MAC NEWS£1.50 where sold Mar/Apr 2013 No 187

Sporting Trial

Resurfacing Works, Breakfast Club.Exhibition Reviews, “Guest Columnist”

The MIDLAND AUTOMOBILE CLUB

(est. 1901)Shelsley Walsh Hill ClimbWorcestershire WR6 6RP

Telephone during office hours:01886 812211

Fax No: 01886 812917www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk

OFFICIALS 2012

President: J. W. Moody

Vice Presidents:A.B. Griffiths, A.E. Gabriel, N.H. Harrison, I.A. Harper, M.D. Griffiths, F. Drasar, D.M. Nursey, J.J. Toulmin,

D.S.Whitefoot

Committee:N.H. Harrison (Chairman),

I. Antony Harper (Vice Chairman),J.R. Wood, T.W.J. Moody, D.L. Ball,W.S. Durling, A.K. Harrison,

Mrs M. Nightingale, J.S. Robinson, D. Jukes, S.D. Fidoe, P.G. Nuthall,

Dr C. Perks, M. Harrison

Treasurer: Darren Jukes

Company Secretary & Commercial Manager:Mark Constanduros

Competitions Secretary:Roger Thomas

Administration Assistant:Gill Dayson

Archivist:David Moore

Auditors:Bloomer Heaven and Co

The views and statements expressed are not necessarily

those of the MAC. Correspondence also is the

opinion of the writer only. TheMidland Automobile Club

accepts no responsibility nor endorses the products or services offered by the

advertisers.Front: Julian Fack, Best MAC Member

Photo: Campbell Deas, Aspects Photographydesign and print: The Printed Word

EditorialBy Mark Constanduros

It has been a busy few weeks since the last issue of theMAC News. We have at last finished all the works on thedrainage system down through the Esses, expanded thehospitality area, laid new tarmac and landscaped all aroundthe works area. All we need is some good weather for it togreen up.

The first sporting event, the Peter Blankstone Sporting Trial,took place on the banks of the car park – all part of thediversity of events that can be held at Shelsley Walsh.

We have now had two Breakfast Clubs which have been ahuge success, with numbers well up on the same periodlast year. For those of you who have been, there are twonew faces in the car park, Chris Gittins and Mike Cockayneassisting with parking duties.

The Dibnahs have been very busy too; if you ever pop byon a Tuesday it is always a hive of activity. They have beenworking on the mill, preparing it for visits, and also makingnew doors to complement the rest of The Courtyard.

There are still a few places left for the “Evening With WhizzoWilliams”. Contact Pam Jarvie for further info, and for thoseof you with a small sports car and unable to pack asuitcase, there is a talk called “Capsule In A Case” on 15thMay.

This month we welcome our new “Guest Columnist”, JamesDennison of Brightwells, giving us his thoughts on theclassic car market.

1

Mark ConstandurosCompany Secretary & Commercial Manager

for Sponsorship, Advertising, Corporate, PR, Marketing and MAC News

T: 01886 812211 ext 3 or M: 07891 544705 (office hours)E: mark@mac1901.co.uk

Roger ThomasCompetitions Secretary

for Competition enquiries

T: 01886 812211 ext 2 (Tuesday to Thursday)E: roger@mac1901.co.uk

Gill DaysonEvent Co-ordinator and Administration Assistant

for Event Enquiries, Membership, Tickets and Accounts

T: 01886 812211 ext 1E: gill@mac1901.co.uk

All our contact details are above to help you speak with the relevant person.If we are unable to take your call, we are either on the phone or away from the

office, so please do leave a message and your call will be returned.

Midland Automobile ClubContacts

2

The MAC are pleased to report that after winning an award for a grant we have managed toplant another 21 trees in the orchard to go alongside the 64 trees planted back in March 2012.Tony Harrison and his team braved the biting cold wind and planted them all in one day, withonly the protection fencing left to be put in place over the coming weeks.

Further Replanting of the Orchard

3

MAC Welcomes BABOL and SunnyCAm

The MAC are pleased to welcome a new Member Benefit from BABOL and their range ofSunnyCam HD eye wear, perfect for a driver’s eye view of the hill. Take a look at their advertin this issue and claim 15% off their products at checkout exclusively for MAC Members. TheSunnyCam brand will also be visable on the hill at Kennel sponsoring one of the timing clocks.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of The Midland Automobile Club (Est 1901) will be held at theHundred House Hotel, Great Witley, on 19th April 2013 at 7.30pm. Nominations for committeehave now closed.

Yards of Tarmac

We have had a great response for our continued effort to sell more yards of tarmac to helpraise money for the next stage of the restoration and development of Shelsley Walsh. Asoutlined in the last MAC News, we are looking at the Wooden Barn as the next project tofinalise The Courtyard.

Thank you to all of those who have started the ball rolling, we look forward to selling somemore yards over the coming months.

Reminder - Work Party

The MAC's annual Work Party Day is a chance for the club members to come along and helpprepare Shelsley Walsh for the start of the new season. There are always a number of jobsfrom small projects to repairs and painting.

If you can spare a few hours to come along it would be very much appreciated; it is a greatchance to meet up with fellow members. Assemble at 9.30am for 10am start and finish around4pm with lunch provided.

For more information and to indicate you can help please contact Dave Ball on 01886 853488or email: dave-ball@hotmail.co.uk

4

The competition activities of the New Year were put on hold in January with the disappointingcancellation of the Clee Hills Trial due to heavy snowfall which made access to the varioussections impossible for both marshals and competitors. A great pity this as we had a full entry,and, equally importantly, a large amount of work had been put into the preparation of thisevent over the course of many weeks.

