2014-08-01-11-33-44-P1800953

The Vintage Sports Car Club celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2014 with a week of celebrations at the beginning of August. The first event was on Friday 1st August, an Anniversary Hill Climb at Prescott in Gloucestershire. Prescott was originally discovered by Tom Rolt in 1936 and the first event took place in 1938 on the original 880 yard course. The venue was purchased by the Bugatti Owners Club in 1937 as they could afford it, but they allow the VSCC to run one hill climb a year. The VSCC always run the original 880 years course, but for the first time ever, and just for the 80th Anniversary hill climb, they would use the full 1127 yard course, including the Ettore’s loop which was added to the course in 1960.

This extra one day event drew an interesting entry of 122 cars to try out the ‘new’ circuit and set some new VSCC records. The weather was bright and sunny, with just a sudden downpour of rain during the lunch break. this did leave the track a little wet for the first timed runs after lunch, but the track soon dried out enough for competitive times to be set. It was Nick Topliss in his 1935 ERA R4A (No 170) who set the fastest time of the day in 50.70 seconds to win the 80th Anniversary Prescott Trophy. The other overall awards went to Robert Cobden in his 1937 Riley Falcon Special (No 135) who won the 80th Anniversary Orchard Trophy in a time of 51.74, Mrs Sue Darbyshire won the 80th Anniversary Pardon Trophy in her 1929 Morgan Super Aero 3 wheeler (No 133) with a time of 56.60 seconds, John Earle Marsh won the 80th Anniversary Diamond Trophy in his 1934 Alvis Silver Eagle in a time of 60.71 seconds and finally Mrs Jo Blakeney-Edwards won the 80th Anniversary Ladies Trophy in her 1935 Frazer Nash Shelsley with a time of 61.19 seconds.

 

© By Simon & Janet Wright.

 

 

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