Dellow News Brief No. 5 August 2005 by Jim Harvey

Looking forward. The West country Dellow group are planning to organise another run shortly. The AGM is to be held at The Sparkford Inn on the 17th Sept. And Next Year we are going to be celebrating a big Birthday for Dellow Motors as 2006 marks not only sixty years since Dellow Motors was formed but fifty years since Dellow Motors ended and fifty years since Dellow Engineering was started at Oldbury. So we need to do a bit of planning to make this a special year for the Register.

Dellows help to celebrate the MAC'S Shelsley Walsh Centenary A great meeting was held over the week-end 5/6^ June thanks to the excellent organisation my  our midland team under Jeremy Nightingale. A full report together with pictures will be in the News Letter with a picture of Mark Hayward our Chairman presenting Jeremy with the Chairman's Cup for his efforts in organising yet another big event at this picturesque hill climb event. It is a long time since this cup has been awarded and was presented to the Register by Mrs 'Nick' Mahone after her husband, a great Dellow enthusiast, died. Sadly I only managed to make it this year to the Sunday gathering but I do know how much those who attended both day's and the social gathering on Saturday night particularly all enjoyed themselves.

Specials Day at Burford Park. Is one of my favourite events in the motoring calendar purely because of the variety of vehicles that attend. I think most true 'petrol heads attending this year agreed that the star of the show was a stunningly handsome Tojeiro barchetta in silver. It was tiny and quite breath tingly gorgeous. No Dellows to scoop any awards this year but there were several unusual cars including Autobee Peacemaker, Buckers, Fairthorpe, Falcon, Gilbem, Lotus, Peerless, Rochdale, Tornado, Turner and Warwick. It's only at this event do you get to see so many unusual marques as well as several one off cars. 

Mark Hayward takes on the MG owners. After a long period of not trialing Mark took his Mk.2 -EVG 28 to take part in the MG Car Club's Kimber Trial. You will get his report in detail together with some excellent pictures of just how wet it was on the day! Despite the car running without its customary 'blower' on this occasion he won the class award. (Can't keep a good man down). The upshot is we have been invited to take part in next years event. This is a real traditional type trial which is NOT damaging so all those of you who fancy taking their Dellows out for some muddy exercise should plan to join us on that week-end next year. Full details will be posted out early next year. This would be a very good opportunity to have a well run competition event run for us. Lets hope we can give it some good support.

Dates Forward.

10th - 11th September -  Beaulieu International Autojumble.

17 September -  Dellow Register AGM. At the Sparkford Inn, Sparkford.

1st October -  MCC Edinburgh Trial. Always a good location to see Dellows

15th & 16th October -  West Country meeting to coincide with the Exmoor clouds week-end. To be confirmed

Dellow News Brief No. 3 November 2004 by Jim Harvey

Looking Forward. The D.V.L.A. continue to cook up trouble for car enthusiasts in order to balance their books. I realised the issuing of ‘free V.E.D. discs’ for the ‘Historic Tax Exempt’ class and the issuing of SORN paperwork was going to be costing someone for our cars, so it was unlikely to be a freebie for long. The reality in prospect is actually a lot worse. Having been very busy getting all their information up to date it is the perfect time to institute an annual registration fee. In real terms this is an ownership tax by any other name. Whilst this might not trouble those with the odd car they are keeping for the future there is no doubt that many of the cars we enjoy today would not have survived if this had been in place some years ago. This means that for those who wish to store more recent cars for either rebuilding or as a source of spare parts they will have to view the economics of this before they embark on storing a car. We are not talking about cars in use on the highway or even parked on the road, but this is stored privately in your own garage! So now due to the SORN requirement we have helped them get their records up to date we are being rewarded by yet another tax. For the old car movement as a whole this is a very serious development. Just think of the number of Dellows that have been resting for years.  Think also of the number of cars currently lying in garages that will simply go off to the Knackers Yard. With storage already at a premium cars will be scrapped wholesale if this scheme is introduced.

