NEWSLETTER
No 5, 2011
President: Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
Chairman: Chris
Cunnington
Editor: Rosy
Pugh
Secretary:
Rosy Pugh
All correspondence to the
secretary at the registered office
Registered office: Stonewold,
Berrick Salome
Wallingford, Oxfordshire. OX10 6JR
Telephone & Fax: 01865 400845
Email: secretary@fbhvc.co.uk.
About FBHVC
The Federation of British
Historic Vehicle Clubs exists to uphold the freedom to use old vehicles on the
road. It does this by representing the interests of owners of such vehicles to
politicians, government officials, and legislators both in UK and (through
membership of Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) in Europe.
FBHVC is a company limited
by guarantee, registered number 3842316, and was founded in 1988.
There are nearly 500
subscriber organisations representing a total membership of over 250,000 in
addition to individual and trade supporters.
Details can be found at www.fbhvc.co.uk
or sent on application to the secretary.
EDITORIAL
The AGM and conference form the perfect opportunity for members to have
their say, and with ethanol as the conference theme we can be sure there is
plenty to debate. We do look forward to meeting everyone on 15 October at the
meeting. Admission will be by ticket, either for lunch or attendance only –
please apply before 7 October to the secretary.
Following the AGM we will be exhibiting at the NEC again in November – a
great end to the historic motoring year with, we hear, record numbers of both
four and two-wheeled vehicle clubs taking part.
The December Club Expo event at Heritage Motor Centre has been postponed
until 3 March 2012. Many of our members did voice criticism of the December
date, and last year the first serious snow of the winter did not help to draw
clubs in. The new spring date should be an excellent curtain raiser for the
2012 season. The Federation are looking forward to working with HMC to make
this club event even better than before in its new place in the calendar.
WELCOME
In 1989 four
heavyweights of the steam traction world (including the late Michael Oliver of
Great Dorset Steam Fair fame) met for a semi-serious debate: ‘The only tangible
reason for holding (steam engine) rallies is to promote brewers profits’. One
wonders why they had taken so long to start looking at some strategic issues of
this nature since the first rally was held at Appleford in 1954. The motion,
although defeated, raised some interesting pointers for the rally scene at the
time and for the future. These days steam engine events seem to be well catered
for, with or without the beer tent, and owners of other classic vehicles
(observing the drink driving laws, of course) have a plethora of events to
attend throughout the year, only limited by the user’s loyalties, type of
vehicle, enthusiasm and expertise. Long may it continue I hear you say! However
it is right and proper that occasionally the old vehicle movement should take a
step back and look at the long term issues that we face. The FBHVC AGM is such
an opportunity to do so and I encourage all members to attend if only to tell
us what we’re doing right and (perhaps) identify areas that could be improved.
LEGISLATION
David Hurley
As can be expected during the parliamentary recess
period, few formal consultations have been issued and thus there is no news on
the MoT test. However the increase in Red Tape Challenge items has escalated. Vetting
of these is not made any easier as each government department adopts a different
style of presentation.
RED TAPE
CHALLENGE
The recent batch of topics includes: Environment,
Employment Related Law, Children’s Services, Rail and Merchant Shipping (which
includes fuel) and Energy. The timescales are quite short, the first topic ran
from 1-21 September.
We would also like
to point out to all our trade supporters that there may be some items of
concern within the Employment Related Law section which is the next topic due
in the spotlight. Other organisations may wish to check the child protection
legislation in the Children’s Services section.
The Manufacturing category, now closed, included
export control legislation and a response has been sent concerning military
vehicles and the OGEL system. The Federation also sent a response to the
General Regulation, Waste section. The End of Life Vehicle Regulations included
here interpret the Directives that state that historic vehicles cannot be
considered as waste if they are being kept privately, for example for spares,
or awaiting restoration. We also added that there are still concerns about the
removal of the scrap tick box from the V5C. A very prompt reply was received
from DVLA:
‘I have received a copy of your consultation response
to the Red Tape Challenge regarding End of Life Vehicles and thought I may be
able to provide you with some advice. You may recall that the removal of the
scrap box from the V5C was discussed at the last FBHVC/DVLA Meeting in October
2010 and the following written reply provided by DVLA in December 2010:
‘The End of Life Vehicles Regulations
2003 implemented the requirement of the EU End of Life Vehicles Directive
(2000/53).
The law states that all End of Life
Vehicles must be taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) to be
destroyed and de-polluted in an environmentally friendly way. The ATF will
notify DVLA that the vehicle has been destroyed and issue the person presenting
the vehicle for scrapping will be issued with a Certificate of Destruction
(CoD) which closes down the vehicle record at DVLA and ends the registered
keepers' responsibility for the vehicle.
Because of this, vehicle keepers
cannot "scrap" a vehicle themselves and so DVLA no longer accepts
notifications of scrapping made on the V5C.
The removal of the scrap box on
the new V5C was in accordance to the End of Life Vehicle Directive requirement,
in that all vehicles must be taken to an ATF to be destroyed and issued with a
CoD.
Over recent years the salvage
industry has campaigned for the removal of the scrap box on the V5C. DVLA
realised that the scrap box should be removed at the earliest convenience, and
was therefore removed during the wider review of other changes needed to the
certificate and was incorporated with the re-design of the V5C.’
With regards to the points made
in your consultation response regarding the difficulty historic vehicle
enthusiasts find in notifying DVLA. I hope you find the following helpful.
For vehicles outside the scope of the ELV requirement,
such as historic vehicles, the V5C can still be used. If parts are delivered to
an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) then the V5C/3 ‘selling or transferring
your vehicle to a motor trader, insurer or dismantler’ part of the V5C should
be filled in with the ATF’s details and sent to DVLA. Alternatively, if the ATF
is reluctant to fill in the V5C/3 or a keeper is self scrapping, then the whole
V5C can be sent to DVLA with a covering explanation letter, dated and signed . Within
4 weeks DVLA should confirm receipt that the person is no longer the keeper of
the vehicle, and this discharges the requirement to tax or SORN each year.’
