The September 2016 issue of Vintage Metal reports on the activities of Dad’s Army, the group of older members who maintain the club rooms and are creating the Caversham Car, a 1950s style sports car special. Dad’s Army has been busy with a Christmas in July function at Rosco McGlashan’s workshop in Mullaloo where he is building Aussie Invader 5R, his Land Speed Record contender with which he intends to set the record at over 1000 mph (1609 km/h).
Other Dad’s Army activities
include improving the security of the club rooms after recent break-ins and continuing the build of the Caversham Car. The car is a 1950s fibreglass body shell mounted on an Austin A40 Devon chassis similar to a special raced at Caversham airfield circuit about 60 years ago.
There is a review of Red Dust Racers, a new book launched on August
21 that is subtitled ‘The Centenary History of Lake Perkolilli and the Emergence of Motorsport in Western Australia – 2014’. This massive tome is a fascinating tale of how a dry lake hundreds of kilometres inland from Perth, the state capital, was all set to become the Brooklands of Australia. Click on the link at the book title above or the illustration of the front cover to see the review. The book is available from author/publisher Graeme Cocks through his web site at www.motoringpast.com.au.
Back in 2014 there was a story in Vintage Metal by Bill Buys about a
South African Riley special built and raced by Bill Jennings. This inspired VSCC member Michael Falconer to chase up more information about Bill Jennings and his special as Michael had seen the car race in his young days in South Africa. He is a great friend of the current owner of the Riley special, Bruce Glasby of Bulawayo, and was able to supply photographs of the car as it is. Bruce still races the car in historic events in Zimbabwe and Michael actually raced the car before he came to Western Australia in 1983.
Michael was able to let me have a copy of an article written by Pat O’Brien for the South African Classic Car magazine some years ago. I contacted Pat and obtained his permission to use the story in Vintage Metal. Click on the illustration of the special to see the article.
Bill Buys also supplied a story for this issue of Vintage Metal about a science teacher from Long Island New York who has driven his 1966 Volvo P1800S over 5,000,000 kilometres, which has earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Click on the illustration to see this article.
Club Librarian Mark Jones reviewed Behind the Scenes of Motor
Racing by Ken Gregory in his From the Library column. It is a remarkable book giving an insight into the world of 1950s motor racing and the career of the young Stirling Moss, whose manager Gregory was. A great read! Click on the picture to see the review.