supporting other clubs. Chris and Jacki Pike, Kees and Chris Heybroek, Greg Berkman and Bruce Jorss headed south while Doug Young, Grant Hart, Ronnie Brown, Derek Dixon, Ross Walker and Frank and Anne Corbett headed north. You gotta be tough to head south from Queensland in Winter. Here are their stories. And then there are the club vagrants, Graham and Dorothy Singer and Claytons support crew, the Wilsons.
ANOTHER CAR CLUBS RUN I was privileged to be invited on another clubs ‘winter woolies’ run, which involved a fairly rapid gallop across northern NSW to Dorrigo for the weekend. The run started at Beaudesert at 9.00 am on Friday. The organizer said to me” be there before 9.00 – if you are not there we won't wait…..? We left at 0925. And so it came to pass that we - as in the memsahib and I journeyed in a rather strung out convoy of 16 cars via the Lions Road to Kyogle. The NSW side of that road has not had any maintenance for quite a while and the crater sized potholes did not enhance the enjoyment of the drive. I would not recommend this piece of road to any vintage/classic motorist. At Kyogle we had coffee and then went on to Casino and Grafton where we had lunch at the Services Club (RSL) From there it was on to Glenreagh, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen. Some elected to take a shorter route from Coramba, but regretted the 30 odd Ks of gravel road. We ate at the Motel on Friday evening, to the accompanying glass of pickled grape juice or a hop derived beverage. Saturday was fine, sunny and a bit windy, however the wind picked up, it started to get cold by lunchtime and started to cloud over. It became colder and wetter as the afternoon progressed. Saturday evening dinner was at the motel dining room, complete with roaring fire. The committee had gone to a lot of trouble to make things festive with decorations for a ‘Christmas in July’ dinner which consisted of a buffet of ham, chicken, turkey and vegetables. The dessert was also of a festive nature with plum pud, custard, cream and ice cream or alternately trifle. Entertainment was provided by club members who recited poetry, limericks or ‘rude’ rhymes which everyone enjoyed. As well as a 2- man band with electric music….. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 11
By the end of dinner the outside temperature had dropped to uncomfortably cold, and the rain was blowing horizontally. Sunday was just plain cold and drizzling, and so we set off for Armidale to visit Saumurez House. As we drove into Armidale it started to snow, you know, that white flaky stuff that floats down from the sky. This necessitated a “loo stop” at a convenient park. Unfortunately the facilities were those of the modern vandal proof stainless steel type. Well girls you may think that porcelain is cold… well I can tell you stainless steel dunny seats and snow don’t mix. Lunch was provided by the Saumurez volunteers in the new coffee shop. The hot pumpkin soup and quiche were delicious. From Armidale it was on to Guyra, Glen Innes and Tenterfield. It was overcast, raining and snowing in the high bits. We encountered one group of wally trolly drivers who had pulled up on the side if the road so the kids could play on the snow. Some of them were in T shirts shorts and thongs…. (welcome to the blue toed brigade) I was very glad that the 3.5 had a heater which worked. Others members of the group were complaining about how cold it was, as they had disconnected their car’s heaters (mostly because they leaked). Jag Club member Bill Winsome's home in Stanthorpe that week. Those hardy souls who travelled in open cars, were almost blue and almost stiff by the time they arrived at the booked motel in Tenterfield. You could tell by the way that arms and legs dropped off as they walked. Again dinner was in the motel – lovely fire and good company, with more pickled grape juice….. Monday morning was cold drizzling and uncomfortable, so off to Stanthorpe and morning tea in Warwick. Its funny how the weather improved once we got away from the New England. The rain stopped and it seemed to be warmer. By the time we reached Aratula it was much warmer and the sun was trying to get through the cloud. You don’t know how lucky you are living in Brisbane’s temperate climes. While cold weather is nice for a while… a whole winter of it could become ‘uncomfortable’ after a while. Chris P. Ed. Like the weather.
BLACKALL RANGE HORSELESS CARRIAGE CLUB – MALENY/MONTVILLE WEEKEND RALLY. Seven members of the VCCQ accepted the invitation to attend this rally – Frank and Anne Corbett (12/50 Alvis Ducksback), Ronnie Brown (Alvis Grey Lady DHC), Derek Dixon and Ross Walker (Alvis 4.3 Vanden Plas Saloon) and Grant Hart and the author (Jaguar XK140DHC). (For The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 12 those secretly hoping for an Alvis-led takeover of the club, the Alvi of the VCCQ contingent only accounted for a disappointingly low 75% of VCCQ cars present.) There are some members common to both clubs whose cars also turned out, such as John Grattan-Caine’s Phantom 1 Rolls.And what a weekend it was! Bob Gray and his team had impeccably organised everything down to the last detail, a packed programme of interesting things to see and do, and, above all, some great roads boasting wonderful views on which we were able to gently exercise our old steeds. It kicked off at the clubrooms, in the Maleny Historical Village on the Saturday morning. The club is dedicated to all cars of interest, and what an eclectic range of vehicles were present. A personal favourite of mine was the Saab 96; 1966, 843cc three cylinder, triple carb, two stroke with 4 speed all synchro gearbox, with a free wheel. As made famous by Erik Carlsson, in many international rallies. His most famous successes were first in the 1960, 1961 and 1962 RAC Rallies and first in the 1962 and 1963 Monte Carlo Rallies. The idle was something to behold, popping away like an old Kwaka 3 motorbike. Less appealing was following it up a steep hill, as 2 stroke smoke is not the most refreshing of fragrances. After scrutinising the cars, we then headed down a scenic route to Glasshouse, and Parrots in Paradise. The birds were beautiful, but most astonishing was their intelligence. Our hostess put on a demonstration of them performing various tricks, which no dog could ever be taught – and I’m not talking flying here! A real eye opener. It was then on to Montville, where our cars graced the school oval, with an included- lunch, before heading back to Maleny. Again, magnificent roads and views. Dinner was at the RSL Hall in Maleny, again, provided as part of the rally entry fee. Ross Walker’s Alvis won the peoples’ choice award, with runners up being the Corbett 12/50, and a certain XK140. The VCCQ was then presented with a large (and very heavy) shield, as the invited club which had shown the most support for the rally. Next morning saw us re-convene at the enviable club rooms, before heading via a scenic and interesting route to the Kenilworth Museum. There, we were treated to an excellent talk by an The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 13 accomplished presenter (a research psychologist in a former life) on the history and ancient identities of the area – with a couple of short movies thrown in for good measure. Then it was off to the Old Witta School for lunch, with our cars parked on the oval. Another great feed, but best of all were the delicious home-grown strawberries provided by one of their members. Yummo! This brief report does not do justice to the organisation and thoughtfulness that went into this event. A great achievement (and the weather was kind as well). Doug Young.
