May 2011 Newsletter

Transcription

May 2011 Newsletter

Dedicated to Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motorcars September / October 2011 11-5
R ROC, Inc.,
191 Hempt Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 USA
800-TRY-RROC / 717-697-4671
fax 717-697-7820
www.rroc.org, email: [email protected]
contents
RRMC
september/october 2011
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sabu Advani
6860 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85718
ph/fax 520-615-6484, <[email protected]>
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Jon Waples
3231 Sherbourne Rd., Detroit, MI 48221-1814
313-345-5123 <[email protected]>
(INTERIM) EVENTS EDITOR
Judy Walker
<[email protected]>
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
André Blaize (FRA), Tom Clarke (UK),
Rubén Verdés (FL)
Vice-President, Communications
Rubén Verdés
[email protected]
ADVERTISING/BAZAAR
RROC HQ
ART DIRECTOR
Marcia D. Quiroz
<[email protected]>
Spit and polish is applied to a one-off Drophead Coupé to be shown at “Masterpiece 2011.”
The Flying Lady (ISSN 0015-4830) is a bi-monthly
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Flying Lady,
191 Hempt Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 USA.
Copyright ©2011
by the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, Inc.
The trademarks “Rolls-Royce,” “R-R” Logo and the
“Rolls-Royce” Badge device are the trademarks of
Rolls-Royce plc and are used by the Club under license.
10204
10206
The Club and the editors aim to publish accurate
information and recommendations, but neither assumes
responsibility in the event of claim of loss or damage
resulting from publication of editorial or advertising
matter including typographical errors. Statements
of contributors are their own, and do not necessarily
reflect Club policy.
Annual membership dues are $70, $30 of which is for
a subscription to The Flying Lady for one year. New
members pay a $30 initial processing fee. Regional
membership dues vary, but joining is highly encouraged.
Multiple Winner of IAMC
& Golden Quill Awards
T
TH T
H
R
T
E
GH MED
R M IG H
U
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O
Photo by Johannes Riedel
THE FLYING LADY
TM
I
Emotion in Motion
10160 RU
O
Foundation
Flying Lady For A Day 10178 Book Reviews
The Grand Ascent and 10181 Bazaar
Elegance at Hershey
BDC 75th Anniversary 10185
Ball and Tour
The House of
10187
Grosvenor
Retro Classic Meets
10198
Barock 2011
Mulliner-Spec GT
10205 On the Cover
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050, and additional mailing offices.
S
2011 Villa d’Este
Concours
17050, USA. Printed in USA. Periodical postage paid at
VAIL
Part II: The Bentleys
profit corporation, 191 Hempt Road, Mechanicsburg, PA
RE
Carrosserie Franay
(1903–1955)
publication of The Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, Inc., a non-
P
Danish Spring Meet
technical feature
10166 Where Are Your
10197
Wheels?
10167
departments
10161
Conduit
10174 Building a Better
10164
A
features
September / October 2011
From the
President
This year marks the
60th anniversary
of the Rolls-Royce
Owners’ Club. The
club was started by
six Rolls-Royce enthusiasts
and has grown to over 8,000
members today. One of the
club’s founding members and
our first Treasurer was Peter
Shavney. He is still a member today and was recognized
for his contributions to the
RROC at the 2011 National
Meet. In addition to Pete, I
want to recognize three others who joined the RROC
in 1951 and celebrated their
60th anniversary as club
members: Guy and Doris
Ritter of Staunton, VA; and
Elisha (Remy) Baker of
Liberty, SC. Congratulations
to these members on celebrating 60 years as members
of the RROC!
I had the pleasure of
speaking with these members
and they all had great stories
about their cars and experiences in the club. Remy
Baker deserves special mention on two other 60-year
milestones. First, he bought
CONDUIT a 1921 Silver Ghost 60 years
ago that he still owns and
drives. Second, he celebrated his 66th wedding anniversary
this year. Try topping that!
Although the
Ritters and Bakers
have remained
constant over the
past 60 years, our
club has changed
a lot. The first edition of the
club’s magazine was only 8
pages in 1951. It included an
ad for a 1911 Silver Ghost
(then only 40 years old) that
was listed for $600. Today,
that 40-year old car would
be a 1971 model, a Silver
Shadow, and The Flying
Lady has grown to 64 pages.
Times have changed for
the club and for our cars,
and so has the club’s administration. It’s been my honor
to serve as RROC President
for the past two years. I completed my term at the Lake
Tahoe board meeting with
the election of new club officers. I’ve had the pleasure to
work with a great Board of
Directors and want to thank
them for their service and
dedication to the club. The
Board has worked hard at
delivering more value and
services to club members.
We made a lot of progress
and still have more to do.
As part of our strategy to
improve club services in the
future, we recently completed the most extensive survey
of members in over a decade.
The response rate from
members was tremendous.
We had surveys completed within the first hour of it
being posted online and they
continued to roll in until the
deadline. The Board is taking
a detailed look at the survey’s
results and will be using the
data to help shape the future
of the RROC.
My sincere thanks to
members across our club
who contribute their time
and talents at the regional
and national level. I am continually in awe of members
who organize and execute
meets and tours, make contributions to The Flying Lady
and their regional newsletters, hold technical seminars,
and provide advice to members about their cars. Your
contributions are what makes
the Rolls-Royce Owners’
Club the best car club in
the world—a fitting tribute
to Charles Rolls and Henry
Royce who made the best car
in the world.
I am pleased to call many
of you my friends and look
forward to seeing you at a
future meet, tour, or technical seminar.
— Gil Fuqua
C alendar of E vents U.S. and O verseas
▲
2011 & beyond EVENTS
Sept. 14–16
Small HP Seminar, VT
Sept. 18–23
Colorado Fall Tour (Lovick)
April 29–May 5, 2012
Spring Tour, VA
(Pauls, Brooks)
June 18–23, 2012
Annual Meet, Kentucky
(Rich, Ozment)
Please contact RROC HQ to register for RROC events.
Phone Number 800-879-7762 <www.rroc.org>
RROC Activities Committee Chair: Sneed Adams
Phone Number 281-787-3160 – [email protected]
THE FLYING LADY
Sept. 16–23, 2012
Nova Scotia Fall Tour
(Peck, Howe)
April 7–14, 2013 Annual Meet, San Antonio,
TX (Briseno)
2014
Annual Meet, Pittsburgh, PA
(Leimkuehler)
All editorial contributions go to the editors, addresses on masthead.
Deadlines 11/1, 1/2, 3/1, 5/1, 7/1, 9/1.
Direct all other correspondence, including change of address or
complaints re delivery to the relevant Club officials or to HQ.
All ads, whether classified (the Bazaar) or display, go to the Ad
Manager at Club HQ.
2012 Spring Tour
April 29–May 5 Where
has your car taken you lately? Come to Charlottesville
in the spring of 2012 for a
tour of Thomas Jefferson’s
Virginia. This will be an economical and low-key hub
tour of the beautiful Virginia
Piedmont. We will stay in
Charlottesville and tour
sites where Jefferson lived,
went to school, and visited his friends. There will
be an after-hours tour of
Monticello, just for us, that
will take us where most visitors don’t get to go.
We will visit some wineries—an industry Jefferson
helped start in Virginia—that
are getting international recognition. We will drive part
of the spectacular Skyline
Drive and in general stay on
back roads that are well suited to older cars.
Hotel costs are reasonable with an average rate of
$85 a night. Dinners will be
casual with the emphasis on
value for money. Come and
connect with friends and our
American heritage!
More info from: Cortes
Pauls, 804.231.9481,
<[email protected]> or
Sue Brooks, 757.258.8550,
<[email protected]>.
Other News
Digital Memberships
Members outside of North
America are now eligible to join the RROC as
an International Digital
Member, at less than half
the cost—just $30. The new
digital membership eliminates two key obstacles for
overseas recipients of the
magazine: shipping cost and
transit time.
The exact details of this
new program are still being
evaluated and may change
once we have a better idea
of what people desire. Mean
while, contact RROC HQ
10161
TFL Wins Award Once
again this magazine was presented by its peers with an
award at the International
Automotive Media Con
ference. Two, actually, a
gold and a bronze. Between
assorted Golden Quills and
these IAMC awards the
total now stands at 15 since
2001—and we don’t even
participate every year.
Considering that we
only ever got involved in the
awards racket to raise the
magazine’s profile in the eyes
of potential advertisers who
in all likelihood have never
heard of the RROC or TFL
it is high time that we find
an advertising manager who
can turn this into actual coin.
After several attempts with
individuals who never quite
applied themselves we now
have a bona fide advertising
pro and are, once more,
brimming with hope.
Rolls-royce NEWS
Expansion (July 7) A
stout 64% increase in sales
translates into 1592 cars
sold in the first six months
10162 Famed Chilean artist Claudio
Bravo (b. 1936) who was
commissioned by Rolls-Royce in
1968 to depict their new range
of cars died June 4 in Tangier,
Morocco, his home since 1972.
After studying art in the studio
of Miguel Venegas Cienfuentes
of 2011 and the best year
since BMW took the reins
in 2003. Growth was seen in
all regions, particularly Asia
Pacific (+170%). The Middle
East and US showed +40%
each and Germany +60%.
Most importantly, ca. 80% of
new Ghost buyers are “conquests,” i.e. new to
the marque.
On June 10
RRMC opened a
new dealership in
Montreal, the third
in Canada (Première
Automotive
Partners; principal execs Norman
Hébert and Gad
Bitton) after Toronto
and Vancouver.
July 5 saw the official opening of
Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars Gold Coast
(Joe Perillo, Dealer
Principal and General
Manager) in Chicago, bringing the number of US dealerships to 32. If you follow
food shows on TV expect
to see the dealership in an
upcoming episode of the hit
TLC show Cake Boss.
On July 22 a Ghost
Extended Wheelbase was
announced; details in the
next issue.
in Santiago, Bravo established
himself in Madrid in the 1960s
as a society portraitist. He
gained recognition for his
astounding ability to create
exacting realism and became
known as a hyperrealist.
