PDF version of Magazine

June~July 2012
June~July 2012
National Executive
President:
David Patten
156–160 New York Street, Martinborough 5711
Ph: 06 306 9006
E-mail: davepatten@wise.net.nz
Vice President:
Bert Empson
8 Byrd Street, Levin 5510
Ph: 06 368 0696
E-mail: a.m.empson@clear.net.nz
Secretary:
Mike King
21 Millar St, Palmerston North 4410
Ph: 06 357 1237 Fax: 06 356 8480
E-mail: mwking45nz@hotmail.com
Acting Treasurer:
Peter Mackie
P.O. Box 8446, Havelock North 4157
Ph: 06 877 4766
E-mail: peter.mackie@slingshot.co.nz
Club Captain:
Winston Wingfield
7 Pioneer Crescent, Helensburgh, Dunedin 9010
Ph: 03 476 2323
E-mail: wingiewk@xtra.co.nz
Patron:
Pauline Goodliffe
Editor:
Mike King
Printer:
Aorangi Print (Penny May)
125 Campbell Rd, RD 5, Feilding 4775
Ph: 06 323 4516 (wk), 06 323 4698 (hm)
E-mail: penny@aorangiprint.co.nz
or penfriend@xtra.co.nz
Website:
www.daimlerclub.org.nz
All membership enquiries to the Secretary.
Contributions to the magazine
Please send all contributions for inclusion in the magazine directly to the Secretary via fax email or
mail by the TENTH day of the month prior to publication.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are purely those of the authors and
are not necessarily those of the Daimler and Lanchester Owners’ Club.
June~July 2012
Contents
Page
From the Driver’s Seat – National President’s Report.............................................
2
Getting Up to Speed – National Secretary’s Report . ..............................................
3
From the Patron’s Pen..............................................................................................
5
Nomination For Founders Trophy Award.................................................................
6
Mailbox....................................................................................................................
7
Round the Bazaars – Daimlers on the Run ..............................................................
8
Articles of Interest:
Service Bulletin Number I.6..............................................................................
13
Photo Gallery......................................................................................... 14–15
Introduction & Excerpts from “Lanchester Motor Cars”..................................
16
Hitting the Road – Daimler Events Diary..................................................................
26
Members’ Market....................................................................................................
28
Attention All Club Members
We can now advise that we now have stocks of Daimle r Jacket Badges, “D” Key Rings and
our Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club in N.Z. Custom Grille Badge.
You will see from the photo that the Grille Badge has been reproduced from our original
Die but has been cast in a lighter Alloy (originally Brass), with a Chrome Enamelled Centre
section as opposed to the earlier Resin finish, some of which were subject to crazing and
fading over the years of exposure to the elements.
The unit cost, including postage is
• $6.60 for either the Jacket Badge or Key Ring
• $55.00 for the Grille Badge.
Please forward your requirements and cheque to:DLOC in NZ
Peter Mackie
PO Box 8446
Havelock North 4157
June~July 2012
From the Driver’s Seat ...
A Message from your National President
Well this is the first report since the very successful Mini Rally held in Rotorua and I would
like to start by expressing my appreciation to the Waikato and Hawke’s Bay organising
committee for doing such a great job. I’m sure that everyone who attended had a great
time and hope all arrived to their respective homes safely and uneventfully. Rotorua is
a really interesting place with lots of things to see and do. At the AGM there was plenty
of good healthy discussion and social interaction. The National Committee will take on
board the key points noted at the AGM and work to provide the best outcome to the club
membership. The entertainment on the Sunday at Rainbow Springs was great and the
recent $10 million upgrade of the water ride was very well done mixing a bit of history,
scenery and excitement all in one. Maree and I only got a little bit wet but it was great
fun.
I did not hear of anyone having a car problem which is really good, Maree and I had a
minor problem with a heater hose bursting just as we arrived into Rotorua on the Friday
evening, we were stopped at the Traffic Lights on Fenton Street and then the car started
to boil. Not a good place to stop and we were heading for the IBIS Hotel which we thought
was quite close by. We didn’t know where the Hotel was located exactly and were just
following the GPS. Of course as it happens at times like this the GPS takes you by the
scenic route (through the shopping area) when you know that you are so close and time is
against you, we almost made it, parking in the street just behind the Hotel. I had a quick
look and identified the problem to be a split hose between the manifold and the heater
located in the engine bay, we checked into the Hotel and this gave the car time to cool
down. I then made a temporary repair by cutting and shortening up the hose. I had 4
litres of water on board and used the container to carry more water from the Hotel. Next
morning we were off to Supercheap Auto to find a replacement hose and managed to find
a Ford Falcon heater hose that had the correct “U” shape that I was able to cut to length,
changed it over outside Supercheap Auto in case I needed something else and problem
solved. A couple of years ago I replaced the radiator hoses and I also have a habit of
checking the hoses before we go on a long trip, never thought of checking the two small
hoses at the back end of the engine compartment, another lesson learned. Still the car is
38 years old so I guess you have to expect these things to happen from time to time.
With the onset of winter it’s a very good opportunity to get those little jobs done on
your cars during the cold and wet weekends. Don’t lose sight of the fact that cars run
better if they are used so take every opportunity to join in with your Branch outings and
get together on the nicer days.
Happy motoring
Dave Patten
________________________________________________________________________
in New Zealand Inc
Getting up to Speed ...
A Word from your National Secretary
Firstly, for those few members who have not yet paid their annual subscriptions, this will be
your last magazine. $30 is all it costs to continue to receive this esteemed publication!
The main item of interest this month is our National AGM in Rotorua. The reports
included in your agenda (with the last magazine) were accepted by the meeting. No one
put their hand up for the Treasurer’s position, Peter Mackie will continue in the interim,
but we NEED A NEW TREASURER!!! Please contact Peter or myself if you think you can
assist. Peter has drawn up a list of duties for the position, nothing too arduous there.
After many years of service, Doug Brown would also like to step down as Honorary
Auditor, if we have a member with the necessary skills it would be appreciated.
Philip Redmond was re-appointed as Honorary Solicitor.
Pauline Goodliffe was re-appointed as our National Patron.
Peter Mackie was this year’s recipient of the Founders Trophy. A most worthy choice,
Peter has served the club for many years in many roles. His citation appears in this issue.
Before the meeting, a ballot was held to approve a special position in our club. It
was with great pleasure that we welcomed Thelma Jones as a Life Member. Thelma was
awarded a special Life Member Badge and certificate. Thelma’s involvement with the Club
began in 1973, in which time, with her husband Lyn, they attended every Rally since that
time, providing a Rally cake at each one. Her Life Membership was awarded in recognition
of outstanding service to the Club.
Bryan Davis representing the Auckland Branch raised the question of Branch subsidies.
He questioned the policy of equal subsidies to all Branches rather than on a per capita
basis.
Historically, it was found that Branch numbers did not reflect their social activity. It
was considered fairer to reflect the social activity of the Branch.
At the committee meeting we further discussed this matter. We considered it important
to keep subscriptions low, although at present they do not fully cover administration and
magazine costs. These are covered by our reserves which are being wound down to an
appropriate level. This is now approaching where we believe they should be, assuming
that we want to consider funding to National Rallies in the future and continue to subsidise
member’s subscriptions to cover expenses at the present level, currently $20 per member.
Membership numbers remain fairly static.
Treasurer Peter Mackie stated that subs will need to increase at some stage in the
future in line with rising inflation as our reserves run down and expenses increase.
Perhaps the structure should change. Your views would be very welcome if you would
like to express them in letter form to the Editor.
We have had DLOC promotional windscreen fliers printed and these were distributed at
the meeting. Branch Secretaries have them or I can supply if you would like some.