Planning –
14/28 day rule
Briefly, this long established rule enabled
agricultural landowners to avoid the tortuous (and expensive) planning process
where land was to be used for non-agricultural purposes for temporary short
term use.
This ‘call for
views’ by the Department for Communities and Local Government was not
distributed as a formal consultation to affected organisations, but was hidden
away in their website with some biased remarks about nuisance caused by ‘motor
sport’. The FBHVC, alongside MSA and LARA, have responded arguing that this
concession should be continued unaltered, since it has worked well for many
years. Our response also made the point that other non-motorsport activities
could well be affected, such as ploughing matches, club rallies and camping
weekends.
E-petition to
restore a rolling 30 year old exemption to VED
On the face of it, this is an understandable move to
eradicate the invidious gap between the VED treatment of pre-1973 vehicles and
more modern classics, caused by the actions of Gordon Brown who, when
Chancellor, stopped the rolling nature of the Historic VED category. The FBHVC
have consistently asked for reinstatement on a thirty year basis (originally it
was 25 years) but whilst Labour were in power it proved impossible.
Prior to the
election last year the Conservatives acknowledged the anomaly and agreed to
review it if they gained power, while warning that it would probably need to be
fiscally neutral. (That’s before they opened the books!) The political climate
(Coalition) and economic situation have deteriorated dramatically since the
change of government. With the programme of deficit reduction adversely
affecting government spending, including that for vulnerable sections of
society, it is, in my personal view, the wrong time to raise the
profile of this anomaly and could prejudice any future change for many years.
The theory behind e-petitions
is that if the petition gets 100,000 signatures, and gets the support of the Backbenchers’
Committee, it will be debated in the Commons. It is inevitable that the
coalition would be against change at this juncture since it cuts across the
main government policy and would give away revenue to a minority interest. You
can also imagine the reaction of the opposition; it would be perceived as giving
away revenue to ‘Hooray Henrys’ in their expensive classics whilst at the same
time cuts to expenditure on the NHS, Social Services, concessionary fares for
OAPs and libraries continue. Issues raised in any debate would leave a lasting
bad feeling against our movement and make it politically impossible to change
the concession for many years. It is also possible that some opposition members
might question the continuing existing concession. It is vitally important to
retain public and political support for our movement and to avoid any accusations
of being a blinkered self-interested minority. Adverse press coverage would be
inevitable.
The FBHVC board
will debate the merits of this petition at its next meeting on 21 September and
no doubt it will also be a topic for discussion during the AGM.
FUEL NEWS
Matthew Vincent
STABILITY ADDITIVE TESTING
At the time of writing the testing of the additives is
now halfway through the thirteen week programme. The results are expected in time for the AGM and
Conference on 15 October – for details about tickets, see elsewhere in the
newsletter.
The fuel used in
the test is subjected to an ageing process at elevated temperature; it is
recognised by the industry that 13 weeks’ ageing is equivalent to one year at
normal temperatures and this is therefore believed by the petrol industry
itself to give an accurate and representative account of the products tested.
Those additives that pass the test will be entitled to carry the FBHVC’s
endorsement – this means that they will protect against corrosion but it must
be noted that there are currently no additives available that can protect
against material incompatibility issues.
USE OF KEROSENE IN PETROL IN HISTORIC VEHICLES
Interest in adding kerosene to petrol for use in
historic cars arose in the early 1990s after the disappearance of ‘two star’
leaded petrol. Some
believed that higher octane four-star petrol could not be safely used in older
low compression engines. This line of argument has been overturned, and in fact
it is now generally accepted that while ‘excessive’ octane quality might be a
waste of money, it is not harmful in low compression engines. The alternative
view, that the greatly increased volatility of modern petrol is to blame for
operating problems in older engines, is increasingly accepted. This aspect of
modern fuels has been brought into focus again recently over the issue of
addition of ethanol to petrol under the EU renewable fuels directive. Ethanol
addition increases volatility, so any problems associated with high fuel
volatility are not likely to be reduced with fuels containing ethanol.
With this in mind,
there has been a renewal of interest in the addition of kerosene to petrol.
Kerosene has a boiling range from about 160oC to about 250oC,
whereas petrol boils over the approximate range 35oC to 195oC.
Problems experienced in older engines, such as overheating, power loss, poor
hot starting etc. have been attributed to the increased proportion of low
boiling material added to petrol in more recent decades. This is believed to
result in vapour formation in the wrong places, thereby upsetting fuel-air
ratios, and in the main, causing enleanment of fuel-air mixtures reaching the
combustion chamber. Addition of a high boiling material such as kerosene does
not affect the ‘front end’ of the fuel in the sense of preventing low
boiling-point hydrocarbons in the fuel from vaporising (low boiling point
hydrocarbons in the fuel will boil off and form vapour long before the kerosene
starts to boil), but if kerosene is added at 5% or 10% by volume for example,
the proportion of the ‘front end’ components will be reduced by a corresponding
amount, and this may be just enough in some engines to alleviate the negative
effects of potentially excessive vapour formation. Some owners of historic
vehicles report significant benefits from the use of kerosene in this way.
However, the main
point about kerosene, which is its higher boiling range, should not be overlooked.
The high ‘back end’ boiling temperatures associated with kerosene may result in
incomplete combustion, since a fuel which has not completely evaporated will
not burn. Any unburned material will find its way into the sump where it will
dilute the lubricating oil. A significant amount of diluent derived from
kerosene addition in the lubricating oil would run the risk of lubrication
problems, with consequent increased wear of bearing surfaces. There has been
some confusion over the use of kerosene blends in historic agricultural
tractors, particularly as some of these used car-derived engines. However, in
order for these machines to burn kerosene-blend fuels efficiently, a special
vaporising inlet manifold was used on the tractor version, to ensure that
complete combustion occurred, without the risk of oil dilution. The same engine
in a passenger car, if operated on kerosene-blend fuels, will not be so well
suited to these blends.
