Sevens at Shelsley; The Centenary

[Steve kay]

Anorak Alert!

Paul,

I had already been trying a little more detective work on one or more OK 7095s.  It was the pioneering Brooklands entry, Waite had  driven the car from home to Brooklands, pausing en route for an overnight big end and camshaft repair. He took a class win.  Following Brooklands, Hartford shocks were immediately fitted, and then the car was taken to Monza for the celebrated victory in the 750 cc class. There is  a famous photo of the team of three cars about to depart for Boulogne, OK 7095 being called "Dingo" OK 8945 "Opossum" and OL 166 "Boomer" Sources seem to agree on names but not the reasons for them. There is reason to believe that the car Arthur Waite put up Shelsley in September 1923 was indeed OK 7095.


Photos of Shelsley and other venues  in 1924 show that Gordon England was entering a number of cars, initially the "Barrel", but soon less radical looking machines. Entry numbers at Shelsley obscure partially reg number for Richard Ince; Dxxx8,  Dudley Beck drove MB5088. Louis Kings drove a works Austin which may well have been OK 7095. There are differing reports of Monthlery in October 1924, I have yet to find an image of Waite's car, which took 4th o/all, to show the reg number.

The true detective a mere century later can swap magnifying glass for keyboard. In 2014 Timothy Payne started a discussion here on the forum  about OK 7095, which led by March 2016 to pictures from Henry Harris of a car at Curborough. This was welcomed by  Tony Hutchins as his creation on its return from distant lands. So whilst the car to be viewed for sale at Viceroy Garage, Kingston Vale SW15 is credited with a Mike Hodgson engine, being built between 1972 and 1974, and being offered by Struan Erskine, is it the Tony Hutchins car?  A replica of OD 166 was to be seen in 2007, accredited to Barry Argent. 

So the question remains, which OK7095 might be attending Prescott and which might be coming to Shelsley?  

I don't have any images of cars attending the 75th, so here is the menu for the Anniversary Dinner. 

   

[Steve kay]

Despite my comments above, based on written reports, Waite did not have Hartford shocks installed between Brooklands and Monza. Our very own gallery has a splendid picture of the victorious machine, with a very naked front axle.

[Super Sports]

Steve,
A couple of crumbs,
- If I understand the situation correctly and there is one of the OK 7095 replicas being offered for sale then from what you say it has to be the Tony Hutchings car. Tony did have a small brass plaque engraved stating that this car is a replica, it was fitted in a hidden position somewhere behind the dashboard.
- Tony did build his car to the original Brooklands specification, and I certainly can’t remember it having Hartfords fitted.
- The nick names attributed to the three team cars are obviously of Australian origin, obviously prompted by Arthur Waite.
- Be nice to see one or more of the replicas at Shelsley

Paul.

[Steve kay]

The car being offered for sale seemed to be immediately after its building, so just post 1974, which is what puzzled me. The paper upon which the details are, is landscape format and rather wide. I will attempt to follow the success of the menu, and copy the ad.

---

   
the advertisment



   
Monza from our splendid picture archive


attachment=16228]
Curborough thanks to Henry Harris

[Steve kay]

Having fed the dogs, the ideal time to spare anyone else the burden of going to the DVLA web site. OK7095, a car with this reg certainly exists but has been onSORN since December 2016. OL166 was first reg in January 1979, and tax renewal is due March 2022. Paul, is it just me and thee reading this, or will owners or workshops reveal where the machines are?

[Monsdonnet]

It is of course all my fault that OK 7095 exists as a car with a V5C and registered with the DVLA. In 1968 I built a car as a sort of 1923 replica for use as college transport (Birmingham to South Wales) using a miscellaneous collection of spare parts (but all mid/late 1920s) and the then Birmingham Motor Taxation Office were kind enough to re-issue that plate to me for that car.  I used the car for a year (in all weathers!) and then rebuilt it with a different body as a college project. The body I made went to Terry McGrath for his 'racer' and it still exists mounted on a long chassis I believe. I kept my car until circa 1972 and sold it to Tony Hutchings, he built the 'proper' replica and transferred the log book and hence the number onto that car. The car I sold him was re-registered and I believe still exists. Apart from the registration number the only bit he used from my car was the licence holder!   Amusingly (or annoyingly!) the Hutchings car was I believe on show for some years in a museum in Switzerland as the original Austin works racer......

I recall a visit from a member of the Birmingham City Police Force at the behest of the Taxation office to inspect the car to make sure there were no stolen parts being used ....... the fact that father was a Police Inspector on the Birmingham Force had I am sure nothing to do with the Taxation office being so helpful (!!!!!!)

But do all please note that OK 7095 does not have any continuous history.... I repeat I had that number re-issued in 1968 to me !!!

I believe the V5C holding OK 7095 is now a Chummy....

...... and Birmingham Police Force not Birmingham Police Service .......  when coppers were coppers....... !!!!!!

[Tony Press]

Is there any story on what happened to OK 2950?

I still have the write up by Mike Hodgson  on OK 6807 from The Automobile December 1987 (with some later questions about parts of the story).

Tony.

[Steve kay]

Now now, most honourable of editors, the Grauniad reading wing of the Sevenists don’t do “fault.” We refer to “responsibility.” On behalf of the Sevens at Shelsley sub committee, I would like to assure you that an OK 7095 will be there, even if we have to start building it in late May. It would be rather better if the search continues, several of the dramatis personae scan the forum. Not a single person yet has identified who Struan Erskine was, or still is. When not hewing wood, or firing up the mince pie mill,
I will look through some magazines of the period in the hope of clues concerning the possibility of two examples at the time, or indeed any other clues.

[JonE]

Interesting to read - those with the Eyre book (and chapter) should add the Monsdonnet post above, referred to, for posterity!

Slight aside, but does anyone have any photo material of Shelsley Walsh activity with Rod Turner 1931 onward in the 1930 "red supercharged" Ulster, (which has some coverage in Austin Harris's archive a little later)? No need to clutter the thread...

[Steve kay]

I may be telling you details you already know, but R.F. Turner entered Shelsley from 1931 until 1937. His first climb in Sept '31 was slow at 65.4 secs, and thus did not get him a second run. Times improved, June 32 with 55.4 and Sept with 51.6. On 27th June 1933 his ascent in 52 seconds won him the 850cc Sports Car Class, in which  Goodson was in a sports Seven, and Jillings in the Cutler Special,  but Anderson DNS. The five other Sevens were racing cars. September '33 and both climbs the following year saw Turner entered as one of Sir Herbert's Team. He entered himself in Sept 36, but DNS his second run. Turner's final appearance would seem to be June 1937, when he recorded 42.98 secs.