Ulster emerges - in the USA and for sale

[austin]

I sent some emails enquiring about this car last year, never heard back from them...

There is a photo of it at the 1932 Brighton Speed Trials:



https://austinharris.co.uk/photo/austin-...trials/169

[JonE]

I can't work out why there is green under the bonnet... presumbly the primrose and green cars would have been primrose under the bonnet. The gearbox and body are likely original; engine too presuming that the logbook has a typo. The engine is one of a batch.
I'd like to know where the Survivors Register chassis number came from, as it can only be worked out from counting based on the car number on the last logbook. Tags missing.
Presumably 1974 was last time in UK with owner Clamp before it went to Australia. Tony Johns may be able to remember colour then?

[Hugh Barnes]

That rings a bell. There is/was an opticians in Cambridge named Haydn Clamp. Although I never met him, I always rememeber Ray Walker talking about the Ulster he owned. Early 70s is about right (I bought the Box in 1970). I wonder if this is the same car. Ray's records are still available so I might have a little dig and see what I can turn up...

[Mike Costigan]

Jon, the continuation log book of 1953 describes the car as Green, subsequently changed to White.

The advert suggests the car spent time in Austria, not Australia (although I agree the latter is more likely).

[Jeff Taylor]

That rings a bell. There is/was an opticians in Cambridge named Haydn Clamp. Although I never met him, I always rememeber Ray Walker talking about the Ulster he owned. Early 70s is about right (I bought the Box in 1970). I wonder if this is the same car. Ray's records are still available so I might have a little dig and see what I can turn up...

https://www.clampoptometrists.com

The original records for LJ registrations from 1929 are apparently held at Dorset History Centre Archives.

https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/librari...ory-centre

[JonE]

the Howe list suggests 'J Clamp' and I'm remembering ?Essex connections from another Ulster, I think. So Jeff Clamp and a package deal of two Ulsters going to Melbourne seems to ring a bell... so the selling dealer must likely have it wrong.

[Lance Sheldrick]

Hi Hugh and Jon,

Ray Walker showed me a picture in his album of an Ulster parked in the yard, taken in the sixties and said that it belonged to Jeff Clamp, the same man that Gerald Walker sold a supercharged engine to, minus the Cozette blower, for £100! Enough then to buy a decent Seven. Gerald later confirmed this when I asked him about it. So what happened to that engine?

As to this car, I too have been studying the photographs sent and have suspicions about the originality of the chassis frame. The torque tube looks too high, but can't be sure as there is no clear photo of the rivetted ball mounting showing the position. Also, the curious number stamped near the steering box. If that is the chassis number, it is way off. The rest of the car looks pretty pukka though.

[Charles P]

Next week I'm in Connecticut, about 30 miles from this car, but sadly the only free time I have is on Saturday, when they're closed

c

[Hugh Barnes]

Ah, having had a brief conversation with Lance, I think my error was the opticians was Haydn Clamp - ie Messrs Haydn and Clamp. The name Jeff Clamp does ring a distant bell. I will do my research on the records that exist, but that won't happen until the week after next (by which time, everyone will have lost interest...)

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I bet if you contacted them, Charles and explained that you are coming from England and that you have a genuine interest in this car, they might open up for a while so you could 'appraise' it. Worth an email, I would have thought...