June~July 2012
John Palliser put forward a proposition for supplying Daimler-embroidered T-shirts
and Polo shirts. He is doing a survey to gauge demand, contact your Branch Secretary
for details.
Next year’s Mini Rally & AGM is to be held in Auckland.
2014 National Rally in Manawatu
I have been reading with interest a book borrowed from Barry Cleaver on the Lanchester
Brothers. I have included some excerpts from these brilliant brothers at the forefront of
motor vehicle pioneering and “The Pleasure of Automobilism”.
Mike King
________________________________________________________________________
Daimler Jackets, Caps & Banners for Sale
Manawatu Branch have stocks of Daimler Jackets and Caps. We now have a new
stock of Jackets ranging in size from M to XXXL. They are very reasonably priced at
$50.00 plus p&p.
Daimler caps are in stock at only $18.00 plus p&p.
Windscreen Banners are $20.00 plus p&p.
All enquiries to Lew Clinton, phone 06 3235526.
or email clintons2@clear.net.nz
in New Zealand Inc
From the Patron’s Pen ...
I travelled to Rotorua for the AGM with Brian and Fay Wolfsbauer and Isla their Scotch
Terrier in their BMW as Brian’s Series 3 managed to get a cracked windscreen the day
before take-off. But, what the hell, we got to Rotorua in comfort, so thank you Brian and
Faye for looking after me and your company was fun.
As Patron, it was my privilege to select the winner of the Founders Trophy. I was
pleased that I had more than one nomination as it made it interesting to read what our
members have achieved. After scrutinizing the other contenders, I chose Peter Mackie
our Treasurer as a very worthy recipient. My late husband Denis would have referred to
him as “a Gentleman and a Scholar”. Easy to talk to and always willing to take on another
challenge. This, to me, was the highlight of the AGM, along with Thelma Jones becoming
a Life Member.
I haven’t been to Rotorua for over 20 years and what a busy place it has become;
unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to explore it thoroughly. Using the RSA as a
venue worked well, our morning tea was sumptuous and Saturdays roast delicious.
The run turned into a bit of a real mystery for some of us. Maybe we can’t follow
instructions but our group turned it into the “Patrons Run” so we had a few laughs, made
good friends and managed to find our way back to Rotorua. “Oh for the day that we travel
in convoy” and we look like a Club!
Rainbow Springs was great, a good wind down, meeting new members with our lovely
cars and that glorious weather. Thank you to the organizing committee for an enjoyable
weekend.
Pauline Goodliffe
________________________________________________________________________
125 Diana Drive, Glenfield, Auckland 0627
Ph/Fax: 09 444 9290
www.ksmjaguar.co.nz
Celebrating 26 years servicing Jaguar, Daimler and British cars.
Supplier of Auto Glynn Products.
June~July 2012
Nomination For Founders Trophy Award
Hawke’s Bay Branch would like to nominate our member Peter Mackie, as being a worthy
candidate for this award at the 2012 AGM., for his services at Branch and National levels
to DLOC members.
Peter joined H.B. Branch in 1992 and since then has served enthusiastically and
continuously on committee and has contemporaneously held at times the positions of
President, Vice President, Club Captain, Secretary/Treasurer and National Delegate.
He was also on the organizing committee for the Mini Rallies and National AGM’s
hosted by Hawke’s Bay Branch in 2004 and 2010.
Peter also has attended since 1992 every National AGM and the National and Mini
Rallies associated thereto.
His involvement in National administration began in 1996 as H.B. Branch Delegate, he
served as National Secretary from 1997 to 2001 and since 2003 to date has been National
Treasurer.
Anybody who knows Peter will appreciate his accuracy, preciseness and enthusiasm
to all these roles.
As of now Peter’s stable includes a 1966 Daimler V8, 1974 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series
2 and a 1987 Daimler 3.6 XJ 40.
Besides Peter’s love and devotion to his family he has had a long association in the Lions
Clubs International and in that organization is a Life Member of the Lloyd Morgan Lions
Clubs Charitable Trust, a Melvin Jones Fellow and in 2011 appointed as a Life Member of
The International Association of Lions Clubs.
H.B. Branch commends Peter’s nomination to you as a very worthy recipient for the
Founders Trophy for his dedication, duty and service to the furtherance of the DLOC
membership over the last 20 years.
Mike Boyce
H.B. Branch President
________________________________________________________________________
OMG, I’m rich!
Silver in the hair,
Gold in the teeth,
Crystals in the kidney,
Sugar in the blood,
Lead in the butt,
Iron in the arteries,
and an inexhaustible
supply of natural gas!
I never thought I would
accumulate such wealth!
in New Zealand Inc
Mailbox ...
Incoming
To The National Secretary
The Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club in NZ Inc,
Dear Mike
Re:Resignation
The time has come when we feel that it is time to pull the plug on our membership in the
Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club.
It is with sadness really as we have been members now for 32 years and the club has been
a big part of our married life. This club over these years has given us a lot of pleasure.
We started our membership back in 1980 in Hastings with a 1972 Series 1 Sovereign. Since
those days, we have had a 1975 Series 2 Sovereign, a 1970 DS420 Van Den Plas Limousine,
a 1980 DS420 Limousine and a 1951 Daimler Consort. On moving from Hawkes Bay (where
we were involved on committee) we moved to Hamilton in 1982 where we still reside to
this day. There was no Branch or even a Social Group here in Hamilton in those days, so
we decided to do something about that. On the 13th of March 1983 we had the inaugural
gathering at the Hamilton Rose Gardens to see what response we would get from a few
advertisements in the Hamilton Press (local free paper). Twenty seven Daimlers and five
foreigners turned out, all showing keen interest, so this was enough for us to proceed.
The Waikato Social Group was formed. A few years later, we involved the Bay of Plenty as
there wasn’t any Social group or Branch over there. We then became the Waikato & BOP
Social Group. We were eventually asked by the National Body to form a Branch as we had
over 50 members. All this has been very rewarding over this time along with other very
enthusiastic members. Two of the big highlights of our involvement with this Branch were
the successful planning and the staging of the 1999, 8th National Rally here in Hamilton,
and the successful planning and staging the trip to Melbourne for the International Motor
Show in March 2007 where 22 members from all Branches took up this experience. This
was a fantastic few days. Great memories.
We have made many great friends over the years with many of them being life-long.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club
continuation and growth over the coming years.
All the very best,
Regards
Bruce & Zoe Henderson
June~July 2012
Round the Bazaars ...
Daimlers on the Run
Auckland Amblings
Riverhead Report
The run started from near Mills Lane on Oteha Valley Road and following a very circuitous
route via Lonely Track Road, Dairy Flat Highway and Ridge Road we finally ended up at
Riverhead. Constantly under the guidance of the unfailing Mr Google our fleet of cars
arrived at the historic Riverhead Pub. At 153 years old, The Riverhead is thought to be
New Zealand’s oldest riverside tavern and holds New Zealand’s second oldest liquor
licence. Nestled on the shores of the upper Waitemata, The Riverhead is steeped in
local history and was a vital part of the development of early New Zealand. Prior to The
Riverhead being built on this site, Thomas Deacon, the original owner, owned a pub on
the point just below where The Riverhead now stands. The early Maori used this landing
point as the place to disembark and portage their waka across land to the Kumeu River
to get easier access to the lands in the Far North. Early immigrants then used this same
route to travel north, disembarking at Helensville and continuing by ship north via the
Kaipara Harbour. Deacon wisely built his ‘new hotel’ on this site where the deep channel
allowed for a dock at the base of the knoll. The Riverhead was a vital stop for these
early pioneering travellers as well as a local meeting place for the local gum diggers and
traders. The Riverhead has always been an integral part of the Riverhead community.
