May/June 2018

A BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE VANCOUVER COAST BRANCH OF THE OLD ENGLISH CAR CLUB OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

MayMay----JuneJune 2018 Volume 23, Number 3 oecc.ca/vcb

John Chapman, author of the captivating series “What Was I Thinking” about the restoration of his Sunbeam Imp, appears to be thinking “What was the owner thinking” as he looks at the weathered Bristol at our May event.

Chairman’s Welcome Walter Reynolds, VCB Chairman Hello Everyone. Since joining the Little British Car hobby I’ve twice experienced figurative clips up the side of the head. The first was I had no interest in the style of the Rover 3 Litre: 7 years ago we bought one (and still own it). The second incident related to the 1960s Jaguar S Type. Up until recently I had thought the style of the car to be something less than pretty. As you will read later in this Roundabout, I’ve not only written an article about the 1960s S Type but have also included in this issue’s “Cars of Branch Members and Their Stories” the story of Harv and Shirley McCullough’s 1966 S Type. So, as you can figure, I’ve changed my position on the 1960s S Type. Looking back on my life there have been several other times when I have said I’m not going to do something and then circumstances have changed and I’ve done exactly what I said I wouldn’t do. What I’m getting at here is that there are many things that we decide we won’t do and then we do them. Take for instance volunteering; specifically volunteering for a position on the Vancouver Coast Branch Executive, or a position on the Old English Car Club’s Executive. Although the Branch Annual General Meeting and elections are several months away, it’s not too soon to con- sider actually doing something that you may have told yourself that you won’t do. I.E. like being on the Executive. Stand up and be counted and make your mark on the Branch’s going-forward history. Who knows, you might en- AT THE WHEEL joy it. Volunteer for a Branch Executive position and I’m sure your friends will vote for you! But don’t stand on the Chairperson : Walter Reynolds side lines believing that you have nothing to offer – every- [email protected] | 604-463-6305 one has something to offer, no matter how small you con- Vice-Chairperson : Alan Inglis sider it to be. OK, I’ll put away the soapbox. [email protected] | 604-737-0044 In the past month or so we’ve experienced the 2018 Van Past-Chairperson : John McDonald Dusen ABFM and as of June 3rd, we have seen the VCB’s [email protected] | 604-942-8223 2018 ‘British Invasion Motor Show’ which replaced the Two Treasurer : Bernie Miles (membership renewals) Lions ‘British Invasion Classic Car Show’. Although the day [email protected] | 604-943-0535 was a washout, weather-wise, we had a good turn out and 207-4753 River Road West, Delta, BC V4K 1R9 the day was considered a success; see the report elsewhere Secretary : Steve Hutchens in the Roundabout. [email protected] | 360-483-6873 Coming up Branch events are the May 15 & 18 retirement Event & Meeting Coordinator : Lorna Hoare home car shows, the Club’s AGM on June 23 in Victoria, the [email protected] | 604-584-2564 June 24th to July 3rd Brits Round BC, the July 3rd “Run to Membership Coordinator : John Chapman the Coast” from Hope (as the final portion of the 2018 (new memberships and correspondence) Brits), the July 10 ‘Show and Shine’ at the A&W on King [email protected] | 604-590-3749 George Blvd, Surrey and John Clarke’s Restoration work- 7923 144A St., Surrey, BC V3S 8C1 shop. As a reminder, the August 7 picnic is being held at Communication Coordinator : Alan Miles Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach and the September event is [email protected] | 604-272-2145 being held on the second Tuesday in September at Me ‘N Roundabout Editor : Steve Hutchens Ed’s Pizza on Edmonds Street, Burnaby. More events can [email protected] | 360-483-6873 be found on the website’s Events Calendar and details of Webmaster : Alan Miles each event will be circulated by Alan Miles closer to the [email protected] | 604-272-2145 actual date. Good & Welfare : Bart & Audrey Shaw Well, enough from me. Enjoy the Roundabout and, as [email protected] | 604-946-4700 usual, drive just fast enough to stay ahead of the rust. And I Regalia : Position Open hope to see you around!

