Rare beasts ready to tackle the hill

With the 17th May running date of the Aston Hill Centenary Hill Climb in Buckinghamshire fast approaching, Guild member Ed McDonough tells News Briefs that a wave of interesting new entries have been received.

The organising team continue to search for cars and motorcycles which took part in the original Aston Hill events between 1904 and 1925, and many classic car clubs are expected to bring out their best machinery for the large show at the top of the hill where all the parade cars will arrive. 

So far 50 cars and nine motorcycles have been confirmed, models that either competed in the original events or are of the same model and vintage as competing entries. 

The latest entries include a fabulous 1914 Talbot Sports and a 500cc BSA motorcycle which was used by the War Department in World War 1. These join a growing number of pre-WW1 vehicles as well as a very rare 1922 Bradshaw ABC Brooklands owned by Adrian Bradshaw (pictured above).

The ABC was a light car designed by the current owner’s uncle, Granville Bradshaw. The engine followed the designs of his smaller aero engines and his ABC motorcycles of 1918 – being horizontally opposed oil-cooled units with hemisperical heads and total-loss lubrication. The gearbox, steering and axles were also all of Granville’s design.

The Bean Motor Company took on the manufacture of the cars. The Brooklands ABC, mechanically a little different from the production car, was prepared and raced by Gordon England. In 1921 he entered the Junior Car Club 200 mile race at Brooklands and after several modifications took on the same event in 1922.

The changes included the addition of the more streamlined body that the car runs with today. Motor Sport editor Bill Boddy reported that it “ran beautifully, lapping at well over 80mph, asking only a plug change in the entire race”.

The ABC road-going models were well liked by the more sporting drivers of the time but the advent and popularity of the Austin 7 put paid to many light cars, Gordon England himself moving on to great things with an Austin. This Brooklands changed hands many times and had a few wins in the UK. Most of its history has been lost but it last raced in the summer of1964 when it blew up and was subsequently stored, until purchased by Adrian Bradshaw who began its restoration.

The very rare Henley Sports motorcycle (pictured above) is one is of likely less than five original machines existing in the world today. Bought second-hand by Guy Ashenden for £3 in 1937 and fitted with a 350cc Blackburn ‘Big Port’ engine, it was timed on a two-way quarter-mile during World War 2 at 90mph, running on bomber fuel.

Guy owned the bike for more than 60 years and competed on it in various guises: club races, grass track, hill climbs, sprints and national rallies and runs, making constant modifications along the way.

In the early 2000s Guy moved into sheltered housing at Abbeyfield House, Wendover, near Aston Hill. He kept his Henley in the workshop of VMCC friend Andrew Hunt and would sneak out of Abbeyfield and take his Henley out for a spirited ‘spin’ – Aston Hill was and is a famed local road for motorcyclists to check their bike’s pulling power…

When Guy hung up his riding boots, he passed the Henley on to Andrew, who continues to ride it to this day, including the Banbury Run, Kop Hill Climb, the Flywheel Festival at Bicester Heritage and soon the Aston Hill 100. The Henley continues to give a lot of pleasure to many people and is still very quick for its 101-year age, while sounding very special.

Several machines from rare manufacturers are being attracted to the Aston Hill 100 event – there are now cars from Maudsley and AC and enquiries have been coming in from Belgium, Turkey and Sweden. Guild members can gain more details of the event from the website or by contacting Ed McDonough.