The Riverhead was originally named Deacon’s Hotel, but has had a variety of names over
the years including The Riverhead Hotel, The Forrester’s Arms and the Riverhead Tavern,
and is now simply ‘The Riverhead’. Since the new owners have taken over the place has
changed from a sleepy hollow to vibrant destination. We all enjoyed our meal and drinks
especially after the harrowing and winding delights of Ridge Road…
Bryan Davis
________________________________________________________________________
Waikato BOP Wanderings
Rotorua Mini-Rally 21–22nd April
49 members from all over New Zealand met in Rotorua for the annual Mini-Rally and AGM.
The rally commenced with everyone meeting at the R.S.A Club on Saturday morning.
A delicious morning tea was followed by the AGM. Highlights of the AGM were;
Peter Mackie (Hawkes Bay member) was awarded the Founders Trophy for his services
to the Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club over a number of years. Congratulations to
Peter for receiving this award.
Thelma Jones (our own Waikato/Bay of Plenty member) was made a life member in
recognition of her contribution through the years. Congratulations to Thelma for receiving
this well deserved award.
in New Zealand Inc
Rally 2012 Some of the members at Rainbow Springs.
Thelma has made a beautiful fruit cake and decorated it for every rally. This year was
no exception and we all enjoyed a piece on Saturday night.
After lunch we went for a scenic drive around the lakes. Thanks for organising this
Lindsay. We drove on roads we never knew existed before this weekend. We took one
wrong turn but were soon back on track. Just as well the Sheriff did not see. However
some were seen disappearing into the distance. The Sheriff caught up with them after
dinner. After a pleasant drive it was an afternoon tea stop at Okere Falls Tearooms.
Saturday night was dinner at the RSA followed by the Sheriff (Winston from Otago) this
is a fun time when members are fined for their misdemeanours with all proceeds going to
a worthy cause. Somehow we escaped the Sheriff’s notice this year.
Sunday morning we met at Rainbow Springs. What an asset to New Zealand this place
is, an excellent display of NZ bird and plant life and of course the trout. Lunch was at the
Cafe great food and company. After encouragement from other members we picked up
courage and went for a ride on the Big Splash. This was a great experience even if we got
a little damp.
The weekend was great; beautiful weather and excellent company. What we enjoy
most is meeting up and socialising with members from our other branches. Unfortunately
we had to come home on Sunday afternoon some were staying the extra night.
A big thank you to Paul, Lindsay and Cathy for organising this weekend on behalf of
our branch.
Colin and Maureen King
________________________________________________________________________
Hawke’s Bay Highlights
DLOC AGM and Mini Rally Rotorua 21st–22nd April 2012
Mike and I left Hastings on Friday morning April 20th in our Daimler V8 looking forward to a
weekend in Rotorua with the friendly folk of the DLOC. We were only about half way over
the Napier/Taupo Road when our “trusty” Daimler came to a sudden holt amidst a rather
June~July 2012
nasty grinding metallic noise. Suffice to say we coasted to the side of the road, the bonnet
lifted, everything was still “in place” so the key was turned the V8 fired on 7 and we set sail
once more for Rotorua, aware it has to be said that something wasn’t “quite right” under
the bonnet because of a clicking, metallic noise. We arrived at our accommodation about
mid-afternoon to a warm welcome from those already in residence. Naturally the bonnet
of our car was lifted and many heads studied the contents under there. Do we drive it
again during the weekend or not that was the question? Decision made the car wouldn’t
be used again and as we’re members of the AA they were detailed to get the car back to
Hastings for us and we would go home with Peter Mackie.
Saturday morning dawned fine, clear and rather chilly. We met for morning tea at the
Rotorua RSA and were treated to divine hot scones, with jam and cream, delicious muffins
and tea or coffee. The AGM followed and at that meeting Peter Mackie received the
Founders Trophy, a very deserving recipient and Thelma Jones was made a Life Member,
again very well deserved. Congratulations to you both. Lunch followed then a scenic run
was undertaken which was well worth doing, and thanks to the other Mike and Robyn for
taking this Mike and Robyn as passengers.
Saturday evening was the usual Rally dinner and we once again were well looked after
at the RSA. As is the tradition at this event Thelma produced her “Rally Cake” which was
duly cut by her, and it was also her birthday, so very fitting.
Sunday morning yours truly and husband cadged a ride to Rainbow Springs where
all who went enjoyed several hours wandering through this magnificently re-furbished
establishment and then enjoyed lunch at the café there in glorious sunshine. As you can
see from the attached picture we enjoyed our water ride. So although I weekend started
rather badly we did relax and enjoy our time with the other members of the DLOC.
Thank you to Paul and his team for organizing a most enjoyable weekend, well done.
Robyn Boyce
________________________________________________________________________
Manawatu Meanderings
Manawatu Members have had another busy couple of months starting with the Southwards
Open Day. Those of you who have visited Southwards Car Museum will get some idea of
the numbers if I tell you that the car park and the entire lawn area in front of the Museum
was amassed with classic cars of all descriptions! Classic car drivers had free admission
with a nominal fee for others. The entire Museum was open for inspection, the Wurlitzer
was played by a brilliant organist entertaining the crowds all day. He had the children
riding the retractable console, a novel experience for them all! The workshop was a major
attraction, one particularly interesting restoration project in progress was a “Cord”. The
V8 engine and forward facing gearbox with transverse drive were mounted on the front
chassis section ready to be mated with the rest of the car. There were several storage
sheds open with a diverse array of rare vehicles awaiting their turn for restoration. A
1910 Daimler was one of these. Other Daimlers on display were the 1953 Royal Tour
DE36 Landaulette Straight Eight, what a magnificent car. A Majestic Major and 2½ V8 also
graced the floor.
Southwards is an amazing complex, for those who haven’t been there, be sure to put
it on your “Bucket List”!
10
in New Zealand Inc
Manawatu members cars @ Square Affair,
April 2012.
Manawatu visit Southwards. Children ride the
Wurlitzer console.
Manawatu working bee. Conquest vs Jeep!
Manawatu working bee. Conquest vs Jeep!
Our next Branch event was the classic car day organized by the Wanganui Rotary. We
mustered a good number of members for this popular day. The new Gazebo received its
first serious airing providing shade from the Wanganui sunshine. This is always a great
event to see a wide variety of vehicles and chat to other petrolheads.
April Fools Day perhaps wasn’t appropriate for our Branch AGM but it turned out to
be a great day. It started with a luncheon we provided for the “Chrysler Six Pack Club”
who were visiting Pauline’s property as part of their annual rally. After they departed we
held our Branch AGM. The incumbent Office holders were returned with two new faces
on committee, Peter Whitten and Ian Hodgkinson. Welcome!
An annual event in Palmerston North now is the “Square Affair”, a commemoration of
the ’50’s and ’60’s held over Easter weekend. This is organized by “Destination Manawatu”.
This year as part of the event was a display of cars held at Arena Manawatu’s Stadium.
We were invited to display cars of that era, they would make up descriptive plaques to
accompany them. We had a Consort, Conquest, SP250, 2 V8’s and Series 1 XJ6. We also
managed to coax Pauline’s Majestic Major Limo into life and drive it to the stadium. It
had pride of place alongside the stage. The event attracted a large crowd giving our club
excellent exposure.
June~July 2012
11
The following weekend, we organized a working bee at Pauline’s property. One of
the old sheds was collapsing and the 4 cars therein needed to be relocated, The old Fergy
was fired up, but due to the ravages of time, it was no match for a Century with locked
up brakes! Fortunately, Peter Whitten had turned up with his Jeep 4-wheel-drive. He
soon had those old cars “rolling” or “dragging” as the case may be. If anyone would like a
Conquest, Century or Humber Hawke for project or parts, let Pauline know!