Kerosene addition
is likely also to increase the risk of deposits in the fuel system, and may
also increase the formation of sooty particulates in the exhaust gas. Overall,
while it acknowledges that some historic vehicle owners have suffered from poor
engine operation with modern petrol, the FBHVC does not feel able to recommend
the use of kerosene in petrol in older vehicles. Instead, the Federation
endorses the recommendations contained in a booklet published by the Vintage
Sports Car Club, entitled ‘Fuel Problems – Use of Modern Petrol in Older
Engines’ some years ago. These recommendations are felt to address the causes
rather than the symptoms of the problem, and are still relevant today. The
following suggestions are made in the report:
·
adoption of local solutions to reduce heat input
to the fuel system, principally from hot exhaust components
·
use of insulating gaskets or other thermal
breaks between fuel pump and engine and/or between carburettor(s) and inlet
manifold
·
use of heat shields to prevent heat being
radiated from the exhaust system to the carburettor(s) and other fuel system
components
·
careful routing of fuel feed lines away from
sources of heat en route from the tank to the carburettor(s)
These suggestions
will be of most value in engines where the inlet manifold and the exhaust
manifold lie on the same side of the engine. Engines where carburettors and
exhaust are on opposite sides of the cylinder head tend to be much less
affected by volatility related problems.
In addition, the
condition of the radiator in water-cooled engines should not be overlooked. Old
radiators can become really quite inefficient over time with accumulation of
scale, debris and sludge on heat transfer surfaces, but the process can be slow
and may not be noticed. Chemical flushing can improve cooling efficiency, but
in some cases a replacement radiator core may be the best way to restore
efficient operation.
DVLA
ORIGINAL NUMBER CLAIMS (V765 SCHEME)
The identity of a vehicle starts with the chassis, or
monocoque. The V765/3
Scheme Guidance Notes indicates that: ‘you
must be satisfied that the vehicle is genuine’, and: ‘you must be satisfied that the evidence linking the vehicle with the
number is genuine’. Should the criteria contained in INF26 (Guidelines on
how you can register kitcars and rebuilt or radically altered vehicles) Section
2, called ‘Vehicles that have been
rebuilt using a mixture of new/used parts’ also be applied?
The reply from
DVLA was:
‘The INF 26 procedures are in place purely to assess
the identity of vehicles which are currently registered on DVLA’s system.
‘The V765 scheme is intended to ensure that the
vehicle being registered for the first time on DVLA’s computerised system is
reunited with its original identity. If, prior to applying via the V765 scheme,
a historic or classic vehicle is rebuilt (rather than repaired) from parts
taken from a number of donor vehicles, or where the donor vehicle may not be
known, the correct course for registration would be the Reconstructed Classic
route – providing the criteria are met. However, DVLA relies on the integrity
and expertise of the owners club to ensure that the vehicle being registered is
what it purports to be. Whether the clubs apply the INF26 principles as a guide
is a matter for them.’
In practical
terms, I would suggest that using the principles in Section 2 of INF26 does
have a lot of merit. In particular for a chassis-based vehicle, the body does
not come into the jigsaw.
There was concern
expressed at the clubs’ meeting held in March at DVLA’s Theale office about
owners who change the body type prior to a claim for that particular number.
Provided that the chassis and mechanical components come from the same vehicle
that used to display the registration number, the new type of body should not
adversely affect your judgement on that claim.
In an ideal world
the pre-1982 documentary evidence which links the vehicle to the registration
number would also contain the model and chassis number. Where no chassis number
is shown is it reasonably likely that these documents could relate to the
physical vehicle? DVLA will take into account your decisive recommendation when
deciding whether to allocate the number to the vehicle on a non-transferable
basis.
This is a question relating to vehicles used
exclusively for historic track racing events. It is not unusual to have an historic racing vehicle paired
with a second donor vehicle used for spares. It is accepted that the main
vehicle needs to be SORNed. As the donor vehicle is used up, when does it
technically no longer exist and so does not need to be SORNed?
DVLA have
indicated the following:
‘If you still have the key remnants of the vehicle,
e.g. the chassis or bodyshell, and two other major components e.g. front and
back suspension, both axles, transmission, steering assembly, or engine, you
will need to keep declaring SORN.
A vehicle keeper must notify DVLA immediately if they
rebuild or modify their vehicle. In cases where a registered vehicle is rebuilt
or modified from its original specification it will be assessed under the INF26
guidelines and a physical inspection of the vehicle by a DVLA local office will
be required.
If a vehicle is
rebuilt using a second hand chassis or monocoque bodyshell from a donor vehicle
or from an unknown source, the identity will change irrespective of how many
components are retained from the original vehicle and it is advisable for
anyone intending to carry out such a build to familiarise themselves with the INF26
before work begins.
In the scenario described, where a car is used for off
road race or speed events, and is repaired/rebuilt from parts of another
registered and SORNed vehicle, SORN must be declared on both vehicles and must
continue to be until the vehicles are destroyed. Such vehicles should not be
relicensed for use on the public road until DVLA has been notified of the
rebuild/modifications.
Vehicles that have been driven by a well known
personality, or have won a number of races are typically recognised by their
registration numbers and/or chassis numbers. The value of these vehicles can be on the high side.
However, some of these vehicles that were written off in severe crashes
subsequent to their moments of fame are occasionally ‘found’ again in a
remarkably intact condition. I would expect that the majority of specialist
clubs will be wary of these ‘found’, formally written off vehicles, and would
treat any claim for that number in the appropriate manner. Possibly an age-related
number application could be more appropriate.