Dellows Around:- Following  my report on EDE 384 I had a ‘phone call from Derek Bedwell who had owned the car in the early sixties. He confirmed most of the information I had reported, but was insistent that he had not lost or even mislaid the Log Book for this car as it had in fact been stolen. The log book was contained in his brief case that was stolen from his car whist it was parked at ‘ Thiefrow’ Airport despite the fact that he had hidden it well. The contents of the case were then thrown into a lake where later Derek managed to retrieve some of his  missing items. Sadly the log book was not amongst them. News also came from another former owner - Peter Valentine who has now returned to Kent after some time spent in France. Peter is sending me some more pictures of EDE 384 when it was in his ownership. Just in, a call from Germany from the new owner of Mk.11B - ONX 486 - more details soon.

Sales & Wants. Alan Palmer has moved from Sheffield and is now living in Goulceby in Lincolnshire. He says he has some surplus spares, which he would like to dispose of. They include wheels, twin carbs., lights and electrical components - too many items to list here. Give him a call for details and prices (e-mail me for the phone number). 

I have one or two Dellows for sale, so call me if you want more details. (Jim Harvey).

Dellow Diary. Don’t forget our AGM on 13th November at the Ivy House Hotel in Marlborough. E-mail David Haley or myself  to indicate your intentions would be helpful. davehaley@btinternet.com for David or dellowdevelopments@btopenworld.com for me.  See you there! 

7th Nov.  04       The Restoration Show at Shepton Mallet. 

7th/8th  Jan. 05   The 77th MCC.  Exeter Trial.

9th Jan. 05           Great British Autojumble at the NEC. 

25th-27th Feb.     The 2nd. International Historic Motorsport Show at Stoneleigh Park. This is an event to watch as its going to be THE  show to go to very soon.

Full News Letter should be with you next month with a review of this year’s events.  

Thanks,

Jim Harvey

Dellow News Brief No. 2 October 2004

Looking Forward:-  As I pushed the buttons to send out the first edition of the News Brief, a new discovery in Australia was found.  Robert Rowe had spotted a car he thought was a Dellow and got in touch to find out about it.  It’s the first of the four to be sent to John Crouch Motors and the only Mk 1.  It means all four survive!  More details soon.

Dellows Around:- Jeremy Nightingale has offered to organise another event at Shelsley Walsh next year for us.  Judging by the support we had this year I know many of you would be happy to return, especially as next year is Shelsley’s centenary.  ‘Thank you ‘ to Jeremy, to ensure we won’t be disappointed on 5th and 6th June 2005.

John Green and Duncan Gilbert have gone to Spain in John’s Dellow Mk 1 LEL 754.  I do hope he will have a chance to give us a report on this trip.  With his Edinburgh Centenary Trial calling in at Shelsley in June, I think he’s after some sort of mileage award!  Well done John.  News also from R.Kent Stewart in the US saying he has sold his L.W.B. Mk 11 a little ago but is trying to buy a Mk 1  ex. race car, this I suspect is MNG 437 – 194551 which has been over there for some years.

A Dellow takes Award again at Burford:-  Peter Mountain’s excellent Mk1 – NPP597  won the ‘Best Modified Car Award’ at last year’s Specials Day at Burford Wild Life Park.  This year it was ‘Dellow Dave’ Kerswell who took ‘The Classic and Sports Car Trophy’ for the Best Original Car with his Mk lV – JNP 400.  He came up from Devon and was delighted when they told him he had won this cup.

Dellow Diary:-  The A.G.M. has again been set for 2.30pm, Saturday 13th November at – The Ivy House, Main Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire.  Details from David Haley,  Please try and attend,  its a great venue thank you.