His ability to depict
Sweating it Out (June
26) In preparation for
its world tour, Phantom
Experimental Electric
102EX underwent laboratory temperature tests at
the MIRA research facility in Warwickshire to learn
how extreme conditions such
complex objects and shapes is
reminiscent of Velázquez.
The Fine Art Limited Edition
prints produced for Rolls-Royce
were 26 x 20" and copies were
sent to the dealers worldwide
for framing and display. Smaller
copies, with technical details
on the reverse, were included
inside the cover of the firm’s
1968 catalog. See his work at
<http://claudiobravo.com>.
A fine art reproduction of a
drawing by Claudio Bravo
ual cells, will inhibit charging
at extreme temperatures.
Practically speaking, this may
mean finding locations in
RRMC
to sign up—and do
tell your friends who
might be interested
in this new option but
would have no way
of learning about it
unless you tell them.
In addition to electronic access to each
edition of The Flying
Lady, digital members
will receive online access to
The Event Lady and the Lux
ury Travel Guide, and full
access to the RROC’s website including the Discussion
Forum. The Forum provides
instant 24/7 access to advice
and feedback from members
worldwide on how to repair
and restore your motorcar.
Last but not least, digital
members will be able to vote
online in RROC elections.
Courtesy John McGlynn
CONDUIT
as high temps and humidity affect the 96 battery cells’
performance. A key finding reported by 102EX Chief
engineer Andrew Martin is
that the cells did well up to
50º C/122º F and in relative humidity as low as 30%.
“We are clear that the battery management system,
which maintains safety and
optimal operation of individ-
which the car’s cells can cool
after test drives before a recharge can begin.”
The car was then presented at the Goodwood
Festival of Speed where it
ran the hill climb before
being displayed at the FoS
Tech Exhibition Area. Next
stops: Singapore and Beijing
(late July/early August
2011), Pebble Beach and
THE FLYING LADY
CONDUIT RRMC
Los Angeles (Aug. 16–21),
Europe (September), Japan
(last week of September),
Dubai (October), and the
New York and LA auto
shows as well as Las Vegas
and Miami (November and
early December).
Bentley Motors
bentley NEWS
Expansion (July 1) Sales
for the first half of the year
are up 20% (= 2978 cars),
driven largely by demand
for the new Continental
GT. Sales are particularly strong in China (680
cars, +57%). European sales
totaled 494 units and 907 in
the Americas (+23%) whereas the UK saw 533 (+6%).
Interestingly, Asia-Pacific
is down marginally which is
thought to be connected to
the recent tsunami in Japan.
Declines in the Middle East
are said to be attributable to
ongoing political unrest.
Wondering if the brake chute is properly rigged is not a question
Continental owners normally have to dwell on.
THE FLYING LADY
Bentley Motors
One-off Drophead Coupé (June 27) RRMC built a highly
bespoke dhc to display at the London “Masterpiece 2011” art
fair/luxury goods show. The first car to be painted in Mazarine
Blue, it has a Seashell with Navy Blue interior, cross-banded
Santos Palissander wood veneers, mother-of-pearl inlays, and
white instrument dials. A one-off Asprey jewellery box in which
to deposit rings, cufflinks, earrings etc. is housed in the glove
compartment. It also features a set of bespoke Navy Blue
luggage. As a 2011 model the car obviously has all the special
“Spirit of Ecstasy” badging available only this year.
Bentley at Festival
of Speed (July 4)
Rally champion Juha
Kankkunen put his
ice-speed record-
breaking 640PS/631bhp
Continental Supersports
convertible through its
paces at the hill climb,
delighting the crowd along
the course and in the
Supercar Paddock where
he was joined by fivetime Le Mans winner and
professional driving consultant to Bentley, Derek
Bell, who again drove the
newest Continental GT.
Mulsanne Does Mulsanne
(June 10) Prior to the Le
Mans racing weekened
Bentley’s Mulsanne paid a
visit to its namesake French
town where it was received
with pomp and circumstance
including a mayoral reception and what amounts to the
keys to the city. The celebratory lunch also had the
victorious 2003 Bentley
Speed Eight Le Mans winner
and a pair of Blower Bentleys
(one of which Tim Birkin’s)
in attendance.
10163
Building a Better Foundation Bill Rothermel, SAH
Things are hopping at
Rolls-Royce Foundation headquarters
in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The
RRF continues its ongoing arrangement
with the AACA (Antique Automobile
Club of America) Museum in nearby
Hershey, Pennsylvania. This June, the
RRF’s 1959 Silver Cloud 4-door Saloon
LSNH20 was swapped out for the RRF’s
1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche fixed head
coupe CRH14833 1; just over 500 of
these were built making this a rare
and unusual modern-day Rolls-Royce.
Only seven are known to have the
contrasting Everflex roof as shown on
CRH14833. Originally delivered to an
owner in the Channel Islands, this car
was later gifted to Mr. and Mrs. Angelo
Benedetti of St. Petersburg, Florida by
their children as a 25th wedding present.
Margaret Benedetti donated CRH14833
1
to the RRF in April 2010. Thanks to Mrs.
Benedetti for such a wonderful gift and CRH14833 on display at the AACA Museum.
to the AACA Museum for the exposure it
gives the RRF both locally and nationally. In addition to active
online exposure, the AACA Museum receives over 50,000
visitors annually. Check it out at www.aacamuseum.org.
The RRF hosted a Silver Cloud Brake Seminar June 4/5. Sponsored in cooperation with both the Silver Cloud Society and
the Friends of the Foundation, the two-day meeting was conducted by Palma Automotive 2, 3. Those present explored the
inner workings and hidden mechanisms of the first modern
braking system used on Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars.
John Palma, his brother Joe, and technical staff members Tom
Brancato and John LaFlam delved into the braking system
of the RRF’s 1961 James Young Phantom V, 5BX38. In addition to using the RRF’s board-mounted working model of the
2
(l–r) Lloyd Hart, Simon White, Denny Dilger,
Gordon Borkat, Peter Shay, and JohnPalma.
(l–r) Denny Dilger, John Palma, Peter Shay,
Gordon Borkat, and Simon White with our
cutaway display.
Cloud braking system, Palma Automotive
brought along a plethora of training aids as
well as a laptop computer so that everyone
could both see and touch components of
the system.
Brakes were removed from the Phantom V so that the system could be properly
overhauled 4. Wheel cylinders and hoses
had been removed at the last Friends’
workday with the cylinders refurbished by
White Post Restorations in Virginia. Using
parts from Palma’s shop and the RRF,
3
10164 THE FLYING LADY
the RRF with an award of appreciation for serving as dinner hosts. Past-Chairman Jim Facinelli
accepted the award on behalf of the RRF 6.
4
One of Palma’s techs, John LeFlam, installing the right front brake cylinders.
o riginal items were used to complete the repair. Once
the car was reassembled with all new brake hoses and
resleeved cylinders, it was discovered that the rebuilt
master cylinders installed a year previous were in bad
shape and needed to be rebuilt yet again. In addition,
the entire assembly of arms and shafts had been previously assembled incorrectly. With all this work done
properly and in the hands of experts, the Phantom V
is once again ready to promote the RRF on the concours and car show circuit.
Consider the Rolls-Royce Foundation in your tax
and estate planning. A bequest in your last will
and testament to the RRF will help provide the
support necessary for the continuing preservation
of vehicles, artefacts and the history and technical
records of Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars. A
bequest may be used as a memorial for a family
member or friend, or as a tribute to your own generosity. You may decide to restrict the use of your
gift to a specific purpose or leave it unrestricted
to allow the Foundation to use it where necessary.
Unrestricted gifts are often the most helpful for
funding projects of great importance and unforeseen circumstances at the time the gift is given.
It is recommended you consult with a qualified
financial advisor, estate attorney, or tax professional to ascertain the full benefits of a planned
gift. For additional information, please contact
Tim Younes, Executive Director at (717) 6974671 or [email protected]. If you
decide to name the RRF in your will,
please contact the RRF so that your
gift is appropriately acknowledged.
You will have the option of anonymity or a special acknowledgement of
your kindness.
The RRF would like to thank member Bill Wolf for his most recent
donation of archives concerning
modern Hooper Rolls-Royces and
Bentleys. His extensive files include
publications, discs of photos, an
unedited manuscript of the FL story
written by Wolf and published in
2010, and background materials and
communications with Perry Hirsch,
Hooper’s attorney here in the United
States. The RRF expresses its sincere
appreciation to Mr. Wolf for his generosity. The information will become
part of the Foundation’s extensive
research library.
The RRF was in attendance A few of the over 110
at The Elegance at Hershey, people who attended
an inaugural invitation-only the Cosworth Vega
5
concours held June 12. Taking Owners dinner.
place in the sumptuous gardens
of the nearby Hershey Hotel,
the RRF was invited to exhibit
its 1935 Bentley 3½L Hooper
sedanca coupe, B140FB. See
page 10181 for more.
On Sunday, June 26, the
RRF was again a flurry of
activity . . . though not with
things Rolls-Royce and BentThe Rolls-Royce Foundation is a
ley. Over 110 members of
non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3)
6
the National Cosworth Vega
organization, which operates solely
Owners Association held their Bill Miller (l) of Carlisle Productions presents an award to upon income from donations and
annual dinner meeting at RRF the RRF which is accepted by Adelle and Jim Facinelli.
generous bequests of donors. The
headquarters 5. Earlier that
museum and research library are
day the Main Salon of the RRF was transformed with tables open to the public on Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other
and chairs (and caterers) and all the accoutrements fit for a cel- hours by appointment. Please consider the RRF in your estate
ebration. Members traveled from nearby Carlisle, Pennsylva- and tax planning. For more information, contact the RRF at
nia and the Carlisle Fairgrounds which served as the showfield 717-795-9400, toll-free at 877-795-4050 or on-line at www.rolls
that day. Bill Miller of Carlisle Events was on hand to present roycefoundation.com.
