1930
Chevrolet Tourer
Alfa Romeo AC
Zagato
2300
1928
Mercedes 630K
1913 Chalmers 10
1929
Buick 25X
Finish Line Edinburgh
Parking
the Rolls
Flying
Scotsman
- 14
March 2010 Report - Endurance Rally
Association, Story, Video
& Photographs - Jim Paterson
The
second running of this endurance event
starting at Brooklands and finishing in Edinburgh,
attracted 48 starters. With the exception of the Filip Bourgoo 1949
Bentley Special all cars were pre second world war, and in
some cases first, with Robert Abrey's 1913 Chalmers 10 approaching its
100th birthday, all 7.5 litres of it.
I caught up with the crews at the Gordon Arms as the cars headed for
St. Mary's Loch, over Talla to Biggar, and again at the Dalmahoy Hotel
finish on the western outskirts of Edinburgh.
There were more big Bentleys than you could wave a stick at, 6.5 litre
tourers, 4.5 litre Le-Mans, 4.5 litre VDP Tourers, 4.25 litre Derby.
The list goes on and on. The famous names of yesteryear were
represented, Riley, Alvis, Lagonda, Talbot, Fraser Nash Jaguar, BMW,
Invicta, Mercedes, and of course Rolls Royce. Even a 1930 Chevrolet and
a 1929 Buick,
straight out of an Elliot Ness movie arrived. Several million pounds
worth of vintage motor cars were parked at Dalmahoy including a 1934
Alfa Romeo AC Zagato 2300 valued at several £100k's alone,
owned by a Greek shipping magnate as I found out later.
But the owners had one thing in common, they liked to drive their cars
fast! Many took of from the junction at the Gordon Arms toward St.
Mary's loch as if the cars were still in there first prime. Olaf
Pothoven in a 1939 Citroen 15/6 (Maigret Car) was one, giving his car
full
throttle to overtake a fellow competitor before the next bend. After
some 500 miles they were well muddy,
but many had seen it all before,
sporting Peking Paris stickers from earlier sorties on endurance events.
The event drew cars and crews from all across Europe, with
the BMW328 crew coming all the way from the USA.
At
Dalmahoy I
spoke with Julian Riley who navigated for Robert Abrey in
the 7.5 litre 1913 Chalmers10, the oldest car in the event.
Appropriately dressed in period Mackintosh with leather helmet and
goggles, he told me that his biggest problem was holding on to
maps as the car has no weather protection, or windscreen. Apart from
heavy rain at the Brooklands start on the 12th, the weather had been
kind on the rest of the route. Asked how far such a massive machine
travelled on a gallon of fuel I was remarkably impressed when he
replied about 18 to the gallon. The biggest problem was not going, but
stopping. With only rear drums the crew were forced to look well ahead
and use the "band" handbrake, which pulls a band onto the outside of
the drum, to help stop the car in any sort of emergency!
Last year the event used Stobs camp at Hawick, where HBCC members
helped with the marshalling. This year they headed further west across
the borders, not quite the way the train ran, but what a great route on
a teriffic day.
It's great to see so many famous marques being used as they
were designed, by people who enjoy there cars, as all we Classic owners
do, even if you need a few more pennies in the bank to keep
these beauties running.
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1928
Mercedes 630K 
1913 Chalmers 10
At
Dalmahoy I
spoke with Julian Riley who navigated for Robert Abrey in
the 7.5 litre 1913 Chalmers10, the oldest car in the event.
Appropriately dressed in period Mackintosh with leather helmet and
goggles, he told me that his biggest problem was holding on to
maps as the car has no weather protection, or windscreen. Apart from
heavy rain at the Brooklands start on the 12th, the weather had been
kind on the rest of the route. Asked how far such a massive machine
travelled on a gallon of fuel I was remarkably impressed when he
replied about 18 to the gallon. The biggest problem was not going, but
stopping. With only rear drums the crew were forced to look well ahead
and use the "band" handbrake, which pulls a band onto the outside of
the drum, to help stop the car in any sort of emergency!