Remembered Incidents, Land, Sea, Air. ( Land ).

[anotherbob]

Just came across this image which features the 1.5 litre Delage at Brooklands, together with a Bugatti which I believe is a Type 39 rather than your preferred Type 35.

The driver of the Delage is the frenchman J.P. Wimille. Lucky b***er .

[Nick Armstrong]

Thrilling.

(I remember your shrewd eye for Bugatti types, abob - remember you spotted a type 40 in that pic I posted - on another automotive thread some time back - of the Bugatti towing a caravan...? )

[anotherbob]

Thrilling.

(I remember your shrewd eye for Bugatti types, abob - remember you spotted a type 40 in that pic I posted - on another automotive thread some time back - of the Bugatti towing a caravan...? )

OH dear.... I am becoming a bore

However before withdrawing to real life here's a lovely picture of the Delage S8 1.5 motor.

[Nick Armstrong]

OH dear.... I am becoming a bore

Au contraire

They are such stunning pieces of metalwork, aren't they...

[umslopogaas]

Vintagents will hardly need reminding of this, but the Bugatti Owners Club owns the Prescott Hill Climb site at Gotherington, north of Cheltenham. As far as I recall they hold two meetings every summer when amazing vintage and classic motors attempt to break the time record. Non-club members are welcome, though there is an entry fee. For car buffs it is a fantastic day out, the display of mouth-watering machinery in the car park is a sight to behold, and as for the competing cars ...

The record incidentally was held at the time (this is ten years or so ago) by something called, I think, a Pilbeam, a sort of high powered go kart that it was practically impossible to overturn. The massive-engined vintage Bentleys and the like could roar up the straight very impressively, but then had to slow down to almost a stop to avoid rolling over on the hairpin bends.

As far as I recall the first meeting was in June, but the second was later, and might not have happened yet.

[gamba]

Thank you Caliban & to you all. Am intrigued by the long article from SCD in your item, Caliban. You may remember a piece I submitted a while ago, of my visit to Performance Cars, Gt. West Rd. London. The showroom was full of new & expensive ' buzzboxes ,' Wolseley Hornets, Singer Le Mans & MGs galore. Asking if he had something cheaper I was directed to a ' a field out at the back.' There I stood in a state of solemn amazement; a mass of vintage cars which would fetch a fortune today. Amongst them & I find this quite incredible, a road version of the Delage - all at very reasonable prices. I will reply to the SCD request for information on this model. I realised I would never be able to maintain such a glorious creature so went for a rebuild of an Allard trials car, 4.25 litre Ford Mercury engine - easy maintenance, all Ford parts.

Wish I'd got the Delage now, just to look at it & as a special treat actually SIT in it !!

As I said in my previous article, had to give up the Allard due to its drink problem - well, it did have a 4.25 litre engine !

[anotherbob]

Here's a Pilbeam from 1987. It's a sort of kit car with a Vauhall motor, a modern Hill-Climb Special.



For a real Hill Climb Special have a look at the late John Bolster's Bloody Mary. Home made wooden chassis, with pre-war JAP V-Twin motor cycle engine.

[amateur51]

Thanks anotherbob,

I too was something of a bore in the same direction, my passion was & still is the Bugatti type 35 & Delage 1.5 straight 8.
Sorry cannot add to information on the car I was in. Had it been a 300 SL, where were it's wings ?
I also remember Denis Jekinson's article in Motor Sport re. the '55 Mille Miglia - was he not rather sick from time to time ?

In finding an alternative to school I spent quite some time in the paddock at Brooklands & was able to meet drivers & cars. They found me to be a reliable source of cheap labour. I didn't expect to be paid for polishing a Maserati or 4.5l. Bentley - little did they know, that even with my little pocket money, I would have paid them !!

Anyway, glad to hear from you,

Good Wishes

gamba

I'm enjoying this all very much, not that I can drive you understand . My abiding memory of the Moss/Jenkinson Mille Miglia triumph was the ingenious system that Jenks created to warn Moss of impending corners, when to go flat out, tricky bends, etc. Was it SatNav? Was it illuminated maps? Was it blazes?! They'd been around the course a few times and Jenks had made notes which he transferred to the thin paper (Izal?) on a loo roll . By gradually unravelling it by simple rotation he was able to bellow out the next instruction - genius