The Peter Blankstone Sporting Trial will be held shortly after I write this so that should get theseason underway and there will then be a good deal going on, thirty-one events of all kindsfrom now until mid October. I often say to people that although Shelsley is historically ourprime activity we do cater for other interests and so we have Breakfast Clubs, Classic Runs,other social gatherings, Sprints at three venues and of course six competition weekends onthe hill climb. So, I hope that there will be something for everyone.

For the Shelsley hill climb meetings in June and August we have, as usual, rounds of theBritish Championship. This was typically closely contested last year with the battle going tothe end of the season and this year Trevor Willis, now a local Worcestershire resident, willdefend his championship title.

Did those of you who are Motor Sport magazine readers see the article in the latest editionabout Trevor and the technical aspects of his car with all the photographs taken at Shelsley?It was good to see this as hill climbing, sadly, gets very little national press coverage.

On Sunday 28th July during the Classic Nostalgia weekend Sir Stirling Moss will be at Shelsley.He is still in many people’s eyes “Mr Motor Racing” and he almost began his competitioncareer at Shelsley in early 1948 when he applied for the May meeting. However, the thensecretary of the MAC, Leslie Wilson, who was apparently rather a martinet, returned the entrytogether with a letter to Stirling stating that he was “too inexperienced”. The letter still exists!

However, all was well for the September meeting by which time Stirling had some winselsewhere and his entry was accepted, he won his class, and, as they say, the rest is history.So, do come to welcome him in July.

As ever, I thank you all for your support to the club and perhaps with some better weather Ihope that you enjoy the forthcoming season.

President’s Messageby John Moody

5

DON’T FORGETYOU CAN FOLLOW US ON

TWITTER

WWW.TWITTER.COM/SHELSLEYWALSH

6

www.shelsley-walsh.co.ukwww.shelsley-walsh.co.uk

Open to everyoneFrom 9 to 12 noonHearty Breakfasts AvailableWalk the hill

A social gathering of likeminded enthusiasts

2013 Dates

February 10thMarch 10thApril 7thMay 12thJune 16thJuly 14thAugust 11thSeptember 8thOctober 13th

Please register your attendance via our web site.

7

The club’s 2013 sporting season kicked off on 17th March with the Peter Blankstone MemorialSporting Trial, held on the banks above the main Shelsley car park. The trial was won overallby Ian Bell and his bouncer Russel Sharp. Thirty cars took part in the event, a good numberwhen compared with other trials this year. Best scores in the classes were Ian Bell Red class18 points, Barry Hogg Blue class 31 points and Richard Thomas Green Class on 56 points.

The Trial was cut short to 14 rounds due to the unfortunate accident to Bouncer DuncanWalker who was taken by air ambulance to hospital in Birmingham. Duncan is recovering butfaces a long stay in hospital. We send our best wishes for his full recovery.

Regulations and entry forms for speed events have been available from the club’s websitewww.shelsley-walsh.co.uk since 1st March, or entries can, as before, be made on-line. Entriesare arriving in encouraging number for all of the club’s Speed events right through to theseason closer at Curborough on 13th October.

The deadline for entries closing for our first speed events this year are 5th April for the 4th/5thMay Shelsley, 26th April for the May MIRA Sprint, and 2nd May for the British HillclimbChampionship event on 1st/2nd June.

Members who are hill climb entrants should consider doing a sprint event or two, as the varietyof venues used offers different challenges to competitors, and very satisfying days ofmotorsport.

The Midland Hillclimb Championship event on 4th/5th May includes classes for the Paul MattySports Cars Lotus Championship, The Westfield Speed Series, the SBD H.S.A. SpeedChampionship and other special classes. Our British Championship event on 1st/2nd Junewill also include classes for the Ferrari Owners Club Hill Climb Championship, Historic 500sand Shelsley Specials.

We have received invitations to take part in the following events run by other clubs: Hagleyand District Motor Club Loton Park (13th April); Hagley and District Motor Club Loton Park(14th April); Liverpool Motor Club Aintree Sprint (27th April); Brighton and Hove Motor ClubGoodwood Sprint (18th May); Liverpool Mortor Club Aintree Sprint (19th June).

Apologies for the entry fees that were published in last month’s MAC News, but weaccidentally published last year’s figures. Please see below for this year’s figures

Competitions Secretary’s ReportBy Roger Thomas

ENTRY FEES

SW "A" £117.00 £7.00 discount for MAC Members

SW "B" £115.00 £7.00 discount for MAC Members

VSCC £105.00

MIRA £108.00 £7.00 discount for MAC Members

Blyton Park £108.00 £7.00 discount for MAC Members

Curborough £95.00 £7.00 discount for MAC Members

8

During the week leading up to the event my thoughts were dominated by the prospect of yetanother cold, wet and possibly snowy sporting trial. I had to balance this well organised eventagainst freezing conditions that would quite possibly blow my engine apart as I am not knownto reduce revs when it is obvious to everyone else that further progress is totally impossible.In the event no decision was made because by the Friday before the event I had not receivedmy acceptance or final instructions; a phone call confirmed I was on the list and competing –I could not see any more excuses and I would have to attend.

Sunday, 06:00hrs, “freezing conditions and snow flurries expected on high ground, possiblesunny intervals” – thank you the weather girl. Truck, trailer, wife and the spaniel all on boardand we are on our way. Just because we are driving in freezing fog there is no reason whyShelsley won’t be bathed in sunshine. To be fair, it got better the closer we got until we metthe sunny smile of the officials at Shelsley Walsh.