THE FLYING LADY
10165
Danish Spring Meet
Nikolaus Scheerbarth (Germany)
Editor’s note: The jury is still out on whether the
majority of FL readers wants to see cars from other
countries. Until we know more, we will continue to
present noteworthy cars you’ll almost certainly have
not seen before, especially the two cars here with
Danish coachwork. The occasion is a Danish spring
meet this June at the Geographical Garden in the
seaport town of Kolding in southern Denmark. This
garden was laid out by Axel Olsen, owner of a tree
nursery, and now has some 2,000 species of trees and
shrubs from all over the world, including North and
South America, China and Burma and also is home
to northern Europe’s largest bamboo grove.
Top to Bottom:
B118CR (1934 Bentley 31/  2L) Kellner dhc.
Note the unusual shape of the front fenders with the very
pronounced curvature at the front, a very French look.
49RE (1920 Silver Ghost) doctor’s coupe with dickey by Dansk
Karosseri Fabrik A/S.
This Copenhagen firm was active between 1918 to around
1947. In addition to Rolls-Royce they bodied other luxury
chassis—Bentley Delahaye, Hispano Suiza, Minerva, Packard—
as well. 49RE originally carried a Double Landaulette body
by Cockshoot.
122LC (1926 Phantom I) limousine by Nordbergs of Stockholm.
This is now the fourth body on this car! It started out as a tourer
which was changed over to closed coachwork in the winters.
In 1931 the car received a landaulette body. The firm was
founded in 1891 by Gustav Nordberg. After his death his sons
Nils and Carl took over and stayed in business until 1957. They
bodied mostly Volvos and some Minervas, Isotta Fraschinis and
Packards, and bodied probably 35 Rolls-Royces between 1912
and 1953.
GMP73 (1937 25/30) Gurney Nutting 4d4l sedanca de ville.
Lots of things to look at here; note especially how the metal
above the side glass transitions into the roof, the wheel spats,
the ends of the rear fenders. A bit of trivia: the car’s current
custodian happens to live in West Wittering, a name that surely
rings a bell. If it doesn’t, go hit the books right now!
GVO9 (1929 20 hp) Ritchies of Glasgow landaulette.
Note the V-shaped front window.
Carrosserie Franay
(1903–1955)
Part II: The Bentleys
Courtesy of Terry Walker
André Blaize (text);
Alain Dollfus (period photographs), ©2011
According to Bernard King’s book on the Bentley R Type
(Complete Classics series, available from the club shop) Franay
built two 3½L cars, eight Mk VI, two R Types, five R Type
Continentals, and an S1 Continental. Special thanks to Bernard
for providing the Bentley material:
Courtesy of Automobilia
1935 Bentley 3½ Litre B33CW. This 2-door 4-light saloon
coupe was delivered in March to Mme. Norah Saint of Paris
and London. In 1938 it passed to M. Lacombe (France) and
today is in the Torino Museum (Italy)
Bentley 31/2 Litre saloon coupe.
Bentley 41/4 Litre drophead in the style of Franay’s
“Bullion Bentley.”
1935 Bentley 3½ Litre B38EF. This 3-position drophead
coupe was delivered in August to P. Bernot. It is also known as
the “Bullion Bentley.” When it went back to the UK in 1947, it
was registered SML444. Last known owner is M. Prince (UK)
in 2000. I couldn’t find any photograph of this car, but Terry
Walker of Australia sent a photo of a replica of it, built on a
4¼L chassis B126JD and exhibited in the
Peter Briggs Museum, Australia.
1947 Bentley Mk VI B20BH. Delivered in
July but built for the Paris Show of 1947,
this drophead coupe won Best of Show in
its first two concours d’elegance (Enghien
and Boulogne) that same year. It was later
delivered to its first owner Mr. Gadoi. He
retained the car for several years before
fitting a 4½L engine in the early 1950s.
In the mid-1950s, it returned to the UK
where it was owned by a Mr. Barratt and
was registered PXN556. Then it crossed
the Atlantic and was owned by Mr. Cohen of Troy (NY). It then
passed through the hands of a string of owners, including tenor
singer Sergio Franchi and Lorin Tryon. In 1979 it was acquired
in dilapidated condition by Gary Wales (CA) in exchange for
a Cadillac-powered Talbot-Lago! Restoration commenced in
1988 and the car was ready for the 1991 concours season. It
should be noted that the chromework was “augmented” during
the restoration to obtain that spectacular effect. From then on,
B20BH won countless awards and was auctioned by BarrettJackson in 2006 where it fetched a record $1,728,000. (See
<http://www.ebentley.com/Franay.htm> and <http://www.
gizmag.com/go/5340/>)
Bentley Mk VI B20BH.
THE FLYING LADY
10167
Dennis Adler
Bentley Mk VI B26BH
Dennis Adler
1947 Bentley Mk VI B26BH. This drophead coupe was delivered in July to A.J. Leichti Jr. of Saint Louis, France. Later in
the 1960s it was in the US with a Mr. Jones and in 1999 with
Sam Ornstein. It was registered UKP748K on return to the UK
in the 1970s. Today it is in Gene Epstein’s exclusive collection
after a 5,000-hour restoration and is considered by its owner as
one of the world’s best-restored Bentleys.
1949 Bentley Mk VI B138BH (1947 chassis). This car is quite
a puzzler because its body is sometimes recorded as a 2-door
4-light saloon coupe and sometimes as a sports saloon. The
photo taken at the 1948 Salon shows a cabriolet which cannot
be anything other than B138BH because it’s the only one that
isn’t identified by its chassis number, and the date ties in. It was
delivered in May to Dr. L. Gentinetta of Switzerland. It is not
known to be extant.
Bentley Mk VI B138BH exhibited at the 1948 Paris Salon.
Above: Rendering of Bentley Mk VI B136LEY
Bentley Mk VI B136LEY at Place Vendôme, Paris,
June 7, 1952.
1949 Bentley Mk VI B136LEY (1949 chassis). This drophead coupe was the 1949 Geneva
show car. It was delivered in April 1949 and
bought by the Société des Bijoux Fix, (founded
in 1823, they invented a laminated gold-plating
process which enabled the mass-production of
cheap jewels) and registered 6203-RS-4. It is not
known to be extant.
Bentley Mk VI B43LFU
1950 Bentley Mk VI B43LFU (1949 chassis). This saloon was
delivered in May 1950 to Mrs. E. Marcel-Schwob. It was owned
in 1995 by Davies in the UK.
Bentley Mk VI B182LL fixed head sedanca coupe in the
Nethercutt Collection.
Below: Bentley Mk VI B182LL fixed head sedanca coupe.
1951 Bentley Mk VI B182LLJ (1951
chassis). Delivered in July 1951
to Mrs. Athina Onassis, the wife of
Greek ship magnate Aristotle Onassis, this sedanca coupe has been for
some time in the Nethercutt Collection in California. It was painted navy
blue and black and exhibited alongside B341GT on the Franay stand at
the 1951 Paris Salon.
THE FLYING LADY
10169
1952 Bentley Mk VI B341GT (1950 chassis).
This drophead coupe was delivered in March
1952 to M. Toriel. It was exhibited at the
Paris Salon in 1950 with a controversial front
treatment and again in 1951 on the Franay stand
and some years later it was registered 14ELF
on its return to England. Other owners include
Paul Randon in 1954, Jacques Bory in 1956, John
Kelly in 1959 (all in Switzerland). In the 1960s
it was with the Walker business, Kings Road,
London. From 1974 to at least 2002 it was owned
by a W.N. Jones (UK) and in 2007 by a Mr. Allen
(UK). Unfortunately, the Franay design has been
modified—I dare not call it “improved.”
Courtesy of Jim Appelmelk. http://www.autoblog.nl.
Above: Bentley Mk VI B341GT and (l) at the 1950
Paris Salon
Bentley R Type B341GT cabriolet with modifications.
1952 Bentley Mk VI 324LMD
(1951 chassis). La Société du
Grand Hôtel took delivery of
this drophead coupe in June
1952 and registered it 8920-BF75 on 1. It is now in the custody
of a Mr. Mager.
Bentley Mk VI B324LMD
1954 Bentley R Type B73YA (1954 chassis). This 4-door 4-light
saloon was delivered in September 1954 to la Société Franpar
of Paris (France Soir newspaper) and registered 7742-CZ-75. It
was registered OMB710 on its return to the UK. In 2004 it was
owned in Switzerland by RREC member Dr. Heinz Wehrli.
Richard Gorman
1954 Bentley R Type Continental BC51LC (1953 chassis).
This 2-door 4-light sports saloon was delivered new to
Vandendriessche & Fils on May 20, 1954 in France and painted
black with green seats and trim. Former owners include D.J.
Smith (US, Jan. 1965), Gene Littler (US, Jul. 1977), Richard
Gorman (US, 1990), Bill Jacobs Jr. (US, 1990), John Corigliano
(US, 1992), Blackhawk Collection (US, 1990s–current).
Bentley R Type
BC51LC
1954 Bentley R Type Continental BC20D (1954 chassis).
Franay was the most prolific non-British coachbuilder on
the Continental R chassis. This 2-door 4-light sports saloon
was delivered new to Bruno Emery in November 1954. At
the end of the 1960s it was brought back to the UK by a Mr.
Howell who registered it HUD821D. In 1975 it was owned
by a Mr. Baynes and hasn’t been heard of since.
1955 Bentley R Type B321LYA (1954 chassis). This was a
4-door 4-light saloon. It was bought by the famous architect
Jean Walter and was still in France in 1998 in the ownership
of a M. Gardan.
THE FLYING LADY
10171
Ashley James (http://www.rrbew.co.uk)
Bentley R Type BC21D
1955 Bentley R Type Continental BC21D (1954 chassis).
This 2-door 4-light sports saloon was delivered to Charles
Perroud in February 1955. It was finished in grey with grey
leather interior. Special attention was given
to the roof and backlight to allow maximum
roof clearance and avoid blind spots. It was
registered BLN38B on its return to the
UK in 1964, then later JYS1 and 464BYN.