Special West Country Extra Event.  Alan Selwood and John ‘Bertie Bassett’ Green, have organised a private trip to the Classic Car Collection at Minehead on Sat. 16th October at 1.30pm.  Followed by a dinner in the evening at the Three Horseshoes at Langley Marsh with a stay over for those requiring it so one can attend the final and farewell Taunton Autojumble and/or Exmoor Clouds Trial on the Sunday.  This sound like a great idea and despite this late call I think could make an excellent bash.  E- mail Dave Haley for contact phone numbers.

Shelsley Walsh Centenary.  Dellows to attend 5th & 6th June 2005.

Sales and Wants:-  two Mk 1s have been with their owners for just a short while.  The beautiful early Mk1 EBN 117b was the subject of a very detailed and expensive restoration in recent years, whilst LLN 376 was fully rebuilt as a competitive and original Mk 1 trials car by Steve Strutt.  With Willment I.o.E and supercharger as well its first owner was none other than the great Rex Chappel.  Sadly, Colin Thomas is too tall at 6’ 2” to enjoy it. 

Full details can be obtained from me, Jim Harvey   Or visit the Dellow Sales Page where further details, if available, may be found.  

Thanks.

Jim Harvey

 

Dellow News Brief No.1 September 2004

Looking Forward:- This is our new style news up-date. It’s a variation on  the M.C.C. Monthly News Letter they have introduced to keep their members up to date between issues of their excellent magazine ‘The Triple,’ which will still be issued three times a year. For all small clubs and organisations one’s budget is a constant consideration. It is very hard to strike the balance between sending out good information in a worthwhile magazine or letter and getting information about events and items for sale in a reasonable time scale. The reality for small clubs is the time/cost ratio to keep their members up to speed. The use of the ‘interweb’ has changed things as those with access already know, but, and this is a big one, not all one’s members will be on line.

 At the last AGM we decided to send out more News Letters, knowing this would not be sustainable. This issue is an experiment and your comments would be appreciated. Now that’s enough for this part and on with some real news.  

Dellows Around:-  Jeremy Nightingale reports that the Leeson-Dellow was spotted in the paddock  at the VSCC Shelsley meeting. I understand it has recently been purchased by the son of the original constructor. He also tells me that there is a report in Classic & Sports cars issue about our Dellow meeting, although a slight misunderstanding means it reads as though it was Tony Marsh and not Malcolm Delingpole who raced the Mk.V - NUY 80 in the Macau Grand Prix. He also brings news that the Stoneleigh Historic Motorsport Show will be held again next year in Feb. A photo. of Martin Webb’s Dellow appears in the flyer for the show as the car was featured on the ACTC stand at the first show last year. Alan Selwood has just finished a super refurbishment on his Mk.1 -FPV 919.  Whilst David Haley has been preparing his Mk.11 - KTM 120 for an M.O.T!

Dellows in Print:- The September edition of The Classic Motor Monthly, incorporating The Autojumbler, has a feature on us, The Dellow Register. Its written by their staff writer Peter Cahill and is an excellent bit of publicity. This paper is given free at most good Autojumbles, but is also available on subscription. Just one point they have wrong, it states the Register was formed in 1976! Where it was actually 1969, thus pre-dating the Ford Side-valve Owners Club by one year.

Dellow Diary:- The A.G.M. has again been set for 2.30 pm, Saturday 13th November at - The Ivy House Hotel, Main Street, Marlborough, Wiltshire. Details from David Haley.

12th - 13th September  Beaulieu International Autojumble.

26th Sept. MGCC Midland Centre’s Autumn Trial at Burton Dassett. Brian Osborne is the organiser who can provide Regs. Or download them direct from their web- site www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccmidlandcentre.

26th September - The All Ford Rally, Dalton Barracks at Abingdon Airfield.

 

Sales & Wants:- This section is for your adverts. It should be quicker than previous methods. Let me know your requirements a.s.a.p. We will of course have our Sales Page on the Dellow Register web site -

Thanks, Jim Harvey