If specialist
clubs come across cases like this, it would be helpful if they could send in
the V765 form to DVLA, with the rejection box ticked, together with an
explanation on how this conclusion was deduced. This could prevent DVLA
accepting a later recommendation for this number from a non-specialist club,
who may not be quite so knowledgeable.
The Federation is
keen to maintain the reputation of the V765 scheme. If a club is aware of any such
vehicles they may wish to pass this information on to the Federation, together
with some background information. The Federation will then pass this
information onto the appropriate section at DVLA.
EXEMPTION FROM VEHICLE TESTING
Goods vehicles over 3500kg Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
first used before 1 January 1960, used unladen and not drawing a laden trailer
are exempt from testing.
This definition comes from the DVLA V112G form, called Goods Vehicle Testing –
Declaration of Exemption (item 30). Some of these vehicles will have a
‘Ministry plate’.
Goods vehicles
irrespective of their age which are 3500kg GVW or under will be subject to MoT
testing. Where a vehicle has a Ministry plate, the GVW on that plate should be
used to determine the type of test for that vehicle.
Where a commercial
vehicle is close to 3500kg GVW, some owners may be unclear of the vehicle’s
status. This is an area where specialist vehicle clubs may be able to offer
assistance to owners and some publish a list of the vehicles that fall into
their area of interest, indicting the GVW of each model, and if an MoT or Goods
Vehicle Test is needed. As a general rule, for post-war non-military vehicles,
if a vehicle has single rear wheels, its GVW is less than 3500kg, so the
vehicle will be subject to an MoT.
One commonly used
(or misused) testing exemption relates to breakdown vehicles. Exemption 3 on
V112G reads as follows: ‘Breakdown Vehicles with permanently fixed lifting gear
which are only used to lift and tow casualty vehicles’. The installation of a
beaver tail does not in itself make it into a recovery vehicle that is exempt from
testing, there is also the usage criterion in the exemption, which implies
commercial use.
Another
exemption relates to fire engines. Exemption 8 reads: ‘Vehicles designed and
used solely for fire fighting or fire salvage purposes’. However fire engines
registered before 1960 are treated as good vehicles and are exempt from
testing.
REGISTERING COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
When a commercial vehicle is being registered, if the
vehicle has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) over 3500kg, there is a DVLA
requirement to indicate the GVW on the V55/5 form (Registration of a used motor
vehicle). It would be
expected that specialist commercial vehicle clubs would have access to archive
information which indicates GVW for each post-war model. With pre-war models,
the information may not be available, and it may be necessary to resort to
adding together the nominal payload of the vehicle to the unladen weight to
give a GVW. VOSA have lists of design weights for goods vehicle from 1951,
which is available if required. The contact is enquiries@vosa.gov.uk
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND DVLA
Original vehicle documents should never be posted to
DVLA. If an original
document is lost in the post, it would be irreplaceable. Where the application
is made at the specialist unit at Swansea, standard practice is to obtain a
certified photocopy of the document from a DVLA local office.
The documentation
required for an imported vehicle is contained in DVLA leaflet INF106, called ‘How to import your vehicle into Great Britain’.
Amongst other things, DVLA require ‘a
non-GB registration document or certificate for your vehicle and any other
papers you have relating to the vehicle, or a dating certificate from the
manufacture or other acceptable source’. It is assumed that the choices
given are in order of DVLA preference. Imported vehicles are dealt with
initially by DVLA local offices and past experience indicates that there can be
subtle differences in working practices between offices.
Like many
organisations, DVLA don’t have the space to store paper documents. Typically a
document would be scanned and then the original destroyed. It is reasonable
that the DVLA local office will need to see the original documents. It is also
possible that DVLA might be concerned that a non-GB registration document might
be used later on to register a second vehicle and thus wish to endorse the
original to prevent this occurring. However, that document is either the
property of the vehicle owner, or the non-GB issuing authority.
With the imported
historic vehicles which I have dealt with, the owners have had little or no
documentation, the vehicle is so old that the original manufacturer either does
not exist, or does not have the records, so looking at INF106, we gravitate to
‘dating certificate (or letter) from other acceptable source’. In
practical terms means a dating letter produced by a club under the Reconstructed
Classics criteria, which include a club inspection.
If you have had
problems with DVLA destroying original legacy documents please contact the
Federation.
TRADE & SKILLS
Tony Davies
The FBHVC’s five-yearly national socio-economic survey
is just about complete so I shall be resurrecting our web-based trade and skills
questionnaire, to re-commence in January 2012.
The original
version earlier this year was aimed at clubs but now I would like to invite and
encourage you, as individuals, to respond; you are much more likely to have
greater experience of vehicle restorations than clubs, per se, do. So please
keep your eyes open on the Trade and Skills section of the FBHVC website early
in 2012. In the next Newsletter I will provide you with the website URL and
password for you to access the questionnaire.
I will present an
outline of the 2011 responses at our AGM in October where I will also give you
some more information on the FIVA dimension of our work.
Welcome to the
following traders who have joined us: Hove MoT.com; Evans Cooling Systems UK; Straight
Six Classics
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS
David Whale
Heritage Open Days is a nationwide initiative
co-ordinated by English Heritage in which many historic properties open their
doors to the public for free. Once a year it’s a fantastic opportunity to
experience stunning houses, gardens and interesting heritage locations.
Over the weekend
of September 10-11 around 200 properties opened their doors free of charge and
in a number of locations visitors were able to experience vehicle displays
kindly arranged by member clubs of the Federation.
The copy deadline
for this Newsletter is the day following that weekend so this report aims to
provide just a flavour of some of the events, a more comprehensive report with
photographs will appear in the next issue of Newsletter.