VCCQ VAGRANTS. A couple of photos from Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie where we are today. All is going well so far and we are on schedule. We visited the Superpit this morning and were amazed at the size of the gold mining operation there. Since leaving Brisbane, we have travelled 10,333 kms and have been driving for a total of 162 hours and 9 minutes. The Ghost has returned up to 16.6 mpg and mostly always returns in excess of 15 mpg. Not bad considering the owners' manual states an expected fuel consumption of 14 mpg. We have a free day in Kalgoorlie tomorrow so a full service on the car will be in order as we head east on the Nullarbor on Saturday morning and head for home. Regards. Graham and Dorothy.
GO WEST YOUNG (??) MAN!! Having followed Graham and Dorothy Singer’s round Australia trip in their 1920 Ghost on the map, Bev and I decided we should travel west to meet them on their way home. It was agreed we would meet in Bourke on Thursday, August 6, so we set off on the Tuesday morning for an easy run to Roma. The Aprilia had never been up the Toowoomba Range so I was a little concerned about over heating. No worries – at the top I was able to put my hand on the header tank! Coffee in Dalby , a picnic in Mitchell and we were in Roma by 3.00pm. Most western towns are alive with tradies and white utes, drilling, boring and pumping, etc, all sorts of fluids. You are lucky to get a motel room during the week. Next morning we had a comfortable start (with the temperature at minus 1 degrees) for Charleville, with nothing much to see the further west you go. What interested me were the trucks, road trains with 3 trailers, pulling over 100 tons. They were mostly Kenworths with motors of over 600 HP. Great stuff! Thursday saw us head south through Cunnamulla and we arrived at Bourke. The trip to IGA for provisions was an eye opener. There were security guards and the bottle shop was like a bank with armoured glass all around and a small hatch to do business through. Graham and Dorothy arrived about 5.30 having done 650km that day from Broken Hill. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 14
The motel owner was a first class prat and knew it all. He was particularly familiar with steam powered Amilcars!!. We had an early start on Friday with St George as our target. With the Singers in front, we stopped for a cuppa just north on the NSW border, knowing we would catch up in Cunnamulla. About 30 km further on, our centre tailshaft coupling exploded! The car has a two piece propshaft, with fabric joints front, centre and rear. A guy in England sold me three (200GBP) aluminium dics with 6 “silent blok” bushes which were supposed to be the “Bees Knees”. I had fitted one (in the centre) and I feel they don’t have enough flexibility as it broke two of the three legs off the end of the shaft. While I was underneath investigating, a couple stopped to help, the Singers being well ahead by now. They went to Cunnamulla and arranged for a tow truck to come out the 110km to fetch us. A $560 tow into Cunnamulla and it was decided to try to weld. You can’t hire a car in Cunnamulla and there are only two buses out a week! The local “do it all” man was visited and he said he couldn’t touch it until late arvo so we were there for the night. Late that afternoon he started to make a jig to weld it in and by early afternoon the next day ($400) it was superbly repaired. A couple of hours later we were off to St George, dodging roos along the way in the evening light. Home Sunday a bit poorer but delighted with the bush assistance. I bet I could have hawked it around Brisbane for a week and not got anyone to take it on. 2450 km at 25mpg - what a great little car! - Joe Wilson. Photo shows: 3 leg coupling that broke, original fabric joint, replacement aluminium joint (now replaced with fabric joint), welding jig.
THE DIG TREE ADVENTURE. One of the historical properties the Royal Historical Society is Trustee for is the famous Burke and Wills Dig tree near Innamincka in South Australia. We recently travelled there with a group of 18 members and friends to check on its health and meet with the caretakers who are the manager and staff of Nappa Merrie Station just over the border in Queensland. This involved taking a Rexair SAAB twin engined flying device which had this awful habit of landing at four different places on the way finally touching down at Thargomindah. There we had lunch at the only new café in town and during this stop I wandered down the back yard attracted by a Heath- Robinson structure which turned out to be a bore sinking machine constructed from a range of dead cars, trucks and The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 15 tractors into something that actually worked. What incredible men were those bush mechanics! One thing that caught my eye was an Edwardian Studebaker radiator in pretty good condition set sideways on in front of a diesel engine. If anyone is short of one of these let me know and I will give you the details in a brown paper bag! Up the street was the oldest house in town from 1889. It was in good condition being of sun baked mud brick with a Custom Orb roof. Lying at the rear of this was the sad remains of a Dodge Brothers ute. Unfortunately that horse will never race again. We travelled to Innamincka by bus. Most of the 368km was bitumen but the last 50 k was black soil and there had just been one and a half inches of rain the week before. Our driver negotiated the wet bits expertly and we arrived in Innamincka at 7pm. Innamincka has been touted as one of the most isolated tourist venues in the world and it amazes me why anyone would go there in the first place. Burke and Wills did and they died! Total population is 15 and it consists of a very nice pub and motel with excellent dining facilities and its own mini golf course. A couple of houses, store, ranger station and an interpretive centre complete the scene. Most come here to camp on Cooper Creek reserve and enjoy the bird life and looking at local historical stuff. We visited the dig tree which is a 200 year old Coolibah and found it to be in top condition and well cared for. The original “DIG” blazes have closed up by natural healing and only a small indentation can be seen. Given that the blazes were cut in 1861 the tree took a long time to cover them. The original Innamincka pub is long gone but the bottle dump is still to be seen. Back in the 1890s it was found that barrel beer would not last the distance from southern breweries so it was decided that it would be bottled beer from then on. In the fifties the dump was famous covering about an acre in extent and several bottles high. Unfortunately a huge flood in 1974 swept most of them into the Cooper leaving only the most tenacious ones behind. Wandering amongst them I was amazed at the thickness of the glass in those days. The pub had many pictures of the cars that made it out there last century. Most were T Models which being light could skate over the muck and crevasses. There was one picture of a very sad Dodge stuck down to the chassis waiting for a camel team to pull it out. They were brave motorists in those days. Another item of interest was an engine from a Beaufort bomber displayed outside the store. It crashed in 1944 when one engine caught fire and all the crew parachuted to safety. A 14 cylinder radial it survived remarkably well and there are a few usable bits if you happen to be restoring one. Well worth a visit if you happen to be near but only once and do not say Cooper’s Creek out there! It is Cooper Creek. Dean Prangley. Ed. Member Dean is currently the President of The Royal Historical Society of Queensland The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 16
THE FIRST BANANA RALLY – DUNCAN MCPHEE. 1st – 2nd September 1956 In 1955, desperate for my first car I had, in hindsight, close calls with the purchase of two or three cars which (thank goodness) my father forbad me to own. My father probably thought he would be responsible for sudden costs as I was at 18 and 19 an impecunious student. I had been inducted into the appreciation of vintage cars by Donald McDonald at school, whose father had just arrived back from Sydney in his Rolls-Royce 20 full of enthusiasm. Stan Marquis Kyle had also been spreading the Vintage Car Message as one of our lecturers in architecture. After a couple of old car recovery trips with Stan (a 1914 Talbot chassis at a casino chook yard and a Ruston Hornsby at Bardon) he sold me the Minerva I still possess to this time. I asked mum, and my grandmother nearby offered her garage. Both ladies were enthusiastic. It was early 1956, and the car was a daily visitor to the split university campus at Saint Lucia and the city. In March I was accepted into the Vintage Car Club of Queensland. In August, I earned $16 for eight days of an Army Jungle Training Course at Canungra. It was enough money to cover the cost of a new fabric universal in the car, installed by J. W. Downing, a fee which I later found to be modest when I had to renew this myself after long service. Before the first Banana Rally of 1st-2nd September 1956, my brother Cameron and I prepared the Minerva until it shone and joined in the Shell Oil Company’s sponsorship of the event of displays by vintage cars at Shell Service Stations a week before the event. Cheryl topped up the fuel tank with 2½ gallons, before the event, for free - a big help for us all and this was repeated at Murwillumbah. The formality of the event was increased by a night briefing at Shell House for all competitors during the week before the event. The great day arrived and we two brothers daringly lowered and secured the hood on the car – it looked dashing.