During the Training Day on the Saturday, Andy Gowen and some of the helpers got a goodfeel for conditions and, with the experience of Bill Cole and the Fack dynasty, eight sectionshad been laid out with the intention of providing enjoyment for the majority combined withdifficulty to a level that would satisfy the most hardened of the British champions that the MAChad tempted to the event.

As always the MAC provided the best facilities of any event in the Championship, not onlytoilets with a door and an excellent café, but the sun came out as we started the event; welldone Roger and Gill.

10:00hrs: briefings completed we are on our way to be confronted by the most unusual ofconditions. The starts of the hills were awash with water for about 25 yards, then it dried outproviding a well drained area which was followed by dead bracken over greasy red mud untilfinally you reached the top section where you had a finish on a wet grassy bank. You couldnot have planned it any better. Cars blasted off the start in high gears at maximum revs justto get going; however when and if you got up the first bank you needed a lower gear to tricklewith momentum into the bracken for another blast in a high gear to reach the last part of the

Sporting Trial ReportBy Peter Fensom, Photos Tony Adams

section which by then had just become a red mist of mud, smoke, over-revving andhysterically laughing marshals who were watching this spectacle of these idiots acting theirshoe size.

Round one saw the great man Ian Bell on 10 points, Rowland Uglow on 13 was very much incontention followed by Peter Fensom and Thomas Bricknell on 14. Duncan Stephens was on15. Big numbers were lost on Hill 5 as it needed full power from the most powerful engines toget up the first bank; this was the same on Hill 7. Janette Rowlatt, fresh from the previousday’s masterclass with Steve Courts and the only lady driver, achieved some excellent climbs,finishing round one ahead of at least eight more experienced drivers in the red and blue class.Peter Harvey, a champion on two wheels and four but never in sporting trials, borrowed StuartPerrin's car and, driving for the first time ever with his daughter Lynne Hall, also competingfor the first time, made excellent progress up some difficult hills and appeared to enjoy theday immensely.

Hill 1 was gradually drying out as the morning progressed and conditions improved to allowcompetitors further access to the later part of the section. Martin Grimwood and his passengerDuncan Walker, driving their Honda powered Crossle, experienced a roll-over resulting in theattendance of the local ambulance and the air ambulance. Paramedics on site stabilised thepassenger and he was flown to Birmingham A&E. At the time of writing we have been informedthey are both recovering from injuries.

Officials called a halt to the competition tore-assess all safety considerations and thecompetitors were sent to the paddock for alunch break. Following consultation,competitors were sent out for the secondand final round. The clerk of the course andhill marshals readjusted the hills in line withthe conditions and we kicked off again withjust two retires: Jerome Fack withsuspension breakages and David Hales withmechanical woes. Duncan Stephens tried tocome back at Ian with a round of 9 pointsbut it was not enough. Rowland had a greatround but dropped some expensive fourswhich was enough to stop him winning thetitle. In the end Ian Bell was the winner onjust 18 points, Duncan Stephens wassecond on 24 points, Rowland Uglow thirdon 27 points, and Peter Fensom fourth on 30points.

It is thought by all competitors that the PeterBlankstone is one of the best events in thecalendar put on by officials who understandhow to stage a safe and demanding trial.One day we will find a way to overcome theproblems of bringing the Gold and SilverNational Championship to Shelsley as theMAC has demonstrated all the rightqualities to make the event the best ever.

9

Father and daughter David and Katie Rance,from Shifnal in Shropshire, with their Crossle.

10

������������! %)#.�%))!-���-/%!.�!'!�-�/%*).�!!/%)#.

������������!!/%)#.�/�""��-�%)%)#�!�(��0%' %)#�-* 0�/���0)�$!.�'%!)/���/$!-%)#.�''�2%/$�1�-%��'!�/��'!�'�4*0/.�

���.!�/%)#���+��%/4����/��'!.�*"�����"/�3���"/

��/!-%)#��1�%'��'!�

�$!��!./�0-�)/���)��!�� ! �/*�2%/$�*/$!-"��%'%/%!.��1�%'��'!��) ���)��!�!3/!) ! ��2%/$��(�-,0!!�/*��*1!-��$!��*0-/4�- �'�2)!%/$!-�'%)&! �*-��.���./�) ��'*)!�

�*� %.�0..�4*0-�-!,0%-!(!)/.+'!�.!���''���������������

�� !(�%'��������������� ����� ����

The superb new Stratstone Restaurant atShelsley Walsh is now available for bookings.

It has been a very long and drawn out process, but finally the hill has been resurfaced, fromEss Approach to the exit of Top Ess. The church drive entrance has also been resurfaced aswell as the gateway at Kennel and on the opposite side where the Rescue truck sits.

The new tyre wall has also been finished at Crossing and planted up. This turned out to be avery tough job as the weather deteriorated and the clay became very sticky and difficult towork, but it is now done!

For those who would like to do some hospitality we have increased what we have to offertrackside at the Esses.

Resurfacing the Hill, Tyre Wall, Hospitality

11

MAC Monthly Draw February Winners

1. DK Boyd £1002. RB Fowler £503. AB Griffiths £354. D Preston £305. P Toulmin £256. T Clifford £207. P Watson £158. D Fyfe £10

ALL PROCEEDS TO SHELSLEY ARCHIVE

You can enter at any time.

Print off an Entry Form fromwww.shelsley-walsh.co.ukor contact Christine Perks

07814 792021christine.perks@hotmail.co.uk

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

12

Excellent turn-out for second Shelsley Walsh Breakfast Club ...

A greater number of visitors than expected arrived for the second Breakfast Club meeting ofthe year at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb on Sunday 10th March.

