Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc

Hornet Special Newsletter

Issue 57 June 2014

Castlereagh Airstrip, 29 June 1952 WHS Club Contacts Courtesy of Alvibatics, the magazine of the Alvis Club of NSW. Secretary Bill Russell, Joe and Bev Wilson attended the recent Vintage Club of Qld and Alvis ph (03) 9349 2262 Club of NSW gathering at Port Macquarie. President Lyle Cooper Notice the Col and Jacqui Schiller, ex Gerry Dunford, ‘34 WHS Airline ph (07) 3312 2365 Coupe front right, AND in the row behind, without a bonnet, a WHS, Editor probably 1935. Its got a mascot, a tall radiator, but no bedstead. Henry Hancock, ph (07) 3878 2850 3 Gilia Court Indooroopilly Qld 4068 [email protected] Bill and Rhonda Trollope’s 1934 WHS Wonderful progress ... Newsletter Issue 34, August 2008, showed the lowered suspension “... from its earlier life, presumably for racing” as Bill was starting the restoration.

BEFORE - Rusted metal, rotten timber and glassfibre filler

Bill says ... We have cut out and replaced all the rust affected areas. I am spend- ing the day trial fitting the the rear guards, etc. and the tub back onto the wooden frame. The state of the bodywork was quite a setback, but not totally unexpected.

Following final panel fiting it will be off to the paint shop in two or three weeks. The original paint colour - RED - under the British Racing Green ...... WHAT COLOUR WILL IT BE?

Stop Press - On Thursday Bill sent the photos below and said “Thought you may be interested in my progress - this is as of today (Thursday 29th May - Ed) with all the panels refitted and bolted up. Next is for me to do some small jobs like drill holes for the petrol tank and spare wheel carrier and refit them ... and I want to do the windscreen as well so that when I pull down to paint I know that everything has been trial fitted so I minimize the chance of scratching the paint when I reassemble.The body has been a major job but it is now behind me so will forge ahead. Starting to take shape!!!

Page 2 Hornet Special Newsletter The Airline Coupe

62 years after the photo on the first page, the Airline Coupe is progressing ...

Most of the timber has been replaced and the rust cut out. The doors have been wooded and rehung . The engine needs another rebuild (a big thank you to Joe Wilson for helping me with a few parts). Still a long way to go, but it is progressing.

Colin and Jacqui Schiller

AGM 2014 Barossa Valley SA 3rd, 4th and 5th October Tentative program Friday Night: AGM, dinner and WHS book launch at the motel Saturday: Join the Vintage Collingrove motoring tour of the Barossa Ladies program to include Maggie Beer’s kitchen Saturday Night: Grand Dinner Sunday: Wineries tour or a run to the Birdwood Motor Museum Accommodation: The Barossa Motor Lodge Prices per room – Friday and Sunday $120; Saturday $130. IF YOU ARE WISHING TO ATTEND, PLEASE MAKE YOUR BOOKING DIRECT ASAP as it is school holidays and a long weekend in SA. Freecall 1800 352 529 quoting “Hornet” and pay $50 deposit.

Issue 57 Page 3 Henry Hancock continues his investigations into Queensland distributors from Newsletter Issue 55, De- cember 2013, with Part 3 of .... When Hornets first came to Brisbane Continuing in 1934 ...

Sneddons Motors Limited move to new premises in Wickham Street, Valley, “next Baths” and merge their operations with British Australian Motors, an old Brisbane firm:

BRITISH AUSTRALIAN MOTORS The firm of British Australian Motors has commenced business in Wickham Street, next to the Valley Baths, in the premises recently occupied by Sneddons Motors Ltd. The proprietors of the new British Australian Mo- tors are former members of the staff of the old British Australian Motors Pty. Ltd. which company merged its interest with Sneddons Motors Ltd. some nine months ago and their intention is to supply spare parts and ensure service to owners of Armstrong-Siddeley, Wol- seley, Rugby and Durant and Albion trucks. The workshop is in the capable hands of Messrs. W. White and C. Bond, lately foreman and mechanic respectively of B.A.M. Pty. Ltd. and Sneddons, and they, with the others employes, have spent years of specialised repair and service work on British cars in particular. Mr. C. Merkely is in charge of the spare parts department, and his knowledge of this side of the business has been gained as a former employee of the companies men- tioned. Owners of the cars enumerated above will thus realize that their needs will be thoroughly catered for. Both advertisements, the Courier-Mail Tuesday 11 September 1934.