Assembly was 8am in New Farm Park before the Chief Marshall. It was like a Roman Holiday with all the competitors cars showing “pride of ownership” – a condition of entry. The public appeared in surprising numbers to see us all off. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 17
The first car was away at 9:15 AM with cars to be released at a set time intervals subsequently. The Route to Murwillumbah was to average 28 mph for the Pacific Highway and 24 mph for built up areas. Time was to be closely monitored. A packed lunch was provided at Mt Gravatt, by the Shell Co; Cam had a graph to check speed. There were secret controls operating during the rally, as well as controls where one’s Rally card was marked by the official with each car’s time, variations, and thus points lost. Officials were strict – one and a half minutes elapsed was classed as points lost. Total Rally points were equated to: Road section 50% Concourse D’Elegance 25% Handling tests 25% At Murwillumbah the cars circled the oval, with one carrying the Banana Queen in her glory. That night, car dealers’ showrooms provided security for our precious motorcars. We were billeted by various generous families around town, and this hospitality continued for the next four years of the Banana Rally. Sunday morning saw us competing in challenging driving tests, common for sports cars in those days. The return home was in our own time and we enjoyed the scenic route along the Tweed River, and then into the dark, now enshrouding, Queensland.
Duncan is our longest serving VCCQ member having joined the club in its first year with his Minerva – and both are still with us – brilliant. He made his mark with his annual “Cyclone rallies”.
Memories are made of this -Trish Hanley. I was going through old photos and came across classic Duncan’s “Cyclone Rally” aptly named as they were always held in February cyclone season in the early 90’s. We are paused on a muddy track at the foot of the Head Road. Duncan McPhee in his Minerva in the lead, next John ‘Chippy’ Chippendall’s A7 and myself Trish Hanley A7, observed by Bruce Jorss decked out in his full trekking gear.
Ten years later near the same spot on another cyclone rally. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 18
"When are you going to put a body on it?" A fair question that has now been asked many many times. My beautifully restored drivable 1924 Fiat 519 LWB chassis arrived back in Brisbane mid 2010 from Kaponga, NZ where after four years and 1,100 hours of restoration work by master craftsman Roy King with technical advice from my mentor Jeff Jones. Centro Storico (Fiat's historical centre in Turin) had advised that this car was supplied new to Garrett's the Fiat dealer in Sydney with a Fiat "torpedo" body. While considering the logistics of rebuilding the torpedo body a friend in Italy sent me an A.C.I. ( Automobile Club d'Italia) magazine which shows a photo of one of the two 519 that competed in the first (1927) Mille Miglia. Most of the times both the competing cars are referred to as 519S the SWB version, 3.3m wheel base as opposed to the LWB at 3.6m wheel base but not all times. To confuse things most 'S' cars had the more sporting V radiator and windscreen and smaller lighter mudguards, but alas not all. Some had the flat radiator and windscreen. The almost front on photo of car 41 in the A.C.I. magazine is with flat radiator and screen and with the larger mudguards, so my tantalising wishful thinking is that this car could be a LWB car! All that is needed is a side on photo to confirm the wheelbase, but no luck so far in the search which has included placing an advertisement in an Italian old car magazine and paying the Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia a search fee of their archives and still no photo. The drivers of both cars are of interest, Car 40 Driver E. Weber (of carburettor fame) Car 41 Driver E. Sivani (of Fiat performance upgrade fame) so the tracking down of their descendants for a photograph is on the agenda. Tantalising, if one of the two cars is a LWB then the body work could be replicated and it would be a Mille Miglia eligible car ! Ciao for now Tony Cicchiello
QUEENSLAND SPEEDWAY MUSEUM PLANS Queensland speedway fans will soon see their long awaited dreams of their own speedway museum come true. Ambitious plans by motor sport enthusiast Ian Bone to extend his Ipswich City Square based Queensland Motorsport Museum and Information Centre to include all divisions of speedway. He is on track for all sections to open by the The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 19 end of July as display items are gathered. There is capacity to hold display over 70 vehicles and large volumes of memorabilia across all disciplines of motorsport. Ian has taken a lease of a further 1,600 square metres of showroom below the existing museum, which opened in January 2015. Ian is determined to provide for road and race motorcycles and cars including a special area for speedway – a museum within a museum. There is currently a reference library, theatrette, conference room and retail shop in place. Work has already commenced to move into the new location. The inner city location in the Ipswich City Square, is a 5 minute undercover walk from the rail station and free undercover parking. Opening hours will be extended to 7 days with the support of additional volunteers. The vision for the Qld Motorsport Museum within the business plan says it all; To be a social hub that encourages the respect, retention and recognition of our motor sport heritage. To provide a meeting place, an educational resource and a repository of national and international motorsport history for future generations. All exhibits will be on loan in a custodian ship arrangement. The property has 24/7 security including CCTV and foot patrols. It is adjacent to shops and cafes. This facility ticks all the boxes in the needs for a Queensland based museum, that will enhance the tourist potential and provide a location and archive for the safe custody of speedway memorabilia Information can be obtained from Ian at [email protected]
MYSTERY CAR. Ed. Firstly I received the following note from wounded warrior Peter Henson. Brian, any clever chaps recognise these top two pictures? The car could be the Minerva I am chasing. Note the bottom picture (or anything else). WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE MARQUES ARE?
Next I got a note from Doug, Brian, The VCCQ won a shield for the Best Guest Club at Maleny. Ross won People’s Choice, and Frank’s and my cars were runners up. The Kenilworth museum was a sensation, and the car in the pic (on the left) was on the wall; allegedly a Chandler race car. Have you heard of it? Cheers, Doug.