The next weekend was of course, the Rally at Rotorua. Manawatu had 19 members
attend. A most enjoyable weekend, special thanks to Paul Edginton, Lindsay and Cathy
Donoghue for their efforts organizing this most successfully event.
Mike King
________________________________________________________________________
Otago Outings
Our last outing was to Oamaru for our Annual
General Meeting
The trip went off well and the highlight
being entertained by our Guest Speaker Mr
Jim Hopkins. He spoke mainly on Daimler cars
of which he had done quite a lot of research.
Many members will remember Jim Hopkins
as he has appeared on TV over the years
Quite a lot of older members of the
Club will remember Ferg and May McLean
who were Otago members for many years. Otago AGM Guest Speaker Jim Hopkins giving the
‘thumbs up’ to Ken and Robin Walmsley’s immaculate
Ferg’s widow May joined us on this outing to 1952 DB18 Special Sports.
Oamaru and it was quite interesting to find
out she and Ferg had had their Wedding Reception at the Restaurant, The Star and Garter
where we held our Annual General Meeting.
It is with much sadness we report one of our very loyal and active members Ron
Harper has passed away. Ron owned a very immaculate 1957 Daimler Century. Ron and
his wife Dulcie celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary a few days before Ron’s death.
Our deepest sympathy to Dulcie and the family.
Kaye Wingfield
This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed.It is reported to have been listed in the
Cornish Guardian.
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity
unimportant. I’m a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks
in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing
trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me
eating out of your hand. I’ll be at the front door when you get home from
work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call 01272-6420 and ask for
Annie, I’ll be waiting.....
Over 150 men found themselves talking to the Truro RSPCA
12
in New Zealand Inc
Articles of Interest ...
Section:
Date:
Service Bulletin Number I.6
Steering
November, 1965
Upper Steering Column Top Bearing
Model Affected
Commencing Chassis Numbers
2½ litre Saloon
R.H.D. L.H.D.
1A.9211 1A.20431
Cars with the above chassis numbers and onwards are fitted with an adjustable upper
steering column top bearing.
If the column has been dismantled or the flashing indicator switch has been removed
the bearing should be adjusted as follows:
- The bearing can be adjusted with the column
in situ if the inner column is disconnected
at the universal (pot) joint as detailed in the
Service Manual – Section I Steering.
- Pass the two fixing screws through the
switch clamp and attach the spring washer
and locknut to the upper screw and the
distance piece and washer to the bottom
screw.
- Feed the screws through the column
brackets and attach the indicator switch.
- Tighten the bottom screw fully.
- Fit the inner column and temporarily attach
the steering wheel (if removed).
- Attach a spring balance to the steering wheel rim.
- Tighten the top screw until the wheel will just turn with a pull of 5 ozs (141.7 grammes)
registered on the balance (see illustration).
- Turn the locknut towards the clamp plate and lock the screw.
Two thicknesses of distance piece are available to compensate for any variation in the
bore of the column.
Grade ‘A’
.188” (4.7 mm)
(Part number C.26023/1)
Grade ‘B’
.160” (4.06 mm)
(Part number C.26023/2)
________________________________________________________________________
June~July 2012
13
Lindsay collects a fine imposed by Sherrif
Winston from Steve.
Even David Watt got caught out!
Rally organizer Paul Edginton addresses the
Rally members.
Thelma with Life Membership certificate, Peter
with Founders Trophy and President Dave.
Patron Pauline presents the Founders Trophy to
Peter Mackie.
Thelma's Rally Cake.
14
in New Zealand Inc
Cars line up beside Lake Roroiti, Rally 2012.
Pauline Goodliffe cuts the Rally Cake.
Southwards Daimler Landaulette used for 1953
Royal Tour.
Southwards 1910 Daimler awaiting restoration.
Pauline & Major Limo @ Square Affair, April
2012.
June~July 2012
15
Introduction & Excerpts from
“Lanchester Motor Cars”
The Lanchester Brothers were visionaries at the advent of Motoring in the late 1900s.
Much of today’s technology was invented by Frederick and used in his early cars. Some
of his achievements are:
First 4-wheel petrol car of purely British origin (1994–95), disc brakes, soft low
periodicity suspension, splined shafts, crankshaft harmonic balancer, tangent spoke wire
wheels for cars, the accelerator, preselect control of compound epicyclic gears, high
efficiency worm gear and the machinery to make it, new forms of roller bearings and
ball thrust races, cantilevered parallel motion suspension (as in our Daimler V8s), force
fed high pressure lubrication. In addition his research extended to aeronautic, optic and
acoustic subjects.
Here some excerpts from “Lanchester Motor Cars” by Anthony Bird and Francis HuttonStott.
Chapter One
“’Tis well an old age is out, and time to begin a new”
In the last thirty years, and particularly in the last ten, interest in every aspect of motor
car history has grown to surprising dimensions. Fostered by, and fostering, this interest,
books and periodicals have appeared in sufficient numbers, it often seems, to engulf the
enthusiast in a flood of printed matter. In addition to books treating of the history of
self-propelled vehicles and the early motoring scene in general, a number of specialized
histories of individual makes have also been written. The most famous names have been
dealt with, often more than once; indeed, it might sometimes seem that the well-worn
tracks labelled Daimler, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Bugatti have been trodden to
the point of weariness.
One name which has not been given the attention it deserves, except in the fairly
narrow fraternity of early motor car devotees, is that of Lanchester. Although a fair
amount of material is to be found scattered throughout general histories and the papers
of learned societies, a definitive account of the remarkable Lanchester motor cars, and
the no-less-remarkable trio of Lanchester brothers, has not yet been produced. Dr
Lanchester’s interests and activities ranged far beyond the relatively narrow field of motor
car design, and his biographer (Dr P.W. Kingsford) consequently devoted relatively little
space to the motor cars in F.W. Lanchester, The Life of an Engineer, which was published
in 1960. Naturally enough, also, this biography is not concerned with George Lanchester,
who was assistant and successor to his brother as Designer and Chief Engineer, nor with
Frank, who was, firstly, Secretary of the Lanchester Engine Company, and subsequently
Sales Manager when it was re-formed as the Lanchester Motor Company.
It is not generally known that the first full-scale four-wheeled petrol car of purely
British origin was made by Frederick and George Lanchester in 1894–5. The crude beltdriven vehicle built by J.H. Knight in the same year was only a three-wheeler in its original
form, and the first English Daimlers (often said to be the first English-built cars) did not
materialize until 1897; they were, in any event, fairly straightforward copies of a French
design powered by German engines, either imported complete or built under licence.
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Similarly the Bremer car, for which a date of 1892 is claimed though the car was probably
not finished until 1895, was no more than a home-made copy of a Benz.
Even by 1901 the leading English makes, Daimler and Napier, were still recognizably
derived from Panhard et Levassor, but the first production model Lanchester of the same
year owed nothing to foreign sources and was the first (and almost the only) example of a
motor car scientifically designed from first principles as a complete mechanical entity: and
designed furthermore to be built on mass-production principles, from interchangeable
components machined to tolerances closer than anything then attempted outside the
field of instrument making. By comparison with the Lanchester, contemporary cars were
very much ‘things of shreds and patches’, amalgamations of carriage building with cycle
engineering, plus an admixture of gas-engine design with a sprinkling of millwrights work
thrown in for good measure.