Heritage Open Day
is extremely well established in some properties, not only was the house and
parkland open at Basildon Park in West Berkshire but a display of Horrocks
dresses was complimented by the Newbury Dramatic Society bringing the house to
life as it would have been in September 1958. The North Hampshire Austin
Enthusiasts' Club presented a display of 1930s Austins and a MGB with automatic
transmission.
A display of
twelve cars and a Bedford lorry appeared at the National Trust property,
Batemans; a beautiful 17th century Jacobean house in East Sussex, home of the
writer Rudyard Kipling. Our appreciation to Hooe’s Old Motor Club and
Eastbourne Historic Vehicle Club for their support.
The prospect of
poor weather impacted the numbers attending the Colne Valley Postal History
Museum but the 1960s F Series II Vauxhall Victor was very well received by the
visitors to this small museum which comprises 100 Post Office letter boxes
together with stamp vending machines, documents, uniforms and associated
artefacts. Thanks to Adrian Symkiss of the South Eastern Vintage & Classic
Vehicle Club for his commitment!
A Frogeye Sprite,
Fiat 850 and Reliant Scimitar GTC featured amongst the cars displayed at Corfe
Castle. Three Counties Vintage & Classic Car Club organised the display at
one of Britain’s most majestic ruins. The demolition of the castle in 1646 by
the Parliamentarians marked the end of a rich history as both fortress and
royal residence. With its fallen walls and secret places, it is a place to
explore, a giant playground for children of all ages!
This is just a
brief snapshot of some of the events but demonstrates a clear opportunity of
connecting road transport to the heritage that is displayed through historic
buildings and locations. Here we have the opportunity to introduce vehicles to
a broader audience and make the connection with highly reputable bodies having
significant political influence in promoting the preservation and accessibility
of our national heritage.
ECONOMIC IMPACT – RESEARCH STUDY
The FBHVC in conjunction with Brighton University
undertook a study to establish the economic benefit to the city of Brighton and
Hove created by the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
This oldest
international event for cars and tricycles made before 1905 starts from Hyde
Park in London on the first Sunday in November and finishes on the outskirts of
Brighton. Participants then drive through the city to the seafront where the
cars are put on display.
Spectators along
the route through Brighton and on the seafront for the 2010 event were
questioned to establish their expenditure in the city and to understand their
motivation for watching. The participants were asked to complete a
questionnaire after the event to establish similar details and the organisers
were asked about their expenditure in the city. The number of spectators was
established by filming the crowds, counting and estimating.
The study showed
that this one day event had a significant impact on the city, attracting over
20,000 spectators and generating £1.1 million additional spending for the local
economy.
At the press
conference held in Brighton in advance of the 2011 event, the Royal Automobile
Club announced the survey results as part of their presentation. In their press
release Ben Cussons, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club motoring committee,
said: “The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has long been established as the
pinnacle of historic vehicle events in the UK, but the economic value of such an
iconic showcase should not be underestimated.”
The research was
led by Geoff Smith, FBHVC vice president, who said at the press conference: “We
believe this economic impact study is the first of its kind to look at how an
historic vehicle event brings economic and social benefits to the community
where it takes place. The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is a unique event,
but there are many other national and local events that take place in other
towns and cities throughout the country. This exercise has highlighted the
value that historic vehicle activities can bring to such locations.”
In The Argus, a paper distributed
throughout Sussex, Claire Ottewell, chair of Tourism Alliance, was quoted as
saying: “With an event like this, large numbers of people are brought to the
city and local businesses have the opportunity to showcase themselves. It’s
great the car run generates that much revenue for the city”.
The full research
report is available at www.fbhvc.co.uk
CLUB NEWS
David Davies
Very many anniversaries to note in this issue,
congratulations to all.
The Lakeland and Historic Car Club is
in its 30th year, while the National Autocycle Cyclemotor club recount
strenuous endeavours for their 30th anniversary; fifteen mopeds, including an
NVT Easy Rider, took part in an end-to-end ride to raise funds for Help for
Heroes www.thebuzzingclub.co.uk. The Cavalier and Chevette Club is delighted
to report that it is 30 years since the launch of ‘the reps’ delight’, the
Cavalier Mk 2. www.cavalierandchevetteclub.co.uk
The Imp Club magazine reminds us that it is
40 years since the first Clan came off the production line in County Durham www.theimpclub.co.uk. Wessex Vehicle Preservation Group also
celebrates its 40th anniversary, www.wvpc.org.uk
The Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners’ Club
is 50 year old, www.scimitarweb.com
and the Riley Motor Club is
celebrating 50 years of the Riley Elf. The MG
Car Club reports that the Sprite celebrated 50 years in 2007 and this year
it is the turn of the Midget with nearly 700 of the beasts gathered together at
Burghley House on 12 June, www.mgcc.co.uk.
The Ford Anglia 105E Owners Club
reminds us that 2011 is the golden jubilee of the Anglia van www.fordanglia105owenrsclub.co.uk. The Singer Owners’ Club informs that 2011
is the golden jubilee of the Singer Vogue. Fifty years of the Mini Cooper was
celebrated at a rally at Beaulieu by the Mini
Cooper Register and it is ten years since the introduction of the ‘new’
Mini www.minicooper.org. The Historic Commercial Vehicle Club
celebrated the golden jubilee of the HVCS London to Brighton Run with a superb
selection of photographs of participating vehicles, the oldest entry was from
1901 and the youngest was Becky Drackup in her Austin A35 van while the most
impressive must have been the heavy haulage ensemble of three road locomotives
and a massive transformer on a low-loader. The appearance of a Leyland Gas
Turbine tractor unit was of great interest to your contributor, who was unaware
that any of these escaped captivity.
The Bond Owners’ Club celebrated its
diamond jubilee on 7 June. The Ariel
Owners’ Motor Cycle Club will hold a 60th anniversary dinner in November at
the National Motorcycle Museum and in the same issue of their newsletter quote
Benjamin Franklin: ‘In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water
there is bacteria’, www.arielownersmcc.co.uk.
