Why everyone (including Mick Walsh) adores Prescott

| 7 Aug 2012

Ten reasons why I love Prescott:

1) Highlight of the impressive Bugatti turnout was the return from France of the ex-Lord Raglan Type 51. Recently acquired by the Spollon family, the red Molsheim GP works car was driven by son Guy but fuel pressure problems thwarted its debut.

2) Hispano fan Nick Harley organised a reunion of Alphonso Hispano Suizas at Prescott.  The highlight was a rare outing for the National Motor Museum’s 1912 Spanish star, which has a bullet scar on the steering wheel from when its officer driver was shot at during the 1915 Irish Rebellion.

3) The pre-war car park is always a Prescott highlight with one marque groups carefully planning arrivals including Triumph, Aston, Sunbeam Twin Cam , and Talbot producing impressive displays. The anniversary of the Vauxhall D-type saw a superb group with the factory Heritage collection bringing its WW1 staff car from Luton.



4) Bonhams brought along an impressive set of cars as a preview for its Goodwood Revival auction including Anthony Hartley’s spectacular 16 cylinder Maserati recreation. Built entirely from scratch in his Sussex workshop, it recently tested at Dunsfold and clocked 140mph with more to come.

5) A visit to the Bugatti Trust is a must do at Prescott, and highlight this month is the loan of beautiful Type 57c from Australian Richard Longes. The roadster body was designed by Jean Bugatti for Gangloff but was never built. Longes had it recreated from a surviving sketch.

6) The Salmson and Amilcar clubs always produce an impressive display on the infield, and focus this year was a rare post-war 2300 coupé.  The Chapron built body was styled by Eugene Martin, and the 112mph four cylinder design featured Cotal gearbox. Just 219 were built.



7) Camping at VSCC Prescott is an annual highlight for the C&SC team.  Jazz music, barbeques, vintage bicycles, and eclectic groups of machines is always an enjoyable retreat from the modern world. The mud this year turned the field into a trials section with Austin Seven owners having lots of practice on the slippery slopes.

8) Overseas VSCC members make amazing efforts for VSCC Prescott.  Italian Georg Plugger is a regular over the Alpine passes in his vintage Lea-Francis Hyper including Klausen, but loves the sub one-minute Cotswold challenge. Here Barrie Price presents him with the Harry Spence Trophy.

9) Spectacular specials are always a Prescott feature from monster aero-engine wonders to chain-drive legends such as Spider. Newcomer this year was Richard Ashford’s newly completed 1900cc BAC Special. We loved the deco style ‘Rocketeer’ nose.

10) The values of exotic pre-war sports cars have seen genuine Alfa 8Cs vanish from the Prescott entry, but there’s no shortage of historic PVT British sports cars such as Neil Thorp’s rapid supercharged 4-litre straight six Hudson Spikins Special.