Austin Seven Super Sports at 1930 Varsity Speed Trial

Austin Seven Super Sports at 1930 Varsity Speed Trial
Austin Seven Super Sports at 1930 Varsity Speed Trial

Autocar Glass Plate B3187

Event

Comments (4)

  • austin
    Tuesday, October 30, 2007

    From Ian Moore; Austin Super Sports at C.U.Auto Club, Speed Trial on Saturday March 8th 1930 at Branches Park,COWLINGE. The Car was entered in the 850cc Class and the original programme says D.H.T.Hanbury,(C) Supercharged Austin. The other cars entered in this class were Three B.C Austin's (could all be all the same car) and one MG Midget

  • Melissa Turner
    Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    I live at Branches Park - would love to hear more about the speed trials

  • Julian Hunt
    Sunday, February 20, 2011

    Used for inter-varsity events in the spring term over three years. The first event was held on 23 February 1929 and amongst the entries were several who became well known in British Motor Sport. M.W.B. (Michael) May won the 1500cc and unlimited Touring Car class in his Italian Cierano with 26.2secs, G. H. Willis driving an Austin Seven won the 1100cc Sports class with 24.4 and Allan Arnold (Lea-Francis) won the Racing classes and set btd with 19.2secs. The second event at Branches Park on 9 November 1929 when W. B. ‘Bummer’ Scott of Cambridge, a well-known Brooklands driver, set btd in his 1937 Straight-8 Grand Prix Delage and H.J. Bertram’s Bugatti was second. An old body-less Ford provided light relief when it ran up the course assisted by every kind of firework strapped on behind. The CUAC returned on 1 March 1930 as a last minute substitute for the Oxford University Club’s event at Ewelme Down, which had to be cancelled. The event was timed over 550yds (503m). Scott once again set btd with 20.05secs. His time was equalled by J.L. Underwood on his 490cc Norton motorcycle and the only other cars below 21 seconds were A.N. Spottiswoode (Bugatti) with 20.75 secs and Oliver Bertram who took the unlimited class in his 10.5litre V-12 Delage with 20.90secs. A.F.P. Agabeg, entered his 1097cc Salmson and won his class, an early success for the young man who would later change his name to Fane and become one of Britain’s fastest racing motorists. Mrs Tonge said she was honoured to receive the club as guests, although some competitors did not repay her hospitality by doing skid turns in the grass paddock and cutting up the grass. The last CUAC meeting at Branches Parks took place on 21 February 1931 in a dramatic manner. A.S. “Ginger” Llewellyn in one of Basil Davenport’s GNs (probably the BHD Special) took the 1500cc class and set btd with 20.4secs just ahead of R.G.J. Nash in his Frazer Nash single-seater ‘The Terror’ with 20.5secs, which blew up and then caught fire just as he crossed the finish line. A.N. Spottiswoode’ 1996cc Bugatti came an understated third overall with 21.2secs. The 750cc class saw a win for Maurice Falkner in his blown MG with 24.0 ahead of G.G.L. Willis in the Austin Seven Brooklands racer ‘Mrs Jo-Jo’ on 25.6secs. Falkner would go on to race Aston Martins at Le Mans and in the Mille Miglia. Adrian Conan Doyle took third place in the 1500cc class another Frazer Nash Special ‘The Slug’ with 22.3Secs but then he and his brother Denis charged the old Brooklands giant ‘Chitty-Bang-Bang I’ down the course, tearing down several yards of side railings and damaging a hedge. The battleship construction of the old car withstood the damage, but it wasn’t used in competition again and was abandoned at Brooklands shortly afterwards, after which it went for scrap. Mrs Tonge had by now run out of patience and the CUAC had to search for another venue.

  • Guest
    Wednesday, October 1, 2014

    Is this Dermot Horace Thomas Hanbury? http://trinitycollegechapel.com/media/filestore/general-documents/RollOfHonourWWII.pdf