Note bonnet louvres and mascot. Knowing Bryson Talimini had owned a Chandler I The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 20 sent him an email to which he replied. Nice to hear from you Brian, Attached are two identical pics, (just different file sizes), of the same car on the same day; you can determine this from the "Indian" motorcycle logo on the boy's shirt. Ed. Only 1 shown. I used to own two Chandlers, pics attached, both 1927; the seven passenger sedan, a beautiful car, has a 289 cu.in. motor. This became known as the Pike's Peak Motor after it set a new record for the 12.1/2 mile race up Pike's Peak, Colorado in 1925, beating the second place Stutz time by four minutes. This race had been an AAA sanctioned event since 1919. Of course it was in a different car to my sedan! Chandlers successfully competed in various hill climbs and other races, including reliability trials in Australia, and that "Chandler Speedster" raced in Brisbane. The Pike's Peak Motor was introduced in late 1923, so the year 1925 on your photo would be pretty right. In the attached Speedster photo the radiator is from 1923, 1924 or 1925. Chandler made about 150,000 Chandlers (and Clevelands), from 1913 to early 1929, when Hupmobile bought them out in order to obtain another factory to increase production, both being in Cleveland, Ohio. In hindsight not a good business decision! Hope this is of interest. Bryson. I had recently seen this pic somewhere of the WW1 tank Mephisto being moved into the museum in 1919 and had noticed the Chandler speedster in the background. Found it again in the State Archives.
Bryson Talamini's two 1927 Chandlers. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 21
BULLNOSE MYSTERY. Hi Brian, After the Ormiston run, a bloke contacted me and gave me a copy of several pictures of a Bullnose MG belonging to Jim Finn in 1957. These pictures are apparently included in the 25 year book for the club. One photo is dated 1957 and another photo has a Holden EJ or EH in the background, indicating the 60s. Do you know of Jim or his car? Regards, ColSchiller
On 20/07/15 07:27, Colin Schiller wrote: Good news on the mystery Bullnose, thank you to all those who helped out. This car is in Melbourne. It now belongs to Ray Newell, who did a superb restoration. Ray researched the car's history very comprehensively. It originally belonged to the daughter of the Queensland Morris Distributor. It is not an MG chassis, however, he must have seen one, or at least a photo of one as it clearly resembles the genuine article. The daughter used the car in competition during 1926, with some success and Ray has copies of newspapers articles to prove it. I am hoping to persuade Ray to bring the car up to Lake Hume. (this is the Cowley Centennial Rally in September. CS) Although the "cows horn" windscreen pillars look a little clunky on a sports car (as a cattle breeder you probably appreciate them!), it is one of the prettiest Bullnoses around and Ray was correct to retain them for historical reasons. Stephen Hands.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SALE. A collection of about 200 cars came up in south oz. mostly in poor condition. http://finchrestorations.com.au/treasure-trove Very interesting but the sale is now over. From Doug Young, Cars are pictured on Finch FB page at https://www.facebook.com/finchrestorations I have come across another SS Jag 1938 DHC, being restored in the US (Oregon), shown on FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/1938-SS- Jaguar/231652787019063?fref=ts Not known on www.SSJAGUARDATA.COM The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 22
WHY ENGLAND. Member David Fryer is in England. He denies he went over for the cricket. To back his claim he has sent some beaut pics from Prescott. Here is Gavin Bain campaigning his Chater-Lea Cyclecar. The basket case was found in Whangarei, New Zealand as a basket case and restored in 1950.
A bloke walks into a brothel and says, “I’m a bit kinky, how much for total humiliation?” The madam replies, “$300 for the lot". He says, “Wow, what do I get for that?” She says, “A baggy green cap and a Wallabies T-shirt".
Ed. At least I went to the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney.
John Dennis with his Berliet Curtiss.
IF only. 200HP Isotta Fraschini The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 23
IT WAS OVER 40 YEARS AGO. It was early 1972 when Warwick Barnett asked if I would accompany him to the Alvis Interstate Rally in Holbrook NSW in June of that year. Warwick had only recently acquired his 12/50 Alvis and its rebuild still had a long way to go so it was elected to attend the rally in Warwick’s 14-40 Vauxhall. Preparations were put in place and on the Wednesday morning before the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June we set off, full of confidence that a great trip was in front of us.
It was the intention to camp out each night in some quiet spot along the road thereby saving on costs, one could do that with relative safety in those days. We camped the first night at an historic site in Port Macquarie after a relatively uneventful drive from Brisbane and awoke to a bright, clear sunny morning with an unobstructed view over the Pacific Ocean. It seemed that the camping out concept was a good one. The Vauxhall behaved admirably with the exception that it appeared to be using too much fuel. This resulted in us running out of petrol on a regular basis and having to rely all too often on the spare gallon that we carried. This was not a serious concern as it meant we had to be diligent in keeping the tank topped up.
One incident which is worthy of mentioning was running out of petrol as we approached the traffic lights at a major highway intersection at Liverpool at around 5.00 pm on the Friday of the long weekend. By this time running out of petrol was something we had become accustomed to, so much so that we had become quite adept at the procedure required to refuel and get underway again. As we approached the intersection the 14- 40’s engine coughed and died, however luck was with us as the lights turned red leaving us first in line at the lights. Instinctively we both knew what needed to be done. Warwick applied the hand brake rather forcefully and before the car had quite stopped we were both on our way towards the rear of the vehicle. Warwick grabbed the spanner to undo the car’s petrol cap whilst I extricated the funnel and spare can of fuel. The fuel was deposited into the car’s petrol tank, the cap replaced, the spanner, funnel and empty fuel can tossed into the back seat of the Vauxhall’s touring body and the car’s two occupants reinstated in their places in the front seat all within a time that would have made a formula one pit crew envious. The starter was engaged and thankfully the car started just as the lights turned green and we motored through the intersection as if nothing untoward had happened. However while we were in the process of refueling the traffic in the lanes beside us was pulling up at the red light, that is all but one car, a Volkswagen Beetle, whose driver was so engrossed with the antics surrounding the old Vauxhall that he slammed, rather forcefully, into the vehicle in front of him. We were so busy with what we were doing that we totally ignored the accident and when the lights changed I looked back to see two very irate car owners in the midst of a far from friendly debate as well as the beginnings of a traffic jam that would take some time to clear. The Vauxhall’s The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 24 fuel problem was later diagnosed as a misbehaving vacuum tank and not excessive fuel usage.
Late afternoon of the second day saw us searching for a suitable camping spot at Goulburn. Eventually a site was chosen on the side of a quiet side road some 300 metres from the main highway. By the time we had pitched our tent and set up camp darkness was upon us and so was the beginnings of a very thick fog. Even though I was securely wrapped in a sleeping bag the cold prevented a good night‘s sleep. My efforts to keep warm resulted in my lower legs slipping from the protection of our two man tent to be exposed to the freezing elements. We decided to break camp before dawn and crawled out of the tent to a bleak foggy freezing morning. I tried to stand but my legs were so cold and devoid of feeling that I fell flat on my face. Warwick thought this was hilarious but I was becoming somewhat concerned that perhaps frost bite was a distinct possibility. When I mentioned frost bite to Warwick his laughter only increased. With much difficulty the car was loaded with our gear and we prepared to get underway. However the Vauxhall’s aged battery bailed up and refused to supply enough grunt to turn over the engine so Warwick decided that I would have to push the car. By this time I could just stand but I still had no feeling in either foot. All I could do was lean against the car which obviously was not good enough to move it one iota. Fortunately a friendly farmer happened along, hitched a tow rope to the Vauxhall and towed the Vauxhall a few metres until its engine fired. It was some 6 hours later that feeling had returned to my feet and legs and my fears of frost bite had evaporated. It was at about this time that any further thought of camping was discarded in favour of motels.
