Since my last post here was all about how a small, driving based meet is more fun than a static show I am now going to feel quite contradictory by raving about a, err, static show.

Once a year, on a mid week evening, it seems all the old car and bike people on the planet – and some from further a field – converge on the Hertfordshire town of Harpenden for “Classics on the Common.”  Numbers in the past have exceeded a coupe of thousand though this year the damp weather resulted in a lower turnout.  However the mix was as eclectic as always with some real treasures in amongst the usual classic car fare, helped by the forward thinking 20-years-and-older criterea for cars on display.







Car of the night for me was thanks to a brief sighting of an incredibly beautiful Alfa Romeo 6C Touring.  I saw it drive by but could not find where it parked – it’s that kind of night.  



The common started emptying earlier too but since all the vehicles are shepherded in one direction a crowd lines the street to see them drive by adding a not so static element to the evening’s fun.





There are lots more images in the RSM flickr gallery here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/retroscenemag/sets/72157621892077090/


Posted on: July 31, 2009 04:12

One Sunday in late July I’m usually found walking around a field to the west of London for the annual Uxbridge Autoshow. While it is a great “traditional” classic car show I was somehow relieved to have something else to do that weekend this year. A member of the hot rod club I’m in had organised a small run around abouts Bedfordshire, where he lives and looks after a successful traditional rod building business. About a dozen cars and perhaps twice that number of people were involved, a fraction of the numbers at Uxbridge yet more enjoyable for it.

Having gathered at base camp a line of rods and customs rolled the few miles to his shop Buckland Automotive to check out the current projects and repair a cracked exhaust on one members old bike.

From there a scenic route was plotted along some narrow twisty lanes, final destination being Twinwood Airfield, a World War II air strip that had strong links with the musician Glenn Miller. Some of the buildings have been restored to period correct condition and there is also a museum (and annual festival) celebrating Miller’s music on site.

WWII garage. The sidevalve block on the bench had been extensively stitch welded and was probably Willys in origin.

Crash damaged aero engines are chilling reminders of past heroes.

All in all a more inspiring day out than looking at lines of cars stationary in a field.

Posted on: July 27, 2009 07:19

While wandering around the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend I was trying to think of something to show devoted RSM readers without just resorting to the usual pictures of the fantastic automobiles this event attracts. Then it struck me. Wheels. A prime target for retro love. Here’s a selection.

Wedge shape concept cars always have interesting rollers. First two are from Vauxhall, the 1966 XVR with some nice Goodyear shod mag rims second the 1970 SRV with oval hole trims fitted over the top of something else and a (hand painted?) red band on the tyre.

Watch out! Here comes the Concept Car Scene Shot! Courtesy of the 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo.

Into the paddock and there’s a rack of spare racing tyres on BBSs. Note the billet wheel (and shopping basket) equipped electric scooter.

BBS rims are popular on race cars. Added turbo fans are always good. These, fitted to a ’77 Aston Martin that once held the caravan towing world speed record, have a bit of a home made look about them with riveted cones. They looked big and a look at the tyres proved them to be 19”.

The pit next door was home to a V8 powered DAF coupe. Wet set makes a good bin.

Two piece split rim spindle mount, the centres have the look of magnesium about them. Fitted to a pre-war special built by Alec Issigonis before he got into small family car design.

Now here’s a question. Would you drive a very valuable Bugatti T59 on this wheel?

Back to BBS for a rather special finish. Side by side Audi IMSA racers. Say no more.

Too see and read a bit more about this years event check out my entry in the Practical Classics magazine blog.

Posted on: July 9, 2009 23:53

 

I was familiar with the name of Denis Jenkinson but didn’t really know anything about him or what he did, other than his navigation role for Stirling Moss in the 1955 Mille Miglia.  Hunting through the bargain section in the local Borders I came across a book titled “Jenks: A Passion for Motorsport” and for the price on the label I felt the need for further investigation.  