Previous owners were M. Follett (France,
Jan. 1960), Capt. P. Arnison-Newgass (UK,
Aug. 1964), Paul Waldman (UK, Sept.
1970), A.J. Ker-Lindsey (UK, June 1972),
D.W. Dalton (UK, Jan. 1987), Rod Leach
(UK, Nov. 1990), J.H. Atkins (UK, Jan.
1991), Tom Solley (UK, 1995), and since
2008 is owned in Belgium by George
Rombouts-Howitt and registered 464BYN.
(See more at http://www.kda132.com/
Stories/Franay/franay.html)
Bentley R Type BC21D
1955 Bentley R Type Continental BC66LD (1954 chassis).
Body 7251, finished by Chapron. This 2-door 4-light sports
saloon was delivered to the Marquis du Vivier in April 1955.
The Marquis, who was President of the Bouscat race track near
Bordeaux, died aged 76 in Sept. 1996 after falling from his
horse. In Jan. 1960 it passed to Mr. T’Serclaes and in Jan. 1965
to Mr. La Planche (France). It has not resurfaced since.
Bentley R Type BC9LE and (r) rear view
1955 Bentley R Type Continental BC9LE (1954 chassis). This 2-door 4-light sports saloon was also finished by
Chapron who delivered it on May 28, 1955 to M. Choumart, France. It was silver grey with maroon seats and trim.
Later owners were Mr. Labadens (France, Jan. 1960), Mr.
Santier (France, Jan. 1965), Arthur M. Wagman (US, Jan.
1969), Barry Cooney (US, 1990–1994). Since 1999 it has
been owned in Germany by Norbert H. Meyering. It was
put up at auction by RM at Villa d’Este on May 21, 2011.
Klaus-Josef Roßfeldt
Bentley R Type Continental BC9LE
(see also http://www.deluxeblog.it/post/
5061/in-vendita-bentley-R Type-continentalcoupe-carrosserie-franay).
1957 Bentley S1 Continental BC17LFA (1957 chassis). Completed by Chapron and delivered in November 1957 to Francois Feriel, a businessman who was
kidnapped by French public enemy Jacques Mesrine.
Auctioned Dec. 13, 2004 by Artcurial, Paris, it was at
one time owned by famous painter Salvador Dali aka
“Avida Dollar.”
I am particularly thankful to Alain Dollfus for correcting
the odd mistake and more importantly, for providing
those excellent period photographs. I am sure you will
appreciate them as much as I did. Alain is an expert on
French coachbuilders. He wrote a book on Delage in
1984 (Editions E.P.A.) and contributed to a number of
automotive books, such as Bentley with Cyril Posthumus
and Audi with Bodo Grosch (both in the “Auto Histoire”
series). My special thanks also to Laurent Friry, another
French coachbuilder specialist, for scanning the Franay
negatives and prints. September / October 2011
THE FLYING LADY
For more photos of Franay Talbot-Lago, Duesenberg, Delahaye,
Packard, etc. visit:
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3625/Talbot-Lago-T26-GSFranay-Coupe.html
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10305/Talbot-Lago_T-26_
GS_Franay.aspx
http://www.accf-cad.com/poissy_2002.htm
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2308/Duesenberg-JFranay-Convertible-Sedan.html
http://www.remarkablecars.com/main/delahaye/1948delahaye-1.html
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C23673?pt=pf
Photo and data credits: Jim Appelmelk (NL), Serge Baye (BEL), Tom Clarke
(UK), Alain Dollfus (FRA), Joe Dutkiewicz (PA), Gene Epstein (USA), Laurent
Friry (France), Bryan Goodman (UK), Richard Gorman (USA), Ashley James
(UK), Bernard King (UK), Autohaus Mirbach GmbH (GER), Klaus-Josef Roßfeldt
(GER), Marco Toscani (ITA), Terry Walker (AUS), Brad Zemcik (USA).
10173
2011 Villa d’Este
Concours
Nikolaus Scheerbarth (Germany)
t
his year is the 125th anniversary of the invention of the automobile
and the Villa d’Este show field was particularly strong. Since, of
necessity, we must concentrate on Rolls-Royces here we direct
coachwork enthusiasts to the Internet to feast their eyes on the
three Delages (de Villars, Autobineau, and Pourtout bodies), three Talbot
Lagos (Figoni & Falaschi, Saoutchik, Stabilimenti Farina), two Alfa Romeo
8C 2300 cabriolets (Pinin Farina
and Figoni), a Saoutchik-bodied
Hispano Suiza K6, and the Coppa
D’Oro winner, a Bertone-bodied
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 coupe. There
were no Bentleys this year.
1606 (1911 Silver Ghost).
Kept by the original Australian
owner’s family until 1932, this car
was known as the “Melbourne Ghost”
and carried a Cockshoot tourer
body. It was rebodied in 1969 with a
Holmes landaulette body and in 1993
with its current Barker-style body by
Australian coachbuilder John Lamb.
GRW59 (1932 20/25) Graber
drophead coupe.
This is the second Swiss body
on this car, the first one being
a saloon by Georges Gangloff.
Both bodies were commissioned
by the first owner, architect
and entrepreneur Joseph
Rubin. Its second owner,
Afghan Prince Wali Khan
managed to “park” the car in
Lake Geneva in 1939 where it
lay submerged for a few days
before being extracted.
218AMS (1933 Phantom II)
Brewster brougham de ville.
Of the bodies offered by
Brewster, this one with its
slanted V-shaped windshield
is surely one of the most
exciting. Ordered by C.
Matthew Dick (Washington)
as a gift for his wife the gold
trim pushed the purchase
price to a staggering
$30,000. (Expensive gifts
notwithstanding, they
divorced a little later.) Today
the car lives in Liechtenstein.
186MY (1933 Phantom II)
Barker 3-position drophead
coupe. One of four (80MY,
186MY, 69MW, 189RY);
first owned by Capt. John
Wanamaker (New York).
20SK (1935
Phantom II) Pinin
Farina 4d4l saloon
with division.
This is the only
P II bodied by
that coachbuilder.
Ordered by Marquis
Demetrio Imperiali
de Francavilla, the
car still resides
in Italy today. It
made its second
Villa d’Este
appearance here.
LSJR571C (1965 Silver
Cloud III) Mulliner Park
Ward dhc.
THE FLYING LADY
10175
Villa Erba RM Auction
Three Bentleys and Rolls-Royces were among the 32 vehicles
offered at RM’s inaugural auction which included six ultra-rare
Bertone concept cars. In a packed house over €23 million
($33,436,750) changed hands in two hours. The one RollsRoyce that did sell brought strong money—for a Phantom II—
but even at €504,000 was left behind by a very original 1957
BMW 507 at a world-record €728,000. Go figure.
2BD (1915 Silver Ghost)
H.A. Hamshaw limousine.
Among its illustrious
owners are the Du Pont
family, Dick Solove, and
John O’Quinn. The high
bid was €440,000,
short of the €520–
700K estimate.
RM Auctions, Inc.
S390LR (1929
Phantom I) Brewster
Riviera town brougham.
This ex-Roger Morrison,
ex-John O’Quinn car was
the only one to sell, at
€504,000 coming in at
the low end of its €490–
700K estimate.
RM Auctions, Inc
1955 Paris salon.
BC9LE (1955 R Type Continental) Franay coupe.
This one-off is the last R Type designed by Marius
Franay. The high bid was €475,000, short of the
€590–750K estimate.
Yes, yes, some people will
complain—it’s not a RollsRoyce, but this 1938 Talbot
Lago T23 Figoni & Falaschi
Coupe Royal and its colorcoordinated occupant
beautifully demonstrate what
the original concours idea was
all about: fashion.
THE FLYING LADY
10177
Flying Lady For A Day
Sabu Advani (AZ)
From preparing Julia Marie-Claire’s
skin for the application of genuine
999 powdered silver to spending
hours teasing every fold of the silk
dress (also silvered) just so, the
entire shoot took two days.
w
designgruppe4
hile British photographer John Rankin
Waddell, aka Rankin,
is still busy creating
the 100 images of a modern-day interpretation of the Spirit of
Ecstasy hood ornament Rolls-Royce Motors Cars commissioned from him (see FL11-4), this magazine has not been idle.
A professional photographer, RROC member Johannes Riedel
of designgruppe4, shot these photos of a model posing as the
Flying Lady.
Last-minute touch-ups…
and then it’s Lights! Camera! Action, or, in this case,
inaction—holding perfectly still while the camera whirrs.
When the shot is in the can, a smile is allowed at last!
And while we’re at it, let’s
do The Whisper too!
Life imitating art.
After hours of applying make-up, no one is in a hurry
to call it a day and an impromptu parking lot-session
takes place.
THE FLYING LADY
10179
At the 2008 New York auto
show Manhattan jeweller
Jean Kemanjian created a
one-off hood ornament for
the luxury car dealership
Manhattan Motorcars. This
is a stock mascot covered in
150 carats of D color VVS1
quality diamonds, platinum,
and rare metals.
The Los Angeles-based
jewelry company Giantto
which specializes in custom
jewelry and timepieces
created in 2006 this
one-off set of a diamond
encrusted mascot (then
valued at $95,000) and
four “RR” plaques
($12,000 each) for
customizer Giovanna
Wheels.
Giantto Group
Kemanjian/Manhattan Motorcars
t
he striking thing about the car mascots is that many
have such poorly defined facial features, and not just
from exposure to the elements and decades of abrasion.
The relatively small head size of even the largest hood
ornaments simply does not offer a very large canvas. How
anyone could have seen Eleanor Thornton’s face, and only
hers, in the mascot is as much of a
mystery as the whole story of who
modelled for the statue. Here is
a collage of 11 close-ups of the
heads from hood ornaments and
decorative display figurines.
And these are the bodies the heads go with.
Can you tell which goes where?
