Each year in this country we celebrate the Classic Car movement with Drive-it-Day charity runs through local byways. https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/drive-it-day well here in Essex a member is most active with a local Rotary Club and helped organise such a run starting from the only WWI airfield still extant in this country. https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/ snaking our way through the lanes of Essex, six local SP put up a good showing amongst the other classics. http://ccvcuk.com/Driveit24/index.html.
Meanwhile in New South Wales, Australia the local SP group were out and about and with a great display at a local rally. Note David & Dallas Stoodley’s SP450 https://youtu.be/jwd77oFZNJk?si=UkfZ6U1jlM-m9lug. It has been noted it’s fitted with a pair of hair dryers!
All the while a number of us have been servicing and preparing our cars for the SPA Classic later this month. I estimate some 17 or 18 SPs accompanied by a V8 saloon will venture to SPA. It is truly an international gathering with owners driving from the UK, France, Switzerland and Italy with Graham Paterson and Fred Butcher flying in from Australia to take seats in Daimlers from here. A recap of SPA ’23 and its beautiful setting in the Ardennes countryside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxYhgKrmAOs -you may need to copy and paste the link.
And a clip from an earlier trip following Graham Reynolds taking a short cut, not quite the same line as the Group ‘C’ cars! Oh, Hell, nonetheless he was enjoying it. https://youtu.be/k4hnOi9cAaQ?si=MpYwewn7JvhDrDA8
One aspect I focussed during servicing was replacing the thin sheet pressed head gaskets with those of a composite nature as it is thought gasses were escaping passed the pressed steel versions. I was not the only one to do so and now the car is quieter and ticks over with an even beat at 500 rpm. The gaskets are available from Robert Grinter.
We have, as I wrote in previous newsletters, booked a stand at the Lydden Hill Classics on the 23 June The link for booking:- https://lyddenhill.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/historics_on_the_hill excellent value at £7.06 for driver and one passenger. The club discount code is SP250. However, back in April ‘72 or 73 Bill Cole also visited Lydden Hill and using a Euring Veinnette 5 camera shot the following footage which Graham Emment has transferred for safe keeping onto a video clip for us all to view :- https://www.dloc.org.uk/lyddenhill72 thank you both. Can anyone identify the drivers of the SPs and the winning SP with no:75 taking the chequered flag?
The following was brought to our notice by fellow classic car enthusiast, Mike Edwards, with whom I spoke
https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/226902/abandoned-car-question-daimler-sp250 and within minutes of it being brought to our attention Barry Thorne was on its case speaking with local authorities in various departments on a number of occasions to ensure that nothing detrimental happen to the car – it didn’t.
This needs a little TLC! Daimler SP250 project | Flickr
There has been a number of last minute additions and amendments to the next edition of pasSPort which Glyn Overy is hoping will be at the printers prior to going to SPA. One of whom being John Boggis who has successfully re-purchased the SP he sold a number of years ago. John was an early SP trip traveller with his son Ben, when on one occasion, we visited the Schlumpf collection with its wall to wall Bugattis.
And still there is lasting credit for Edward Turner’s engine:- https://prestigeandperformancecar.com/jaguar/turner-v8-engine-guide/
Fancy a trip up into Norfolk? we have a couple of spaces available for the Norfolk run on 3-5 July based at https://www.parkfarm-hotel.co.uk/ For further details do please get in touch with me.
The Lavenham Classics is being held this year on the Bank Holiday Sunday 25th August. Clive Burton (Suffolk) who himself lives in this ancient wool town is organising a Daimler stand, his contact details are in pasSPort . See https://www.lovelavenham.co.uk/ and wander amongst its ancient buildings, oh, by the way the Driving Member magazine gets printed at the Lavenham Press.
The Goodwood Revival 6-8 September https://www.goodwood.com/grr/event-coverage/goodwood-revival/2024-goodwood-revival-race-list/
Kop Hill have their weekend 14-15 September https://kophillclimb.org.uk/ there is usually a Daimler Club stand.
Castle Coombe has its Autumn Classic weekend on the 21- 22 September see:-
https://castlecombecircuit.co.uk/autumn-classic-historical-racing-festival/
I need to keep a reference to the John Abel SP250 racing library web site. If you can help John to expand this archive on SP racers he would appreciate it.
https://www.racing-sp250.co.uk/SP250-Racers.html do get in touch with john_abel289@hotmail.com
And finally………….
A Nostalgic photograph of the Grand Theatre in Bolton prior to its demolition in 1963. The SP (last noted in 1984) is registered RWH 552 a local Bolton issue of June 1960. Our thanks to John Anson the features editor of the Newsquest group for allowing its use.
Thought for the day:
The main impact of the computer has been the provision of unlimited jobs to comprehend them.
