20 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Perhaps a moment to reflect upon bygone glories - the 1923 Benz Tropfenwagen did pretty well considering its chassis frame probably had the torsional rigidity of a freshly defrosted uncooked pizza...

 

 

 

...and of course while one man's meat is another man's poison, my favourite car's an Avions Voisin (with due apology to the late Leonard Setright)...

 

 

 

 

 

And then we could add another half-forgotten French confection - and a rather more attractive one, this time - the 1954 centre-seat DB-Renault Barquette sports-racing car...

 

 

 

But then, what was this...?

 

 

Or this...?

 

 

Or - with a very famous driver - this?

 

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Meanwhile - of course - we should never forget the aerodynamic triumphs of the past...

 

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Thinking of which - here are some blokes with an irresistible urge to sprout wings...

 

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While Parry Thomas's riding mechanic - here at Boulogne - is just accepting whatever fate might await him, lying back, and thinking perhaps of...Wales?

 

 

 

All photos from: The GP Library

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 15 October 2019 - 13:16.

[Ray Bell]

It's about the fuel tank...

Useful deformable structure.

Great pics, Doug.

[Garsted]

Does anybody know what the propeller on the radiator of the Voisin is for?
Thanks, Steve

[Tim Murray]

It drives the water pump.

[Sterzo]

There is such a thing as endearing quirkiness, but it's difficult to love thy Voisin.

[Charlieman]

There is such a thing as endearing quirkiness, but it's difficult to love thy Voisin.

IIRC, Gabriel Voisin fancied himself as a ladies man. 

 

If you struggle with the looks of the Voisin Laboratoire, try the Biscuter instead:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscúter

[Steve L]

I hope they one day make a copy of the rear-engined Benz.  I think the last remaining original was destroyed during WW2 bombing raids?  I wonder if any bits were kept?

 

Thanks for posting the pics, much appreciated.

Edited by Steve L, 15 October 2019 - 11:51.

[bradbury west]

Wonderful photographs, Doug. Many thanks.
The driver looks like a young Roy Salvadori.
Re the quad plane above, ISTR some shots of some tri winged planes, possibly seaplanes, at the excellent Seaplane Museum in Biscarosse on the W coast of France, from where they launched their S American service, via the W Coast of Africa. I will see if I can find the photographs.

BTw, before anyone gets too sniffy about Voisins, an acquired taste, I grant you, it is worth noting that at this year FoS we had a glorious display of a comprehensive range of Voisins, all beautifully restored and presented, including their own version of their beach bugggy, with and without the hood and plastic side screens erected. It is quite a neat device.

Only when you have had a close look at the design details of these cars as a whole , construction and workmanship alike, can you really appreciate the skills of the builders and restorers. Not everyone's cup of tea, I grant you, but how many cars appeal to everyone?. That is one of the pure joys of the FoS, where we see such a diverse range and numbers of niche cars and motor bikes, especially in the Style et Luxe area, a zone probably ignored by most here, to their loss, imho, with cars which would otherwise be totally inaccessible to me and others. For me it is always one of the benefits of being broad church in my car delights. I offer no apologies for liking what I like. But to each his own. I believe there are those who get excited about historic Formula Ford, or saloon cars, eh, Doug?..... or even small 1960's marques.....
Again thanks for posting this latest sequence, Doug.
Exits stage left carrying soapbox.

Roger Lund.


PS it is the Musee d'Hydraviation at Biscarosse. Check it out, lots of pictures.

Edited by bradbury west, 15 October 2019 - 12:04.

[nicanary]

Driver looks like George Abecassis to me. Presumably an Alta?

 

First Brooklands car is a Crouch - it's proudly displayed on the radiator shell!

[Vitesse2]

Agreed, Roger. I too thought it was a young Salvadori. Possibly one of the more obscure 1946 events like Finchampstead? In which case the car is a 2-litre ex-Dobbs Riley. Roy won the racing car class there.

[Vitesse2]

The plane, BTW, is the Pemberton Billing/Supermarine PB31E Nighthawk. A WW1 night fighter, designed to shoot down Zeppelins.

 

So a direct ancestor of the Spitfire. RJ Mitchell was even part of the design team.

 

https://www.plane-en...rine-nighthawk/

[Doug Nye]

It is Roy Salvadori in the Hector Dobbs offset-seat Riley - at West Hants & Berks MC speed trial, West Court, Eversley, Hants in 1947...

 

This image has scanned very nicely from a tiny print - which I removed from the scanner, only to drop it straight into a fresh cup of hot tea. It has survived and is recovering well... 

 

DCN

[BRG]

I removed from the scanner, only to drop it straight into a fresh cup of hot tea. It has survived and is recovering well... 

 

DCN

You should never drink and drive scan!

[Vitesse2]

Er, having grown up just down the road in Crowthorne, I can categorically state that West Court is NOT in Eversley! It's in Finchampstead. In Berkshire. Eversley is admittedly only a hop and a skip away - less than two miles - but it's not even in the same county!

 

And while I'm willing to be shot down in flames like a Zeppelin attacked by Lt Leefe Robinson, are you sure there was actually a West Court event in 1947? I thought 1946 was a one-off ...

[MartLgn]

Doug, the Picture of the Auto Union at Avus is amazing! I headed to the GP library to purchase a copy but the searchable archive anly dates to the 50's.  De silber pfeile are a particular interest of mine so may I humbly enquire if you have any plans to make these pictures available?

[Doug Nye]

V2 - DSJ's caption on back of the original Salvo print...pre-dunking.  He never did know where he was.

 

ML - Sorry but something rather similar apples to the website - we have around 1.8-million images overall - collected (and in many cases rescued) for fun - and are happy to share a cross-section of them.  But uploading them all and formally servicing a site would be onerous in the extreme.  That said - e-mail (or PM) me...

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 16 October 2019 - 09:08.

[ensign14]

BTw, before anyone gets too sniffy about Voisins, an acquired taste, I grant you, it is worth noting that at this year FoS we had a glorious display of a comprehensive range of Voisins, all beautifully restored and presented, including their own version of their beach bugggy, with and without the hood and plastic side screens erected. It is quite a neat device.
 

 

I would never get sniffy about Voisins, their charm and individuality is unsurpassed. 

 

My small contribution is the indeed small C31 Biscooter at GFoS...

 

 

...the number plate gives an idea of the scale of this minuscule microcar...

[Michael Ferner]

It is Roy Salvadori in the Hector Dobbs offset-seat Riley - at West Hants & Berks MC speed trial, West Court, Eversley, Hants in 1947...

 

This image has scanned very nicely from a tiny print - which I removed from the scanner, only to drop it straight into a fresh cup of hot tea. It has survived and is recovering well... 

 

DCN

 

 

Nice to hear that the tea has survived to delight your palate… but what about the PICTURE???

[Doug Nye]

Slightly curled - but nice and dry...

 

Here are four more GPL Hoskinses...for passing interest or ID...

 

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While here's a really cheerful crowd around a highly enthusiastic, ambitious - and optimistic - hero.  How big a pimary drive sprocket might you fancy?

 

 

All photos from: The GP Library

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 16 October 2019 - 17:00.

[Ray Bell]

That last one's a good candidate for the 'Then and Now' thread...

[robert dick]

"While Parry Thomas's riding mechanic..."

 

George Duller???