Conference terri::cars_uk

    There is the "Vintage and Sports Car Club" (VSCC) these people organise
    such events as the Dick Seaman Memorial Trophy at Alton Park and
    various other such events. I don't have their number but someone in
    this conference must have it.
    
    	Rik

Actually, the wicked witch of the North threw out the VSCC from OULTON Park.

However, re trials I'll give you some dates for the sporting car trials at
around that time.

Mike

Mail me with your request and I'll get back  sometime next week

    Shows how often I get back "Up North" these days. I can't imagine what
    the VSCC did to get thrown out though.
    
    	Rik
    
    You stand accused of driving a Morgan 3 wheeler without due care and
    attention....

MONEY. They basically wanted all of the profit from the effort that the VSCC put
in. Needless to say they stuck 2 fingers up the offending nostrils. I know a lot
of people who haven't visited the circuit since, me included. I think they run
the event now at Silverstone...I really miss it.

    Terminology question: Is the correct term for this kind of event
    "sporting trial"?
    
    I was talking to somebody about this and he mentioned the Land's End
    trial which I think is actually a (vintage car?) "reliability trial"
    or a "road trial". What I'm interested in is the events where you try
    make it up a muddy lane in your 1935 sports car while staying between
    boundary marker flags. Clarification of this might help me in my quest for
    an event calendar.
    
    Here in the U.S. the only kind of transportation-related "trial" there
    is is the "observed (motorcycle) trial", while something like the
    International Six Day (motorcycle) Trial would be called an "enduro".
    
    It's confusing...
    
    Thanks.
    
    Doug.

    I've made a bit more progress on this project. I called the VSCC
    (at 06-354-4411) and talked to a gentleman there who cleared up the
    Sporting Trial vs. Classic Trial question a bit more: A sporting trial
    is held at one smallish location while a classic trial, or road trial,
    is more like a rally although it may have observed sections.
    
    What's on includes events on 4, 10, 17, 18, and 26 December, which fits
    well into my holiday schedule. The 17 December event is put on by the
    Sporting Trials Car Club, the 18th one is by the Kentish Border Car Club,
    and the 26th one is by the Northern Sporting Car Trials Club. I have
    phone numbers for the first two and an address for the third.
    
    Geography quiz: Can someone help me with guesses as to where these
    clubs might be located? I bet the Kentish club is in Kent, and the
    Northern club has an address in Cumbria, but any ideas on the Sporting
    Trials Car Club?
    
    Any further ideas or hints also accepted...
    
    Doug.

    Maybe you can figure it out from the phone numbers:
    
    Sporting Trials Car Club: 0762-33-3341
    Kentish Border Car Club:  0732-866-055
    
    (How come the different locations for the dash, anyway...)
    
    Doug.

You mean there is actually someone else in DEC interested in trials ?

To find a trial buy TRIALS AND MOTORCYCLE NEWS, a weekly newspaper in the U.K.
which lists all the events for the next few months. I am in Scotland so don't 
know what is on in England but if you let me know what area and dates you are
visiting I will check out a recent edition and list a few for you.

chuck...

There are at least three more people in the UK. Me, Alan Clarke and Graham Keen!

Sorry Doug I've been out of town. You seem to have got most of the info.

The Classic trials tend to be very similar to 50's rallies, except the special
stages are more like sporting car trials. The main piece of equipment you need
is a sheet of battleship armour bolted to the sump and any other piece of
equipment that can get bent. Let's put it this way, your average off road 4WD
wouldn't hack what these people get up!

Classic Trials like "The Edinburgh Trial" (which no longer goes as far as
Edinburgh anymore) starts in the south of England and wends its way up country
over a few days. The logistics necessitate all of the trials clubs take a share
of the organising, there simply aren't enough people in any one club to do
everything.

The number you gave for the STCC is I think in Northern Ireland. This could be
that the person with MUG imprinted on their forehead lives there, not
necessarily where the club is based!

Cheers

Mike

    Actually I don't think I'm making as much progres as I thought. I
    called the numbers and neither had any clue about trials. One was a
    air conditioning company... If somebody could get me a copy, or at
    least FAX me the relevant page from a copy of the newspaper mentioned
    above I'd really appreciate it. My fax number is 508-841-6100.
    
    The dates I'm interested in are basically December of 1994 plus the
    first weekend in January (1/1 is a Sunday) since we might come back on
    Monday. Our plan is very flexible right now so the location of an event
    isn't critical.
    
    The "Sporting Trials Car Club" sounds right up my alley, actually, so
    if somebody had an address (or correct phone number) for them that
    would help.
    
    Doug.
    

    And now that there are a couple of experts on the line, here's a couple
    of questions about the subject.
    
    I understand that the Lotus 1, 2, 3, and 4(?) were "trials specials";
    does that mean trials as in sporting trials or as in speed trials?
    There are pictures of Colin Chapman driving around in one of these
    early ones on a paved track so I assume that the tricks he came up with
    like the swing-axle independent front suspension gave a good advantage
    in both situations, right? Or was he only interested in racing.
    
    I guess that by the time you get to the Lotus 6 you're completely out
    of the picture for sporting trials because of the low body
    configuration???
    
    Also, what's a Dellow? There's a club, there's a listing in Classic
    Cars showing estimates of what they're worth, but I've never seen much
    mention of them. I suspect that they're something like an Austin mumble
    with a special body and raised suspension; am I close?
    
    Are there new sporting trials specials? I know that in the bike world
    the most exotic technology frequently comes out first on trials bikes;
    are there people working in this area for cars?
    
    It is so frustrating being 3000 miles (and 40 years) from where the
    interesting stuff is...
    
    Doug.

    
    0762 is Craigavon Northern Ireland.
    0732 is Sevenoaks in Kent