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 2 2018 Vancouver Coast Branch Calendar of Events Lorna Hoare, Event & Meeting Coordinator

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 3 The Old Editor’s Rambles Steve Hutchens, Editor EASIER R EADING John Peirson suggested that using a single column format makes newsletters easier to read online. As an editor himself (of a Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club newsletter), he wisely pointed the different setups that are appropriate for newsletters read predominantly online versus predominantly in print. Multiple columns make reading print newsletters easier but they make navigating online newsletters difficult. Two or three columns require constant juggling, down then up, down then up. It made sense to me, so this issue is a move in that direction (save for a few articles set up earlier). I invite all readers to feel free to provide feedback like this on how the Roundabout can be better designed for your reading enjoyment.

TRAVELS WITH THE E DITOR As I write this Celia and I are about half way through a three month RV adventure around the Pacific North- west and are enjoying a pleasant day in Prince Albert National Park in northern Saskatchewan. Sunday afternoon we were relaxing in beautiful Victoria Park in Saskatoon when the owners of a VW camper van saw our Sprinter and the Washington license plate and struck up a conversation to see what they could learn about a road trip they are planning down the west coast of Washington, Oregon and California this summer. The information sharing was mutual when I asked them about Prince Albert National Park that they had visited the previous weekend. Thanks to their glowing reports we are enjoying two days in the park! But a “car story” comes from the pervious weekend in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, where we spent Friday night in the pleasant city park campground. This was our second night in Weyburn’s park, having camped there in 2007 after doing a setup run for BRBC 2008. Saturday morning we went to the Soo Line Historical Museum just a few blocks from the park and found it even more interesting than the review thanks to the knowledgeable young docent.

On the way to the museum we noticed a banner advertising the Wey- burn Car Club’s 17th Annual “Weyburn Show ‘n Shine” so we headed in that direction. There must have been at least 200 cars, with a strong rep- resentation of American and Canadian models from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. As we walked the five block show we found imports scarce: three Fer- raris, two Lamborghinis, two VWs, one Porsche, and a recent Aston Mar- tin, the only British car spotted. As we were about to the end of the show we turned up a side street and finally found the truly British contingent: a Triumph Spitfire, Riley 1.5, MGA, and Mini. The owners, however, were sitting proudly behind their cars and we enjoyed several minutes of chatting. The 1959 Riley 1.5 was a remarkable survivor. The 1960 MGA had an interesting history, having been the test car for Moss Motors when they were developing a supercharger for the MGA. Ken Exner (Riley) and Glen Perchie (MGA) shared lots of British car adventure stories with us and we felt right at home!

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 4 Tuesday, May 1, a large turnout to see a fascinating collection of Citroens … and a few British cars as well

May VCB Event - Citroen City by Lorna Hoare

C Lovers Fish ‘n Chips was the gathering place for 11 club members who gathered for a bite prior to our May event. Several enjoyed the “all you can eat” fish and chips special and it was likely that only the pending meeting limited them to only seconds! Our May event was nearby at Alistair Black Specialty Service in Cloverdale. A turnout of 19 members joined the dinner group for a total of 30 present. Owner Lionel Hondier met us as we arrived at 7:00. Lionel had an interesting array of cars outside of the workshop, including two Citroen 2CVs, a Citroen seven passenger station wagon undergoing restoration, and a Citroen panel van as well as Lionel's own beautifully restored 2CV. British cars, however, were the focus of our visit and a "Big Boot" 1947 Bentley was up on the hoist so we could see the work being done. It has been under restoration for many years. The paint was beautiful and the chrome glistened. An old Bentley parts car was parked outside to serve as a donor for the ‘47. Inside we found four British cars in process of restoration. There was an almost finished Triumph TR3 in a light green colour, almost ready to go home to the proud owner. A royal blue MGB-GT was awaiting an engine and interior. And there was a Bristol, a survivor if there ever was one, with a big Chrysler Hemi. It was in dire need of a lot of work - body, engine and interior (Editor: see cover). It had report- edly been sitting outside on the street for years and, considering that, was in amazing condition. Still, it would be an exceptionally expensive restoration the owner was con- templating. The fourth British car was a 1936 Morgan 4/4 that belongs to Alistair Black, now retired. Morgan was established in 1909 and built only three wheeled cars until 1936 when they introduced the 4/4, the model designation indicating four cylinders and four wheels. Alistair’s rare 1936 4/4 is slowly undergoing a complete restoration from the chassis up. It is one of the few surviving Morgans from the first year of 4/4 production and among the oldest four wheeled Morgans in the world.