The Grand Ascent and Elegance at Hershey
Bill Rothermel, SAH
sports cars the next day including everything from Amilcars
and Austin-Healeys to Maseratis and MGs. Entrants spanned
the decades: Hall Fillinger’s 1912 Mercedes Grand Prix racer,
David North’s daunting 1929 Bugatti 16-cylinder Type 45, as
well as Jim Donick’s Cadillac-powered Allard K2. Roger and
Robert Noble of Simsburg, Connecticut wowed the crowd with
their 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre supercharged roadster MS3944 1.
This remarkable car has been in the Noble family since 1957 and
is one of 35 survivors of the original 50 supercharged Bentleys
and one of three factory-built to LeMans specifications. Originally fitted with open Vanden Plas coachwork, it was rebodied
in 1938 by Johnson of Canada. It was raced extensively by the
Nobles’ father, Charles R.J. Noble until the early 1970s and was
displayed on the concours showfield the next day.
All photos: Bill Rothermel
Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners were well-represented at the
inaugural Grand Ascent and Elegance at Hershey on June
11/12. Hershey is about two things—chocolate and automobiles.
As home to the world’s largest automobile club, the Antique
Automobile Club of America, this central Pennsylvania town
plays host to the Annual Fall Meet, mecca to 250,000 hobbyists
that migrate here one week each October. Add The Grand
Ascent and The Elegance to your must-do list and you have still
another reason to visit Chocolate Town, U.S.A.
The festivities began Friday evening with a lavish cocktail party highlighted by the cars participating in Saturday’s
hill climb displayed on the front lawn of the AACA Museum.
Sanctioned by the VSCCA and chaired by David L. George II,
visitors were treated to the sights and sounds of more than 30
1
THE FLYING LADY
Saturday evening’s sold-out Mille
Miglia-themed dinner and live auction featured club member David
Gooding (of the eponymous auction
house) as Master of Ceremonies with
former Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick
Vermeil as Honorary Chair. Dr. Fred
Simeone was presented with the Lee
Iaccoca Award and Bill Parfet received
the inaugural Olympus Award recognizing his dedication to the hobby.
Despite overcast skies on concours
Sunday, the weather held off—just
long enough for the awards ceremony
to conclude! Quite literally, Mother
Nature “rained on the parade.” Despite
the downpour, the event was a success, as evidenced in the nicknames:
“Pebble in PA” or “Pebble without the
Beach.” Heady compliments for any
event, first-time or veteran. Spectators,
10181
invitees, sponsors, and car owners
marvelled at the quality of the showfield and the casual yet elegant setting
provided by the gardens of the Hershey Hotel. More than 60 cars graced
the lawn, a comfortable and intimate
setting like that of the St. Michaels
concours. Each participant received
a large-scale Hershey Kiss trophy in
recognition of their participation.
More than 30 named awards were
presented. Double award winners
Tom and Mary Jo Heckman received
both the Best of Britain Award and
the Hagerty Youth Judging Award
for their gorgeous 1926 Bentley
6½L H.J. Mulliner TB2542 2. Mrs.
2
Jim and Marion Caldwell of
Toms River, New Jersey showed
their 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Playboy roadster S397FM
with coachwork by Brewster 3.
This New Phantom chassis was
built in Springfield during the
years when Rolls-Royce thought
it prudent to have a factory in the
United States. The Caldwells
are regular participants on the
concours and car show circuit.
3
holmeley of Lushill, Highworth,
C
Wilshire, England took delivery new
from Gaffikin Wilkinson & Co. of
London following the fitting of its
coachwork from H.J. Mulliner. The
distinctive one-off aluminum body
with dickey seat is referred to as a
“Simplex Coupe” by Mulliner but
Bentley factory records called it a “¾
folding head coupe.” The car spent
much of its life in South Africa beginning in 1937, and was found in Rhodesia in 1964, abandoned but complete.
The Heckmans purchased it in 2008.
This is the 42nd “Big Six” Bentley produced and is the sole remaining shortchassis example to carry its original
coachwork as well as the engine with
which it was born.
10182 Jim and Arlene Adams of Jupiter, Florida displayed their 1913
Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost
2232E with Wilkinson Roi de
Belges tourer body 4. It was
ordered by G. Douglas Ashby as
a Thrupp & Maberley torpedo
4
THE FLYING LADY
tourer with London–Edinburgh features. Its next owner, John
de Kaye, sold it to the British Admiralty for war use. The car
went through several bodies and several owners, among whom
Millard Newman in 1987. Its last sale was at the 2010 Longfields auction in Canada.
The RRF was invited to display its 1935 Bentley 3½L Hooper
sedanca coupe B140FB 5. This marked the Bentley’s first public showing in over five years. Its chassis was originally sold to
Samuel Ward & Sons, Ltd., Victoria Garage, Trinity Square,
suming limousine body by coachbuilder W.S. Atcherley. Following WWII it was purchased by John Gaul, a car dealer and
property developer with a penchant for spectacular cars. In 1946
he commissioned Freestone & Webb to build this sedanca de
ville. It was referred to as “Gaul’s Copper Kettle” and was
shown extensively at European concours d’elegance. Gaul sold
the car in 1954 and it was later offered for sale in the US in
1964. It boasts many unusual features such as brushed copper
engine-turned fenders and running boards, polished copper
swage lines on the hood, polished copper exterior and interior hardware, and radiator louvers finished in matte black. The
body is highlighted by caning on
the rear doors and quarter section. The interior features wood
veneers with ivory and brass
inlays and West of England
cloth with ivory piping in the
passenger compartment.
5
People’s Choice was awarded
to the 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III 3DL120 by Labourdette owned by John W. Rich,
Sr., of Frackville, Pennsylvania
7. This car was originally bodied by Hooper in October 1938
and fitted with a sedanca de ville
body and used at the Rolls-Royce
displays for the 1939 Brussels,
Amsterdam, and Geneva motor
Nottingham, UK. It was then
sent to coachbuilder Hooper
& Co. where it was fitted
with this sedanca coupe
body for “town and touring”
(mainly touring) as original
documents indicate. It was
first sold to J.C. Piddock,
Esq., of Nottinghamshire in
January 1936. In the ensuing years it passed through
several owners until it was
purchased by Eric Shrubsole, a New York antiques
dealer who specializes in
rare English and American
silver. It was he who restored
the car prior to donating it to
the Rolls-Royce Foundation
in 1996.
Don and Janet Williams of 6
Danville, California (Blackhawk Collection) were honored with the Most Elegant Closed
Car Award Pre-War for their flamboyant 1937 Rolls-Royce
Phantom III sedanca de ville 3CP38 by Freestone & Webb 6.
This car was sold new to J.M. Nicholson sporting a rather unasSeptember / October 2011
THE FLYING LADY
shows in Europe as well as the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.
The car was then sold to Oscar Greenwald of Milwaukee. With
bare chassis unavailable immediately after World War II, flamboyant New York furrier Louis Ritter purchased the Hooper
10183
The Governor’s Cup Best
in Show was presented by
Pennsylvania Governor Tom
Corbett to Joseph Cassini
III and his stunning 1927
Isotta-Fraschini 8A S Roadster by Fleetwood.
7
sedanca and shipped it to Paris carrossier Henri Labourdette
who rebodied it in 1947 for $44,000. Most unique is its “Vutotal” windscreen invented by Joseph Vigroux. It affords an unobstructed view without any form of support other than the glass
itself. Upon completion the car was shown at the 1947 Paris
Concours then shipped to Ritter in New York. After a succession of owners, the car became part of the John W. Rich Sr.
collection in 2005.
10184 This memorable weekend
is scheduled to be back for
2012 so be sure you don’t
miss it! It’s no wonder Auto
mobile magazine editor Jean
Jennings called it “The Next
Great Car Show.” Proceeds
from the weekend benefited the Juvenile Diabetes
Foundation and the AACA
Library, Research Center,
and the AACA Museum.
For more details and a list of
winners, check out www.theeleganceathershey.com.
Attendees who stuck around another two days this year had
a further treat in the form of about 100 cars from 1911–1969
making a stop at the AACA Museum. These were participants
in The Great Race, America’s premier old car rally, which
started in Chattanooga (TN) and ended in Bennington (VT).
The oldest car, a 1911 Velie H1 Racetype would win! No RollsRoyces or Bentleys participated this year.
THE FLYING LADY
LM1345. The
Clement/Duller 3L
Le Mans car in front
of the Savoy.
David Medcalf
s
everal RROC members attended
the 75th Anniversary Ball of the
Bentley Drivers Club held at
London’s Savoy Hotel on June 4.
The Bentley Drivers Club was founded
in 1936, nine years after the first ball
was held at the Savoy Hotel to celebrate
Bentley’s win at Le Mans. The club’s
first president was Woolf Barnato, racing
legend and president of Bentley Motors.
Among the nearly 400 people attending this year’s ball from more than a dozen
countries were Franz-Josef Paefgen who
retired earlier this year as President of
Bentley Motors, and RROC members
Perry and Peggi Hirsch (CA), Pierre
Lemieux (CA), Ed Gehringer (CA),
Marge Sosa (CA), Bruce and Christy
Campbell (CA), Peter Heydon (MI), and
Kurt Furger (CO).
The evening started with a champagne reception followed by pre-dinner
music from the 1920s and 1930s and a six-course dinner. The
ensuing good cheer put people into a magnanimous mood
during the subsequent charity auction of unique Bentley
memorabilia and they parted with some £19,000 to benefit
cancer research. After dancing to disco music until well past
1:00 am the night rang out to the sounds of Auld Lang Syne
played by a bagpiper and some of the night owls convened
for further conversation and camaraderie.
BDC 75th Anniversary Ball and Tour
THE FLYING LADY
Some of the Bentleyists from California: Pierre Lemieux, the
Hirschs, Ed Gehringer and Marge Sosa.
Bentley Motors
Noteworthy among the Bentley memorabilia auctioned was
a scooter painted in Bentley colors and insignia that was
used at Le Mans in 2003 when Bentley’s Speed 8 race car
drove to victory—80 years after Bentley’s first win there.
The scooter had been donated by Dr. Paefgen and brought
£8,500.
