Light Car & Edwardian Section
History of the Section
Arthur Jeddere-Fisher
The Light
Car & Cyclecar described the 11.1 h.p. Lagonda as "A Wonderful Proposition
in Miniature
Cars" and that it "floats along in a succession of easy waves".
Steady
Barker and Marcia Jeddere-Fisher demonstrate this during
the inaugural
rally of 1951 in a 1914 model.
(Photo: Arthur Jeddere-Fisher)
| Early
post-war efforts by the Lagonda Car Club and Bill Boddy to amuse the owners
of light cars were noticed by the VSCC when that club accepted light cars
as sports cars. This was done by President Lawrence Pomeroy who proclaimed
"the fundamental definition of a sports car is a car that needs a sportsman
to drive it". Politically sexual correctness had not then unsheathed
its fingernails and the Section was happily set up for both boys and girls
with its first meeting at the Folly Inn, Adstock, in April 1951.
Starting at first with only one event a year, the summer rally, we soon found it necessary to have some summer driving tests at which we could have the A.G.M. which we habitually forgot to have at the end of the rally. To increase the entrants at the summer navigation rally, Edwardians were invited. Light carists enjoyed their company and the Section was expanded to embrace them as full members. Three or four times a year we have a magazine which caters for all. We used to have a light car race at vintage Silverstone. Forced off the circuits by safety regulations (by us!) and paying spectators who preferred to look at our cars in the paddock rather than walk beside them on the piste, the Section took to trials. The first, a follow-if-you-can event was held during our second Welsh weekend in 1971. Next year we had a proper trial and have done so in the same area ever since. The Section Welsh weekend is now based at Llandrindod Wells and is the annual highlight with a scenic run or driving tests on the Saturday, the trial on Sunday and the dinner in between. We are often asked what is a light car. Like the female hippopotamus who was aked how to distinguish a male hippopotamus the answer was that one knows one when one sees one. In cases of doubt it should be an unmodified light car claiming less than 30 b.h.p. and not exceeding 1500cc both as advertised at birth. Edwardians at our events are not expected to take advantage of the Club modern tyre derogations. In both classes the overriding criterion is that the vehicle's performance is unlikely to give its owner much satisfaction in main club events. We make an exception to this in the case of cyclecars because we all like to watch them being mended and Trojans why they win main club trials is not generally understood. Any owner exceeding Management's expectation of his car's performance is expected to marshal next year. The Section is delighted that sufficient other Club members appreciate our way of life and enjoy helping us with the marshalling of our frolics. We like to think this is a happy reciprocal arrangement as many of our members marshal at the VSCC main events.
The following article appeared in the VSCC Bulletin of October 1950, extols the virtues of the early light car and hberalds the formation of the Section: Two August Happenings - by Bill Boddy The following articles appeared in the VSCC Bulletin of September 1951, shortly after the formation of the Light Car Section: Enter The Light Car - by Ronald Barker This Small Car Stuff - by Bill Boddy |