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 5 Sunday, June 3, the 5th annual first Sunday in June car show

VCB’s British Invasion Motor Show By Walter Reynolds

On Sunday, June 3rd, the VCB hosted its 5th “first-Sunday-in-June” car show. The first four years (2014-2017) were at the Two Lions Pub in North Vancouver. Due to declining participation, we changed venue for 2018 and changed the show’s name. As such, the “British Invasion Motor Show” was born.

The show was held in the City of Langley’s Douglas Park, a wonderful location with restaurants and coffee shops nearby. Space was limited to 50 cars but we are hopeful that we can increase that number next year, oh yes, we are going to do our best to return to the park in 2019.

A total of 40 cars were registered for the event but due to the poor weather and some cars experiencing mechanical difficulties, the actual participation was down to 29 cars. That was not seen as a poor result. Quite the contrary, considering how bad the rain was. It was encouraging to see that so many car owners brought out their British cars in the rain.

While the majority of cars were from the Lower Mainland we had one car from Victoria (1985 Rolls Royce Silver

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 6 Spur) and two cars from Kelowna (1960 MGA modified and 1974 TR6 modified). The oldest car was a 1951 Daim- ler DB18 Barker Special Sports and the youngest was a 2001 Jaguar S Type. The most prevalent brand was MG, with nine examples (A, B and C). And, finally, the only example of a ‘gimick’ car was Martin Ross’s 1961 Morris Minor Panda car.

As mentioned, the day was rainy, with the worst rain starting around 12:30 pm. That said, everyone still seemed to enjoy the day (confirmed by the feedback we’ve received to date) and to a person, all who have given feedback have said that they will be back next year.

For the Hagerty ‘People’s Choice’ trophy, 144 visitors to the show voted (thanks to the sterling efforts of unoffi- cial ‘Vote Getters’ Gerry and Anita Parkinson), and the winner was the 1966 Morgan DHC of Bob McDiarmid.

Constant Collectibles of Langley raffled off draw prizes donated by their store and several area store owners. While the actual amount is still being calculated, more than $400 will be donated from the show regis- trations to the Langley Food Bank.

It is with pleasure that I thank Alan Miles, Gerry Parkinson and Tom Popovich for their hard work orga- nizing the VCB’s 5th annual show and for making it a success on the wet show day.

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 7 The Cars of OECC members Harv and Shirley McCullough