Much of present-day automobile engineering practice derives from Lanchester, though
the source is not usually recognized, and even less often acknowledged, by those who
borrow so freely. The whole concept of modern vehicle suspension, by the combination of
‘soft’ low-periodicity springing (whether by leaf springs, coils, torsion-bars, india-rubber,
or bags filled with wind or water is of no moment), with a chassis structure of the greatest
possible torsional and beam strength, was laid down by Lanchester for his first production
model. He was the first to use splined shafts for motor car work, and the ultra-modern
disc brake was fitted to some of the 1903 Lanchesters. Practically every modern multicylinder engine owes its freedom from torsional vibration to the Lanchester crankshaft
damper; though, if given a name at all, this device is usually called the Daimler crankshaft
damper, simply because it was designed by Dr Lanchester as a cure for the crankshaft
failures suffered by the Daimler Company with their first 6-cylinder engines. Similarly the
German Ford Company recently announced with pride that their new 4-cylinder ‘Taunus’
model is furnished with an ingenious harmonic balancer; but this, too, was invented by
Lanchester for his own 4-cylinder engines in 1911. And if one looks towards the future,
the General Motors ‘Space Age Dream Car’ – Firebird 111 – has an emergency braking
system identical with the Lanchester oil-cooled multi-disc footbrake of the Edwardian
era.
The vibrationless engine, tangent-spoked wire wheels, the accelerator, pre-selector
control of compound epicyclic gears, aluminium body-work, the high-efficiency worm
gear and the machinery to make it, new forms of roller bearing and ball thrust-races,
and a great many other innovations sprang from ‘Dr Fred’s’ versatile and inventive mind:
and the riding comfort afforded by his cantilevered, parallel-motion suspension was
not surpassed until the problems of independent suspension were gradually mastered
after the Second World War. The motor car design and development with which this
book is concerned was only one manifestation of Dr Lanchester’s formidable intellectual
range, which included such diverse subjects as gas engines, aeronautics, music, sound
reproduction, optics and poetry.
(Chapter 1, pp1–3)
Frederick William Lanchester was born on the 23rd of October 1868: his father was an
architect who then practised in London, but soon after Frederick’s birth he was appointed
architect and surveyor to the Stanford Estate in Brighton and the family consequently
June~July 2012
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moved to the place which was to be the destination for the first legalized motor drive in
England twenty-eight years later. Of the other Lanchester children only Frank (born on
the 22nd of July 1870) and George (on the 11th of December 1874) were associated with
Frederick in the motor car business.
At his first school, a boarding establishment in East Brighton, Frederick showed no
special qualities and, indeed, was apparently looked upon as a rather dull boy; largely,
as his brother George has observed,1 because ‘he took little interest in sport and was by
no means skilful at any of the usual boys’ games’, an indictment that says all that needs
to be said of far too many English schools. As soon as he began his technical education,
however, his qualities began to show and develop. When he was fourteen years old he
went to learn engineering at the Hartley Institute in Southampton, and here, according
to his own notes, he was given a medal ‘for doing nothing in particular’. evertheless,
like W.S. Gilbert’s ‘House of Peers throughout the War’ he must have done nothing in
particular remarkably well, because he was awarded a scholarship to the Normal School
of Science and School of Mines – now the Royal College of Science – in Kensington.
Here he studied under Professors Goodeve and Vernon Boys; the latter became a lifelong friend, and to the former Frederick attributed his decision to go into the gas-engine
business. The Science School curriculum was weak in applied engineering (or technology,
as present-day pomposity has it) and Frederick made good the deficiency by attending
evening classes in workshop practice at the Finsbury Technical School. This left him no
time for a meal between day and evening classes and entailed walking from Kensington
to Finsbury (about six miles); the journey back to his lodgings afterwards meant a further
walk from Finsbury to the south side of London Bridge, a three-mile tram ride (horsedrawn, of course) and another mile-and-a-half walk. What a howl of protest there would
be if one of today’s state-supported students was obliged to miss a single meal, or to walk
in a week half of Lanchester’s daily distance.
One of his ‘spare-time’ occupations during his third year at the Science School was the
construction of a telescope with a 2-inch achromatic objective and equatorial mounting.
A worm and wheel gear, worked by cord and pulley, allowed the instrument to traverse
on its tripod so as to follow the course of any star or planet within its range. Though
he dismissed his telescope as ‘a mere toy’, Frederick remained interested in the science
of optics, as well as in its offshoot, photography: as early as 1895 he patented a new
process of colour photography, complete with designs for the necessary camera and
ancillary apparatus, and as late as 1934 The Journal of Anatomy published his paper on
‘Discontinuities in the normal field of vision’.
(Chapter 1, pp8–10)
In 1893 Frederick designed and made another vertical single-cylinder ‘high speed’ engine.
This ran at 800 rpm and brought him a step nearer the motor car, as it was used to propel
the first British-built motor boat (Plate 4), a flat-bottomed craft driven by an enclosed stern
paddle-wheel. This use of the engine entailed designing a carburettor or vaporizer so that
liquid fuel could be used, and the wick carburettor Lanchester devised for the purpose
differed only in minor details from those used so successfully on all Lanchester cars up to
1914. Experience with this little motor led to the completely balanced double-crankshaft
1
18
In a paper read before the Newcomen Society on the 13th of March 1957.
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engines which drove the first Lanchester cars,
and which provided so elegant a solution to the
vibration problem which most early car designers
were content to ignore.
The boat was built in the back garden of the
house in Olton where Frederick lived, and it was
launched from Salter’s yard near Oxford in the
autumn of 1894. It was the work of three Lanchester
brothers, for by this time Frank Lanchester, two
years junior to Fred, had joined his brothers in
Birmingham. The only time they were free for the
task was on Sundays, and the respectable residents
of respectable Olton were suitably shocked and
coined the nickname ‘The Unholy Trinity’ for the
Lanchester brothers.
Frank Lanchester comes into the picture at this
point, as shortly before the boat-building started Dr Fred, 1945.
Frederick had invented a new form of bicycle pedal
and hub, designed to be dust-, dirt- and damp- proof.
It should be mentioned in passing that the bicycle
craze was then at its height and bicycle racing was
a sport with a big following: all three Lanchesters
were keen cyclists and members of one of the
leading speed clubs – the Speedwell Cycle Club of
Birmingham. As a side-line to his other activities
Frederick set up a little factory for making the
patent hub in rented premises in St Paul’s Square,
Birmingham;
a first-class
toolmaker
was taken on
as foreman,
and he later
took charge
Mr Frank, 1958.
of Jig and
Tool Shop supervision when the Lanchester Engine
Company was formed. Frederick prevailed on Frank
to give up his job with the Union Bank of London
and take charge of the little business as General
Manager.
The side-line business was short-lived as
Lanchester’s design was too expensive to
compete with the established cycle-component
manufacturers, but it saw the start of the association
of the ‘Unholy Trinity’. Frank Lanchester’s great gift Mr George, 1964.
June~July 2012
19
was a spontaneous natural warmth, which gained him many friends and made it possible
for him to persuade hard-headed, and mostly reluctant, business men to put up funds to
develop his elder brother’s inventions. He played a very big part in the flotation of the
Lanchester Engine Company in 1899, and an even bigger part in helping to keep it afloat in
the first difficult years. We must return, however, to the events of 1893–4.
At this time Lanchester had no thought of trying his hand at automobile design, and
nearly all his energies were concentrated on his theory of inherent stability in flight, which
is now known as the vortex theory of sustentation. He made several models of gliders
which were launched from his bedroom window (he then lived in St Bernard’s Road,
Olton, Warwickshire), and one of these models was self-propelled, driven by two counterrotating propellers energized by twisted rubber strands; with this he demonstrated that
an aeroplane could be made inherently stable in flight. It must be remembered that this
was nine years before the attempts at mechanical flight succeeded, with the stability
precariously dependent on the skill and dexterity of the pilot.
