OUR FAVOURITE CARS
1938 MERCEDES-BENZ 170V
Derek Wood’s beautiful and rare roadster, part of a varied Mercedes-benz Club display, is thought to be unique in the UK, and has been in the family since the 1950s. “The car came to Thorney Island aerodrome with an officer, then when he moved stations my brother bought it,” said Wood. “He had a 500K in the same shape – it’s now in an Italian museum – and owned both at the same time.” Derek took over the car in the ’60s and spent the next five decades restoring it: “The only thing I didn’t do was the trim – I finished 12 years ago. It’s lovely to drive and so easy; the steering is light and the brakes are good. I like to take it out in the autumn because the roads are quieter.” AC
1935 JENSEN ‘WHITE LADY’
Both Bristol stands were interesting: the Owners’ Club for some good reading material regarding the origins of the firm, and the Owners’ & Drivers’ Association for the blue Zagato that turned out to be one of four used 400s sent to Milan in the ’60s by Tony Crook to be rebodied in the 406 Zagato style. But it was pipped at the post for me by the ‘White Lady,’ the most significant of the three early cars with the Jensen Owners’ Club. A handsome, low-slung, V8-powered tourer, it was effectively the first car the Jensen brothers built under their own name. Sold to Canada in the ’50s and recently rediscovered, it was displayed in surprisingly solid and mostly original condition. MB
1957 AUSTIN-HEALEY ‘XQHS’ SUPER SPRITE
The NEC always turns up a host of rarities and my imagination was captured by a car that, until the event, I didn’t even know existed. Anyone who’s driven a ‘Frogeye’ and wished it had a bit more power would have been smitten by the striking little star of the Midget & Sprite Club stand, originally powered by a Coventry Climax engine. Sadly, the project never came to anything, so the competition potential of the alloy-bodied flyweight was never fully realised. The largely unrestored prototype was sadly split from its original 1000cc ‘four’ decades ago, but its special Dunlop disc brakes are currently being overhauled and will be returned to the car soon. GM
1913 WOLSELEY 16/20 ‘LITTLEBOY’
The C&SC judges were unanimous in their praise for the Veteran Car Club stand, which marked the centenary of the Armistice with battlefield crosses, poppies and a depiction of a celebratory picnic. Unmissable in the centre was a Rollsroyce armoured car based on a Silver Ghost chassis; these featured not only on the Western Front, but also in the desert with Lawrence of Arabia. But the car that stole my heart was the 1913 Wolseley 16/20 ‘Littleboy’ of Linda and Richard Morgan. Many 16/20s were used as staff cars in the Great War and this example, completely original and unrestored for more than 100 years, is thought to have been one of them. JM