Cars of Branch Members and Their Stories By Walter Reynolds

In this Roundabout issue we learn about the cars of The 1966 Jaguar S Type following restora- new VCB members Harv and Shirley McCullough. This is their story which covers several brands of British cars, though they tell me that they have started to focus on Jaguar products. The photos are from Harv and Shirley, except as shown. To the standard question, “Why British cars?” I was given two different answers. From Harv, “They were inexpensive and unique looking”; from Shirley, “They were small and fast!” That said, and some years before they knew each other, their first motorized vehicles were motorcycles; a BSA for Harv and a Honda for he still had his tools, but no shop so Harv rented shop Shirley. space for him to do the work. When he needed items Harv’s first car was a 1950 Chevy ‘Torpedo-back’ but to complete the job, he made a list of what was re- his first British car was a 1956 Morris Minor that he quired and Shirley sourced them for him. bought in High School and painted it pink just as a joke. For all intents and purposes, the S Type is Shirley’s Shirley’s first British car was a 1962 Sunbeam Rapier. baby and she was in almost daily contact with the body man to keep an eye on progress. Based on his experi- ence he would make recommendations on doing this and that to the car, items that Harv and Shirley had not considered, but he always received their “OK” before proceeding. That way there were no financial surprises arising from the project. Although the car was finished some years ago, there 1956 Morris Minor - imagine it in 1962 Sunbeam Rapier pink! (Internet photo) (UK.com photo) were some non-structural parts they wanted to add to the restoration. One of these parts was the central ver- After the Rapier came a 1971 MGB and its claim to tical bar on the radiator grill and another was the fame was that she rolled it! This was her daily driver growler logo for the grill. Both of these parts became and she owned it for about 1 ½ years. It had electric Christmas stocking stuffers from Harv to Shirley and I overdrive which Shirley loved! am not certain how many husbands can actually get 1966 Jaguar S Type: Harv & Shirley’s philosophy, if it away with that. They’ve driven the S Type for over can be called that, is on no fixed schedule, to change 4,000 miles as of the date of our interview. [See the examples of their British car stable, though they have history of the Jaguar S Type elsewhere in this Round- recently started to focus on Jaguar products. The cur- rent Jaguar products are a 1956 XK140 Coupe (being restored), a 1966 S Type and a 2001 S Type. The details of these cars follow. They bought their S Type in 2004 from a fellow Brit- ish car enthusiast who knew that they wanted a saloon car. They certainly got that with the S Type along with a comfortable level of luxury, but the car needed some work. They had a professional look after the body work and painting whereas they did the interior, including refreshing the wood. Their body and paint man was a retired body shop professional; as a retired body man The S Type at Abbotsford Flying Club Wings & Wheels Show.

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 8 about. WDR] During the dismantling process, the owner was also 2001 Jaguar S Type: Shirley suggested what a good buying the new XK140 parts for the restoration work. idea it would be to have S Type book-ends. In 2005 What Harv and Shirley purchased was the chassis, the they bought the “young” S Type from a Chilliwack car body and many boxes of new and used parts, all for the dealer. The car, while looking nothing like its 1966 sen- XK140. ior, was an Ontario executive-driven example with only To get the car home he had to hire a flatbed tow 30,000 Km on the clock. Harv and Shirley are the sec- truck to transport the chassis and body. If that wasn’t ond owners of the car. Harv used it for several years as enough he then had to hire a moving company to haul his daily driver, but now they only use it during the all of the crates and boxes of parts as there were so summer months. many of them! Through his research on the car, Harv has established that the car was manufactured on April 18, 1956, and shipped to Oxford Motors in Vancouver in Septem- ber of that year. He has also established that the car has matching-number body-chassis-engine- transmission and has provenance through a Jaguar XK 140 expert that recognises that this car has examples of original options that qualifies it as a very rare car.

Harv & Shirley and their “young” S Type. Walter photo.

1956 Jaguar XK140 Coupe: Prior to retiring, Harv was a Dean at a local university and while he didn’t know students by name, the students knew that he liked and owned British cars. One of the students approached him one day and asked if he would be interested in a Jaguar XK140 that was in his family and had been stored in a garage for many years. After almost two years of back and forth with the car owner’s family, in 2012 Harv and Shirley became the The XK140 as it is now, waiting for final colour. owners of the XK140. Now it was time to collect it. After 6 ½ years of working on the car, the XK140 was The owner of the car had bought it in 1979 with the recently shipped off intention of restoring it. He stripped the car down, took to the paint shop, the body off the chassis, started on some of the resto- one step closer to ration, but unfortunately died due to health issues. being back on the road. Harv has kept in contact with the previous owner’s family by giving them updates on its restoration progress and will contact them when the XK140 is completed so that they can see it in its restored The XK140 as found in 1979. glory. The XK140’s glorious engine!

