Tag Archives: Vintage

8 Cylinders 24 Valves – Bugatti Type 30

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Late in 1922 until 1926 Ettore Bugatti offered the 2 litre / 122 cui Type 30

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

The Type 30 was however not all new the horseshoe radiator was carried over from the later Type 13/22/23 Voiturette Brescia models…

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

as was the chassis which was available with 100.4″ or 112.2″ wheelbase and “occasionally” with a 94.5″ wheelbase option, ie the same options as for the earlier models.

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

The front brakes on the early Type 30’s built between 1922 were hydraulic operated but from 1924 to ’26 they were cable operated as were the rear brakes on all Type 30’s.

Bugatti T30, Huntley, VSCC, Prescott

It is believed around 600 Type 30’s were built, the recently restored example seen here at last years VSCC Prescott meeting, driven by Douglas Huntley, was originally built in 1925.

Thanks for joining me on this “8 Cylinders 24 Valves” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at Red Bull’s 2013 season. Don’t forget to come back now !

Hawkeye Special – Bentley 3/8 litre #477

Of the proper, UK definition, Vintage vehicles built between 1919 and 1930 few hold the beholders gaze and ooze presence like an open tourer Bentley, today’s featured car the “Hawkeye Special” is the first of four Bentley specials I’ll be featuring on Sunday’s in January.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

This particular car, a Red Label Speed model was built in 1924 with a 70 hp four cylinder, four valve per cylinder, 3 litre / 183 cui motor and first registered to a customer in Rochdale near Manchester on the 4th of June the same year.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

Records show #477 was fitted with a 24 valve six cylinder 6 1/2 litre 140 hp motor, upgrading to the latest motor’s was common for any number of Bentley’s of this period.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

In the early-1970s renowned Bentley builder John Guppy and Hawkeye “The Flying Swede” Wijkander upgraded the car with an 8 litre / 488 cui six cylinder motor, #TW2702 of the type that was launched prior to Bentley’s financial collapse in 1931. The original 8 litre motors were said to produce 220 hp the one on the Hawkeye Special is said to produce over 400 hp.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

Guppy and Wijkander were responsible for the 2 seat coach work carried by #477, giving it the presence of a pit bull on steroids, as seen in these photo’s taken a couple of years ago by Geoffrey Horton at Dana Point Concours d’Elegance.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

The huge motor allowed the drivers of the original two ton Bentley 8 litre models to drive at walking pace in top gear and then accelerate rate smoothly to a top speed of above today’s highway speed limits without effort.

Bentley 3/8 Litre, Hawkeye Special, Dana Point, C d'E

The Hawkeye Special #477 was sold by RM Auctions for US$671,000 in August 2012.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hawkeye Special” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a Protect-O-Top from Santa Clara CA. Don’t forget to come back now !

Brighton Speed Trials Under Threat of Permanent Cancellation !

In their infinite wisdom, Brighton & Hove City Council are seeking to ban the Brighton Speed Trials from 2014.

If you care about speed and or motorsport history, please sign this linked petition to save Brighton Speed Trials in 2014 and beyond.

It’s a faf to Register before signing, but relatively painless compared to loosing the event which has been run with few interruptions since 1905.

You do not need to be resident in Brighton or even the UK to sign.

More on Brighton Speed Trials on this link.

Thanks and please spread the word through whatever social media you have at your disposal.

Coffee, Croissant & Cars #7 – Avenue Drivers Club

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The festive spirit was gathering pace, at Queen Square, Bristol yesterday, no sooner had I arrived and I was being proffered charity mince pies ! Extremely delicious they were too !

MG NA Magnette, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Among the many visitors to the Avenue Drivers Club meeting was what appears to be a 1934 MG K1 one of it’s club badges indicates that it may have spent some time in South Africa. 14 01 13 Further investigation has revealed this car is actually an NA Magnette.

The difference between a 1952 Riley RMA and 1952 Riley RME is indicated externally by the larger rear window of the later model which leads me to conclude the model seen here is the RMA.

Appearing to have come past just for a cruise around the block was this 1958 Ford Thunderbird.

These two Austin Healey Sprites were built in 1960 on the left and 1958 on the right.

The owner of this Ford Consul has only had the car for a couple of weeks, he told me he had owned many Mini’s before buying the four cylinder Ford.

This 1966 Morris 1800 has attended many of the same show’s I have this year, it was bought and prepared for a local classic Rally on a very small budget, running to hundreds rather than thousands of pounds.

One of the first cars to offer seeing round corner capability was the 1968 version of the Citroen DS that was first seen in 1955. This DS19 was built in 1972.

Another classic from 1972 was this Hillman Avenger fitted with what appear to be period correct aftermarket Cosmic alloy wheels.

Car of the day was this 1972 Crayford Ford Capri GT 3000, built in a period when Ford did not have time to satisfy a demand for convertible versions of it’s cars. Crayford took on the job fitting it with a white interior and walnut veneer.

When production of the Ford Capri ended in 1986 Ford left the massed produced Coupé market to the likes of Toyota and their Supra models the vehicles above were manufactured in 1989 on the left and 1992 on the right.

In 1990 I went to Connecticut for a week to attend a friends wedding, while I was there I hired a Ford Thunderbird similar to this 1992 example, I could not believe how big it was for a two door, at one point I found the car could carry 4 adults and two small children with a modicum of comfort from one side of town to the other !

Above another reminder that the season of Goodwill is upon us took the form of this Morris Marina Estate which dates from circa 1973.

Finding out about the Avenue Drivers Club has been one of this years simple joys for me, what could be easier or more fun than rolling 5 mins down a steep hill and finding yourself having a couple of hours of fun looking at some of the huge variety of veteran, vintage and classic cars that come from your environs and enjoying a Coffee & Croissant with some of the owners ? My thanks and seasons greetings to everyone who has brought their cars along. Next meeting January 13th 2013 !

Thanks for joining me on this “Coffee, Croissant & Cars #7″ of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Above another reminder the