Despite dry but very cold conditions, a widerange of members, visitors and cars turned up,with the Stratstone Restaurant reporting nearly100 traditional breakfasts being served by10am.

Over sixty specialist vehicles were on displayin the paddock, ranging from a Rolls Royce,Austin Healey, Lotus Seven, classic Mini,Ferrari and Porsche, to a Bentley.

Two groups of TVR and MG sports cars filledseveral of the paddock garages and manypeople were attending the monthly event asvisitors for the first time.

The next event takes place on Sunday 7th April,and everyone is urged to register via the web-site. Further details can be obtained from thewebsite or club office on 01886 812211.

Breakfast ClubBy Tony Adams

13

GLASS / BEVELS / PROCESSED / PAINTED

Call 01922 749 910 for unrivalled glass products

Coloured

Create a feeling ofdepth, space and light.

� Modern and stylish� Brightens any room� Colour matching

Balustrading

Make stairs, balconiesand walkways lookfantastic.

� Stairs� Balconies� Walkways

Fire

Suitable for fireprevention andcontainment.

� Insulation and integrity� 30 or 60 minutes� Kite marked approved

Processed

Cut and polish glass toany shape or size.

� Bevel edge� Polished edge� Sandblasting

Introducing Brownhills GlassUnrivalled glass merchants and processors

Beecham CloseAldridgeWalsallWest MidlandsWS9 8UZ

T: 01922 749 910F: 01922 749 911

E: smountford@brownhillsglass.com

www.brownhillsglass.com

Proud to present:• Independent company•Craftsmanship second to none• Fast, reliable delivery using our own

transport fleet•We process 2mm-19mm glass•Glass processing in-house•Quality, bespoke projects our speciality• Fast turnaround guaranteed•Projects taken from conception to

completion in-house.

14

15

One Saturday afternoon a small group of us were asked to come along and test out a newmotor experience venture set up by Brian Sanders, MAC member and retired police drivinginstructor, sprint and hill climb competitor, together with Brian’s stepson and business partnerMatt Dennis, who is also a qualified instructor in his field of expertise.

The location was RAF Pershore, or as it is more commonly known Throckmorton Airfield, builtin 1940 and once home to various RAF units and now used for a number of small businesses.Brian had recently purchased a skid driving rig from the police and a number of cars to teachpeople additional driving skills and also to provide a thrilling experience.

Phil Nuthall, Dave Nursey, Dr Chris Perks, CampbellDeas and myself all met up at Throckmorton to testeach of Brian’s activities: Skid Training, High SpeedCourse, High Speed Slalom – and I had a go at Jturns! We had an absolutely fantastic time, each takingit in turns to try the skid rig through a number of leftand right turns, a small slalom and a hairpin, learninghow to control a skid. The rig was then altered to makethe car behave in different ways which provided greatamusement as we all managed to get the carcompletely crossed up and at times wipe out the cones.

Next up was the high speed course, a smaller versionof the Top Gear test track down one of the runways, atotal length of almost a mile. We had a variety of carsto use, from a Mitsubishi FTO, Ford Mondeo ST24 anda Jaguar S type. Each of our runs was timed and wetook it in turns to freely attack the course with someinstruction from Matt who assists Brian on theactivities. This was a great opportunity to drive a carat high speed in the safety of an aerodrome and at thesame time learning new skills of car control.

Our next activity was the high speed slalom where weused a Mazda to drive as quickly as possible througha zig-zag of gates marked out with cones up to ahairpin and back down through another zig-zag ofgates. Up against the clock this proved to be great fun and very competitive!

Between Brian and Matt there is a lot of driver training experience, something like 35 years,and Matt took me out on to one of the runways to have a go at J turns, driving very fast inreverse and spinning the car round, putting it into first gear and speeding off in the otherdirection just as you see them do in films and car chases – what a thrill! We can highlyrecommend Brian and Matt’s new venture and if you are interested in organising a half or fullday of high speed thrills, or just some specialised training, for a list of their activities andcourses go to Sanden Driver Training or e-mail sandendrivertraining@gmail.com. Matt canbe contacted on 07875 390576, Brian on 07884 121427.

A Thrilling AfternoonBy Mark Constanduros, Photos Campbell deas

16

17

MAC Sports and Classics events are open to MAC Members only, unless otherwise noted.Eligibility of cars - Vintage, classics and modern sports cars.

2013 EventsSunday April 21st 2013. “Drive to Dean”Entries are now closed for this event.

Monday 10th June 2013 to Friday 14th June (4 nights).Tour in the Yorkshire Dales (James Herriot Country)1 or 2 rooms may still be available at The Coniston Hotel, Near Skipton. £185.00 per night fora double room, dinner and breakfast. (Deluxe and single rooms available at additional cost.)If you are interested in joining this trip, please book directly with Rob Elsworth at the hotel on01756 748080, quoting ‘MAC booking’. £25 per night deposit payable.Any queries, please speak to John Spencer on 01584 811040or email j.spencer590@btinternet.com

23rd June 2013 “Park to Park”Start at Croome Park with a traditional English breakfast and the opportunity to see a little ofthis National Trust property if time permits. Finish at Spetchley Gardens with tea and a chanceto view the gardens.

29th September 2013Start at Shelsley Walsh with a simple breakfast and finish at Stratford upon Avon with a rivercruise.

ADVANCED WARNING FOR 2014!!27th April 2014 MAC ClassicThis will be another of our biennial fund-raising events using a number of interesting startvenues around the Midlands. We are already busy booking these. Open to all comers, we willbe inviting other clubs and individual classic car owners to enter, so do tell anyone you knowwith a qualifying car about it. As well as the normal route to follow there will be a chance toexperience the famous hill, plus music, food and drink, mill tours and so on.

