A March Reunion

Having languished in storage for over 40 years, and on the 90th anniversary of an historic year for MG, the only existing Earl of March team car has been brought back to life bringing with it memories of Brooklands halcyon days and the man that first brought motor sport passion to Goodwood.  Despite the towering motor sport legacy that was to follow, Freddie March’s personal foray into motor racing was actually quite brief – spanning just 3 years. The fact he competed for such a short time makes his considerable success all the more remarkable. Having struck out from the expectations of his grandfather by becoming an apprentice at Bentley, Freddie embarked on a life driven by a passion for engineering, motoring and aviation. Not surprisingly he soon gravitated toward Surrey and in 1929 entered an M.G. M-Type in the popular JCC High Speed Trial, earning a gold award for matching a carefully calculated average time over a technical and demanding course. The following year the Earl of March, partnered with Sammy Davis, won the gruelling 500 Mile race (all long distance races on the bumpy Brooklands track were ‘gruelling’) in a diminutive and stripped Austin 7 at a respectable […]

Edwardian Racing – Too Fast & Too Exciting

At the Goodwood Members’ Meeting this year (when it happens) we will, as always, be treated with a wealth of different types of motor racing. Much of the event’s unique appeal is the breadth of machinery in action from NASCAR to Group C, Specials to Spridgets, Group 1 to CANAM, it’s a veritable and irresistible assault on the senses. There is no getting away from the fact though that some disciplines draw a little more attention and this year two of the crowd favourites look set to be the exciting return of Groub B rally cars to the circuit and the ever popular S.F. Edge Trophy. On paper these two strands of the sport surely couldn’t be more different. However, leave aside the turbos and short denim and you might be surprised to learn that Group B shares some interesting similarities with the pioneering period of motor racing. Not least their irresistible appeal and their ultimate fates. Even for those without first-hand experience of Group B; historic rallying events, online video and the testimony of excited uncles provides tantalising proof of its appeal. For those of us fortunate enough to remember the sight and sound of Group B cars ripping […]

‘Ca ne fait rein’

We are living in unusual times. The global ‘lockdown’ has put unprecedented restrictions on daily life and the sweeping effects of a world holding its breath have, perhaps, yet to be fully realised. The accepted thinking however is that this pandemic, whilst painfully tragic for many, will not last forever. The debate as to whether life will return to ‘normal’ has yet to be resolved and definitions of what normal life should look like are certainly not the remit of motoring writers. What is for certain is that, once the various restrictions are lifted, motorsport will return with hungry enthusiasm and no doubt a wave of renewed fellowship and unity. The history of our sport is writ large with the resilience and persistence of its protagonists, insistent that motorsport is more than merely winning races it is a mechanism for bringing people together and providing a sustaining diversion from the tribulations and vicissitudes of ‘normal life’. In 1919 the world was reeling from the most shattering conflict it had, to date, experienced and was navigating the devastating effects of the Spanish Flu pandemic which lasted until 1920 and infected a staggering 500 million people. So it is perhaps not surprising […]

Winning Isn’t Everything

It is an unexpected paradox that one of the hardest endurance motorsport disciplines to date required no competition licence. In fact, owners of competition licences were not eligible to compete and was in the very strictest terms; amateur. The Camel Trophy though, which celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2020, was no stranger to paradox. It was a fevered (sometimes literally) race across the world’s most inhospitable wildernesses that rewarded those that stayed behind to help, an international event that pitted countries against one another but did more to break down borders than a lot of other sports. It was a cigarette-sponsored, 4×4 marketing extravaganza that helped scientists access to study remote parts of the world and raise awareness of threatened landscapes and cultures. However, despite the paradoxes contained within, the Camel Trophy was singular in its purpose: the pursuit of adventure.  “Neither a race nor a rally, Camel Trophy was first and foremost an adventurous expedition.  It did include an element of competition where participating teams could test their 4×4 driving and mechanical skills, endurance, courage, stamina, perseverance and resilience against the worst that nature could offer.” – Iain Chapman In 1980 the inaugural event consisted of only three two-man […]