THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FRASER VALLEY BRITISH MOTOR CLUB * SEPTEMBER, 2012 * VOLUME 18 * ISSUE NO. 9 * www.britishcarclub.ca THE HALLMARK OF A GREAT BRITISH CAR SHOW. TREVOR HERYET’S TVR 2500M WITH BARRY LAFBERY’S ROVER P3 BEHIND. IT’S BRINGING OUT CARS LIKE THIS MAKES THE FVBMC’S HOUGEN PARK PICNIC THE GREAT GATHERING THAT IT IS!! 2 EEEDITOR’SEDITOR’S CORNER A GREAT PICNIC – HOPE YOU WERE THERE!! TOM FILLS US IN ON CAMILLA THIS MONTH, AND IVAN HAS SOME LINKS TO FOLLOW HER ACTION. ALSO, THE START OF A SHORT SERIES ON SPECIALS – BENTLEY THIS TIME. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUBMISSIONS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE E- MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT [email protected] IN THIS ISSUE: • THE SAGA OF CAMILLA – Follow the story on film – thanks to YouTube...... P. 2 • HOUGEN PARK 2012 – This time the weather cooperates ……… P. 3 • TOM PUGH WRITES – Part 18 of the ongoing saga of Camilla .…………… P. 11 • PORTFOLIO – BENTLEY SPECIALS – Part 1 of a short series........... P. 15 • MYSTERY CAR – The answer to last month’s, and a new one for this month ………….. P. 21 Club Executive & Club Chat – P.22 Regalia & Pricing – P. 22 Coming Events – P. 23 Classifieds – P. 24-26 INTERNET ISSUES: Don’t forget to check out our website (www.britishcarclub.ca ) ANYONE WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE ARTICLES, PLEASE E-MAIL IN “MS WORD” TO [email protected], OR PASS ALONG TYPED HARD COPY. THE SAGA OF CAMILLA THE FOLLOWING SIX YOUTUBE VIDEOS (LINKS) OUTLINE THE CURRENT LIFE HISTORY OF CAMILLA, C.R.A.P.’S NOT SO BEAUTIFUL 1962 MORRIS J2 VAN. FOR THOSE ATTENDING THE HOUGEN PARK PICNIC, CAMILLA'S DEPARTURE PART 1 IS THE MOST INTERESTING IF NOT COMICAL. CAMILLA STARTS: http://www.youtube.com/embed/J1Yv1rhM_OQ CAMILLA'S MAIDEN VOYAGE: http://www.youtube.com/embed/lln3Jeh4zzU CAMILLA ARRIVES AT HOUGEN PARK PICNIC: http://www.youtube.com/embed/4Sd5wDaAyM8 CAMILLA DEPARTS HOUGEN PARK PICNIC PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/embed/jkV_MVxYJmM CAMILLA'S DEPARTURE PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jfk2y1MkXN4 CAMILLA'S DEPARTURE PART3: http://www.youtube.com/embed/bDl7GYhgHGw Ivan 3 HOUGEHOUGENN PARK 2012 JOHN VOICE’S “NUMBERS MATCHING” SUNBEAM TIGER . IT’S THE BEST YOU’LL SEE, AND IT’S NOT BEEN BUGGERED ABOUT WITH!! “THERE COMES A TIME IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN....” YES, THE DAY STARTED OUT WITH EVERYONE SOMEWHAT NERVOUSLY LOOKING AT THE SKIES (AND BOY, THERE WERE SOME BLACK CLOUDS), BUT I SUPPOSE MARK MUST HAVE SOME PULL WITH THE WEATHER GODS BECAUSE THE DAY TURNED OUT PERFECTLY!! IN FACT, MARLYNE AND I WERE ALMOST THE LAST TO LEAVE AT THE END, AND IT WAS JUST STARTING TO SPIT. WHEW!! 56 CARS TURNED UP, INCLUDING AN EARLY MGB (75000-SERIES SERIAL NO.) WHICH WAS PARKED OUTSIDE AND URGED TO COME IN. LOTS OF NEW ENTRANTS, INCLUDING MANY WITH RECENTLY-ACQUIRED CARS JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS CONCERNING CARBURETION AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES (ALL THE OLD LUCAS JOKES REHASHED). JUST TO SHOW HOW NEW SOME OWNERS WERE, ONE FELLOW HADN’T EVEN HEARD THE WARM BEER/REFRIGERATOR ONE..... AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT....CAMILLA ARRIVED!! SEEING THE OLD GIRL CIRCLING UNDER HER OWN POWER – WELL, MAYBE IT WASN’T QUITE ORGASMIC, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY UP THERE WITH A GOOD SNEEZE. THE FOLKS FROM C.R.A.P. (CLASSIC RESTORATION AND PRESERV- ATION SOMETHING-OR-OTHER), BEING A DIVISION OF MONTY PYTHON PRO- DUCTIONS, WERE GUIDED BY JOHN CLEESE, BEING PLAYED IN A SHORTENED MANNER BY ONE D. HOLBROW. CAMILLA’S VISAGE 4 THANKFULLY, THE KIWANIS CLUB FROM SARDIS BROUGHT THEIR “EAT STREET SPECIAL” AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND SERVED A GREAT BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. (YES, WE KNOW IT’S A PICNIC, AND YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BRING YOUR OWN, BUT SOME OF US WORK HARD ENOUGH JUST TO GET A CAR THERE .) MARK COLLETT, THE ORGANIZING HONCHO THIS YEAR, BROUGHT OUT HIS “TENT GUYS” AND PUT ON A DISPLAY OF PROFICIENCY IN ERECTING THE LARGE MARQUEES. SERIOUSLY, THESE GUYS ARE FUN TO WATCH!! ANYWAY, ON WITH THE SHOW.... AT THE END OF IT ALL, CLUB MEMBERS GATHERED FOR ROB’S EXCELLENT BARBECUE, AN ESTABLISHED TRADITION. THE WEATHER HELD!! ANYWAY, ON WITH THE SHOW.... JOWETT JUPITER “BUGEYE” SPRITE TRIUMPH TR4A AUSTIN MINI IVAN DEMONSTRATING CAMILLA’S DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL 5 CAMILLA’S QUICK-RELEASE “LE MANS” WINDSHIELD OPTION... THIS, OF COURSE, IS “PRINCE HARRY” – POOL CUE, BALLS AND ALL!! ANOTHER IMMACULAT E JAG!! BEAUTIFUL PRISTINE MGB GT TRIUMPH STAG 6 HERE’S YOUR TECH-SAVVY EDITOR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF PRINCE A PLETHORA OF HARRY IS RIGHT- OR LEFT-HAND TRIUMPHS DRIVE (THANKS IVAN!!) FVBMC CLUB CARS A PLETHORA OF TRIUMPHS – PART DEUX WINNING TRIUMPH!! 7 MARK’S WINNING LOTUS S7 MG – THE FEATURED MARQUE RICHARD’S TRIUMPH GT6 ABSOLUTELY PRISTINE XJS!! 8 CAMILLA’S WORKINGS (THE COFFEE CUP MUST BE HELD IN THAT EXACT POSITION...) CAMILLA REFUSES TO FACE THE TRAILER... BUT LIFTS HER SKIRTS TO BACK ON... 9 AND THE WINNERS ARE..... 1ST OPEN – MARK COLLET, LOTUS S7 3RD OPEN – JOHN VOICE, SUNBEAM TIGER 2ND OPEN – JEANNETTE MARTIN, FIAT SPYDER 1ST CLOSED – Tre VoR HERYET, TVR 2500M 3RD CLOSED – TOM PUGH, MGB GT 2ND CLOSED – SHIRLEY & HARV McCULLOUGH, JAGUAR S-TYPE 10 BEST MOTORCYCLE – DAVID HAYDEN, TRIUMPH T120 PRESIDENT’S CHOICE – RICHARD COLLET, TRIUMPH GT6 BEST PICNIC – GARY & LYNNE O’KEEFE 50/50 WINNER – BARRY “THE GAMBLER” LAFBERY 11 12 13 14 15 PORTFOLIO BENTLEY SPECIALS THE BENTLEY MOTOR CO. WAS FOUNDED IN 1919 BY WALTER OWEN (“W.O.”) BENTLEY, AND QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN AS PRODUCERS OF HIGH QUALITY MOTOR CARS FOR VERY DISCERNING BUYERS. SUCCESS AT THE LE MANS 24-HR. RACE (WON IN ’24, ‘27, ’28, ’29, AND ’30) ADDED A SPORTING REPUTATION; HOWEVER, MOST BUILT WERE LARGE SALOONS IN 3-, 4½- 6- AND 8-LITRE VERSIONS. BEFORE LONG, TUNERS WERE CONSTRUCTING RACING “SPECIALS” ON BENTLEY CHASSIS, WITH THE RESULT THAT VERY FEW ORIGINAL SALOONS REMAIN. THIS SPECIAL-BUILDING TREND HAS CONTINUED ‘TIL MODERN TIMES, PARTICULARLY WITH A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF BOB PETERSON. PETERSON IS TYPICAL OF MANY SMALL SPECIALISTS IN THE MODERN BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY IN THAT HE CONSTRUCTS VERY HIGH QUALITY MOTOR CARS WITH METICULOUS ORIGINAL BENTLEY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. MORE SALOON, NOW VERY PARTICULARLY, HE HAS BECOME RARE KNOWN FOR HIS BENTLEY SPECIALS. TYPICAL SALOON CONVERSION TO “LE MANS” STYLE TOURER (MANY OF PETERSON’S CARS ARE BEAUTIFUL RECREATIONS OF FAMOUS BENTLEYS - E.G., THE “EMBIRICOS” AND “BLUE TRAIN” BENTLEYS - WHILE OTHERS ARE SIMPLY WILD ORIGINAL CREATIONS (THE 27-LITRE “METEOR”). WE’LL DEAL WITH THESE IN A LATER ARTICLE.) 