Those who didn’t go dancing stretched their legs by taking a tour of the underground garage where Bentleys old and
new were awaiting the Tuesday start of a 30-day “Britain by
Bentley” driving tour which included a stop at Crewe for a
gala dinner and factory tour. Among the tour cars from Australia, Belgium, the Channel Islands, Germany, Hong Kong,
Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Thailand,
and the USA were three Blowers, two
8 Litres, and at least nine Speed Sixes.
They and the numerous other classics are
all drivers and not museum pieces—even
the 3 Litre team car raced at Le Mans
by Clement and Duller in 1926 that was
restored by current owners Jimmy and
Pat Medcalf (UK) even if that car didn’t
go on this tour because Jimmy took his
1929 4½L saloon.
Dr. Paefgen went on the tour as well,
as did RROC members Ed Gehringer,
Marge Sosa, Bruce and Christy Campbell,
Peter Heydon, and Kurt Furger.
Perry Hirsch (CA)
10185
Something borrowed, something . . . green.
Ed Gehringer arriving at a Scotland beach in
his borrowed 41/  2 L tourer UK3277.
Bentleys of all stripes in the Savoy’s garage.
Jürgen Lenz in his 61/  2 L Le Mans tourer FA2523 in the Lake District.
Far from home: a Bentley Continental
with Hiroshima, Japan registration.
John Hampson from Santa Barbara parking his father’s 41/  2 L Le Mans
tourer FS3601 at Prescott Hill Climb.
Phil Sandwith on High Street in Edinburgh
in his huge Speed Six tourer BA2599.
The House of Grosvenor,
Coachbuilders
r
by Tom Clarke (UK), ©2011
enowned for his fine motor coachwork Walter Richard
Grover (b. ca 1856) began as a carriage builder prior to
1882 and ran his business under the name of Grosvenor
Carriage Co. “Grosvenor” was perhaps a play on words
of his own name; alternatively, it is possible the firm’s name
was chosen to add luster inasmuch as Grosvenor was the family
name of the Duke of Westminster who owned great chunks of
central London, and it has always been a word associated with
luxury. Although “Carriage” was in the firm’s name it ceased to
be a carriage builder and, instead, switched to supplying bodies
for motorcars. Once the switch was made, Grover hit the
ground running with really stylish designs and superb quality
of manufacture. Fortunately for Rolls-Royce enthusiasts,
Grosvenor worked almost immediately on bodies for the best
car in the world, several of which survive.
Probably a Maudslay, and one of Grosvenor’s earliest bodies.
This 1912 streamline 2-door tourer brought the coachbuilder
some attention and shows that Grosvenor must have had a
competent designer on the staff.
The Motor 26 Nov. 1912 p. 854
Some years after its establishment, Grosvenor was formed into
a limited liability company on August 1, 1911 (no. 117088),
capitalized at £5,000. Only the company secretary Arthur
Albert Talbott figures in company papers along with Grover
so it seems the founder was the only driving force behind the
business. Grosvenor had its beginnings at 366 Euston Road
in St. Pancras, London N.W.1. and by 1911 had been there
some years already, not far from the hub of the motor trade at
Great Portland Street in central London. As late as 1895 and
perhaps longer, this address was the factory of Leete, Edwards
& Norman Ltd., a large-scale mechanical engineering business
which Grosvenor probably replaced. In 1911 366-368 Euston
Road contained other businesses as well and had only
recently ceased being the
home of the Grande Maison d’Automobiles Ltd.
(founded there in 1904 by
Ernest Browne), better
known as the Motor House.
This was a very large agency
selling various makes of car
from the early years of the
century and claimed to be
the biggest outlet in the
world. In early 1910, however, the Motor House’s
lavish advertising came to
a sudden end, leaving just
Grosvenor, and perhaps
others, in the building.
As Grover had probably
bodied cars for the Motor
House he was no doubt
also out of pocket after the
Motor House closed down. Percy Holland Easton, an engineer
and director of the Motor House, found himself in police custody from February 1910 as a result of a client using Easton’s
stock of cars as security to obtain jewelry under false pretenses.
Luckily Easton was acquitted and the real miscreant jailed but
it must have been a blow to the motor business. This was certainly a colorful background for Grosvenor’s short remaining
time at this address, until no later than 1914. Soon after its
departure, and probably whilst Grosvenor was still situated
there, 366-368 Euston Road was the address of motorcycle
maker Hendee Manufacturing Co. (agents for the eponymous
U.S. maker of the Indian motorcycle).
An early source for Grosvenor’s regular Rolls-Royce work
was the prolific owner Charles Howard Angas of South Australia. In 1909 Angas had ordered two Silver Ghost chassis,
60922 and 1126, both of which were fitted with coachwork by
Brainsby Ltd. of Peterborough and London. In recent books
it has been said Silver Ghost 1126 was a Grosvenor when new
but that applied only to its second body, as will be seen. (It
wasn’t until 1912 that Angas became a patron of Grosvenor.)
Angas’s third purchase was 1911 Silver Ghost 1524, a Hooper
limousine used by Rolls-Royce Ltd. as a “Royalty” loan car and
completed in the spring of that year. On May 9, 1912 it was
purchased by Angas when visiting England from Australia. The
Hooper body was retained by Rolls-Royce and Angas then had
Grosvenor fit their first ever body to a Silver Ghost, choosing
not to use Brainsby as he had done for his first Rolls-Royces.
The second body on 1524 showed Grosvenor at their flamboyant best, a Brougham-style coupe de ville that was claimed to
have been shown at the Olympia Show in October 1912 before
being sent to Australia.
THE FLYING LADY
10187
Motor in Australia, Dec. 1914 p. 29
This image of 1911 Silver Ghost 1524 with
Grosvenor’s stylish body was used in the US
magazine The Motor Age from November
21, 1912, covering European styles at the
time of the Olympia Show. Although not easy
to see, this body’s emphatic curves at the
front and rear of the “coupe” section were
actually chamfered as well. These chamfers,
the roof, and the reveals around the windows
were then painted a contrasting color to add
drama to the whole design.
1524 after its arrival in Australia. This chassis
survives and a replica of the Grosvenor body is
currently being fitted to the chassis in Australia.
A ca. 1912 Theophile-Schneider
in seemingly matte paint. The
dainty bottom curve of the rear
fender under the running board
was a recurring Grosvenor
theme.
An imposing ca. 1912
Hotchkiss tourer.
Courtesy of Nic Portway
Courtesy of Nic Portway
Nottinghamshire. Additional premises, the Mortimer Works, were taken nearby some time later.
It was at Welbeck Works that the Angas family’s
next orders were completed. In January 1914
Angas’s Silver Ghost 1126 was returned to England for chassis modernization and Grosvenor
fitted a sporting beetle-back 2-seater in place of
the Brainsby 2-seater fitted when new. Brainsby
had gone bankrupt in mid 1913 which is why they
did not undertake this rebodying themselves.
Although the firm was later re-established, its
glory days were over and it finally closed in 1930.
The Welbeck Works in Kilburn seen
prior to late 1922.
Angas’s influence is unlikely behind
another Grosvenor Rolls-Royce in
Australia, 1913 Silver Ghost 2448. It
was actually first sold to an English
customer but almost immediately
diverted to a buyer in New South
Wales. After October 1912 and certainly no later than 1914, Grosvenor
leased the Welbeck Works on Kimberley Road, in the Kilburn area of
London N.W.6. This building also
had a notable previous occupant in
the Simms Manufacturing Co. from
1902–10 (Frederick Simms being
the father of the British motor industry). From January 1910 the Welbeck
Works were occupied by Simms’s
Aero-Motors Ltd. until Grosvenor’s
arrival. The name Welbeck Works preceded Grosvenor’s arrival, but it was another grand association: this
time it was the name of the Duke of Portland’s estate in
THE FLYING LADY
Above: The body framing shop at the Welbeck Works with only
Vauxhall bodies in view, seen before late 1922.
Below: 1913 Silver Ghost 2448 with Grosvenor’s stylish tourer body
owned by Mrs. Isabella Whitney in New South Wales.
10189
1909 Silver Ghost 1126 rebodied in early 1914 for Charles Angas but used in England during the WWI by his son,
Dudley, until returned to Australia in 1916. The engine of this car survives at the Hunt House. The iridescent finish was
rare at this time but the famous Silver Ghost AX-201 had such a finish in 1907.
THE FLYING LADY
10191
1913 London to Edinburgh
Silver Ghost chassis 2526 in
the low, narrow style favored
for this sporting model. This
car carries body number
2636 which seems to bear
no relation to Grosvenor’s
limited output since 1911.
Two other Grosvenor body
numbers are known, 7179 on
a Vauxhall 23/60 “Arundel”
coupe and 9737 on a 1927
Vauxhall 30/98, chassis
OE289; both numbers seem
too large for output. Purists should note that, unlike modern
restorations, the car as new had the following features painted
rather than plated: windscreen supports, fuel tap, and even
the Warland dual rims plates. The hood was unpainted and
left matte. There appears to be a provision for a hood padlock.
This car survives with its original body, as does Silver Ghost
2582 although its Grosvenor body has possibly been removed
only recently.
A ca. 1913–14 RochetSchneider by Grosvenor
showing earlier use of the
beetle-back design.
A ca. 1913 Benz
12/20 hp with sporting
treatment to the tail.
Courtesy of the Real Car Co.
In this period at its new works
the Grosvenor company was bodying
quality chassis and, in all, thirteen
pre-1918 Rolls-Royces were bodied.
Ronald Fife Angas of South Australia, based in Britain during wartime,
also now turned to Grosvenor and his
1915 Silver Ghost 34ED was supplied through the legendary Alpine
Trials driver James Radley. With the
end of the war in 1918 Grosvenor’s
circumstances changed and it was
bought out by motor dealer Shaw &
Kilburn. A new direction was dawning with assured work that stemmed
from Shaw & Kilburn’s pivotal role as
Vauxhall’s leading London agent.
A ca. 1914 unknown make, possibly Berliet.