MAC Sports and Classics - News and EventsBy Tony Harrison

MAC Monthly Draw January Winners

1. B Lyall £1002. RH Jones £503. K Squire £354. M Lamb £305. D Hawnt £256. P Cotgrove £207. J Boswell £158. J Brook £10

ALL PROCEEDS TO SHELSLEY ARCHIVE

You can enter at any time.

Print off an Entry Form fromwww.shelsley-walsh.co.ukor contact Christine Perks

07814 792021christine.perks@hotmail.co.uk

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Contact Details:

The Golden Cross Group meets on the third Tuesday of the monthFor more information contact David Moore 01789 720899

The Third Thursday Dining Group meets at various venuesFor information contact Drene Baker colin.epl@btconnect.com or 01299 250778

The Bridge at Stanford Bridge Group meet on the fourth Tuesday of the monthJust drop in around 8.00pm

The Bell at Trysull meet on the last Thursday of the month at 7.30pm - 8.00pmFor more information contact John North 01902 895276

19th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton21st Third Thursday Group28th The Bell, Trysull

16th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton18th Third Thursday Group25th The Bell, Trysull

16th Third Thursday Group21st The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton30th The Bell, Trysull

18th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton20th Third Thursday Group27th The Bell, Trysull

16th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton18th Third Thursday Group25th The Bell, Trysull

15th Third Thursday Group20th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton29th The Bell, Trysull

17th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton19th Third Thursday Group26th The Bell, Trysull

15th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton17th Third Thursday Group31st The Bell, Trysull

19th The Golden Cross, Ardens Grafton21st Third Thursday Group28th The Bell, Trysull

17th The Golden Cross, Ardens GraftonTBA Third Thursday Group

MAC SOCIAL EVENTS 2013

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBERAPRIL

MAY OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

MARCH

18

The Car Show SeasonBy Andrew Davis, Photos Tony Adams & Mark Constanduros

The winter months may seem quiet from the motor sport perspective but it is the season forshows and the time to attract new members and new spectators to come along and see whatwe do. The two major opportunities for us are the Classic Car Show at the NEC and the historicmotor sport focused Race Retro held every year at Stoneleigh.

FOOTMAN JAMES CLASSIC CAR SHOW 2012

The busiest Classic show ever, with close on60,000 visitors over the three days.

We boasted a brand new stand, envied bymany, courtesy of member Richard Cook andhis Global Displays Ltd organisation, one ofEurope’s largest display stand contractors.With its huge rotating and illuminated sign itattracted a massive crowd on all three days,being clearly seen across the entire spreadof the exhibition hall.

The four cars on show had been carefully selected to demonstrate the wide interests of ourclub, covering a full blown singler seater Championship contender in the form of AlexSummer’s DJ Firehawk through the famous Shelsley Special, Spider II, to a pair of superbclassic cars – our Classic & Sports Carmagazine Concours winning Graber bodied Alvis andthe ex-Rauno Aaltonen Mini Cooper.

Our team of eighteen staff worked without ceasing over the show and we signed up manynew members as well as greeting lots of old friends such as Simon Taylor and “Whizzo”Williams. Many thanks to our team of volunteers who so ably manned the stand this year.

RACE RETRO 2013

Over 28,000 visitors attended the show thisyear with some 275 exhibitors present.

Lotus was a featured marque and memberGrant Cratchley showed his Lotus 61MX inrecognition of that. The famous ex-BertHadley twin cam Austin 7 single seater,showed courtesy of the Spollon family, alsohelped to attract a host of visitors as did theChatham Austin-Healey of Peter Stapleton.

The stand was again provided courtesy ofRichard Cook and Global Displays and aided the efforts of our large team manning the standenormously. Again we signed up a number of new members and noted the great interest inseveral of the upcoming meetings for 2013, particularly Classic Nostalgia and the AugustChampionship event which will celebrate the centenary of Aston Martin too.

19

MAC MONTHLY DRAWBe involved and have some fun

Not many of us have ever seen any of the MAC Archives.

These archives are now on site at Shelsley Walsh thanks to all the support wehave had from club members joining the Monthly Draw. The money raised hasenabled the club to renovate and secure part of the barns, to provide the MACwith a permanent site for its heritage, for our benefit and for the benefit ofgenerations to come.

There is still a great deal of work to be done. We need to renovate other partsof the barns to provide an office for our archivist, a proper equipped readingroom for people involved in obtaining information, a strong room for ourpriceless silverware and display cabinets for club memorabilia.

To help us continue our development, please join the current members of ourMonthly Draw for only £5.00 per month on standing order.

Cash prizes are drawn every month and the winners names are published inMAC News. The odds are approximately 20:1 of winning one of the prizeseach month.

To join please contact Christine Perks to obtain an application form.

Christine Perks, The Midland Automobile Club Monthly Draw,11 Pirie Avenue, Worcester, WR4 0NE.