The Ford Y & C Model Register
magazine reminds us that 2011 sees 100 years of Ford in Britain, Percival Perry
having opened for business in Shaftesbury Avenue, London on 8 March 1911, www.fordyandcmodelregister.co.uk.
Congratulations to
the Reliant Kitten Register on the
100th edition of their magazine, which has an interesting article on vehicle
painting using Barcoat, a product which acts as a sealer between old and new
paint, www.kitreg.org.uk. The 250th
issue of the TR Register magazine
has an informative article on the Goodwood race circuit www.tr-register.co.uk
Just to prove that
there seems to be nothing in the automotive field that has not been tried
before, the De Dion Bouton Club
magazine features Ferdinand Porsche’s hybrid car of 1900 and its reconstruction
for the Stuttgart Porsche Museum www.dedionboutonclub.co.uk.
There is an extended feature on this recreation in the impressive magazine of
the Porsche Club www.porscheclubgb.com Staying with alternative
fuels, there is a photograph of the Mowrite Mole, a battery powered rotavator,
on the cover of the Vintage
Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club magazine whilst inside is an
informative article on magnetos www.vhgmc.co.uk.
There is an interesting observation in the Aston Martin Owners Club AM News concerning the DB6 used by Prince
William at his wedding. It seems that Prince Charles has had this car converted
to run on E85 bio-ethanol – perhaps his Royal Highness might wish to
participate in the ethanol debate which will take place after the Federation
AGM? The subject of alternative sources of power is highlighted by an article
in the magazine of the Classic and
Historic Motor Club: the wartime conversion of a Morris Cowley by a Mr
Rodgers, of Leicester and the fearsome-looking conversion of a Fordson tractor
by a company in Whitby are described in detail. Does anyone remember them and,
more importantly, are they still in existence? Still with steam, there is an
in-depth article on the Cyclone Engine which is being developed by Harry
Schoell in the Steam Car Club of Great
Britain magazine, www.steamcar.net
I can almost rely
upon the Highland Classic Motor Club
for a photograph of dereliction and this months’ gem of an ‘elephants’
graveyard’ of Rovers in Glenelg is a delight www.highlandclassic.org.uk
The NECPWA magazine for July has an
interesting and informative article on superchargers. Among other things, we
learn that the Rootes supercharger was designed with blast furnaces in mind. www.necpwa.org.uk
The Norfolk Military Vehicle Group
newsletter tells us that the ‘official’ Dad’s Army Collection of memorabilia from
the television series is in Bressingham. www.nmvg.org.uk
The Chester Vintage Enthusiasts’ Club
newsletter has an article and cover photograph of the extraordinary Chrysler
Thunderbolt of 1941 - an example of which has survived and has been restored. www.chestervintage.org.uk
Congratulations to
the Riley RM Club on winning the
‘Best Stand Award ‘ at the new North-West Classic Car Show which was held at
Events City, next to the Trafford Centre in Manchester.
The magazine of
the Daimler and Lanchester Owners’ Club
reminds us of the existence of magnificent Daimler PSVs with the cover
photograph of a red and white double-decker of 1966 from Huddersfield. The same
magazine continues the story of Her Majesty’s Daimlers with some remarkable
photographs. www.dloc.org.uk
The Cornwall Vintage Vehicle Society made
the long trek into County Durham but considered it fully worthwhile in order to
spend a couple of days at the Beamish
Museum.
There are a couple
of striking photographs of Victoria Beever’s immaculate Rover 105S in full cry in
a HRDC event at Brand’s Hatch in the Bulletin of the Rover Sports Register The bulletin also has an illustrated article
on the dark, satanic mills of John Thompson Motor Pressings of Wolverhampton from
whence came most of our chassis pressings.
By means of a
delightful photograph, the magazine of the Standard
Motor Club reminds us that more than 800 Sopwith ‘Pups’ were built by
Standard in 1917.
The Pre-war Austin Seven Club magazine has
a feature on one of Bob Collier’s special motorcycles, an Austin Seven engine
expertly shoehorned into a BSA M20 frame and now fully restored by the Sammy
Miller Museum. It seems that Collier built five Austin-engined specials so
where are the others? www.pwa7c.co.uk
The magazine of the
Association of Singer Car Owners has
some suggestions for changing the polarity of a three brush dynamo, www.asco.org.uk.
An article in the
Newsletter of East Anglian Practical
Classics outlines the surprisingly large number projects to manufacture new
examples of ‘iconic’ vehicles of yesteryear, www.ea-pc.co.uk.
Staying in that
part of the world, the Colne Valley Classic
and Vintage Club magazine has an article on the Carvairs, the DC4
conversions that were employed on cross-channel hops in the 1970s. Not for
those of a nervous disposition, it would seem. www.brmmbrmm.com/cvcvc
There is an
informative, if brief, biography of Lord Austin in the newsletter of the Austin Cambridge Westminster Car Club. There
is a brief biography of S.C.H (Sammy) Davis in the Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club magazine www.siddeley.com
A warm welcome to new
members, the Wolseley Owners’ Club.