In 1893–4 it was clear that full-scale flying machines would need engines far lighter
than anything then available. Lanchester approached his friend Dugald Clerk to sound
him on the project of raising money to finance the production of aero-engines which, he
was sure, he could design and develop within a reasonable time. The older man took him
by the arm and said: ‘Larnchester’ (for such was Clerk’s invariable pronunciation of the
name) ‘Larnchester, you may be right, but you are a young man and must consider your
reputation. If you were to put forward such a proposition seriously your reputation as a
sane engineer would be ruined.’
Though doubtless disappointed, Frederick Lanchester knew the advice to be sound
and decided to turn his attention to the motor car as a stepping-stone towards the
aeroplane.
When Frederick Lanchester started to think about motor car design, Germany and France
were the only countries in the world where any man eccentric enough to wish for a
horseless carriage could buy one ‘over the counter’. Nothing in America had got beyond
the experimental prototype stage, and the few English pioneers were deterred by the
state of the law, but a handful of Continental firms, particularly in France, were in moreor-less-regular (but very limited) production of more-or-less-standardized automobiles.
Accordingly Frederick made it his business to study what was being done in Germany and
France. He was not very impressed by what he saw, for the pioneer concerns were merely
learning the hard way many of the lessons which had been partially learnt in England in
the 1830s; and doing so, moreover, as Worby Beaumont observed, largely by the process
of making expensive scrap.
In Germany the principal efforts were being made by the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft
and Benz et Cie. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach had resigned from the Daimler
Company shortly after its formation (owing to dissensions on the Board) and design
was in the hands of one Max Schroedter, who contented himself with a serviceable but
uninspired belt-driven rear-engined carriage, complete with centre-pivoted front axle and
scarcely different from Daimler’s second experimental vehicle of 1889. Being frightened
by French progress, the directors patched up their quarrel with Daimler late in 1895, and
he and Maybach returned to the fold and put in hand some more advanced designs.
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Lanchester motor boat ‘Ariel’, designed by Lanchester, built by Bathurst of Tewkesbury. This boat was fitted with a balanced
2-cylinder, 8/10 h.p. water-cooled engine and a reversible propeller invented by Dr Fred.
As far as Benz was concerned, having found a formula for a mechanical vehicle which
would at least work, he made little attempt to alter it beyond making the important change
from three wheels to four after 1891. A Benz Velo of 1892 is therefore little different
from a Benz Ideal of 1900, and both display the same curious mixture of ingenuity and
pigheadedness. The Velo would need a helping hand up any hill steeper than about 1
in 10, but the later Ideals were furnished with a ‘crypto’ low-gear which enabled them
to climb almost anything, though at a pace which could be distinguished from that of a
glacier only by the expert.
The Benz great virtue was simplicity, and that is what sold them, but it did not need
an engineer of Lanchester’s calibre to see that a belt-driven machine with no provision
for adjusting a stretched belt (the inevitable concomitant of a drive in the rain, as the
countershaft was ill-protected), beyond taking it off, cutting a piece out, and lacing it up
again, was not brilliantly conceived. And though some adventurous women did drive
Benz cars, it could hardly be expected that female taste would take kindly to starting the
engine by hauling on the rim of a flywheel which, after a run, was invariably spattered with
oil from the exposed crankshaft.
The French were well ahead by 1894. The licensees of the Daimler patents, Panhard
et Levassor, had already laid down the basic form of the twentieth-century motor car,
with the Daimler V-twin engine mounted vertically in the fore part of a wooden chassis
with the crankshaft in the longitudinal line, driving the back wheels via a pedal-controlled
friction clutch and sliding gear-wheel change-speed mechanism. Here again, ingenuity
marched hand in hand with crudity, as until 1895 Emile Levassor apparently considered a
nice amalgam of grease and grit the best possible lubricant for his gear wheels, since the
mechanism was not enclosed. Also the Daimler engine, with its hot-tube ignition, was
June~July 2012
21
virtually a constant-speed affair, and the combination of fixed-speed engine and a slidingpinion, change-speed device made silent gear changing an art quite beyond the skill of the
drivers of that time, and prompted Levassor to utter his famous aphorism ‘c’est brutal,
mais ça marche’.
Of the other French manufacturers, the brothers Peugeot used the Daimler type of
engine (supplied by Panhard et Levassor) though they favoured mounting it at the back
of the chassis, whilst Emile Roger (Benz’ Paris agent at first), Parisienne, Georges Richard,
Hurtu, Rochet-Schneider and others produced copies of the Benz design with such minor
improvements as their ingenuity dictated.
A characteristic of all the different varieties of petrol car was their appalling vibration.
This alone was sufficient to offend the sensibilities of the carriage gentry, who opined that
these noisy, stinking, quivering monstrosities would never supplant the horse. Mudguards
dithered, control levers shivered and, when standing with the engine running, the whole
machine shook like a jelly on springs, so that the wise motorist soon learnt the importance
of going over every unsecured nut and bolt with a spanner at the end of every journey.
We read that one of the difficulties Emile Levassor faced on his epic single-handed drive
in the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris of 1895 was that he could not keep his candles alight, as the
vibration split the soldered seams of his carriage lamps. It is small wonder that Lanchester
decided to approach the problem with a fresh mind.
The work of designing the first Lanchester car was done in 1894 construction started
in 1895. The task went ahead very slowly, partly because Frederick was carrying on his
aeronautical research, but largely because he set his face firmly against improvisation.
Consequently many items which other designers might have bought from the carriageironmonger or cycle maker, and adapted to a new purpose, had to be made specially.
The tubular chassis was remarkably like a modern ‘space frame’, and it was, without
doubt, the first motor car frame to be made torsionally rigid so that no wracking or twisting
over rough roads could upset the alignment of the machinery. To the modern eye it might
seem retrograde in that the axles are unsprung, but it must be remembered that it was
designed for a maximum speed of about 15 mph: the speed limit at that time was only 4
mph and the small band of enthusiasts who were working to bring about the repeal of the
old restrictions were aiming to make 14 mph the legalized pace. In the event, when the
‘Emancipation’ Act was passed in
November 1896, the limit was set
at 12 mph, and for such a modest
speed the unsprung chassis was
adequate, particularly as it was
designed to run on pneumatic
tyres.
Though certainly not the
first car to run on pneumatics,
Lanchester’s was almost certainly
the first to be designed with
pneumatic tyres in mind. As the
Model of first Lanchester car, constructed by George Lanchester when
Dunlop Company then had an
in his 83rd year. As re-built with rear-mounted engine and side-lever
steering.
absolutely rigid monopoly of the
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pneumatic tyre in Britain, which they used for some years to impose a virtual import ban
on all foreign tyres (which were much in advance of theirs), Frederick was obliged to buy
from them. The difficulty was that Dunlop had never made a motor tyre, though they had
made a few pneumatic tyres for carriages. Consequently the four tyres Dunlop made, by
hand, for Lanchester were the first motor tyres they attempted, and curiously enough
they seem to have been much less troublesome than those they made as regular articles
of commerce later on. Probably the first attempt to run a car on pneumatics was made by
Michelin, who entered a pneumatic-tyred Peugeot for the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race and
had so much trouble that Levassor declared the air-filled tyre could never be of the least
use motor for cars.