The premises to which Sneddons Motors Limited moved in July 1934 at 432 Wickham Street, between the Valley Baths, the brick building on the left and Ward Motors Used Cars on the corner of Church Street.

When Sneddons and British Australian Motors merged later in 1934, this became the showroom of British Australian Motors Ltd.

Interestingly, Peter Baker’s ‘33 Hornet Special was purchased second-hand from Ward Motors in 1935 by Mr J N Taylor of Kangaroo Point, Brisbane.

Page 4 Hornet Special Newsletter 1935 On 1 June 1935, Morris Motors Limited acquired the car-making business of and the M.G. Car Company and announced that the LORD NUFFIELD’S individuality of Morris, Wolseley and M.G. cars would remain distinc- NEW COMPANY tive. That immediately spelled the end of the Wolseley and MG overhead LONDON, June 13 camshaft engines although throughout subsequent years Wolseley did Lord Nuffield announces that to further consolidate his interests in Morris Motors remain the “luxury performance”, if not the “sporting” name within Lord he is acquiring the car-making business Nuffield’s empire. of Wolseley Motors and the M.G. Car, for which he will receive further shares in Morris Motors. The individuality of Morris, Wolseley and M.G. cars will remain distinctive.

New 1935 cars: The end of Hornet sales in Queensland.

ritish Australian Motors, Wickham British Australian Motors advertise new Wolseley 1935 cars, the “9” and BSt., next Valley Baths, now showing the “14”. 1935 Wolseley cars and Albion trucks. According to “Complete list of Registrations for All Australian States”, A.M. 1935 Wolseley “14” entirely Courier-Mail Monday 3 February 1936, of 330 Wolseleys sold in Australia Bnew model light 6, glorious in 1935, only 9 were sold in Queensland. performance, wonderful appearance, marvellous economy. A.M. 1935 Wolseley “9” now here. ’s aristocrat of small cars. B The Courier- Mail Tuesday 20 August 1935

Subsequent Wolseley car distributor: Austral Motors Pty. Limited of 95 Boundary Street, at the tee-junction with Adelaide Street, one block from Sneddon’s original premises, were appointed sole distributors of Wolseley cars as advertised in the Courier-Mail 31 July 1936. In 1939 Austral Motors’ showroom for Standard Cars was Collin House, Sneddon’s original Hornet showroom.

Subsequent history of the Hornet distributors: Trevethan Motors Pty Ltd’s last newspaper advertisement found in the Courier-Mail was for sales of second-hand cars and boats on Saturday 17 February 1940, page 18. Sneddons Motors Limited continued in New South Wales, as agents for Studebakers, withdrawing to Camperdown, possibly just as a used car business and motor workshop and finishing with the sale by auction of their Engineering Plant, Equipment, and Office Furniture on 9 August 1937

British Australian Motors Ltd continued trading in the Wickham Street Brisbane premises (next Valley Baths) until at least 1954 and the premises was demolished in 1985 to allow the Valley Baths to be upgraded to full Olympic size.

Henry Hancock

Issue 57 Page 5 John Higham’s further progress and request for front wings to copy My Hornet is now having its metal panel work and painting done and we have been able to make use of a lot of what I had in the way of panels, especially as we made the timber frame to match the panels as best we could. We have been doing some research into our car for our own interest and for the book being developed by Michael Santin and others. We discovered previous owners of our car in Broken Hill during the 1940s & 1950s. One owner is still alive and living in Victoria and after a few discussions by phone he sent me some photos of the car from that time. We were able to positively identify our car from his pictures. These confirm our car as the first 1934 Hornet special that came in a batch to Australia in that year. We are missing the front wings/guards and their supporting stays (brackets). I would be very grateful if anyone who has spare stays for front wings and/or old wings could make them available (lend) or sell them to us to use to re-produce (or use) these items. These are the only items together with a spare wheel mounting that we need to complete this work. I can be contacted on 02 62381559 or [email protected]. Many thanks & cheers John Higham

