From Ian Davis and Dave Cook

The 87^th Edinburgh Trial was held on 4^th October.  Organised by the UK’s oldest sporting motor club for motorcycles and cars, the Motor Cycling Club Ltd, this popular event followed the traditional format of recent years.  Starting in the small hours of Saturday morning from the M42 services at Tamworth and finishing after night fall in the high peak spa town of Buxton, the 260 competitors enjoyed a highly scenic road route covering close to 200 miles.  The real meat of any classic reliability trial however is the competitive element, on this event represented by some 16 Observed sections.  

The Edinburgh Trial is one of the oldest extant events on the motorsport calendar.  The 1904 version was the first reliability trial organised by the MCC and featured a simple format: solo motorcyclists had to ride from London to Edinburgh using a set route and within a scheduled timetable.  Some feat considering the rudimentary equipment and poor road systems of the day. Nevertheless some 21 intrepid members achieved it from the 46 who started.  Cars were first admitted in 1906. 

As machines and roads improved simply riding or driving somewhere and back was deemed not to be a sufficient challenge.  The organisers therefore routed competitors via notoriously difficult roads, often steep and poorly surfaced, to stiffen the test.  Competitors were required to stop at the bottom of such sections and were ‘observed’ on their way up.  The observed section was born and has remained the main competitive element of all trials since the 1920s.  The Edinburgh Trial no longer goes any further north than Buxton but in a nod to tradition the name of the event’s original destination endures. 

MCC Trials are almost unique in that the motorcycles, combinations and cars participate alongside each other.   MCC trials are also unusual in that vehicles of all ages compete on a level playing field, this year’s overall best performance in a car was by  Dean Partington in his DP Wasp, a home built special combining a 1950s Cannon Trials special with the business end of a modern Toyota MR2.  But his margin of victory was very slender and he only won by dint of a few seconds on a timed tie-decider from last year’s overall winner, Dudley Sterry, in his glorious 1933 MG J2-based special.  Dudley won Class 8 for out and out trials specials with Adrian Dommett taking Class 2 honours (pre 1941 cars) in his Wolseley Hornet Special. 

For the vast majority of entrants however it is the taking part that is important and for the main interest is in competing against the club and the sections rather than against each other.  An entrant who climbs all hills non-stop and completes the course within the time schedule is rewarded with a Gold Medal. 

One error returns a Silver medal and two a bronze.  For the remainder a ‘finishers certificate’ is ample evidence of their endeavours and is highly prized in itself.  Putting together a perfect run in all 3 MCC Trials in the same year (Exeter, Lands End, Edinburgh) is the holy grail of triallists and is rewarded with a coveted ‘Triple’ award.  This year only one Triple was won by a car, a 1950 Mark 1 Dellow (albeit with modern Rover K series powertrain), driven by David Wall.   

Wet sections and further rain during the event itself conspired to make this year’s Edinburgh one of the toughest of recent times with only 21 Gold awards made.   

To learn more about the MCC and classic trials why not visit the club’s website: www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk  To experience one of these friendly and exciting events yourself visit the ‘where to spectate’ pages of the club’s website.