With one or two notable exceptions, Daimler amongst them, none of the makers of
the first petrol cars employed the centrally pivoted steering axle almost universal on
horse-drawn vehicles (where the pull of the horse permanently provides the necessary
self-centering action), but used some variant of the ‘divided axle’ system devised by
Lenkensperger and patented on his behalf in England by Ackermann in 1818. But, as
applied at first, the Ackermann steering arrangements on early motor cars suffered from
the defect that the king-pins were vertical and the stub-axles (usually very long by our
standards) were starkly horizontal. In other words there was neither castor angle nor
camber angle and the vehicle was only restrained from yawing all over the road by the
muscular grip of the driver on tiller, handle-bar or wheel. It was this lack of dynamic
stability, rather than the tiller control itself, which made the early Panhard cars difficult to
control at any speed – a difficulty which cost Levassor his life in 1897.
With his maiden effort Lanchester made the steering gear dynamically stable, not
only by suitably inclining the stub-axles and pivot-pins, but also by proper attention to
the geometry of the Ackermann linkage; it was to be some seven years before any other
manufacturer, apart from Duryea, learnt this lesson. The arguments for and against
Lanchester’s form of tiller control will emerge later.
As the photograph shows, the body-work was ‘enveloping’ in the best modern style,
so that on a 4 feet 8 inches track width three people could sit abreast in comfort. The
carriage work was built on a tubular frame (nine 2-inch diameter transverse tubes gave
torsional strength), and suspended on very long Cee springs at the back, and a single
transverse spring in front. The tubular framework was neatly clothed with varnished
walnut panelling and, probably for the first time in automobile history, an adequate
luggage platform was provided.
The single-cylinder engine was wholly unconventional. In the first place it was
‘oversquare’ with a bore of 4¾ inches and stroke of 4½ inches; also the inlet valve was
mechanically operated, though for many years to come most car designers were content
with the ‘automatic’ or atmospheric valves, which were satisfactory enough for stationary
engines but not so well suited to coping with the constantly varying speeds of a car engine.
Ignition was on the low-tension system, powered by accumulator, and the mixture was
provided by the Lanchester wick carburettor, which held its own for twenty years against
the apparently more advanced spray type.
The ‘oddity’ of the engine lay in its crank and connecting-rod arrangements. There
were two overhanging balanced cranks in axial alignment, and each crank had its own
flywheel and connecting rod; the latter sat side-by-side on a common gudgeon pin and as
June~July 2012
23
the cranks revolved in opposite directions the motion of the connecting rods was similar
to that of a pair of legs walking. In addition to being linked by the common piston the
cranks were kept in phase by three bevel gears, one on each crank-shaft meshing with an
idler athwart the bottom of the crankcase.
The connecting rods tended to deliver alternating twisting forces to the piston at each
revolution, and these were dealt with by making the piston with suitable keys projecting
from opposite sides of the cutaway ‘skirt’; these keys ran in guide ways formed in the
sides of the crankcase, but the twist was minimized by making the rods 2 times the length
of the piston stroke.
This system of balancing by reverse rotation not only looked after the out-of-balance
reciprocating forces as far as is possible in a single-cylinder machine, but also counteracted
the ‘impulse kick’; and although, as George Lanchester recalls, the three bevel gears made
too much noise for comfort, the engine could run up to 1,000 rpm without shaking itself
and the car to pieces.
The engine was placed horizontally and transversely amidships in the car frame.
The off-side flywheel, which was enclosed in a wind chest, was furnished with vanes
on its rim so as to provide forced draught-air cooling; the wind chest was connected
to a suitable cowl surrounding the finned cylinder. The direct drive clutch for high
speed, and an epicyclic gear for low speed and reverse, were keyed to the near-side
flywheel shaft. The low-and-reverse gear drum had its own chain drive to the live
back axle and a second chain served the direct drive. The off-side back wheel was
driven from its half axle by an escargot roller clutch under normal conditions, but
Figure 1
“What England thinks today Lanchester thought of years ago.”
(From an early Lanchester pamphlet.)
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this half axle could be locked by a separate brake, whereupon the off-side wheel ran
free on its automatic clutch and the differential gear acted as a 2:1 overdrive to the
near-side wheel.
Unfortunately there is no record of the date of the first trial trip. From memory
George Lanchester believes it to have been in February or early March 1896; but it
was certainly in the dark, as the 4-mph limit and ‘three-drivers-in-attendance’ laws
were still in force, and the brothers Frederick and George set off before dawn so as
to escape the eye of the law. As it happened the eye of the law did alight on them
to their advantage, for they had not gone far before they had to stop to adjust the
low-tension ‘igniter’, and a friendly bobby obliged by shining the rays of his bull’s-eye
lantern upon the engine. The policeman was suitably rewarded for his trouble and
made no remark about the absence of the statutory walking attendant.
The first run was not more than ten miles, and two things were immediately
apparent: firstly that the car ran very smoothly and steered as easily as the wellboiled icicle from which Dr Spooner derived such pleasure, and secondly that it was
under-powered – or over-geared, according to which way one like to looks at it.
Quite moderate slopes made the 5-hp engine gasp for help in the form of a push from
George, and the overdrive could only be used on down gradients.
Writing of this shortcoming some forty-one years later, Frederick said:
I think I may say without fear of contradiction that all the pioneers underestimated
the speeds at which road vehicles could be driven and were correspondingly at fault
in the matter of the power required. We believed in those days that the motor car
would replace the horse vehicle – not the railway train – and we were thinking of
speeds of about 15 mph. I think also that many of us did not realize that a horse in
harness would often do work at the rate of 10 hp as defined. Of these matters we
must plead ignorance, and, taking both into consideration, it will account for a great
deal. For if we multiply the originally contemplated speed by four, and if we take it
that a dog-cart driven up an incline, such as the modern motorist, can take ‘on top’,
requires something in the region of 10 hp, we see that for an equal gross weight the
power required to give the performance demanded will be 40 hp, which is quite in
accordance with present-day experience. Those early in the field, however, thought
they were doing quite well in specifying 4 or 5 hp as the necessary engine power. I
myself thought I was doing some rake, thing quite handsome when in designing my
experimental cars of 1896-7-8, the engine specification was 8 hp, giving something
over 10 hp on the brake. A little later when designing the car for production the
engine was specified as 10 hp nominal, giving between 15 and 16 hp on the test
bench. It is a fact that at that time to declare too high a horse-power would have
terrified many possible purchasers.
To return to 1896, however, the immediate choice lay between giving the car a
lower gear for its hill-climbing speed or providing more power. The latter was the
better solution, and Frederick set about designing not only a new engine but a new
final drive system and several other things besides.
(Chapter 1, pp 15-23)
________________________________________________________________________
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25
Hitting the Road ...
Daimler Events Diary
Auckland
June 24th
MID WINTER LUNCH”
This year will be held at McHugh’s at Devonport. Meet at 1230. $30 per head for a
smorgasbord meal. Drinks extra. For those who have not visited before, this is situated
right on Cheltenham beach at the end of the road of the same name.
Advise Bryan as above or Valerie at phoenix.int@clear.net.nz or 521 2011 with numbers
and names and telephone numbers of those attending.
July
Run with afternoon tea. Details later.
November 10th/11th
Coast to Coast with o’night in Raglan. Details later.
November 25th
Christmas Lunch. Details later.
________________________________________________________________________
Waikato BOP
June 24th
Mid Winter Christmas Lunch.
This is to at Daltons Plantation Homestead, 280 Hinuera Rd West, Matamata. We had our
AGM at this venue and I think it merits another visit. The meal is two courses with coffee
or tea and will cost $30 ea. We are booked in for 12:00 (noon). Please contact Paul at 07
549 4569 or email pledginton@gmail.com to reserve your place.
September 15th
Paeroa Antiques weekend.