On May 15, 1919 Grover sold his business to the sportsman Drysdale Kilburn (b. 1894) and his partner Henry Otho
Nicholson Shaw (1889–1954) of the Shaw & Kilburn business.
There were fluctuating fortunes in the motor and coachbuilding industries in the early postwar period, and Grover was now
living at Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, some distance west of London, so this probably indicates that Grover
was preparing to depart after the May sale. This he did in September, as did some of his workers, in particular four who left
to join the new nearby Lancefield coachworks. This had been
founded by Frank Brainsby Woollard of that same Brainsby’s
of Peterborough family already mentioned, a curiously circuitous connection to the Angas family who ordered bodies from
both Brainsby and Grosvenor. Lancefield was founded in west
London in 1921 but in November 1922 it was in receivership
and taken over by three of its ex-Grosvenor employees: Henry
A Grosvenor
landaulette
interior ca.
1914–19,
unknown
make.
A ca. 1914 Oakland,
a US make from
General Motors. All
in white certainly
made it stand out.
THE FLYING LADY
10193
James Gaisford (b. 1897), his brother Ernest George Gaisford
(b. 1899), and their partner George Apthorpe Worboys (b.
1896). Together they operated as Gaisford & Worboys before
resuming the Lancefield name in 1927. They were joined by
R.W. “Jock” Betteridge, who became their chief designer. All
four men had learned their craft at Grosvenor.
By 1919 Grosvenor’s new owners, Shaw & Kilburn Ltd.,
were promoting Grosvenor’s coachwork for the emerging
range of Vauxhalls, starting with the 25 hp based on the wartime D-type chassis. Vauxhall’s own coachbuilding department at their Luton factory, in Bedfordshire north of London,
built purely tourers. Grosvenor continued for a while building bespoke bodies on Rolls-Royces and other makes into the
mid 1920s but after the General Motors takeover of Vauxhall
in 1925 the work was overwhelmingly for Vauxhall chassis. In
1919 Shaw & Kilburn had premises at 112-114 Wardour Street
in central London (the former Mitchell garage), and had also
taken over Vauxhall’s former showrooms at 174-82 Great Portland Street, W.1. In addition there were specialized hire and
repair garages such as the Belgrave Garage and Pembroke
Works in Halkin Street, Belgravia S.W.1. By 1925 20 Conduit
Street in Mayfair had been added, indicating just how big this
dealership was.
Yet Shaw & Kilburn were newcomers, only incorporated
on March 27, 1917 to acquire the old-established Mitchell
Brothers (London) Ltd. business in Soho and selling Hudson
cars. They became a Vauxhall main agent in 1918. In 1919,
after rapid wartime expansion, the Grosvenor subsidiary had
a workforce of seventy. A new Grosvenor manager at this time
was G.H. Humphrey from the construction industry, one of the
few names known from these early years and clearly a Shaw &
Kilburn appointment. Drysdale Shaw resigned from his Grosvenor directorship in October 1928 and other Shaw & Kilburn
directors joined instead during 1930. Hector Thomas Samuel
Strang and William Percy Powers (d. 1961) were with Shaw &
Kilburn from 1919 and 1931 respectively, with Powers a Grosvenor director, and oversaw Grosvenor’s transformation into a
trade body builder.
Grosvenor’s 1914 Silver Ghost
38AB open drive 3/  4 landaulette.
R.F. Angas’s 1915 Silver
Ghost 34ED with its
purposeful Grosvenor
tourer body seen after the
car’s return to Australia.
A pre-1918 Talbot 25/50 hp with
Shaw & Kilburn’s name emblazoned
on the Grosvenor body’s lower
quarters. This car would have been
used for chauffeur-driven hire work.
A 1919 Vauxhall 25 hp with Grosvenor’s first offering, a 2-seater
with dickey, on the postwar chassis. Photographed at the top of Great
Portland Street in London. Note the pheasant mascot mounted on the
radiator cap.
The interior of a large 2-door allweather on
a ca. 1919 25 hp Vauxhall showing how one
seat hinged to allow access to the front.
THE FLYING LADY
10195
arkets—estate cars, dropheads, etc. Production ceased in
m
1958 and the firm closed, although the Grosvenor Carriage Co.
name was not finally dissolved until 1993. Shaw & Kilburn continued to use the Grosvenor name for a style of small coach on
a Bedford chassis that they sold in small numbers in the 1960s.
Grosvenor’s fate was no different from many other large and
small coachbuilding companies, either absorption into a car
manufacturer’s empire or closure.
Courtesy of Grace’s Guide
In the interwar period Grosvenor bodied just thirteen Silver
Ghosts, one Phantom I 28NC (another, 48FH, carries a Grosvenor body transferred to it many years later), and three 20 hp
(GF80, GYK92, and GZK37) to complete their Rolls-Royce
tally of thirty cars. In 1950 an unidentified Mk VI Bentley chassis was fitted with an estate car body, claimed by the dealer
Scott-Moncrieff in 1956 to be by Grosvenor. By 1954 Grosvenor were modifying specialized Vauxhalls for export
A late 1950s example of Grosvenor’s
final work, a world away from its
Edwardian designs.
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to Nic
Portway for help with
Vauxhalls and the link
to Grosvenor; Bernard
King for chassis data.
All photographs from
the author’s collection
except where indicated.
Grosvenor in their 1920–30s Vauxhall heyday, exhibiting regularly at Olympia and
Earls Court.
Technical Feature
1
Where Are Your Wheels?
Bill Coburn (Australia)
w
2
hen you are at your next Concours d’Elegance
and the “cucumber sandwiches and Cliquot” clan
are in full slosh, wander around the front ends of
the beautifully titivated examples and check the
wheel clearances. The two wheels shown here 1 are from the
same car, right front wheel at left and left front wheel at right.
I arranged that to see if you are still awake! Note the clearances between the tire and the fender. Hmm . . . no it is not the
optional elastic control arms nor has the sub-frame detached
itself from its parental assembly.
The culprits in this case were incredibly worn camber
bushes. These, you will remember, are the swivels at the inner
top arms of the suspension. The bush
is a silentbloc unit consisting as they all
do of a highly compressed rubber tube
jammed between two steel tubes. The
inner tube is in turn jammed between
two supports on the subframe and
cannot move and the outer tube is
jammed (read pressed) into the end of
the control arm. In operation neither
metal tube can move so the rubber
insert simply has to flex to accommodate movement as the suspension rises
and falls. Photo 2 highlights a case of
futility—trying to press the old bush
from the arm. Twelve tons just won’t
hack it! The new bush to be inserted is
sitting to the right of the arm!
The sleuths among you will be paragraphs ahead of me and
have already tossed this issue aside to go get a drink, but for
the others the wheel design indicates that this car is a Turbo.
(Where did they get that name?) Then you will remember that
the inner end of the upper arm is very close to the exhaust
manifold on both sides of the car. Finally you will remember
that the turbocharged engines develop a lot more power than
their lesser assemblies. Energy, as you may recall Mr. Newton’s
dictums, has to be dispersed somewhere and in this case it is
largely as heat! So your nicely pressed and set up inner rubberlined bush is suddenly millimeters away from a red hot (literally) exhaust manifold. The company did its best in the space
available and bolted in some shields but they simply slowed
down the suspension-baking process!
Since your remaining on Earth as a sentient being largely
depends on the suspension of your car, including the wheels
and tires, it is advisable to have a wheel alignment once a year,
a wheel balance every 10,000K, and weigh-up your life expectancy against the age of the tires. Five years is all you should
reasonably expect!
So back to the sandwich munchers you go, pick out the most
vulnerable one (they usually laugh a lot and sneer slightly at
your grubby hands where you have been poking around baked
suspensions), and say, “come and look at this” with a knowing
look in your eye, at the same time standing to one side of the
vulnerable one’s face lest you cause a sudden expulsion of a
partially digested cucumber sandwich! .
Here is the whole suspension together minus the spring. The problem camber bush can just be seen behind the shock absorber. The smaller rod with
a large clevis bolted to the upper control arm largely controls caster (the
lean on the vertical axis of the wheel) which in turn gives not only stability of direction in your steering but is the bit of geometry that self-centers
the wheel after a turn! With a badly worn inner camber bush the upper
control arm swivels around the bolted yoke from the caster arm and allows
the wheel to move backwards and forwards! The “caster bushes” where the
caster arm is mounted on the sub frame are usually the first wear point of
the whole suspension but can be easily inspected without even taking the
wheel off. That they are for another world is usually evident by a bit of the
rubber bulging or hanging out where it shouldn’t.
THE FLYING LADY
10197
Retro Classic Meets
Barock 2011
Klaus-Josef Roßfeldt (Germany)
B122KT
t
his year’s “Retro Classic Meets Barock” in Southern
Germany again assembled a most impressive
array of motorcars, something that has come to be
expected of one of the major European concours,
a FIVA A-level event. The magnificent building and park
are, after Versailles in France, the grandest baroque castle
in Europe. This year’s theme was the “100th Anniversary of
the Spirit of Ecstasy.”
The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, German Section, and
several collectors who rarely have their cars appearing in
public arranged for a good representation of Rolls-Royces,
with models ranging from Silver Ghosts to the latest Ghost.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars had
a presence in the form of staff
member Kris Sukhu being a
concours judge and presenting
a display of what might become
future alternatives to the “standard” mascot: two prototypes,
one in phosphor-bronze (a material particularly well suited for
application of gold or platinum)
and a second one in Makrolon (a
transparent material that allows
for an illuminated non-chrystal
mascot as used on 102EX).
The quality of the RollsRoyce cars on display was exceptional. Several were awarded 1st
prizes in their respective classes.
It would be unfair to imply that
those who placed second or
SCA664SO1AU34001
third were “inferior” because
Maybach Zeppelins
16UE
September
October 2011 THE FLYING LADY
16UE & /SCA664SO1AU34001
10199
3BU16
often enough the difference came down to fractions of points. Thankfully, this did not dampen the good mood of either participants or
jury. The weather was splendid, champagne flowed freely, and various bands provided top-class entertainment. Just imagine enjoying a
warm summer night on one of the castle’s terraces with spectacular
fireworks filling the sky with incredible colors, followed by Italian
tenors with voices of angels’ quality. It was easy to be transported
back in time and feel like a member of aristocracy from a bygone era!
