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).
Page from 'The Autocar' magazine reporting on a motor race with photographs and commentary.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan037 | |
| Date | 7th September 1934 | |
| Header: September 7th, 1934. The Autocar. 425 Image Captions: 1) L. Fontes' Invicta at speed on the Newtownards-Comber straight. 2) The only impressive period of the start was when the big class accelerated away. 3) E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall takes the sharp turn at Comber with the Bentley. Article Text: L. P. Driscoll, a good man and true, and Fothringham and Driscoll with the Astons, strangely but attractively decked in red instead of their usual green, came through chasing the Magnettes, but Penn-Hughes, with the third car of the team, called at the pits with excessive oil pressure. It was impossible, without resorting to the higher mathematics, to work out the leaders on handicap for oneself, and the crowd at the stands waited impatiently for the numbers to go up on the scoreboard. The rest of the crowd round the course was quite in the dark as regards the race leaders, but found plenty of excitement, especially at Quarry Corner, soon after the stands, and at Newtownards, where quite early H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Aldington, in trouble with his Frazer Nash's brake cables, overshot. It was interesting, by the way, to mark the debut of two new types of Frazer Nash, for Aldington and Thorpe were driving the six-cylinder "Nashes" for the first time in a race, while Berry and Mitchell Thomson had the new four-cylinder overhead camshaft engines. At Newtownards cars were driven within 10in. of the wall, and both here and at Comber, where some cars were able to pass even in the narrow street by the famous butcher's shop, drivers were enthusiastically cheered. At last the leaders on handicap at 11.30 were posted. Hall, as expected, was making the best time at 77.87 m.p.h., but the Magnettes had changed their order, Handley, Eyston, and Dodson following, with Lewis and Hindmarsh fifth and sixth with the Lagondas. Shortly afterwards Handley stopped at his pit with gear trouble, but proceeded, while Hall increased his advantage with a record lap for his class at 79.31 m.p.h. Then the crowd at Quarry Corner had a big thrill, for—shades of Gillow and Freddie Dixon at this corner in other years!—Prestwich failed to take the turn with his Riley and charged straight on over the low bank, so that the car shot into the air, turned over as it rose, and threw the driver into a ditch, and then planked down on top of him, upside down! Prestwich, protected by the ditch, had a miraculous escape, and was scarcely hurt. At noon the leaders showed several changes, for, though Hall pursued his course with another class record lap at 79.83 m.p.h., Fothringham, cornering splendidly, had increased speed with the leading Aston Martin, and with a class record lap at 75.65 m.p.h. was second, Lewis was up to third, and Hindmarsh, Text within images: - Banner: PRATTS AT ALL EVENTS - Sign: THE SPIRIT OF POWER AND SPEED, CASTROL OIL - Shop Sign: S. NIBLOCK. L.P.S.N.I. PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST - Street Sign: BELFAST Footer: G 13 | ||