It quickly became clear that he was an exceptional (and eccentric!) enthusiast for all things automotive and fast.  As a teenager before WW2 he would ride his bicycle to various racing venues to watch the racing.  Post war he started competing himself on two wheels and as a “passenger” for sidecar racing.    He also soon became a roving reported for Motorsport magazine covering many European races and driving to them initially in a 1939 Lancia Aprilia, then in a Porsche 356 and later in E-types.  In the days before the major road networks had been built these journeys were clearly an adventure of their own.

The book comprises mostly of tales of racing, road trips or other musings originally written by Jenkinson for the British Racing Drivers’ Club journal.  Also included are a few period texts written for Motorsport in the mid ‘50s detailing the preparation and experiences of the Mille Miglia races of which he was a part.  Moss won the thousand mile sprint in 1955, in part thanks to Jenks navigation and their prepared notes and sign language, at an average speed of almost 98mph.  Top speed of the Mercedes 300SLR was approximately 170mph and this was regularly reached on the straighter sections.  Bear in mind this was on 1950s (closed) public roads.  Testing had been done in the months previously in a gullwing 300SL when the roads were of course open and so Moss kept below speeds of 150mph….

Beyond the ‘50s he stayed an avid fan of motor racing and Formula One, wrote reports for Motorsport for over 40 years and knew the teams and drivers well.  Impressions of certain up and coming drivers and technologies are recalled and are most enlightening, the identity of any driver in question only being revealed at the end of the story.  Here he can be seen talking to Colin Chapman and Patrick Head in front of Mansells Lotus at Zandvort in 1981 (from this small gallery of snaps of that years Dutch GP)

This book had been in the making when Jenkinson’s health deteriorated in the mid nineties and he died in November 1996 following a series of strokes.  As a result, instead of the book being in part a celebration of his 75th year it became a celebration of his life and there are additional chapters written by friends and colleagues such as the racing historian Doug Nye.  This photo records Jenks last public outing at the 1995 Goodwood Festival of Speed, once again sitting next to Moss in the same 300 SLR 40 years after their win.  For more fantastic motorsport photographs check out this flickr colllection.

This is when I now tell you to search out a copy of the book for yourself.  It was only when writing this that I thought to have a look in the usual places and it appears that I did indeed get an exceptional bargain as prices quoted are, err, quite considerably more than I paid!  I can heartily recommend it however and it may well also be worth picking up some older copies of Motorsport to read Jenks’ writing as it was first published.

 

If you really fancy this excellent book Amazon can supply it for you.

Have these videos as a bit of a taster for the life of Jenks

1955 Mille Miglia 300 SLR footage

 

 

 

 

Posted on: July 1, 2009 03:08

Bill Harrahs 1969 “Jerrari” came to my attention last year when it cropped up on eBay. I’d never seen or heard of it before and it is a pretty bizarre machine, combining curvacious Ferrari 365 front sheet metal with a then brand new Jeep Wagoneer. The Ferrari theme was more than skin deep though as the 365’s V12 engine also found its way into this concoction.

Harrah's Jerrari in a period magazine

When listed on eBay it was now fitted with a more mundane small block Chevy motor so what happened to the Italian running gear?

eBay photos on Jalopnik

You would imagine it may have ended up back in a sixties Ferrari but I recently discovered, totally by chance, its destination.

I had bought a pile of seventies Street Rodder magazines at an autojumble as its an era of hot rodding I feel I know very little about. Leafing through them I came to a 1978 issue and some construction photos of a roadster being built at Magoos Auto Shop in California. The car’s owner ran a West coast Ferrari dealership and so had decided to build a top-notch rod as a promo for the business using a V12 for motorvation.

In 1977 Harrah had decided to replace the Jerrari with another V12 equipped Wagoneer and presumable chose a more current engine. The engine from the old wagon found its way into that same hot rod shop where it was installed in the roadster, the chassis extended by four inches to allow for its length. Once complete this car was named the “Deucari” and won the coveted “Americas Most Beautiful Roadster” award in 1979, making the cover of Street Rodder in June of that year.

So this one engine has been in several iconic cars, leaving Modena in a 365, being transplanted into a millionaires folly and then finding a home in a famous hot rod in which (assuming its not since been replaced) it still lives as seen here in a recent Oakland Roadster Show. Not bad!