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 9 As for the other cars in their British car stable: to replace the windshield). The Midget is Brookland Green (not BRG like some Midgets). They’ve added over 4,000 miles to its odometer since its restoration was completed. 1961 MG Midget: This car has been under restoration for over forty years but work on it keeps getting postponed due to other projects. This car is special in that it is the 375th modern Midget off the 1961 production line, hence one of the oldest known Midgets. A final note before the Harv and Shirley story fin- ishes: Shirley once owned a Volvo 544 that she loved but sold to buy the 1971 MGB. She loved that car and would love to once again own one. A big “Thank You” to Harv and Shirley for taking the time from their busy schedule to tell us about their 1965 MGB, Shirley at the wheel. cars. 1965 MGB: This car was another student, “Do you “The Cars of Branch Members and Their Stories” re- want to buy a car” purchase. The car was in tough turns with the next Roundabout issue, however, I don’t shape when they bought it in 2002 and required a sig- have a volunteer. To tell us about your cars contact me nificant amount of mechanical and body work which at [email protected] or on my cell at 604-312-9015. was completed in an Abbotsford shop. The car’s original colour was Tartan Red but at some point had been A big “Thank You” to Harv and Shirley for taking the re-painted orange. time from their busy schedule to tell us about their cars. Harv and Shirley had the car returned to its original “The Cars of Branch Members and Their Stories” re- colour. The work took over a year to complete and turns with the next Roundabout issue however, I don’t they’ve driven 3,400 miles since returning the ‘B’ to have a volunteer. To tell us about your cars contact me driving status. at [email protected] or on my cell at 604-312-9015.

Maple Ridge, May 25, 2018. May 25 @ Tradex in Abbotsford Coastal Swap Meet Report By Les Foster

I went to the Coastal Swap Meet with Gerry Parkin- son, Alan Miles and Carl Knorr where we met up with Tom Popvich and his son. Among the British sightings were an incomplete Austin pedal car that was offered 1976 Midget (rubber-bumper). at $1800 and a sign at $350. There were a few British 1976 MG Midget: Though not a car purchase via a manuals for sale as well but few parts. student contact, the Midget was originally owned by their next door neighbour. One day in 2000 Harv came home from work and told Shirley that the neighbour’s Midget was in his driveway with a For Sale sign on it. Within the hour, the car belonged to the McCulloughs! The car needed some work and doing the work them- selves they replaced the carpets and interior and Harv installed a new windshield (without removing the dashboard which, apparently, you are supposed to do

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 10 It isn’t hard

The 1963-1968 Jaguar S Type By Walter Reynolds In the 1960s, Jaguar manufactured numerous saloon models. There was the Mark 2, the Daimler 250 V8, the S Type, the Mk X (pro- nounced ‘10’), the 420, the Daimler Sovereign, and finally the 420G. Many motoring journalists of the time criticized Jaguar for this lavish product line. However, when one looks outside of the box, so to speak, and considers what was happening to the likes of Jaguar’s rivals, one can see that there may have been purpose in Sir William Lyons’ mind.

The Jaguar models mentioned above are all big sporty luxury saloon cars manufactured to high standards and which were excellent value. It was from this market segment that the competition were dropping. The likes of Alvis, Humber, Sunbeam-Talbot, Armstrong Siddeley, Lagonda and a few other marques from overseas were either gone, on the way out or leaving the market segment all together.

