DONINGTON PARK GP 100

Organised by the Vintage Sports Car Club in celebration of 100 years of Motor Racing

The Edwardian racing car class continues to grow in popularity and at this meeting there were 20 entries.  Many of the cars are reconstructions using early chain drive chassis with First World War aircraft engines fitted.  Back in the early 1900’s it was common Brooklands practice to shoehorn the largest possible aero engine into the lightest possible chassis so these cars are simply the modern equivalent. The racing was not as spectacular as at Mallory Park because the long straights at Donington are not suited to displaying these cars to advantage.  However practice in very wet conditions was exciting. The cars were given covered accommodation in the Paddock and we took the opportunity to picture some of them as static exhibits. The race was won by David Baker in the Piccard-Pictet Special.  This is a very well prepared car and has a 9062 cc engine installed. The chassis dates from 1913 and the engine from 1918.

Above: Winner, Race 4	Above: Distressed GN JAP Aero

 Second placed man was Richard Scaldwell in the GN fitted with a V8 JAP Aero engine.  The trend in restoration these days is to have the finish “distressed” so that it looks as if it has just finished a 500 mile race at Brooklands.  This is not to everyone’s taste but it lends an air of authenticity whether justified or not. 

The 1908 Panhard-Levassor Grand Prix of Mark Walker did not feature in the results, but was quite a spectacle pirouetting before our camera in Practice.

Above:1908 Panhard-Walker obliges camera	Above: Panhard-Walker demonstrates pirhouette	Above: Edward Way's Aero-engined 1911 Austin

Edward Way was driving the 1911 chain driven Austin with the 1918 Hall-Scott Aero engine of 10 litres.  This is a reconstruction but it really looks “the business”.

It was good to see the 1911 Coupe de L’Auto Delage out again.  This car was owned for many years by the Briscoe family and is now in the capable hands of David Ozanne.  With it’s distinctive exhaust system emerging from the top of the bonnet and only 3 litres this was the smallest engined car in the race.

Above: 1911 Delage Coupe de L'Auto	Above: Vauxhall Prince Henry	Above: 1911 Sunbeam 12-16

Tudor Roberts lovely Prince Henry Vauxhall made steady progress.  Turning the headlamps back to front didn’t seem to give much extra performance!

Another small engined car was the 12/16 Sports Sunbeam of Duncan Cartwright dating from 1913.(photo : Sunbeam-12-16-Cartwright) 

Above: Julian Majzub's Indianapolis Sunbeam	Above: The Indianapolis Sunbeam near the VSCC stand.	Above: Vauxhall Viper with aero engine

Another notable Sunbeam was the Indianapolis car of Julian Majzub.

 Another Vauxhall, this time the Vauxhall Viper, another reconstruction with an A Type chassis and a large Aero engine.

Wolseley were quite prominent in competition the early years of motoring and this is the Wolsit Coppa Florio of Kenneth Prichard Jones from 1907 with a 1916 engine.

Above: Wolseley	Above: Wolseley-Jones	Above: Auto Club de France photo
Above: Daimler	Above: Itala	Above: Premier

Other Edwardian cars on display were the Lorraine Dietrich (See photo at head of this page), Daimler, Itala and Premier.

 Finally one of our all time favorite cars is the 1913 Peugeot 148 Grand Prix racer of Clive Press. 

Above: 1913 Peugeot 148 Grand Prix Racer

 

End of Press Report