 

Posted on: June 11, 2009 06:15

I am tired and a little giddy. I’ve just been on a potentially pointless but still somewhat epic roadtrip the results of which will cause some people to question my sanity. They won’t be “car people” though.

Actually, some of them might be.

I always find it a bit nerve wracking going to look at a potential new ride. I don’t do it very often so it always feels rather special. It’s been over a year since the last time.

This was going to be different though. Different to all of the other cars I have ever been to look at. I knew in advance it was going to be a major undertaking. It seemed daft even considering travelling the 150 miles to see it but there I was, in a Triumph Herald, buzzing up the fast lane on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The journey was made even more pleasant by spotting old Fords, rods and customs on their way home from the weekend’s big shows while discussing stupid car plans with my passenger.

Eventually Junction 29 arrived and we were off the highway and soon on a very narrow single-track road, looking for the right address. Pointed the right way by a local I swung into the drive to see the vehicle in question.

What a wreck! Actually on closer inspection a lot of good work had already been carried out. Best check out the loose panels, interior and boxes of smaller parts. Up a ladder, crawling in a barn loft to retrieve various parts I really didn’t want to fall the ten foot to the floor. Or find any big spiders. Engines and wheels in another shed, more panels, bumpers, dashboards in a third. Endless parts. Could they ever be made to go back to resembling a whole car?

Spanner on the crank pulley and the "good" engine turns over.

Time for deliberation. My passenger was realistic. “It’s do-able. A lot of work but do-able.” A phone call to home. “Can I really manage this?” “We’ll never find another one”

A deal was done! A deposit changed hands and we headed for home with a mixture of elation and trepidation.

Now all I’ve got to work out is the logistics of moving not just a rolling shell but a huge amount of parts those 150 miles! And hope I can find somewhere to put it all. Oh and then finish the existing project before starting this one.

We will never find another we can afford though.

So answers on a postcard/comment, can you tell what it is? Correct answers gets you the chance to read Retro Scene Mag free for the rest of time*



*you can already do this, so you are all winners.....

Posted on: June 3, 2009 05:00

Whether running on old car on a daily basis or having it as a high days and holidays special, autojumbles can be one of the best sources of spares and accessories. Some jumbles are better than others and then some jumblers are better than other jumblers too. A stall with well labelled boxes of bits is more likely to get customers than one with a load of rusty old parts just thrown randomly on the ground. Of course there could be treasures amongst those rusty old parts so every stall still needs a good browse…

It is also nice to see some jumblers who are clearly fully involved in the old car hobby and so use old vans or pickups to transport their wares about. Here’s a selection from the recent Enfield Pageant of Motoring.

This Bedford CA pick up was almost hidden behind the stall but would have been a show stopper on its own with the wooden bed and canvas bed cover.



This 58 Chevy pick up had a hard cover over its bed, bed being the operative word as it looked like the stall holders used it to camp in as well as to transport various period US accessories.



Staying with US vehicles, how about a battle scarred early sixties Studebaker Champ pick up?



And then there’s always room for a classic Transit at such events, though it wouldn’t be many years ago when this was just a battered old van.



Some other photos from the show appear in the Practical Classics magazine blog so feel free to check them out there.




Posted on: May 28, 2009 04:37

Andy Saunders is a name synonymous with UK car customizing. He’s been doing interesting, amazing and sometimes downright weird things to cars for 30 years.

 

It is unlikely you will like all of his creations but whatever the base material used there is always something fresh to take in and the traditional builds and restorations show that he can even sometimes be restrained!

 

 

There was a much-publicised auction of some of his well known cars towards the end of last year including the stunning Stratos Zero concept car recreation. He has recently sent out a press release regarding the handling of this auction and we felt this information should be given as wide an audience as possible so it is copied below.

 

Press release regarding Andy Saunders Kustoms v RM Auctions:

RM auctions have recently settled out of court with Andy Saunders of Andy Saunders Kustoms, for their gross misconduct towards the sale of his cars at their auction 'Automobiles Of London' in Battersea park Oct 29th 2008.