Inside the magazine is an educational article on rebuilding an SU fuel pump. www.wolseleyownersclub.com
Minor Matters, the
magazine of the Morris Minor Owners’
Club has had a facelift – and a highly effective one it is! Inside is a
feature on a restored Post Office Telephones Minor van of 1971 in the yellow
livery. An interesting aside is that only 12 of the K8 telephone boxes (the
successor to the much loved K6) now survive. www.mmoc.org.uk
The magazine of
the Land-Rover Series One Club reminds
of the Rights of Way Code of Conduct to be adhered to on Green Lanes where
there is a known right of way. www.lrsoc.com
If you were
looking for a car with fully documented and exclusive history, you might wish
to contact the Triumph Roadster Club
magazine as a remarkable 1949 example is available. The story of its discovery
and eventual purchase makes interesting reading. www.triumphroadsterclub.org
In spite of all
the rules and regulations, it seems that there are still a few ‘proper’
scrapyards out there. A photo-reportage on Balby Motor Spares, near Doncaster
in the Peoples’ Republic of South Yorkshire features in the magazine of the
Cambridge-Oxford Owners’ Club www.co-oc.org
We enquired about Michelin House some little
time ago and were rewarded with details of its survival as a restaurant. Floating
Power, the magazine of the Traction
Owners’ Club, remind us that 2011 sees the centenary of this remarkable
building. www.traction-owners.co.uk
The magazine of
the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club draws
our attention to Stay Up carburettor floats for SU carburettors now available
from Burlen Fuel Systems. The intelligence that complete replacement of all the
fuel injection hoses on a Jaguar will cost around £1100 is made without
comment. www.jec.org.uk
There is a report
on a fascinating conducted tour of London Road cemetery in Coventry with its
many associations with the early history of the motor vehicle which is
something rather different and is included in the journal of the Midland Vehicle Preservation Society www.themvps.co.uk
The Alvis Owner Club have in recent years
set up an independent trust, the Alvis Archive Trust, to preserve and safeguard
Alvis technical and other literature on the marque, as well as any relevant
historical items and automobilia. Much of this is currently housed in the
Coventry Museum archives, but they are considering the lease of premises to
make it easier for members of the Alvis 12/50 Register and the Alvis Owner Club
to access and research this archive material. Bearing in mind the commercial
leasing costs of adequate storage and office floorspace, they wish to determine
the interest of other one-make car clubs, and particularly those of Coventry
origin without facilities at present. This would mean leasing a larger unit
with separate sub-units that could be retained securely for each club, but with
shared costs regarding square footage required, office and kitchen/toilet
facilities and security and management. They would be glad to be put in contact
with other club archivists who are looking to the future retention of their
archival material. Please contact the Alvis Archive Trust, Steve Horne 01799
586237, stephendhorne@gmail.com
OBITUARY
John Castle
It is with great
sadness that we report the passing of John Castle at the age of 83. Amongst his
qualities he was a fine artist whose subjects included cars, motorcycles,
aircraft and native Americans. His contributions to the FIVA Driver’s Code in
the form of amusing but very accurate sketches that obviated the requirement
for translation contributed greatly to that publication’s success. Our
condolences are extended to his wife Joan and his family.
TALKING AND USING HISTORIC VEHICLES
Geoff Smith
Greg Knight, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary
Historic Vehicle Group (APPHVG), organised a day of historic vehicle activity
on 5 September. Members of
the APPHVG together with the chairman and vice president of FBHVC and members
of the press met at Heritage Motor Centre in their historic vehicles. After
parking the cars at the entrance to the museum Stephen Laing, museum curator,
took the party on a tour of the museum exhibits followed by a buffet lunch. In
the afternoon the party travelled to London by a non-motorway route of about
two hours duration. Most kept to the route defined but there were some
unintentional deviations. On arrival the cars parked in New Palace Yard
opposite the houses of Parliament for photos and press interviews. In the
evening the group were joined by more politicians and guests to a dinner hosted
by the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders.
FIVA WORLD MOTORCYCLE MEETING
Andy Steers, British Two Stroke Club
The dust has settled after the FIVA World Motorcycle
Meeting held at the beginning of June. We were extremely lucky with the weather, for our
runs to Brooklands and Bexhill on Friday and Saturday we had beautiful sunshine
which really did justice to the routes over which Alan Abrahams had spent so
much effort.
On Sunday there
was some rain on our return from visiting the Dickens Festival in Rochester. We
arranged this so that our overseas friends were sure they were actually in
England and making space for the new rain gear before leaving was justified
after all!
There were 73
machines and 97 participants from nine countries including Canada and including
the UK. I was particularly pleased that many people brought machines from their
own countries and quite a few two-strokes as the event was organised under the
auspices of the British Two-Stoke Club founded in 1929 and members of the
FHBVC.
There was the
Norwegian Tempo Team who rode their Tempo two-stroke tricycles to the event and
tackled the Test Hill at Brooklands! Patrik and Peter Meierhans rode from
Switzerland on a Tornax and a very rare 1952 Condor 200 with Villiers 6E
engine. Patrik broke down already some distance from home on the way to the
event. They returned home and Patrik brought a more modern BMW whilst his son
did the whole journey again on the little Condor. My kind of people!
That’s the spirit
of a FIVA Motorcycle event. We had Andy Middleton repairing his Brough Superior
clutch in the hotel car park late into the night by torchlight helped by four
or five other participants and our security guard. A truly fantastic array of
machines and some very nice people; I think a lot of new contacts and
friendships were made.
Rick Parkington
was on hand at Brooklands and Bexhill to record the whole sorry tale for
Classic Bike. Chris Cunnington, FBHVC chairman, kindly came to the Saturday
Gala Dinner to present the prizes, some of which were kindly donated by the
FBHVC.
I would like to
thank him and all our participants, many of whom made a very long journey
taking days to be with us. I hope they will come back again now they have seen
what we can offer.
MEMBER ORGANISATIONS
All of our member organisations are listed by club
name on our website, but it is down to the individual clubs to add or amend
their own details – see www.fbhvc.co.uk
Welcome to the
following clubs who have recently joined: Talbot Owners Club; Forest Hill &
District Car Club
ARE YOU ORGANISING AN EVENT IN JULY OR AUGUST 2012?
The Olympic Games will be held from Friday 27 July
through to Sunday 12 August. The
Paralympics’ Games follow from 29 August to 9 September. The athlete villages
open on July 15 and close three days after the closing ceremony.
