16 replies to this topic

[Simon Thomas]

I have read in various books what racing cars were there, a number of ERAs, the Seaman Delage, the Challenge, Alfa Romeo 8c 35, various Maseratis and Rileys. Is there a pictorial record of exactly what was there to create the definitive list?

SImon Thomas

[Vitesse2]

Well, I've seen a figure of forty three quoted somewhere. Here's about a quarter of them!

 

ERAs: R4A, R8C, R14B (and possibly Ansell's R9B?)

 

The ex-Seaman, ex-Chula Delage plus lots of parts and a spare chassis which was later built up, essentially creating two 'ex-Seaman' Delages.

 

Challenge

 

The BHW?

 

Maserati 4CL c/n 1569

 

An ex-Dixon Riley which was sold to John Snow in 1946 and later to Hope Bartlett

 

The ex-Percy Maclure Riley 1500/4

[Simon Thomas]

To whoever is responsible for removing a number of recent posts, thank you.

I cannot imagine there might have 43 racing cars in the sheds? I had forgotten the BHW. Aside  from the racing cars did he also buy any high performance road cars? From the details of Parnell's problems after the Brooklands accident was the acquisition of the racing cars in some way a snub to the establishment figures of the BARC/BRDC?

Simon Thomas

[Vitesse2]

You're welcome.

 

As far as I'm aware it was just Reg - as usual - having an eye for the main chance. His haulage business was coining it in during the war years, so he had plenty of spare cash to invest. The 43 is said to be the total that came and went at various times and probably does include some road/sports cars: as an example he had sold both R4A and R14B in 1945 before buying R8C from Earl Howe in 1946.

[tmwnn]

Some photographs in my posession show the following:-

Alfa Aitken
Alfa 12C-35 (later to be the Poore car)
ERA R14B
Maserati 6CM
Delage 1/2 Litre
Challenger
Riley (not a Maclure or Dobbs one)

No doubt the tip of the iceberg....

Edited by tmwnn, 19 June 2014 - 22:54.

[Simon Thomas]

From memory there were some photos in an article some years ago in Classic and Sports Car. Was this about Tim Parnell? These showed a number of these cars listed. I still cannot get my head around a number in total of over 40. If you take the content of some of the better grids at Brooklands and Donington before September 1939 these did not total such a figure. I think the Poore car is an 8C - 35. Did Parnell have any R Type MGs?

Simon Thomas

[Vitesse2]

I think it's more likely the Alfa Aitken spent at least part of the war years at High Speed Motors in Watford or maybe T&T rather than chez Parnell. AFAIK Aitken didn't sell any of his cars until after the war: the Alfa to Wallington, the ERA to Cowell/Watson and the Delage to Garland.

 

Motor Sport December 1942 has a somewhat related article regarding cars in storage 'for the duration' at a secret warehouse owned by T&T. Somewhere near Brooklands apparently. I'd guess Monaco Motors and HW Motors probably offered something similar, although I've no evidence of that.

[D-Type]

Did Parnell purchase all the cars, or did he simply store some of them 'away from the bombing' for the duration?

[Vitesse2]

Given Reg's somewhat 'cavalier' attitude I don't think we'll ever know, Duncan. I dare say a lot of the transactions were 'cash only' both in and out and wouldn't have appeared on the books of his businesses.

 

However, the two ERAs and the 4CL must have been legitimately purchased, since all three came from the estates of deceased servicemen: R4A was Norman Wilson's car, R14B and the 4CL were Johnnie Wakefield's.

 

Just realised I missed another ERA: R6A, which he apparently bought from Mrs Hall-Smith in 1939.

[Simon Thomas]

Thompson and Taylor did have a secret warehouse where various customer cars/racing cars were kept. It was from here Antony Powys Lybbe bought the ex Jill Thomas Tipo B Monoposto.  One that Parnell missed?

Simon Thomas

[Doug Nye]

Jenks photographed the Alfa-Aitken in what I recall as being Freddie Dixon's premises at Leatherhead circa 1942...  I think I once posted the shot(s) here?

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 20 June 2014 - 10:42.

[Dutchy]

 

 

Just realised I missed another ERA: R6A, which he apparently bought from Mrs Hall-Smith in 1939.

 

 

 

You mean R6B

Edited by Dutchy, 24 June 2014 - 11:35.

[Charlieman]

I dare say a lot of the transactions were 'cash only'...

Or a pig carcass in the boot during ration years.

[Vitesse2]

Yes, I have no doubt Reg would have employed a few creative accounting methods of that sort. One can imagine the odd bit of pork changing hands in exchange for some of the 'homers' which emanated from Rolls Royce in Derby ...

[Tim Murray]

However, the two ERAs and the 4CL must have been legitimately purchased, since all three came from the estates of deceased servicemen: R4A was Norman Wilson's car, R14B and the 4CL were Johnnie Wakefield's.

My understanding is that he bought R14B before Wakefield's death. He was certainly advertising it in Motor magazine in February 1942, two months before Wakefield crashed his Spitfire.

[Vitesse2]

My understanding is that he bought R14B before Wakefield's death. He was certainly advertising it in Motor magazine in February 1942, two months before Wakefield crashed his Spitfire.

Thanks for that little nugget, Tim. Makes sense, since he didn't use it at all in 1939 and had a good summer with the 4CL. I assume the source is 'Mr Bob'?

[Tim Murray]

The info in 'Mr Bob' is incorrect, as it says that Parnell bought R14B in 1941 from Wakefield's estate and, as we know, Wakefield died in April 1942. Graham G had it differently in his earlier Parnell biography:
 

Another ERA that came into Reg's hands was R14B, the Johnny Wakefield car that appears to have been bought from Wakefield in 1941. The following year Wakefield was killed in action, and subsequently Parnell bought Wakefield's Maserati 4CL from the family and stored it.

I have the issue of Motor (18th Feb 1942) containing Reg's ad for the car. It did occur to me that Reg might have been advertising the car on Wakefield's behalf. With luck Graham will spot this thread soon and give us his thoughts.

Edited by Tim Murray, 25 June 2014 - 05:28.