Telephone: 07814 792021. Email: christine.perks@hotmail.co.uk

20

JANUARY 20th CLEE HILL TRIALS

FEBRUARY 10th BREAKFAST CLUB

MARCH 10th BREAKFAST CLUB

17th PETER BLANKSTONE SPORTING TRIAL, SHELSLEY WALSH

APRIL 7th BREAKFAST CLUB

11th-12th AN EVENING WITH BARRIE “WHIZZO” WILLIAMS

13th WORK PARTY DAY

21st CLASSIC RUN

MAY 4th & 5th SPEED INTO SPRING

12th BREAKFAST CLUB

25th MIRA SPRINT MEET

JUNE 1st & 2nd BEST OF BRITISH

8th ANNUAL PICNIC, SHELSLEY WALSH

16th BREAKFAST CLUB

16th BLYTON PARK SPRINT MEETING

25th SHELSLEY WALSH SCHOOL

JULY 6th REG PHILLIPS TROPHY MEETING

7th VINTAGE AND POST VINTAGE THOROUGHBREDS

14th BREAKFAST CLUB

27th & 28th CLASSIC NOSTALGIA

AUGUST 2nd AUSSIE BARBECUE, SHELSLEY WALSH

4th MIRA SPRINT MEETING

11th BREAKFAST CLUB

17th & 18th CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

27th SHELSLEY WALSH SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER 6th MEMBERS NON-COMPETITIVE DAY

8th BREAKFAST CLUB

21st & 22nd AUTUMN SPEED FINALE

29th CLASSIC RUN

OCTOBER 13th BREAKFAST CLUB

13th CURBOROUGH SPRINT MEETING

MAC EVENTS 2013

Please see website or adverts elsewhere in the magazine for further details.www.shelsley-walsh.co.uk

Photo: Dennis Wood

21

22

MAC Member BenefitsThe following companies offer benefits to members of the Midland Automobile Club.When contacting these companies make sure you say you are a member of the MAC.

Use the code MACMEM2012to claim a 15% discount on all products

at www.bulletpolish.co.uk

Get three issues for £3.00 and save 15%off remaining issues.

See advert in this magazine.

• £120 Bed & Breakfast, based on double occupancy of astandard or classic room.

• Spa discount, 30% off any hour long treatments• 10% off treatments less than an hour• 10% Food & Beverage discount (exclusions apply)• Certain Conditions do apply check beforehand.

The Elms Hotel, Abberley, Worcestershire

Quote MACmembership

number to claimpreferential rateswhen sellingyour vehicle at:

www.brightwells.com

Discount for MAC membersMotor Legal Expenses

24 Hr Breakdown RecoveryPersonal Accident (inc road rage, carjacking)

Agreed Value, Limited Mileage andMulti-vehicle Options available

Over 50,000 tyres in stock from all leadingmanufacturers. Our workshop has the very latestequipment and highly trained staff. Very specialprices are available to MAC members, eitherfitted in Birmingham or delivered. Please e-mailenquiries to racedivision@bmtr.co.uk or contact0121 331 1122 and ask for the race division.

Exclusive MAC discount on theSunny Cam range of products.

See advert in this magazine.

No.1 tyre specialist in the Midlands

Your Bullet Spray Carnauba Waxwill polish ...

• BODY WORK PAINT• GEL-COAT• CARBON FIBRE• LEATHER• WOOD TRIM• PLASTICS• ALL GLASS• MIRRORS• STAINLESS STEEL• CERAMICS

01886 821330

www.bulletpolish.co.uk

John Astle, Stoneleigh AbbeyAndy Causer, Alveley

John Chilman, PershoreTrefor Cook, Bliss Gate

John Grainge,WorcesterKen Hawes, Altrincham

Pete and Pam Hickin, Sutton ColdfieldDavid Mason, Craven Arms

Nick Meldrum, JerseyStephen Palmer, OffchurchGeoff Stallard, Godalming

Peter Tatham, Gloucester (son of George)Amanda-Jane Terry, Bicester

Peter Whitehouse,WolverhamptonRobert Birt, Little Witley

Martin Davies and Martin Watts, AbergavennyNigel and Beryl Davies, HerefordThomas Evans, KidderminsterStephen Hopkins,Wallingford

Carl Jones, CrickhowellKeith Monk, BridgnorthDerek Price, Stourbridge

Charles Richardson,WinfortonBrian Small, Droitwich

Malcolm and Deirdre Smith,WorcesterPaul Teer,Worcester

New Members

23

24

OLD MOTORING

BOOKS

REQUIRED

The regalia shop at Shelsley

Walsh would be grateful to

receive donations of any old

motoring book or motoring

memorabilia for resale.

All money raised will go into the

“Archive at Shelsley Fund”

Contact Jeremy Nightingale

01527874565

25

26

yourservice!We,re at

The enthusiasts’ favourite for over twenty five years, Footman James is one of the

leading specialist insurance brokers.

With a UK client base of 140,000 owners of classic and vintage vehicles, Footman

James consistently uses its enormous influence to arrange our best deal for you.

So whatever your pride and joy, you can be confident that with

Footman James behind you, you’ve adopted our best policy.

Talk to us soon.

COMPETITIVE RATES on modern car, motorcycle, home and contents insurance

Footman James is a trading name of Aon Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in respect of insurance mediation activities only. Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded for your protection. FP 5352.01.09

Whatever your pride and joy,rest assured, we’ll get you covered.

Policies include as standard:

� Discounts for Club Members

� Motor Legal Expenses

� 24 hour Breakdown Recovery (UK and European)

� Personal Accident to include Road Rage

& Carjacking

� Agreed Value, Limited Mileage and

Multi-Vehicle options are also available.

