Miscellany |
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Blackout Lights in Great
Britain During World War II |
During World War II,
The British Air Ministry made it mandatory that various lights (home and
factory lights, streetlights, etc.) be blacked out at night in order to
avoid giving the Nazi aircraft easy targets. These images illustrate how
that applied to automobiles. Louvers were fitted over the headlamps that
directed the light downward, making them more difficult to see from the
air.
Below you can see
one type of louver fitted to a Jaguar, and a close up of another type
fitted to an Austin Seven. Bottom left is a poster from the period
showing the items on the vehicle that needed attention during the
blackout period click on the image to open a larger version). Bottom
right shows how the headlamp pattern is directed downward with the
louvers in place. |
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The First Road Race in the
South |
The first road race
ever held in the South was likely the one that was a Cotton Carnival
event on Wednesday May 13th, 1936 - The Memphis Grand Prix. Advertised
as "Great speed drivers of America competing for the Southern Title." The four mile course, including two hump back bridges,
was on what was the outskirts of Memphis at that time. The event was an ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) event
- the forerunner of the SCCA, and not the same as the current ARCA
organization which was founded in 1953. Permission was gained
for the race by the Collier Brothers (Sam and Miles) - early MG racers
of Vanderbilt Cup and Watkins Glen fame. British cars didn't win the
race. Sam Collier finished first in an Auburn Speedster. But....MGs finished 3rd
(an MG L Type Magna driven by Barron Collier, Jr.) and 4th (an MG J2 piloted
by Hugh Bancroft).
Sources: "MG Competition Cars
and Drivers" - Richard L. Knudson, author
and "M.G.: The Sports Car
America Loved First" - Richard L. Knudson, author
Carnival Menphis |
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This is the winning 1932 Auburn
12-160A Speedster of Sam Collier (nicknamed "Beelzebub" |
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< MG L Type Magna
similar to the one driven to 3rd place by Barron Collier Jr. |
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MG J2 similar to
the one driven to 4th place by Hugh Bancroft. > |
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Memphis Grand
Prix
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Continental Cars
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You didn't know
there was a Memphis Formula One race in 1973? That's probably because it
was held in Austria. "Memphis" was the name of the government backed
tobacco company that sponsored the race. |
Memphis' British car dealership
(1967 photo)...
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Nigel Shiftright
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Circuit Diagram (Click
on the image to enlarge)
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His Master's
Voice
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Flying Jag
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Aston Martin DBR1
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Gold Coast
2007 Poster (Click
on the image to enlarge) |
Tail of the Dragon Map (Click
on the image to enlarge) |
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MG2006
Gatlinburg Poster (Click
on the image to enlarge) |
MGeometry
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The geometry of the MG octagon.
Click on the image to enlarge to full size...
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Earlier this year (2019), Matt
Hunter sent an email to the club's officers asking if anyone might know
the whereabouts of an Austin Healey Sprite that one belonged to his
Grandfather, Mel Gibbs (who was once a member of the BSCC). Jim Hofer
knew where the car was! Matt is now the proud owner of this car... |
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