This was a time when buyers of cars replaced their vehicles after three or four years and Lyons may have been banking on the prem- ise that the buyers of the aforementioned manufacturer’s vehicles would turn to the Jaguar line-up for their replacement cars. Having drawn the ex-competitor’s buyers into the Jaguar fold, Sir Lyons then hoped to capitalize on the new devotees subsequent car pur- chases by downsizing the seven Jaguar models into one, the new XJ6. But I get ahead of myself …

By the early 1960s, some critics felt that the Mk 2 was beginning to feel rather dated with its live rear axle. Jaguar management believed that a replacement for the ageing Mk 2 was needed and commenced development work on what was to become the S Type. By 1961 Jaguar had designed a new independent rear suspension for its two new models, the Mark X and the E Type, both released in 1961.

This new suspension was complex but extremely effective in those two models. Up until the 1980s this suspension remained the benchmark against which other suspensions were judged. The suspension was essentially a double wishbone setup which used the drive shafts as the upper wishbone. It also carries the drive, braking, suspension and damping units in a single fabricated steel crossbridge. Including this suspension in what became the S Type necessitated the development of a new crossbridge suitable for its 54” track, coming as it did between the 58” track of the Mk X and 50” track of the E Type.

Unfortunately, the new reduced-size suspension was too bulky to be used in an unchanged Mark 2 body shell, the boot space of which was already marginal. Instead Lyons cleverly grafted the Mk X rear-body styling onto the Mk 2 creating the S Type which was released in September 1963. Into the room created by this styling exercise Lyons fitted the reduced-size Mk X independent rear suspension which, with its inboard disc brakes gave the new model all-round disc brakes. Lyons also raised the rear roof-line slightly to increase head room for rear seat passengers and added styling touches to the front of the car.

In addition, the Mk 2s steering system was modernized for the new car. Gone was the 4.3 turns lock-to-lock Bur- man power steering system, replaced by a higher-geared 3.5 turns lock-to-lock Burman unit which linked the in- put shaft and hydraulic valve by a torsion spring to help improve the steering’s ‘feel’. For the S Type, the Mk 2 in-

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 11 terior was upgraded with more luxurious appointments; an improved heater system was also fitted. The improved heater provided separate control of ventilation direction for the driver and front passenger. Warm air could also be directed to the rear passengers through an outlet situated on the propeller shaft tunnel-cover between the two front seats.

The Mk 2s single under-the-boot-floor 12-gallon fuel tank was replaced in the S Type by two 7-gallon tanks, one inside each rear wing, each with its own filler tube and cap. The new model’s front seats were given a new fore and aft adjust- ment mechanism that raised the rear of the seat as it was moved forwards. The backs of the front seats were made thinner to increase rear passenger legroom.

Overall, a new model had been created that retained the Mk 2s compact charm while offering a far superior ride and greater comfort with only a small performance penalty. The new model fit nicely between the Mk 2 and the Mk X. That said, the S Type was still a great deal faster than most other non-Jaguar saloon cars at the price.

In the S Type, Jaguar offered two engine sizes, both in-line 6 cyl., a 3.4 litre and a 3.8 litre, each with twin carbs. The 3.8 litre car was more popular with good acceleration and its ability to cruise the car at well in excess of 120 mph. The 3.8 litre was the only engine offered to the US market. Of the 25,171 S Types pro- duced, 10,036 were fitted with the 3.4 litre engine and 15,135 with the 3.8 litre engine. An all-synchromesh gearbox was made standard in 1964. The Borg Warner automatic transmission was offered as an option. Like the Mk 2, the later versions of the S Type were rationalized with Ambla plastic trim instead of leather.

Returning to the styling of the S Type, many of those who worked on the car considered that it was not all together successful. The mismatch between the horizontal lines of its rear styling and the rounded front was least flattering when viewing the car from the front quarter. You either liked the style or you didn’t; there appeared to be no middle ground. The 420 replaced the S Type and that car did seem to end the styling argument by adding to the car a squarer, four headlamp front end, not too dissimilar to the Mk X.