The featured marque this year was Maybach and the cars gathered
here represented the largest exhibition to date. The selection of cars
from the—fairly limited—production of Maybach-Motorenbau, Friedrichshafen am Bodensee, Germany, was truly unique and included
four of the ultra-rare 12-cylinder Maybach “Zeppelin.”
Bentley cars were, of course, present as well. Outstanding among these was certainly Bentley 4¼ Litre
B75GP, a Special that is driven in competitive
events by Markus Zippert from Bavaria. The
fact that he is paralyzed from the waist down
does not keep him from driving his car in a
most spirited manner and winning the Regularity Run! All instruments/controls have been
modified to be operated manually. In its race
trim this Bentley is not road-legal in Germany,
so on public roads it is towed on a trailer—by
a Bentley S1.
In the end, “Best of Show” went to a most
elegant Maybach SW38 drophead coupé in
immaculate condition. The audience, including the Rolls-Royce owners, affirmed the jury’s
choice with thunderous applause, recognizing
the winner as Primus inter Pares—First
Among Equals.
Best of Show winner—Maybach SW38 Spohn dhc.
LCGL27
S310LR
THE FLYING LADY
10201
B75GP
B31GD & B75GP
THE FLYING LADY
10203
BOOKS
The Roycean: From
Manchester to Crewe, via
Derby, Vol. 2
Hulme Press, 2011. European
orders: Complete Classics <rrab@
completeclassics.co.uk>; US orders:
RROC Club Stores. 124 pages,
illustrated, softcover. List Price:
£10/$15 + shipping.
cess and sustainability. As if
they didn’t already have a host
of other pressing matters to
attend to, Tom Clarke donned
the editor’s hat and Will Morrison drove the computer. Joined
by the proverbial pillars of
the [Rolls-Royce] community
they produced something that
may look and feel a bit homespun (not a criticism!) but, akin
to the Rolls-Royce Heritage
Trust’s publications, is at the
very pinnacle of the state of the
art of scholarship. Looking at
vols. 1 and 2 side by side does
reveal a number of design and
layout tweaks but, more importantly, the original look and
feel of the design structure has
been retained, meaning it was
a suitable choice to begin with.
Regardless of any degree
of prior knowledge, the seri-
750 copies are printed, with
half of them going to the 20
Ghost Club right out of the
box, you’ll want to get yours
early—or pay dearly one
day on eBay! Take a look for
yourself at <http://theroy
cean.moonfruit.com>
and
click <2011>. Over the long
haul, thought will have to be
given to a proper index, either
per issue or at least every
few years.
Unless the Royceans run
out of steam or go broke a third
issue is already on the drawing
board. To avoid the latter
vote with your wallet and
support such a noble cause! No
one gets rich doing this sort
of work and £10/$15 are a
laughably low price for what
you’re getting.
Simply Bev . . .
“Determination is Everything”
by James H Cox
iUniverse Inc., 2010. 149 pages, 122
b/w illustrations, hardcover. List Price:
$24.95 ISBN 13: 978-1-4502-8222-2
Lots of RROC members knew
Beverly Rae Kimes, one of
the preeminent automotive
historians of our time. She was
also, if only briefly, a director of
the RRF and the only reason
her tenure was so short is that
she died in 2008.
Often enough books are
described as “a labor of love”—
by which is meant a love for or
of the subject sufficiently compelling to shoulder the burden
of writing a book. Certainly this
Courtesy Julian Paul
It is with much pleasure that we
present for your consideration
the second issue of a publication
launched only last year. It is an
Annual, which means just what
the name implies: it appears
once a year (see FL10-4 for a
review of the inaugural issue).
The Roycean describes itself
as “a journal for those with a
serious interest in all aspects of
the history of the Rolls-Royce
company.” This is a cause TFL
had never abandoned, which
was not lost on especially those
persons who shared just those
interests but would have [a] had
to join the RROC to become
FL subscribers (or the RROC
Australia to become Praeclarum
subscribers), which [b], for
overseas members, would
entail significant shipping cost.
The Roycean, therefore, was
specifically intended to answer
a need among predominantly
UK and European enthusiasts.
It only serves to underscore
the very real demand for such
material to point out that the
merry band of scholars who
took it upon themselves to
heed the call of duty financed
the enterprise out of their own
pockets, uncertain of its suc-
ous historian will
be well pleased
and find much to
occupy the mind
here, and the
budding historian will learn the
Rolls-Royce cannon the proper
way, being spared
the pablum of so
much of that gibberish that finds
its way into the
glitzy but vacuous mainstream
R-R literature.
Thanks to the
first volume being
received not only
warmly but early, editor Clarke
had time to commission material unique to the 2nd volume.
Ergo even our otherwise well
catered-for FL readers will
find here brand-new material. Again there are nine features (chassis 1701, the R-R
“Bible;” R-R look-alikes; US
coachbuilder McNear; replica bodies; G.G. Smith’s cars;
Phantoms III 3AZ43, 3DL2,
3DL122; designs for unbuilt
SC/S cars) but on 20 more
pages. Readers of vol. 1 will
appreciate an errata page pertaining to that issue. Printed in
the European DIN-4 format,
the booklets are bulky enough
to have a proper flat spine of
which is printed the title and
year, ideal for upright filing on
the bookshelf.
Considering that a mere
Too nice a shot to pass up . . . 32 Bentleys on the RREC Derby
Register 2011 Spring Tour line up on Eppynt Hill where they give
a modern interpretation of horsepower in an area named after
the ancient Pagan goddess Epona, Goddess of Horses. This area
is the traditional home of the welsh Mountain Ponies.
was her first love and she envisioned that field as her future
professional endeavor. In his Foreword,
Cox explains that she
never discussed her
youth much (spoiler
alert: no skeletons in
the closet; it just wasn’t
her thing) and while
he was familiar with
the highlights it wasn’t
until he went through
the piles of notes she
left behind that he
himself got to know new sides
of her. In this discovery lies the
genesis of this biography. Cox
rightly felt that enough had
already been recorded about
her professional life, with more
surely still to come, and wanted
her audience to have an opportunity to meet the “Girl on the
Go”—her own way of referring
to herself early in life.
That Cox was able to piece
this puzzle together is thanks to
the copious notes Kimes kept
about anything and everything
already as a young girl, long
before she could have had any
thought of her future accomplishments. Kimes’ biographers
and obituarists unfailingly see
the hand of fate in an admittedly colorful event in her life
that would end up opening a
new chapter. It makes great
copy and is the sort of thing
that seems almost too good to
be true: her waltzing into Scott
Bailey’s Automobile Quarterly
office, then only in its infancy
and far from being the industry
benchmark it would become,
and asking for a job at a car
magazine by announcing “the
only thing I know about auto
mobiles is that I have a driv
er’s license!” True enough, but
missing the very detail that was
her stock in trade: she was sent
on the interview by an employment agency and she considered the AQ gig strictly temporary, “something that would
look good on my resume” for
when she found the job she
really wanted.
Cox attributes her staying at AQ, which would result
in her working her way from
editorial assistant in 1963 to
Editor in Chief 1975–1981 and
also running the magazine’s
book division, Princeton Publishing Co., to her becoming
a cquainted with AQ contributor and Long Island Automobile Museum owner Austie Clark. This and a thousand other details accomplish
just what Cox had wanted for
this book.
It is important to point out
that this book is not a conventionally written, seamless
narrative but a collection of
individual, often unconnected vignettes. Think of someone going through a scrapbook
or pulling mementos out of
a shoebox and talking about
them and you get the flavor of
the book.
Following her through early
childhood, parents, friends,
school, university, career, marriage and business ventures
with her husband (auto restoration, a toy store, the book they
wrote together, an antiques
business) and her many professional accomplishments we get
a glimpse of Kimes’ various
interests, personality traits, and
outlook on life. Appended are a
talk she liked to give about
early cars, the story behind the
“Girl on the Go” moniker, and a
list of awards and citations.
Bentley Motors
is true in this case, except that
it couldn’t possibly have been
a “burden” since
its subject is a
flesh and bones
human being—
and not just any
being but the
author’s wife. To
those who knew
her she was a
giant among women. Not just as
a scholar—she
herself would be
the first to insist that anyone,
in principle, can apply him- or
herself in like manner to the
great matter of learning and
learnedness—but rather in the
fortitude with which she did
not allow a body that had been
failing her since early in life to
deter her.
One supposes that writing about a life partner must
be cathartic, all the more so
since Cox and Kimes got married vv late in life (1984), thus
having had time to rack up
“a past” as individuals. This
sounds unduly theatrical—
which Kimes would have
appreciated since the theater
Mulliner-Spec GT
(June 24) If the styling of the new GTs
is still too tame for you—and if
you’re the sort of person who
has even his toothbrush holder done in carbon fiber—check
out the new Mulliner Styling
Specification’s Classic Pack
(available as of June) that
offers crisper lines and a
lower stance: unique front
bumper splitter, strakes integrated into the front intake grilles, side
extension blades beneath the sills, and
a full-width rear diffuser, all in highgloss black carbon fiber.
You can enhance this further by
ordering four options (available in
the fall): a carbon fiber rear spoiler
and door mirror cowls, black-painted
21" 7-spoke “Elegant” alloy wheels
with contrasting bright machined detailing, and curved dark chrome mesh front
fender vents with black carbon fiber
bezels. You already know about bookSeptember / October 2011
THE FLYING LADY
matched wood veneers in which one
half mirrors the other; the Mulliner
package now applies that to
carbon fiber too with the weave
of the fiber going in separate
directions on either side of
the car.
Unlike aftermarket packages
all the components are fully tested and
approved by Bentley.
10205

May 2011 Newsletter

Transcription

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