At this auction the Lancia Stratos Zero replica ( viewable on www.andysaunderskustoms.com ) that Andy had spent 2500 hours of his life building, was sold for only £16000, a massive £9000 under the signed contract agreed minimum reserve, and a collosal £24000 less than the pre-auction estimate set by RM.

There were another six points of misconduct regarding the sale of Mr Saunders cars, including RM withholding full payment from the sale of all 11 cars until court proceedings were issued, and also the withholding of £3000 of charity money (for a total period of five and a half months ) which was raised by Andy during the preview days of the sale when Andy roof chopped a mini. This was sold during the auction with the proceeds of the winning bid going to two charities close to Andy's heart, 'Dorset Cancer Care ' and 'Poole Cardiac'. Why RM Auctions withheld this money no one really knows but they have come up with several excuses none of them being relevant to the situation. Andy is very pleased that this particular issue has now been resolved and will be presenting the money to the two charities very shortly.

Andy said that he is disgusted by the way that a company with such a professional image as RM could carry out such misconduct in their sales, It is beyond belief that anyone could come away from such a prestigous event feeling so utterly gutted by the happenings that took place, but that he does now feel slightly happier that at least the reserve for the Lancia has been met.

RM work in association with Sotherbys in the upmarket area of New Bond Street, London.

For a more detailed account of all 7 points regarding the misconduct by RM auctions in relation to the sale of Mr Saunders cars please visit www.andysaunderskustoms.com

RM Auctions

Sotheby's

Andy Saunders

Posted on: May 22, 2009 18:18

It certainly feels as though the weekends are now filling up with events to go to. This show was the first for the year at Croxley Green organised by the Watford Classic Vehicle Club and was smaller than the later summer gatherings. Even though quite a few of the cars have become familiar and do the rounds of the local meets there are always a few new and interesting vehicles to see.

This red Beetle was built in New Zealand form a CKD factory “kit” in 1961 and was the property of its first owner until 1998 soon after which it came to the UK. Its still on its original engine and has since had various period accessories added.

This line-up of 3 ½ very different Citroens was also great to see. There was another small one hiding round the back!

I expected this superb looking Mk 1 Cortina to be powered by a Pinto or maybe a Zetec so the fairly serious V8 grumble when it fired up was a surprise.

Several period tuned engines were also on display, my favourite being this Aquaplane and Shorrock equipped sidevalve Ford in a Falcon special.

Check out the Flickr gallery for more photos.  We'll continue to attend shows large and small to give you a full flavour of our scene here in the UK.  We'd certainly like to hear from you if you are heading out and about further afield as well.

Posted on: May 12, 2009 03:18

In recent years the Ace Café(http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/) in North West London has become a mecca for all kinds of mechanical shenanigans.  A transport café was established on the site in the 1930’s, was bombed in the Second World War and then rebuilt in the late forties.  It became notorious in the 1950’s as a rocker/biker meeting place but suffered a decline through the following decade closing as a café in 1969.  

I can remember passing by the site as a child in the 1970’s when it was a petrol station and the two lane street outside [I]was[/I] the North Circular, passing under the arched brick railway bridges one of which still carries its fading Ferodo advertising.

By the 90’s it had become a tyre shop, though the building itself was mostly unaltered.  But one man, Mark Wilsmore, had big ideas.  Initial anniversary events at the site were hugely successful and by the end of 1997 regular monthly meets had started, using the small end room where the stage is now situated as a tea station – boil the kettle and make it yourself!

It took several more years for works to start on retuning the whole building to its original purpose.  Again I was fortunate to watch this transformation since I worked close by and drove past almost every day, stopping occasionally to chat to Mark about the progress.  I remember the fitting of the original style windows as a major landmark that really brought the building alive.  It has not been completely restored to its precise original format but the layout is essentially the same and the external bricks and mortar are soaked in history.  

There are now monthly meetings there for every style and kind of vehicle imaginable and in some ways its original transport café roots have also returned, the car park often featuring various works vans and the like during a normal weekday.  But it is on event days and nights that it shines, last night’s Hot Rod Spring Riot for example, when the buzz must be similar to that in its original heyday.

Posted on: May 7, 2009 03:16