Tickets or not, it
has become impossible not to become swept up in the enthusiasm that is out
there for the 2012 Olympic Games. However, as is inevitable with the movement
of large numbers of people focussed on a particular venue, traffic delays and
congestion will be experienced. The Olympic Committee have made great efforts
to ensure that their recommended routes to events are made known to ticket
holders while trying to ensure that UK PLC can go about its normal business.
Nevertheless they
do recommend that any club planning an event between 15 July and 15 August
within 10 miles of the competition venues of Weymouth, Windsor, Broxbourne and
Leigh on Sea and between 22 July and 12 August near the non-competition venues
of Ebbsfleet, Lakeside and Herts. County Showground and the Paralympics’ venue
near Windsor on Friday 31 August
– Sunday 2 September 2012 should consider what else is going on in
their area at the time and the likely traffic impact this will present..
In addition the
Director of Transport for the London Delivery Authority draws our attention to
the cycle road races scheduled for 28-29 July 2012 from the Mall to Surrey, via
the A3050, B 367 A25, A204 including some laps of Box Hill where access will be
restricted. There will be road closures and bus cancellations and diversions.
Drive it Day in
the area around the City of Coventry Stadium could also be affected in April
2012 for the football Olympic qualifying events although this has to be confirmed.
Possible other hot
spots include:
London Area
Volleyball: Earls Court
Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Equestrian: Greenwich
Park Thursday 2 August – Thursday 9 August
Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 31 July,
Saturday 4 – Wednesday 8 August
Gymnastics: North
Greenwich Arena Saturday 28 July – Tuesday 7 August, Thursday 9 – Sunday 12
August, Friday 3 – Saturday 4 August
Beach Volleyball: Horse Guards
Parade Saturday 28 July – Thursday 9 August
Triathlon: Hyde Park Saturday 4 and Tuesday 7 August
Canoe: Lee Valley White Water Centre Sunday 29 July – Thursday 2 August
Archery: Lord's
Cricket Ground Friday 27 July – Friday 3 August
Shooting: The Royal
Artillery Barracks Saturday 28 July – Monday 6 August
Tennis: Wimbledon
Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August
Other Areas
Football: City of
Coventry Stadium,(Coventry); Hampden Park (Glasgow);
Millennium Stadium (Cardiff); Old
Trafford(Manchester); St James' Park (Newcastle);
Wembley Stadium. Wednesday 25 July – Saturday 11 August
Rowing : Eton Dorney Saturday 28 July – Saturday 4
August
Sailing: Weymouth and
Portland Sunday 29 July – Saturday 11 August
Paralympics’ Cycling: Brands Hatch Wednesday 5 September - Saturday 8
September 2012
DO YOU WANT TO
BE A MOTORING WRITER?
This is the title
of a conference being organised by the Trustees of the Michael Sedgwick
Memorial Trust (MSMT), to be held at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu on
Saturday 19 November 2011.
Back in 1990 the
National Motor Museum held a conference with a similar title and in 1996
followed it up with one that concentrated on writing and publishing books. Both
seem to have been well received and over 100 people attended each one. The
Trustees of the MSMT believe that with so many changes having taken place more
recently in the magazine and book publishing world with the addition of the
electronic media, another conference is needed.
The conference is
aimed at the enthusiastic motor club member interested in particular in
veteran, vintage or classic cars (though speakers will be in the main talking
about cars, the same advice applies to writers on motor cycles or commercial
vehicles). There will be question sessions at intervals so that you can join
in, ask questions or express opinions.
The Conference
fee, to include tea/coffee and biscuits, morning and afternoon, and buffet
lunch is £60 per person. Members of the Friends of the National Motor Museum
and Society of Automotive Historians in Britain £54. The organisers reserve the
right to cancel or postpone the conference if less than 50 people book. Closing
date for applications will be Saturday 5 November 2011. Any queries to: meware@oakenbrow.demon.co.uk Tel: 02380 87980.
FBHVC AGM and CONFERENCE
TWELFTH ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING
The twelfth Annual General Meeting of the Federation
of British Historic Vehicle Clubs Limited will take place at 1100 in the C S
Rolls Wing of the Hunt House, Paulerspury, near Towcester, NN12 7NA on
Saturday, 15 October 2011 for the following purposes:
1. To consider and approve the minutes of the Annual
General Meeting held on Saturday, 16 October 2010 as made available to members
in November 2010. [Copies available on
request]
2. To
receive the Financial Statements for the year ending 31 May 2011.
3. Election of Directors. [See note
below]
4. To receive the Report
of the Directors.
Nominations for directors to fill the posts of
heritage, legislation, international relations, relations with event organisers
and participants and relations with traders were required by 2 September 2011.
CONFERENCE
Saturday, 15 October 2011, 1400
ETHANOL IN FUEL: CORROSION, COMPATIBILITY
AND COMBUSTION
Chairman, David Davies
Speakers
Matthew Vincent, FBHVC
Legislation team, fuel specialist
Stephen McArragher, Independent
industry fuel expert and classic car enthusiast
David Hurley, FBHVC
Director for Legislation
COST AND REFRESHMENTS
Attendance only tickets are free to delegates from FBHVC subscriber clubs and to FBHVC
supporters but are £5 to others. Please do still apply in advance in order to
secure a seat.
Attendance & Refreshment tickets include morning coffee, buffet lunch and afternoon tea and are
available at £13.00 each to
delegates from FBHVC subscriber clubs and to FBHVC supporters but are £18.00 to
others. Tickets should be ordered from FBHVC secretary by Friday, 7 October.
The address is Stonewold, Berrick Salome, Wallingford OX10 6JR. A SAE
would be appreciated. Fax: 01865 400845. E-mail: secretary@fbhvc.co.uk Payment may be by cheque payable to FBHVC or
by card. If paying by card, please quote expiry date and security number. We
are now unable to process card payments without the three-digit security
number.