There is a Classic Car Parade starting in Taylors Ave Paeroa at 10:30 am. This is an exert
from the email I received:
26
“The weekend will be the 14, 15th & 16th September and the Vintage & Classic Car Parade
is always on the Saturday morning parade setting off at 11am with cars needing to line up
in Taylors Ave (past the L&P Cafe) around 10.30am. The parade then goes through town to
finish in Wharf St in the town centre where the cars can park on display for the next couple
of hours while there is music (jazz), Devonshire teas, prizegiving etc. Previously there has
also been a car rally in the afternoon that anyone can participate in. There will continue to
be Jazz style entertainment throughout the day and into the evening at various venues in
town. Sunday will see a couple of special concerts probably centred around the churches
and there is an Antiques Fair and Roadshow running all weekend – so plenty of reason to
make a weekend of it!”
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To finish off a busy day Glen and Val Wilson have invited members for afternoon tea at
their home at Huia Rd, RD4, Paeroa. Glen has some interesting old Daimlers including a
straight 8.
________________________________________________________________________
Hawke’s Bay
Sunday 17th June
An outing with the British & European Car Club. A flyer with details of this run will follow
at a later date.
Saturday 14th July
Mid-Winter dinner at “Delight Plus”, a Chinese restaurant in Dickens St Napier at 6pm.
Sunday 15th July
British & European Car Club outing to be advised.
Sunday 19th August
British & European Car Club outing to be advised.
Sunday 16th September
Details of the Annual Run, our Daimler Club arranges in conjunction with the British &
European Car Club will follow at a later date.
________________________________________________________________________
Manawatu
June 17th
Mid Year Dinner.
This time at the “Rose & Crown” situated in Palmerston North’s Terrace End car park.
Meet at 12.00 mid-day.
Numbers are required so please book your place by phoning Gayle or Lew, 06 3235526 or
clintons2@clear.net.nz
July 15th
A trip to visit Bernard Watson’s collection of Railway memorabilia in Tokomaru, followed
by coffee at the Bent Horseshoe.
From Palmerston North we meet on Fizherbert Avenue opposite the Esplanade car park
at 1.00pm to be at Tokomaru 1.30pm. Bernard’s address is 44 Rata Street, Tokomaru (2nd
Street back from the railway tracks).
August 19th
The annual Rover vs Daimler challenge, this year organized by the Rover Club. Details to
follow.
Proposed events:
A movie at a private theatre at Glen Ourua.
September. Gleesons vintage trucks and machinery at Mangatinoka.
October. Hugh Akers on Saddle Road.
November. End of year dinner.
December. President’s BBQ.
________________________________________________________________________
June~July 2012
27
Members’ Market ...
Members’ advertisements are at no charge.
For Sale
Fully reconditioned C14845 Standard ratio steering box, incorporating improvements on
original specs. Carefully set up to finest tolerances. Suit Daimler V8, Jaguar Mk2 or1960’s
“S” Type. $700.
Professionally refurbished C18758 steering wheel, as new, Suit Daimler V8, Jaguar Mk2
and others. $280
Daimler V8 “T” hose deletion conversion kit. $170
Contact Colin Campbell, 1008 Reka St. Akina, Hastings 4122, Ph. 068785969
Daimler Sovereign full Service Manual 1967-1972 4.2 litre. Contact Valmae or Wally Spence
on 07 8886542 or email 924rose@gmail.com for further information.
Daimler V8 complete steering gear. Comprises bottom shaft with UJ’s, steering box
complete, drag link, idler and tie rods. All in good condition as removed to fit power steer
rack conversion. Asking $300 or near offer. Selling on behalf.
Also many parts for Conquest and Consort.
Contact Mike 06 3571237 or mwking45nz@hotmail.com
From the website: Daimler 1982 XJ6 with all trim, grill, glass, chrome, body etc. Motor &
drive train used for another project but it seems a shame to crush the rest. Anyone who
would like parts please contact Don Ross at Whangarei. donross@vodaphone.co.nz or
phone 027 3112428.
Wanted
DB18 or Consort 1x piston +20 wanted for a Dingo repair.
Contact jim.r.cooper@hotmail if you can help.
Does anyone have any photos, newspaper articles or the like, of the Mayor of Wellington
with the Daimler Limo c1936 > 1945.
Please contact John Osborne, he will be pleased to have copies to complete the history of
his latest project. jcosborne@xtra.co.nz Phone 09 4093835
28
in New Zealand Inc
DAIMLER & LANCHESTER OWNERS’ CLUB BRANCH DIRECTORY
AUCKLAND BRANCH
President
Bryan Davis, 28 Shackleton Rd, Mt Eden
Vice President
John Penman, 25A Fancourt St, Meadowbank
Club Captain (Acting) Bryan Davis
Sec/Treasurer
David Watt, 14 Advance Way, Albany, Auckland 0632
Committee
Glenys Watt, Ed Hayhoe, John & Valerie Penman, Joe Price,
Laurie Mckernan, John Marsden, Clive Butler, Martin Walker
National Delegate
Bryan Davis, E-mail: bg.davis@auckland.ac.nz
Branch Patron
Ian Hill
WAIKATO/BAY OF PLENTY BRANCH
President
Steve Griffin, 136 Gloucester Rd, Oceandowns, Mt Maung
E-mail: stevefay@xtra.co.nz
Sec/Treasurer
Paul Edginton, 35 Uretara Drive, Katikati 3129
Club Captain
Lindsay Donaghue, 46 Petrie Street, Rotorua
E-mail: dunnywho@xtra.co.nz
Committee
Colin & Maureen King, Fay Griffin, Cathy Donaghue
National Delegate
Paul Edginton, E-mail: pledginton@gmail.com
HAWKE’S BAY BRANCH
President
Mike Boyce, 3 Northwood Avenue, Mahora, Hastings
Sec/Treasurer
Margaret Duncan, PO Box 8047, Havelock North 4157
Club Captain
Colin Campbell, 1008 Reka Street, Hastings
Committee
Ann Bowes, Graeme Bowes, Robyn Boyce, Graham Clare,
Vaughan Cooper, John Duncan, Peter Mackie,
Mark Dickerson
National Delegate
Peter Mackie, E-mail: peter.mackie@slingshot.co.nz
MANAWATU BRANCH
President
Mike King, 21 Millar Street, Palmerston North 4410
Vice President
Pauline Goodliffe, 194 Green Road, Awahuri, PN
Sec/Treasurer
Bert Empson, 8 Byrd Street, Levin 5510
Club Captain
Lew Clinton, 16A Tui MIll Grove, Feilding 4702, clintons2@clear.net.nz
Committee
Ray Watling, Brian Wolfsbauer, Barry Cleaver,
Graydon Crawford, Des Symons, Ian Hodgkinson,
Peter Whitten
National Delegate
Mike King, E-mail: mwking45nz@hotmail.com
Branch Patron
Pauline Goodliffe
OTAGO BRANCH
President
Sec/Treasurer
Club Captain
Committee
Past President
National Delegate
Geoffrey Anderson, PO Box 1259, Dunedin 9054
Kaye Wingfield, 7 Pioneer Cres, Helensburgh, Dunedin
Kevin Phillips, 33 Gordon Road, Mosgeil, Dunedin 9024
Winston Wingfield
Alex Meikle
Winston Wingfield, E-mail: wingiewk@xtra.co.nz
09 630 5172
09 521 2011
09 483 6616
09 415 1549
07 574 8474
07 549 4569
07 348 8796
06 878 9071
06 858 4161
06 878 5969
06 877 4766
06 357 1237
06 323 7081
06 368 0696
06 323 5526
06 357 1237
03 477 8798
03 476 2323
03 489 5782