In the 1960s the S Type was regarded as the best handling Jaguar saloon (a point subsequently appreciated by many a Sweeney tv show villain and brought home by the famous chase scene in the 1967 crime drama, “Robbery”). Each variant of the S Type has a very individual charm with the car being considerably easier to park than, say a Mk X.

Strangely the S Type never received the recognition it deserved and has been largely overlooked by enthusiasts. The S Type promised much but struggled to get the attention it probably merited. As a result, resale prices are

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 12 cheaper than the more sought-after Mk 2, despite the S Type being more pleasant to ride in and, arguably being the better driver, especially over long distances.

Production figures for each year of the S Type’s life were: 1963: 43 1964: 7,032 1965: 9,741 1966: 6,260 1967: 1,008 1968: 909

Production of the S Type ended in 1968.

Vancouver Coast Branch members Harv & Shirley McCullough own a 1966 Jaguar S Type and Harv describes his general and driving im- pressions below. For the story on how they came to own an S Type, read their “Cars of Branch Members and Their Stories” article printed elsewhere in this Roundabout.

“I was more impressed with the drivability of the S-Type than I was with the appearance of the car when I first saw it. I guess Shirley could see through the terrible body and paintwork on the car when we first inspected it. Once the extensive body and paintwork restoration was completed my opinion changed about the car, but it was the performance that really caught my attention. I quickly realized why the more notably and suffocated UK criminals of the day used the Jaguar S-Type as their choice “get-away-car”.

These cars had a very powerful and strong engine and couple that with Jaguar’s first independent rear suspension, you have a car that drives fast and can really handle the road well. With the S-Type having the independent rear suspension, it gave it a bit of an edge over the slightly older and lighter Jaguar Mk II with the conventional differential. The downside comes when it is time to fuel up. In order to accommodate the complicated independent rear suspension they had to relocate the fuel tank. The solution was to install a smaller tank in each of the rear wings [fenders]. Because of this it becomes a bit of a pain trying to get the car parked at the fuel pump so the hose can reach both the left and right side of the car at the same time.

The quality and amount of walnut wood throughout the car really makes a statement. Someone once looked at the interior of the car, turned to me and jokingly said, “Gee, looks like they used an entire walnut tree just for the interior.” All this beautiful wood coupled with the fine English leather used throughout the entire car really tops it off. With the quality, comfort and drivability of this car, it makes it very difficult to believe that it is actually over a half century old.”

Sources: ~ Classic & Sports Car magazine, December 2016 ~ The Encyclopedia of Classic Cars, 2003 ~ Hagerty UK Classic Car Price Guide (undated) ~ Hemmings Magazine, October 2008 ~ Unique Cars, Australia, October 2015 ~ Wikipedia ~ All photos are from the Internet

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 13 http://www.mossmotoring.com/flat-british-sports-cars-jabbeke-highway/ FLAT OUT – BRITISH SPORTS CARS AT THE JABBEKE HIGHWAY Moss Motoring, November 11, 2014 By Johnny Oversteer ott coupe in 1947 hoping to better the result recorded during an Italian road test for The Motor in 1946 when the car reached 104.65 mph. Running on better fuel – presumably British – than that used in Italy, the Elliott reached 110.8 mph to claim the title – as temporary as it would prove to be – of the fastest British production car available for sale. Exactly one year later, in August 1948, the crew from Abingdon took a decidedly non-production car, EX 135, out to the Belgian highway for a crack at the 200- mph barrier. The highly streamlined car which had been built in 1938 and gained some success before World War II would place a halt on such activities for the dura- tion, would later gain even greater fame on the Bonne- Then as now, the places available to drive a sports ville Salt Flats in the early Fifties. At Jabbeke, driven by car flat out are few and far between. As automotive Goldie Gardner, raced to 175 mph, pushing the very production resumed following the cessation of hostili- limits to what could be expected from an 1100-cc en- ties in 1945, manufacturers were keen to gain publicity gine (it would go even faster in Utah). that could be used to push sales (particularly in the in- creasingly important North American market). During the Thirties, the press was eager to report the results of high speed testing – typically conducted on the Salt Flats at Bonneville – but the trek to the hinterlands of Utah was expensive for the financially strapped compa- nies to commit to mere advertising runs. The comple- tion of the Jabbeke Highway in Belgium following the war would prove an expedient and inexpensive way to conduct these tests. Long, straight and almost perfectly flat, it would prove a beacon to manufacturers – especially those from England – seeking to test their products before the MG EX 135 – 175 mph in 1948 cameras of the assembled press. The first known at- tempt by a Brit was made by Donald Healey and his Elli-