We left the Alvis Rally a day early and motored across to Wagga Wagga where the Vauxhall crew was staging a rally in conjunction with the local old car club. It was also an opportunity to catch up with Col Barnett who was doing his two years National Service and who had hitched a ride from Melbourne in Bob McKenzie’s red and white 14-40 Vauxhall. I was disappointed that my first ride in a big Vauxhall was thwarted when Eric Dunbar’s 30/98 ran a little end and went back to Lemon Tree Passage on a trailer.
It was decided to head home via Sydney so we could spend a night with the Sydney branch of the Barnett family, however a late departure from Wagga saw us in Blayney just after nightfall. It was another very cold night so we stopped at the pub in Blayney for a bite to eat and took advantage of the fire in the pub’s open fireplace to get warm. We struck up a conversation with the barmaid and when she was told that we were in an old open car and intended to drive to Orange to spend the night, a look of disbelief crossed her face and she told us that we were quite mad. Nevertheless we pushed on through the darkness even though the weather had become so cold that the Vauxhall’s engine refused to pull up hill unless the choke was operated. Eventually we stopped at a motel in Orange where a hot shower and a warm bed was welcomed. The next morning whilst we were packing the car we heard the presenter on the radio advise that the coldest place in New South Wales the previous evening was Blayney. I can’t recall what the temperature was but I do recall that it was below zero. Sanity: perhaps the barmaid in Blayney had a point.
The next night was spent with the Barnett’s in Sydney. We left there after lunch the following day and headed north towards Queensland. Late that day we visited Max Houston at Central Mangrove and a very quick ride in Max’s SA 12/50 Alvis Ducksback was the catalyst that set me thinking that one day I would own a sub-frame 12/50. That didn’t happen until March 1986 when I bought the car I now have. Our last night on the road was spent in a motel near Singleton and at first light the next day we set out for Brisbane where we arrived late afternoon. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 25
The Vauxhall proved to be a very worthy touring car and it is a good thing that it is still in the VCCQ. Neil Bruce, its current owner, has a very good car and when he has sorted out a few issues it will continue to provide enjoyable vintage motoring. It was an unforgettable trouble free trip and one that I recall with great fondness. However I resolved that never again would I camp out: a resolution that I have kept faithfully to this day. Frank Corbett.
EMERGENCY + APP Following Peter Henson's accident Ronnie suggested we could all do with this app on our smart phone. The FREE Emergency + app allows a caller to triple Zero to pinpoint their location, providing certainty for emergency services. For iPhones see below:- a Press App Store App on your mobile iPhone b Click on Search Bar at top of screen c This will bring up the keyboard – type in Emergency Plus & press Search, on bottom right hand side d You will see the word GET in a box to the right of screen e Press GET. f Follow the prompts – you will need Apple ID & password to proceed g Once App has downloaded, click on OKAY for location – a tiny map should appear on your screen h The Emergency Plus App has 3 sections, the large LHS one is for AMBULANCE, on the RHS upper is SES & under that a line to POLICE. i To activate in an emergency, press whichever service you require. The App contains the emergency contact numbers for each state & territory and a short explanation of when to call non-emergency numbers such as Police Assistance line (131 444) and the SES National Number (132 500). This helps reduce the number of non- urgent calls to triple Zero (000) For Smartphones:- The release of the Microsoft Windows version means that about 98% of Australian Smartphone users can now use Emergency Plus to pinpoint their GPS location in emergencies, when every minute counts. I have an iPhone & the above procedure is the one I followed, links to download the App for other Smartphones can be found at emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au
HUDSONS ARE HARD TO KILL. The 1922 7-passenger Phaeton shown on p16 of the August mag – is an absolute credit to the owner/restorer/whoever! The plated radiator surround is possibly a bit naughty, as Hudson didn’t plate them until 1925, but who really knows what the story is? I was talking to one of the Vets guys last night about T Fords and he has a 1915 that’s nickel plated – an option offered by the Sydney dealer. The little sidelights on the Hudson’s front guards don’t appear in the factory photos but were probably added here in Oz. There’s a similar Hudson 4-pass Speedster up in Dalby. Lower body line, looks even better. PjR The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 26
MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETING Minutes of General Meeting No.711 Friday 21st August 2015
Venue: Veteran Car Club Clubrooms, Carindale. Meeting Opened: 8.00pm Present: Chairman – Doug Young; Secretary – Frank Corbett; Treasurer – Anne Corbett; plus 31 Members as per the attendance book. Apologies: Mike Hawthorne, Grant Hart, Alan Lax, David Fletcher, Max Stephenson, Angelo Frangiosa, Jeff Jones, Carl Neilson. Visitors: Charlie Wilson Minutes of Previous Meeting: The chairman asked that the minutes of Meeting No.710 held on Friday 17th July 2015 be accepted as a correct or substantially correct record of the meeting. Moved by Derek Dixon, Seconded by Rob Gabb: Carried. Post Meeting Presentations: August: Nil (AGM), September: Joe Wilson, October: Max Stephenson Membership: New Members: Alex Hayward and Bruce Cunningham. Peter Henson has been badly injured in an accident whilst using an angle grinder. He has very serious injuries to his leg including torn muscles and severed tendons. Peter will be on crutches for about 8 weeks. The Club extends its best wishes for a complete recovery. Correspondence: Inwards Mail (Aust. Post) Alex Hayward and Bruce Cunningham – Applications for Membership Newsletters from: National Motor Racing Museum; Austin 7 Register; Gold Coast Antique Auto Club; VSCC (Vic); VSCC (South Aust.) Office of Fair Trading – Incorporation Renewal Moreton Bay Regional Council – Invite to Show & Shine on 31st Oct. Arthur J Gallager (Insurance Brokers) – Insurance renewals Inwards Mail (e-mail) Flashbay Pty Ltd – Quote for flash drives for 60 year Rally John J Dixon Accounting – Re. audit of Club accounts Ronnie Brown – Re. 2017 Alvis National Rally Chelmer Office Services – Account for printing August magazine Pacific Trophies – Account for engraving Concours Trophies Veteran Car Club – Invite to Swap Meet 22nd August Main Beach Progress Assoc. - Invite to Charlston Event 18th Oct. Roma Historical Motor Club – Update on their 2016 Easter Rally Arthur J Gallager (Insurance Brokers) – Details of VCCQ Insurances Various Car Clubs – Newsletters** **Note: Any member who would like a copy of the numerous newsletters the club receives by e-mail should contact the Secretary. Outwards Mail: Alex Hayward – Acceptance of membership Bruce Cunningham – Acceptance of membership Outwards e-mail: Blank Car Dating Certificates to two members Bruce Cunningham – Forms for membership application John J Dixon Accounting – Response to audit queries The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 27
The Secretary moved that the inwards correspondence be accepted and the outwards correspondence be endorsed. Seconded by Duncan McPhee: Carried Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer reported a healthy current account balance as of 21st August, taking into account all unpresented cheques. The term deposit will mature on 8th December and has been invested at 3.05% with St. George Bank. Note: Members requiring details of the current account balance or term deposit please email the Treasurer at [email protected] The Auditors report has been received. To date there are 98 financial members: 4 members still unfinancial. Forty seven members & guests attended the Presentation Dinner. The loss on the night was $581.00 The Treasurer moved that her report be accepted Seconded by Ronnie Brown: Carried. Events: Ronnie Brown reported on events. August 1st: Although the night incurred a loss the Presentation Dinner was a great success. August 12th: Ekka Lunch – 35 people attended at the Brookfield Store for lunch. A guided tour of the Brookfield waterways was conducted by Duncan McPhee. August 15th & 16th: Blackall Range Horseless Carriage Club Rally, centred in Maleny was a well organized event. The VCCQ won the best Visiting Club trophy. Ross Walker’s Alvis was voted People’s Choice and Doug and Frank’s cars were runners up. September 4th- 9th: 60th Anniversary Dinner and Rally, details in August and September magazines. Meet at Queen’s Park Kiosk in Ipswich. Peter Alford looking for a seat in a car. September 12th: Brookfield Country Markets, Cars wanted for display September 20th: All British Day, good opportunity for publicity. Contact Chris Pike if you intend going. October 14th: Dayboro Boules October 24 – 25th: Two day rally, details to be determined. Invitation Events: August 22nd: Swap Meeting at the Veteran Car Club Clubrooms. Magazine: Deadline for September Magazine is Tuesday 25th August. A flash drive containing all copies of the magazine for the last 10 years and some photographs will be available at the September rally. Library: Duncan is still doing research on the Stradbroke Island Galleon. Duncan’s wife, Edith, has asked for Club cars to attend the Brookfield Country Markets on 12th September. Duncan is searching for articles in publications about Australian Inter City Races of the early 20th Century. Can anybody advise the titles of publications that feature these events?