Quoteline: 0844 826 4545 www.footmanjames.co.uk

0844 826 4545www.footmanjames.co.uk

27

Brand Mechanical Engineering Co.25 Wainwright Street

AstonBirmingham B6 5THTel: 0121-327 6622

Email: brianbrand2002@yahoo.co.uk

28

29

51 Teme Street, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire WR15 8AE

enquiries@jhberry.co.uk Tel: +44(0) 1584 811444 Fax: +44(0) 1584 811234

J. H. Berry & CompanyGoldsmiths

English Hop Jewellery

Gemstone Cufflinks

Pearl Importers

Registered Valuers

and much much more

at:

30

31

GN “MARTYR” INSTONE SPECIALNev Churcher is having to give up competition driving, sothe GN 'MARTYR' INSTONE SPECIAL is regretfully for saleafter 10 years back on The Hill.Please contact Nev on 02392 527202 for full details.

MINI COOPER – £3,20052 Plate,106900 miles Chilli Pack, 17 inch S-Spoke Alloys,Petrol engine, Manual gearbox, Radio Boost CD, Auto Airconditioning, Full BMW service history up to 106,742miles, Good condition tyres, 1 owner from new, Originallypurchased from BMW in Italy.Contact Hugo Nightingale 07977 208647

LOTUS 51B – Price £25,950 ovno1968 car in hillclimb specification c/w MSA logbook, 162bhpdry sumped Wilcox steel Ford X Flow on 45Webers,Hewland Mk9 gearbox, AP sintered racing clutch, soliddriveshafts, 8“ & 10” Revolution split rim alloys with Avonhillclimb compound cut slicks.

Well known Peter Denty restored car which has been runin Paul Matty Sportscars Hillclimb Championship 2007-2012.To view central Birmingham B19 3XA and further details contact Paul J Robinshaw.Tel 0121 351 7592 or 07875 235 264 email p.j.r46@btinternet.com

Lotus Twin Cam EngineMk2 L block c/w 40DCOE31 Webers , Clutch, Distributor (no cap), Oil & Fuel (no glass dome)Pumps £2,950- ovno. Can be viewed central Birmingham any reasonable time.Ring Paul Robinshaw on 0121 351 7592 or 07875 234 264

1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTVOriginally a Rhoddy Harvey Bailey development car, totally rebuilt in the late 90s. Acquiredby me in 2009. Since then the car has had a full engine rebuild by Alfaholics in 2010 and hashad very limited track day and hill climb use since.Fitted with 2 litre engine with Alfaholics big valve head conversion – 181 BHP with hollow billetrace camshaft, 45mm Webers, competition clutch, GTA close ratio gearbox, Alfaholics racepropshaft conversion, 4.5 competition LSD, 4 branch stainless steel exhaust with under axleconversion, Lexan window kit including rear screen, and 7 x 15” GTA wheels. Eight pointrollcage, plumbed in fire extinguisher and new 6 point harnesses.The car is suitable for speed events, historic rallying or possibly racing. Accompanyingsubstantial history. Current MOT and free road fund licence. Price £34,500.Telephone Ian on 07831 820648 or email ian.stringer@gva.co.uk

For Sale

32

Twin Axle Box Trailerwith barn doors and clam shell roof. New heavy duty tow hitch fitted last season. Internalmeasurements 13’ x 6’ 2” by 5’ high £1,200 ono.Call on John 01905 381161

Bits for SalePair of Continental Sport Contact 2 N2 rated tyres. One 205/50/17 and one 255/40/17 withapproximately 5 mm tread. Ideal for Porsche 911 or similar. Both in excellent condition.£100the pair.Front anti roll bar (1 inch dia) and set of springs (230 lb front 100 lb rear) and adjustable AVOdampers, suitable for Westfield or similar.£60 the lot.Contact Peter Herbert on 03000 261391 (Wk) or 01325 377125 (H)or petergher-bert@btinternet.com

Myford ML7 3½ Inch Centre Lathe. No.K601423 and 4 Jaw Chucks and 6 ¾ Inch Faceplate. Tray top cabinet stand.Single Phase. Operating Instructions. £500 ono. Martyn GriffithsTel Home: 01299 266552. Email: martyn.griffiths@severncom.com

Twin 40mm DCOE Weber Carburettorsand Burton inlet manifold to fit Ford Kent engine. £250.00.Contact Neville Carr 01925 754599

Barrie Lines’ superb 1980 Hill climb Argo JM8 V8 Classic Hill Climb Car is for sale.(Eligible for Shelsley Walsh and other classic meetings).Since purchase in 2007, it has been virtually totally overhauled and is presented in first classorder.Powered by low hours 360 bhp NCK Rover engine, carillo rods, cosworth pistons, big valvegas flowed heads, quad 48 Dellortos. Unique 8 into 1 exhaust.Twin radiator conversion by Concept Racing. Complete new oil system. Brakes and shockabsorbers rebuilt. Electric high volume water pump. New clutch.FG Gearbox with 10/31 diff, spare ratios. Recent new Avon slicks – good soft wets. Wet upby Ian Dayson.Price £22,000. Will consider serious offers or part exchange race or road car.Can be viewed in Herefordshire.Please phone 01531 670732 (home) or 07812 146220 (mobile)

Wanted

CIDER PRESSCider press and apple crusher required for the Shelsley Dibnahs, to make use of the re-plantedorchard. Anything in any condition considered. Payment in cider, flour or cash! Can collect –distance no object. Please contact the MAC Office.

CLUB CHAIRSFour Club Chairs are required for the new Courtyard Bar. Contact Dave Ball 01886 853488 emaildave-ball@hotmail.co.ukµ

For Sale

33

An Evening with Whizzo Williams

Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams needs no introduction and we are delighted theworld class classic racing-car driver has agreed to talk to the club on

Thursday 11th April & Friday 12th April

7.30pm in the Stratstone Restaurant

Tickets £17.50 to include a light supper

For more information and to book tickets please contact Pam Jarviesocial@mac1901.co.uk or telephone 01299 266468

We anticipate this will be a very popular event so please book earlyto avoid disappointment.