Lyle Cooper’s body preparation and undercoating will be complete next week

Progress at 31 May 2014

Oh oh, subs are overdue Subscriptions to both the Australian and UK clubs were due on April 1. Your options are to: 1. Pay $25, which helps to cover the costs of this Australian newsletter; 2. Pay $90, which gets you this newsletter, Membership of the Wolseley Hornet Special Club (UK), copies of their excellent magazine and access to their parts service; 3. Pay nothing. We’ll still send you this newsletter, but please let us know if you no longer wish to receive it.

Payments by bank transfer to: Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc Heritage Bank Ltd BSB: 638-070 Account No: 8958866 (S21) - S21 is not normally needed Reference: Your surname

Or cheque or money order to: Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc C/- John Ireland, Treasurer 83/40 Riverbrooke Drive, Coomera Qld 4209 [email protected]

Page 6 Hornet Special Newsletter VIC News nce again Hornets were well represented at the annual RACV Classic Showcase held at Flemington Racecourse Oon March 30. Bob Anderson, Bill Russell and John Clucas flew the Hornet flag. nd the day prior, John ran his Hornet Special in the VSCC Quarter Mile Sprints at Eddington, 1.5 hours north of AMelbourne. The car went extremely well, but John’s standing quarter mile of 23.5s was slower than Noel Spark and Jim Gullan managed in the ‘30s. John puts that down to having a “touring” diff ratio of 4.34, instead of the racier 4.9 ratio originally fitted. Then there was the full tank of fuel, and the road trim, and the windscreen, and the ... and that’s just a few of his excuses. John calculates that he was doing 116kph (72.5mph) at the end of the straight, and was still accelerating! Cheers, John

The very early days of Hornets John Ireland sent the photo of Martin Redmond’s restoration progress in the UK of probably the only surviving Hornet with a body (John’s 1930 fabric, slightly later, saloon has the larger Hornet body) and Peter Partridge sent the adver- tisement for the McEvoy Special, 1931, courtesy of the MG Club (UK). This indicates how quickly vehicle development took place in those days. Long-time readers may think that this advertisement is repeated from Newsletter Issue 18, June 2004, but that was page 372 of Motor Sport, June 1931.

Issue 57 Page 7 From the President Spares The Brisbane members finally organised a stocktake of the donated Gerry Dunford and Howard Kenward spares. If any member requires parts, contact me in the first instance before you go chasing elsewhere and we will try to locate it for you. In the parts we have at least a set of wheel cylinders that I was thinking we could have reconditioned with stain- less steel liners and would make them available on an exchange basis for members. Unfortunately we have no master cylinder, so if any member has a spare, we could recondition it as well and make a complete set available to members for the cost of the refurbishment and freight. Also I have a water pump that I have repaired and can repair others when required with a dense carbon washer to facilitate the shaft seal. The carbon was supplied to me by Bill Trollope. These are available to members on an exchange basis at no cost, except for the freight. Lyle Cooper

Last Newsletter, David Armstrong SeePage 6 for John Higham’s request was looking for one 18” wire Parts Wanted for front guards to copy wheel. One has now been sent to David from the Brisbane spares John also has ... For Swap or Free and David has kindly made a do- One Wolseley Hornet, cross flow head exhaust manifold in very good undam- nation to the club. aged condition. One Wolseley Hornet combined inlet and exhaust manifold in very good un- damaged condition. One Wolseley Hornet tin sump with dent which could be knocked out.

The Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc. (Victoria, No. A0035489S) exists to encourage the preserva- tion and use of Wolseley Hornets, Sports and Specials. The Club and its Committee take no responsibility for the accuracy of this newsletter’s content nor for the consequences of acting upon any information published herein.