Register: The latest edition can be viewed in the Library and contains details of Wolf Grodd’s cars. Rob Gabb’s Alvis is currently in transit from the UK. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 28
Queensland Historic Motoring Council (QHMC): Chris Pike has resigned as QHMC Delegate. Until a new delegate is identified (any volunteers?) the Club will rely on QHMC minutes of meetings. Regalia: Regalia and Concours Posters are available for purchase after the meeting. General Business: The Annual General Meeting will immediately follow this meeting. The chairman advised that ideally one more nomination for a committee member would be a good thing and called for a late nomination: no nomination was forthcoming. The committee to investigate whether a Gymkhana should be included in events for the coming year. It has been suggested that a new perpetual trophy be introduced at Concours to replace the Shannons’ Trophy. The committee to investigate. Cars, Parts and Services: 5 off 16” wire wheels, 3 with new tyres ex. Wolseley Hornet Special. Centres also fit MG TC hubs. Chris Pike 3821 1631 Thanks for Supper: Thanks to Jennie Ransom, Katrina Monckton, Anne Corbett and Ronnie Brown. Raffle: A pair of R M Williams bath towels. Drawn by Charlie Wilson. Won by Jeff Black (Ticket No.D59) Next Meeting: Friday 18th September 2015. Meeting closed: 8.50pm. THE AGM WAS THEN HELD - the minutes of this will be published in the October magazine. After which was the most magnificent supper with all types of sweet cakes, biscuits and fruits was enjoyed by all those who survived the rigours of the AGM. EVENTS REPORT SEPTEMBER 2015 – Ronnie Brown WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED! Ed. Ronnie obviously does not remember the Presentation Dinner. Here are a few pics taken on that occasion to remind all who attended. Sorry but some of the pics are blurred. IT WAS A BIG NIGHT.
Jennie Ransom picks up a bottle of Grange Chablis for being wonderful. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 29
Lyn and Michael McErlean. President Doug presenting trophy to Tony Cicchiello.
August 12th EKKA Holiday. A great crowd of VCCQ members met for coffee at 9.30am, at the Brookfield Café after Duncan McPhee had suggested at the previous VCCQ Friday night’s meeting that we take a drive up the Gold Creek Valley to the reservoir at the end of the Road. Only 6.3 km through glorious wooded countryside, we stopped in the car park for a short but very interesting talk by Duncan on the development of early Brisbane water supply. A short walk across the top of the dam and some interesting facts about the local flora & fauna, in glorious sunshine, before we drove back to the café for an early lunch. I was delighted to see so many members who do not regularly attend our VCCQ meetings join us for lunch, which was both tasty & inexpensive. It was fortuitous that Duncan is so attuned to the area & its weather as we’d just finished eating when he looked at the sky & said “we are in for a thunderstorm!” With the benefit of modern technology, we were able to watch the fast approaching storm on the radar using mobile phones & so I had to make a hasty return to the
next valley & put my Alvis safely away in the garage as the first raindrops hit. This meant that the social aspect of lunch was curtailed as it had been very pleasant sitting on the Café’s back patio enjoying the sunshine. Always another occasion, I hope!! The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 30
WHAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO!! August 22nd Veteran Club’s SWAP MEET at the Clubhouse Our friends in the Veteran Club have given us much support at our Concours, so now is the time to return the favour & make this event a special one. This will have happened by the time you receive this newsletter. I wanted to be there but the VCCQ meeting, followed by the AGM, when an excellent supper was provided by Jennie, Anne & Katrina, meant it was after midnight when I eventually arrived home after the nearly 80km round trip to the clubhouse. Hence there was no way I was going to repeat the journey the following morning, even though I’d have loved to see some of Kathy’s Vintage & Veteran clothes. Many thanks to all those who helped make our AGM a great success & I look forward to the coming year, as your Events Co- ordinator. We need some input from members re future Rallies, places to visit & fun to be had. Please think about your favourite places & help me offer our members some exciting times, enjoying the comradeship & support for which VCCQ has become known. Let’s hear from YOU!!