Donations to 'Under 17 Car Club' and 'Air Ambulance' will be made from the proceeds.

34

Capsule in a Case

How to emerge looking fabulous on one of those driving holidays, whenspace is at a premium and the main suitcase is full of spare parts!

Sue Pattinson is an inspirational stylist, based in Cheltenham. Her powerfuland very practical session will demonstrate how a well planned capsulewardrobe works. Please join us for the demonstration and afternoon tea.

Wednesday 15th May - 2.30pmStratstone Restaurant

Tickets £8.50

for details please contact Pam Jarvie social@mac1901.co.ukor tel: 01299 266468

Proceeds to Shelsley Barn Renovation

35

As anyone who takes even a passinginterest in motoring cannot have failed tonotice, prices of classic cars have rocketedin recent years. The boom was triggered bythe global financial crash of 2008 whichmay sound paradoxical but is, in fact, quiteeasy to explain: as the value of traditionalassets such as property, savings andshares began to plummet, so the value ofalternative investments such as vintagewines, fine art and gold began to rise. Andaccording to many analysts, classic carsrose faster than anything else.

Data compiled by the respected HAGIIndex (Historic Automobile GroupInternational) shows that the average valueof ‘investment grade’ classic cars rose byjust over 16% in 2012. Digging deeper intothese figures, it is apparent that classicPorsche prices rose by 21% in the sameperiod while Ferrari prices climbed by animpressive 28%. Confirming this trend, astudy done by the Sunday Times based ona carefully selected portfolio of a dozencollectable cars showed that, on average,they rose in value by 25% in 2012.

Adding to their appeal, classic cars are also exempt from capital gains tax (CGT) which makesthem a tax-free investment – unless, of course, you buy and sell so frequently that you couldbe regarded as a dealer, in which case the profits you make may be subject to income tax.

Naturally, there are also risks involved. Quite apart from the fact that ‘what goes up can alsogo down’, classic cars need regular maintenance and the cost of spares and restoration canquickly outweigh the gains if you don’t buy wisely. It is also worth stressing that the reallyimpressive gains are strictly limited to ‘high end’ cars, acknowledged classics such as theMercedes 300SL Gullwing, the Aston Martin DB5 and the Ferrari 250 GTO which were onlyproduced in limited numbers and are universally acclaimed as being amongst the finest carsof their era.

Although the high entry price puts this particular club out of reach of most of us mere mortals,the good news is that there is also a ‘trickle down’ effect at play. As these ‘blue chip’ carshave become more and more unaffordable, they have dragged up the prices of previouslymid-market cars like the E-Type and XK Jaguars, Pagoda-roof Mercedes, early Lancias andAC Aces, ensuring that prime examples of such cars have also enjoyed more modest butsteady price rises in the same period.

Classic Car Values Continue To SoarBy James Dennison of Brightwells

1962 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible and 1939Jaguar SS100 – ‘blue chip’� cars that have

soared in value in recent years.

However, the key word is ‘prime’. Today’s buyersare extremely knowledgeable and discriminating– condition and provenance are of the utmostimportance and there is a widening gulf betweenaverage cars with patchy histories and good carswith a watertight sporting or historic provenance.This is partly because of the escalating costs ofrestoration: to turn a merely average car into agood one is now almost always economicallyunviable if you have to pay a professional to carryout the work for you, so good cars attract anincreasingly hefty premium.

Originality is also something that has becomeincreasingly prized in recent years. Restored to‘as new’ condition cars once attracted thehighest prices but these cars are now regardedas somewhat flashy ‘boiled sweets’ and some ofthem have been restored so often, or to such anextent, that they are virtually replicas. It is nowconsidered far more classy to be seen in some-thing original with a nice patina. However, goodoriginal cars are extremely rare and tend tobreak records when they come up for sale –after all, ‘it’s only original once’ as they say. InJune 2008, for instance, Brightwells sold a totallyoriginal 1956 Jaguar XK140 Drophead for aworld record £135,000 – about double the priceof a top restored car at the time.

Spotting future classics is notoriously difficult butcars from the 1960s and 70s are appreciating atthe moment as the schoolboys who oncedrooled over them are now reaching a time in lifewhen they can afford to indulge their adolescentfantasies – this includes not only exotic cars like

the Porsche 911 Turbo and the BMW 3.0 CSL, but even such previously humble fare as theMkI Ford Escort and the Alfa Romeo Bertone Coupe. No doubt the turn of the 1980s car willcome, but all cars since then have become increasingly characterless, complex and DIY-unfriendly and many believe that the golden era of the classic car is already over.

However, it’s not all about money and to most people the real joy in owning a classic carcomes from the driving experience, the looks and the wonderful nostalgia it evokes. It canalso be a ticket to a whole raft of glamorous social occasions: if you own something reallyspecial you may be invited to exclusive events all over the world such as the Cartier Concoursin Delhi, the Louis Vuitton Concours in Manhattan or the Windsor Castle Concours in Berkshire,often with all expenses paid by the organisers. Owning a more humble classic can also getyou special privileges at equally enjoyable events like the Goodwood Revival in Sussex andthe Cholmondeley Pageant of Power in Cheshire. The best advice is just to buy somethingyou like, enjoy the pleasure of owning it, and if you make money – so much the better!

36

1956 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe sold for£135,000 proving that nothing beats originality.

1964 Jaguar E-Type and 1980 Porsche 911 –ones to watch; values are already starting to

climb. (Above and below)