Healey Elliott – 110.8 mph in 1947 Jaguar XK120 – 132 mph in 1949

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 14 In 1949, Jaguar crossed the Channel with a lightly Later that year, Jaguar sent the inimitable Norman modified XK120. Appearing in showroom kit except for Dewis (Jaguar’s test driver and engineer) to Belgium to the addition of a Brooklands windscreen and rear try again with an even more streamlined XK120M that wheel spats, the Big Cat was driven by Ron Sutton to a had a bubble canopy attached to the metal tonneau production car record at 132 mph. over the cockpit. With an undertray and spats, it shat- tered previous production car records when it hit the flying mile at 172.412 mph.

Austin-Healey 100 – 110.9 mph in 1952 Jaguar XK120M – 172.412 mph in 1953 Donald Healey returned in 1952 just before the in- troduction of the iconic 100 at the London Motor Show Traffic considerations and logistics made continued at Earl’s Court. The lithesome roadster more than lived use of Jabbeke problematic and eventually high speed up to its name with a 110.9 mph over the flying mile. tests were returned to the UK with top speed runs usu- In the Spring of 1953, Triumph appeared at Jabbeke ally being reserved for Bonneville (where MG and with an early production version of the TR2. Eager to Healey would gain great success) but for almost five prove its mettle against the Sunbeam Alpine and the years the Jabbeke Highway was the place to run flat Healey 100, the TR2 was outfitted with a metal ton- out. Thanks to Steve McKelvie for the inspiration for this Triumph TR2 – 124.889 mph in 1953 piece.

An early Canadian automobile 1910 McLaughlin Model F By Steve Hutchens

A day at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, ISN’T NEARLY ENOUGH. We had a great campsite in the campground just across the road. Len, the owner, has a 1928 Nash coupe (similar to Lloyd Reddington’s) and a 1927 Ford Model A, invited me to have coffee with him the morning before we went to the museum. Next time I’ll plan on at least two days and schedule them for neau, undertray and a minimal windscreen. With Ken July 1 to September Richardson (Triumph’s engineer) behind the wheel the 1 in order to tour their storage facil- little TR went out and ran a disappointing 104.86 mph. ity as well as the Looking over the car, the testers realized that a spark two inside muse- plug lead was loose and the car was running on only 3 ums and the collec- cylinders. With the lead attached it ran an impressive tion of huge equip- 124.889 out of the box. ment outside.

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 15 Two good deeds … Surrey and Vancouver Shows for Care Facilities By Lorna Hoare

June 15 in Surrey On June 15 we had a show at the Laurel Place Care Home in Surrey. The participants included Gerry Parkinson, John and Lorna Hoare, Sheila and Stuart Martin, and John Chapman. The Father's Day activity was enjoyed by residents.

June 18 in Vancouver

On June 18 we had a show at the Masonic Care Facility in Vancouver. Participating were Walter Reynolds, Allan Miles, and John and Lorna Hoare from OECC.

We were joined by Kevin, owner a 1964 Mercury. It was hot and sunny but we had a good turnout of very appreciative residents.

Our reward was a box of car shaped home made oatmeal cookies!

MAY-JUNE 2018 THE ROUNDABOUT PAGE 16