16 “BLUEBELL” HERE’S “BLUEBELL” , PROBABLY THE MOST RACED BENTLEY IN THE HISTORY OF THE MARQUE. “BLUEBELL” WAS CREATED BY A MECHANIC NAMED L.C. “MAC” McKENZIE FROM AN ORIGINAL 1928 4½ LITRE SALOON. HE SERVICED THE ORIGINAL CAR FOR ITS OWNER UNTIL 1936, WHEN HE ACQUIRED IT AND CONSTRUCTED THE TWO- SEAT SPECIAL SHOWN HERE. “BLUEBELL” HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY RACED SINCE IT WAS BUILT, UNDER A SUCCESSION OF OWNERS. THE “BLUE TRAIN” BENTLEY IN JANUARY 1930, THE ROVER COMPANY'S ROVER LIGHT SIX GAINED A WORLDWIDE REPUTATION WHEN IT WAS THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPANT IN THE BLUE TRAIN RACES, A SERIES OF RECORD- BREAKING ATTEMPTS BETWEEN AUTOMOBILES “BLUEBELL ” BEING RACED IN THE ‘30S AND TRAINS IN THE LATE 1920S AND EARLY 1930S. IT SAW A NUMBER OF MOTORISTS AND THEIR OWN OR SPONSORED AUTOMOBILES RACE AGAINST THE LE TRAIN BLEU , A TRAIN THAT RAN BETWEEN CALAIS AND THE FRENCH RIVIERA. ONE EVENING IN MARCH 1930, AT A DINNER AT THE CARLTON HOTEL IN CANNES, TALK AROUND THE TABLE HAD SWUNG ROUND TO THE TOPIC OF MOTOR CARS; IN PARTICULAR TO THE ADVERTISEMENT BY ROVER CLAIMING THAT ITS ROVER LIGHT SIX HAD GONE FASTER THAN THE FAMOUS "LE TRAIN BLEU" EXPRESS. WOOLF BARNATO CONTENDED THAT JUST TO GO FASTER THAN THE BLUE TRAIN WAS OF NO SPECIAL MERIT. HE RAISED THE STAKES BY ARGUING THAT AT THE WHEEL OF HIS OWN BENTLEY SPEED SIX, HE COULD BE AT HIS CLUB IN LONDON BEFORE THE TRAIN REACHED CALAIS AND BET 100 POUND STERLING ON THAT CHALLENGE! THE NEXT DAY, THE 13 MARCH 1930, AS THE BLUE TRAIN STEAMED OUT OF CANNES STATION AT 17:45H, BARNATO, WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS WHO HAD GALLANTLY OFFERED TO 17 ACT AS A RELIEF DRIVER, TOOK TO THE MIGHTY BENTLEY AND SET OFF AT THE DOUBLE. FROM LYONS ONWARDS THEY HAD TO BATTLE AGAINST HEAVY RAIN. AT THE GURNEY NUTTING 4:20H, IN BODIED “BLUE TRAIN” AUXERRE, THEY BENTLEY LOST TIME SEARCHING FOR A REFUELING RENDEZVOUS. THROUGH CENTRAL FRANCE THEY HIT FOG, THEN SHORTLY AFTER PARIS THEY HAD A BURST TYRE, REQUIRING THE USE OF THEIR ONE AND ONLY SPARE. AND YET, RACING NON-STOP THROUGH THE NIGHT ALONG THE BUMPY, 1930S ROUTES NATIONALES, THEY REACHED THE COAST AT 10:30H, SAILED OVER TO ENGLAND ON THE CROSS-CHANNEL PACKET, AND WERE NEATLY PARKED OUTSIDE THE CONSERVATIVE CLUB IN ST. JAMES'S STREET, LONDON, BY 15:20H - FOUR MINUTES BEFORE THE BLUE TRAIN REACHED CALAIS. HE WON THE BET; HOWEVER, THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES PROMPTLY FINED HIM A SUM FAR GREATER THAN HIS WINNINGS - FOR RACING ON PUBLIC ROADS. BLUE TRAIN BENTLEY CONTROVERSY BARNATO DROVE AN H. J. MULLINER-BODIED BENTLEY SPEED SIX FORMAL SALOON IN THE ACTUAL RACE, WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS THE BLUE TRAIN BENTLEY . TWO MONTHS LATER, ON 21 MAY 1930, HE TOOK DELIVERY OF A NEW BENTLEY SPEED SIX STREAMLINED FASTBACK "SPORTSMAN COUPE" (SEE ABOVE), BODIED BY GURNEY NUTTING. BARNATO NAMED IT THE "BLUE TRAIN SPECIAL" IN MEMORY OF HIS RACE, AND IT TOO BECAME COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE BLUE TRAIN BENTLEY .