From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Article from 'The Autocar' magazine reporting on the 1934 Tourist Trophy race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan034 | |
| Date | 7th September 1934 | |
| 422 The Autocar, September 7th, 1934. TOURIST TROPHY W M.G Magnette Driven by C. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} P. Dodson Wins : Bentley Second After Exciting Aston Martins Also A WIN by seventeen seconds in a 478 miles race! That was one of the principal excitements of the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy Race last Saturday at Belfast. Famous cars and drivers had striven for over six hours when C. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} P. Dodson brought his M.G. Magnette over the line a victor at 74.65 m.p.h., only a few hundred yards in front of E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall, who was driving his new 3½-litre Bentley and had averaged 78.40 m.p.h. from the virtual scratch mark. Less than three minutes later T. S. Fothringham followed in third place with his Aston Martin, with an average of 74.53 m.p.h., while fourth came the Hon. Brian Lewis, driving a 4½-litre Lagonda, whose terrific struggle at one period with Hall had provided the other great thrill of the day. Tyre wear played a very great part in the race, two wheel changes being necessary for the fastest cars. A word of praise is due to the handicappers, for they had estimated that the winning car should take 6 hr. 13 min. 26 sec., whereas Dodson took exactly 2 sec. less! The crowds were greater than ever, and excitement all round the course was tremendous. Before plunging into the thrilling story of the 1934 Tourist Trophy, let us first grasp a few facts about the race. The first T.T. was held in 1905, and last Saturday was the thirteenth occasion upon which the race has been run. The present series, over the Ards Circuit in Northern Ireland, commenced in 1929, and since then the race has been held annually without a break. This year the regulations had been altered to ensure that so far as possible the cars should be standard production models, with certain permitted alterations. The race has always been for cars of sports rather than racing type, but for 1934 superchargers were banned, a regulation causing much controversy, and wings, which had not been necessary in 1932 and 1933, had again to be fitted. This caused a last-minute protest from the drivers, who stated amongst other arguments that it was dangerous not to be able to watch the condition of their tyres, but the stewards were not able to alter the original rule. Lamps, however, were not demanded, but a hood and screen had to be fitted, the latter in most cases a screen only in name, consisting of wire gauze folded flat on the scuttle. The bodies had to comply with certain minimum dimensions, cars over 1,500 c.c. having to carry four-seater bodies, but in other respects needed not to be of standard type. An important regulation, C. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} P. Dodson, winner with an M.G. Magnette. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} T. Eyston was the entrant. An impression by F.{Mr Friese} Gordon-Crosby of Dodson, the eventual winner on an M.G. Magnette. G 6 | ||