SEPTEMBER 4TH TO 9TH 60th ANNIVERSARY RALLY - A Road Least Travelled. Once more Brian has put together a delightful run through country west of Brisbane, little on main roads & exploring roads you did not even know existed!! We have made our base for the first weekend in TOOWOOMBA for the nights of Friday 4th, Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th September at the Eastgate Motel, where 20 rooms have been reserved – some Queen suites & some twin bed suites. Details of how to book at the end, when I’ve told you about the adventures we have planned for you. Friday 4th September we meet at Queens Park Kiosk Ipswich at 9.30am., leaving at 10am., for a lovely drive to the Barn for lunch, during which Joe will have surprise questionnaire for us to enjoy. On reaching Toowoomba, we check into the Eastgate Motel and dinner will be at the Motel. We already have over 37 bookings for Friday night’s The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 31 dinner & the restaurant only holds 40, so if you’re thinking about coming, please book quickly to avoid disappointment. Cost $36. Saturday 5th September we visit the Cobb & Co Museum, Highfields Pioneer Village, Meringindan Pub for lunch and then our very special 60th Anniversary Dinner at Angelo’s . Again we have over 35 bookings already – so get your skates on!! Meet for 6.30pm drinks on the patio at Angelo’s, 210 Herries Street, Toowoomba. Dinner $39. Sunday 6th September we plan to meet up with the Darling Downs Vintage Car Club for coffee at their extensive premises, complete with spray room, workshop etc. Phone 4633 3181. The Zuccoli collection is next, phone 4633 1315 to see a unique collection of aeroplanes, then the Bull & Barley Pub, in Cambooya, for lunch. Phone 4696 1235. The phone numbers are given in case you get lost or want to meet people there. Member Col Schiller has also invited us to visit his shed 3km down the road from the pub. Sunday evening those who have stayed on are invited to eat at Fitzy’s or the more expensive 3 hatted restaurant called Veraisons in Margaret St. or just dine at our motel. No booking has been made so make your choice! On Monday 7th September the tour starts, so those who have to work can return on Sunday night or Monday morning to Brisbane. We plan to visit Jondaryan Woolshed, phone 4692 2229, Millmerran Museum 4695 25 60 for lunch . They have offered to cater for us for about $10.00 per head, entry to Museum $2.00 . A drive via roads less travelled to the Pittsworth Motor Inn for dinner & to spend the night. Booking details below. Tuesday 8th September has a visit to the Pittsworth Museum, 0409 849 539 then Nobby’s Pub for lunch. It's then on to Warwick via Clifton, Allora & Sandy Creek pub. We will advise those staying in Warwick of accommodation nearer the date. Those who have said they are staying there will be advised as soon as we know these details. Ed. This has happened and we are staying at the Warwick Motor Inn. Wednesday 9th September we leave for home at 9.00am via Killarney, Queen Mary Falls with a coffee stop at Spring Creek Mountain Café 4664 7101 & down the Head Road through Boonah & home. Option for lunch stop in Boonah. In all about 700km travelling over 6 days.
BOOKING INFORMATION:- PLEASE MAKE YOUR OWN BOOKINGS UNDER THE VCCQ RESERVATION Eastgate Motel TOOWOOMBA address: Eastgate on the Range, 22 Burnage Street, East Toowoomba Qld 4350. phone: (07) 4620 0888 Queen Suite $ 134.00 per night Twin Room $145.00 book 2 or 3 nights ie. Fri.4th Sat.5th &/or Sun.6th Sept. depending on when you need to return to Brisbane!!
Pittsworth Motor Inn address: 51 Helens Street, Pittsworth Qld. 4356 phone: (07) 4693 2888 Double Room $135.00 Twin Room $145.00 Book for 1 night ie. Mon 7th Sept. Family Rooms are available cost of $20.00 per person extra – accommodation of Queen bed, 2 singles, plus a pull out bed in lounge. DO JOIN US FOR THIS ANNIVERSARY RALLY & PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ACCOMMODATION YOU HAVE BOOKED. DINNER RESERVATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. Ring Ronnie on 0419 702 329 Ronnie Brown The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 32
David Fletcher's promo for the November Night run. Enjoy long leisurely drives in your vintage car? Enjoy being off the main roads exploring country roads? Enjoy having the road to yourself? Like to stay out of the heat while doing so? Why not join us for the November night rally. It will be a good distance to stretch your cars legs, Run at a pace typically between 40 and 60 kph, Under a full moon for maximum visibility, With a breakfast at the end and a few coffee breaks along the way.
Call or email David Fletcher if you have any questions or suggestions.
SCATOLOGICALLY SPEAKING - THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN This month has seen some enjoyable activities, including the Presentation Dinner and the rally we attended as the guests of the Blackall Range Horseless Carriage Club. This has been reported on elsewhere in the magazine, but suffice to say those of us who attended had a great time.
Presentation Dinner. This is our annual “knees up” where the trophies won at the concours, and others for service to the Club, are awarded. Once again we were serenaded by Jo and Mike Hawthorne and the oh-so-accomplished band. Their ability to play at a moment’s notice any tune to match the prevailing mood is par excellence. Such is their infectious enthusiasm for their music that people (read: men) who haven’t danced since they were trying to impress by dancing as part of a (bizarre) courtship ritual 50 years ago were seen up on the floor. There was even a rather dubious version of Bad Bad Leroy Brown, with the words changed to refer to someone in the club who shall remain nameless, but might be writing this column. I shall treasure the lyrics. Great for a number of reasons, but mainly for the chance to celebrate those who have contributed to the club over the past year.
60th year AGM. This has been and gone for another year, with a very healthy turn-out, no doubt due to the wonderful nosh up provided, yet again, by Jennie Ransom and her multiple elves. Simply scrumptious. Most of the old committee have lined up again for another year, and, as President, I am very happy to serve with them. Rarely do you get a group who get on so well, who do so much, and seek no acknowledgement or praise. A welcome addition is Sheila McMillan, who brooks no dissent and brings to bear years of experience dealing with infants. Invaluable for dealing with the committee members. Outgoing committee members who have done much for the Club are Jak Guyomar, Katrina Monckton, and Chris Pike. I remember when Katrina took on the Secretary role some years ago – as Joe Wilson said at the time, she would hopefully bring some dignity to the role. And she did, with a scary degree of discipline as well. She is a great chair of a meeting, who was able to rouse on us with no offence being taken, especially when members failed to Pay Attention! She then went on to organise a revamp the Regalia – the clothes, and other bits and pieces, like the mugs and stubby holders which bear the Club’s emblem. It has even been observed that people wear the clothes even when they are unlikely to be seen by another club member – high praise indeed. Her story is the exact reverse of Sheila’s – Katrina has applied the skills she picked up dealing with the committee to deal with (other) infants. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 33
Chris Pike also deserves special mention. For a quarter of a century he has attended on the club’s behalf the meetings of the QHMC, and its predecessor body, the Combined Council. Worthy of a VC if ever one was warranted. Not to mention serving as Secretary, and as President from 2010 to 2012. Chris also gave me a great hand in taking on the Secretary’s role 2010. And now he has one of the greatest pre-war cars made post-war, in the form of the immaculate 3.5 litre Mk 4 Jaguar. Jak is also to be thanked, for his unfailing good humoured contributions while on and off the committee. At both the Presentation Dinner, and at the AGM, I made mention of the “unsung heroes” but forgot to mention the outstanding contribution made by Frank Corbett as Secretary. His efficiency is peerless – and to illustrate, he has even written the minutes on occasion BEFORE a meeting. How good is that? He really does make my job as President easy by thinking ahead and anticipating things that might need to be addressed. Sometimes I feel like a willing puppet with him pulling the strings.
Reflections on a decade. As this is our bumper 60th anniversary magazine, a few thoughts on my time in the club. Apart from a year or 2 in the 1990s (slothfully inactive), I have only been a member since 2006, with 5 years on the Committee. So there is no danger of my confusing impressions with those from outside the decade. As I have remarked before, this is a car club like no other. I belong to many, and have belonged to even more, and a number of things set this club apart. It really is a club of friends who happen to like old cars. Some of those friendships span 50 years. The members come from different walks of life (although there is a suspiciously high representation of current and former architects, many of whom even more suspiciously own Alvises). We all have an affectionate regard for our cars and their foibles and there is none of the ego-drivel along the lines of “I’ve got the best car, look at me” seen in some other clubs. With the notable (and some may say, grotesque) exception of the President, the members behave without hubris and pretentiousness. So many pitch in, in so many ways. One marker is the fact that so many women attend the meetings. Most people come a couple of hours early so they can chat and dine with other members before the meeting. Car clubs are usually blokey shows, but the fact so many women attend, knowing relatively little about cars, and keep attending, is remarkable. I think the club plays a big part in many lives. And, as I have been banging on about for some time, recent research shows something we all knew innately: socialising has measurable health benefits, activating the genes that ward off disease. To quote again from that article, social isolation is the greatest risk factor for disease, bar none. It beats stress, hands down. (I hasten to add that I am not suggesting that the VCCQ is a health club, and any thoughts along those lines would be dispelled by attending a rally and observing some internally administered concussion, known as Appleton’s Rum Syndrome.) As with all clubs, there are a few driving forces, and none more so than Brian McMillan and Ronnie Brown. And we have fun-filled rallies and other events. Best of all, I have made some great friends in the club. Many say it is harder to make really good, new friends as the decades progress, but I have made some which I am sure I will have for life. I count myself as very lucky to have stumbled into this club. And, onwards and upwards, to the “Fridge on the Ridge” for the VCCQ 60th anniversary rally next week. It promises to be another ripper. Until next month, KBO Doug Young. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 34
FOR SALE.
WANTED. Bosch DU4 or ZU4 dual points magneto. Anticlockwise. Bob Collett 3808 1183 or 0411 242 360. Ed. I have just had 2 magnetos restored by Davin March 0424 706 359 in Kallangur. Very happy with the results.
LUCAS IGNITION PARTS LIST. I have a lucas ignition parts list if anyone wants a copy. It is a 5 meg file. Contact Editor.
MAGNETO CHANGES. Ed. I once purchased a Scintilla mag at a boot sale at a club meeting. I had it done up and fitted it to the Aston. It lasted about 10km before melting all the bakelite parts. I never worked out what had happened but purchased another last year and had it done up as well. I fitted it to the car and fortunately before starting it noticed that the bakelite parts were very close to the exhaust. The penny dropped and I also noticed that the other types of magnetos had their distributors at the back end of the mag. The Scintilla had this at the drive end. It is now back on the shelf until a new exhaust manifold is made. This mag is bigger than the first one. With my recently acquired static timing light I timed the old Bosch magneto. I then checked it with a strobe light. There was about 8mm difference on the flywheel between the two timing methods. I put another mark on the flywheel for the static light which gave the correct distance for the strobe light.
LATE NEWS. David McPhee has moved to the Mater Private.
Peter Henson is out of hospital after a battle with an 8 inch angle grinder. His accelerator leg is fine but plaster will limit him to an auto vehicle for about 6 weeks. I fail to understand how these weapons are built with only an ON/OFF switch in lieu of a trigger switch.
HIDDEN TREASURE. I called on a car person recently and before I left he asked if I would like a look in his garage. I am glad I did. Did not know these treasures existed in Brisbane. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 35
STOEWER. The latest Restored cars has a full page article on Wolf's very original D10 Stoewer. At the club concours the car was rated a 1 and Leigh was rated a 10.
"I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It's Hans free."
COLIN BARNETT. Colin was as reticent as his younger brother Warwick, was flamboyant. He only strayed from his conservative path when he wore those electrifying tartan slacks. The club's sound financial position can be attributed to Colin's prudence over his long haul as Treasurer. He wrote a pleading letter to the club outlining the pitfalls of owning property, this was in the run up to the clubhouse exercise. But the club did it anyway and it turned out OK. He was more than a little miffed when the redoubtable Hawthorne and I bought a second hand cupboard at a comforting price without the VCCQ sanctioning it and gave me a stern lecture on fiduciary responsibility. Colin's labour of love (certainly not his love of labour) was his 30/98. A painstaking rebuild of singular accuracy; so sad Colin did not survive to enjoy it more. The man was a keen train collector, with a great eye for colour and accuracy. I recall one trip to Sydney to swap his OE head for an E block – I was taken along to verify the soundness of the block, God help us. On the way home we had a flat. I urged Colin to press on with the spare and take the risk – not Colin. His theory was that this attitude could lead to calamities of a bigger nature. So we changed the tyre and tube. As befitting an accountant, Colin was meticulous in money affairs. After one long distance run at settling up time C.M. had it all calculated to the nearest sixpence. Well-read in his retirement he tackled War and Peace and was steadily working through his father's library. He was a thoughtful travelling companion who deserved a longer race. GRIM
IN APPRECIATION – Editor. Thanks again to all those who have sent me articles (Too numerous to list. Don't want to add another page to this lot.) and pics (Doug, Wolf, Bryson, Dean and David Fryer). And thanks for other articles I have held over for the Sept big issue. Proof reading courtesy of Pete Ransom. The Vintage Car September 2015 Page 36
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS DEADLINE: The VCCQ general meeting is held on the third Friday of every month. The VCCQ committee meeting is held two weeks before the General meeting but on the Wednesday of that week. All contributions to the mag must be received by the Monday before the committee meeting. The mag goes out the Friday after that meeting. Please send reports to [email protected] Check the VCCQ website for the latest Club News. I realise it has not been updated for a while. If anyone would like to take it over they would be welcome to the job. Meanwhile Brian Carson continues to keep the Facebook site updated and this covers many events.
DATE TEABAG CLEANUP January 16 Peter and Jennie Ransom February 20 David Fryer and Lesley Boulton March 20 Fab 50s Night Ronnie & crew April 17 Film Night Katrina & crew May 15 Chris and Jak needed June 19 Leigh Wolf July 17 The Italian gentlemen Ian Hayward August 21 Jennie Pete September 18 Bev Joe October 16 Jan Rob November 20 Gaye and Derek Ian Hayward December 18 Christmas dinner Setup and cleanup helpers
LINKS AND OTHERS. Cat racing. https://youtu.be/GaQLxVc69pE
Velocetoday Aug 18 2015 has an excellent history on Borrani wheels. http://www.velocetoday.com/borrani-wheels-overview-and-history/
NEW JERSEY IN MUTTON'S MAXWELL. We had a terrific time on the HCCA tour in the US – but we don’t have one decent photo (we must have been too busy enjoying ourselves). If you think there is anything on this link that you can borrow for our magazine, I am sure it will be OK to use it, in addition, if people wish to read about the entire event, you might find a spot to add the link. http://boards.hcca.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=880 For us, the best things about the tour was being part of this close knit group of seasoned enthusiasts, the setting of the event as a hub tour which took advantage of beautiful New Jersey scenery as we motored along a multitude of narrow, winding rural roads, the appropriate level of difficulty for 1 & 2 cylinder cars, their drivers and navigators – and to still be happily motoring at the end - all made for an exhilarating event. Next year the National 1 & 2 cylinder HCCA is planned for Niagara Falls. Gavin & Loretta. Ed. Some members do very nicely thank you.