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Answers on a post card please.

That event used to get a few Morgans didn't it? I'm sure there was even a report in Miscellany one year - there must have been half a dozen from the SpeedMog series?

Sorry to hear about the m/c combo...

Well Done everyone - It was Brighton. OldBill - I never knew it was you who looked after Roger's car. Roger and I were thinking of having a Morgan Cup for presentation at the Speed Trials.
Graham - You are right. Could well have been my article in 2008.

Brighton Speed Trials 2008

Nearly every weekend during the summer you can find Morgans taking part in some form of motor sport. This maybe in organised Morgan events like The Power Torque Challenge, or the Morgan Car Trials, or as individuals in one of the many and varied events throughout the country. One of the most varied is the Brighton Speed Trials, and on the 13th September my wife, son and I went to watch 4 Morgan owners pit their skills and their cars against the widest variety of machinery you will ever see competing in one place.

The Brighton Speed Trials, which are organised by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club, consist of timed runs along a ¼ mile straight stretch of the Brighton promenade. The Trials are open to any car or motorcycle, and to make it fairer there are different classes, split by engine size and state of tune of the engine. There is also a handicap class where each car receives a time handicap in an attempt to give everyone an even chance.

In 1905 Harry Preston, who was both a motoring and a flying enthusiast, persuaded Brighton council that the sea front promenade be resurfaced with tarmac and used as the venue for a Motor Race Week. The event was a great success and the top speed of 97 mph was achieved, which was a very respectable speed for the period. In 1908 a ban on motor racing on the public highways came into force throughout the country causing a halt to the Trials. However in 1932 the newly formed Brighton and Hove Motor Club dug into the legalities and discovered that Madeira Drive was in fact owned by Brighton Corporation and therefore could not be considered a public road. With the exception of the war years, and 1969, the Speed Trials have taken place every year since. The length of the course has varied over these years. In 1905 courses were of various lengths. In 1923 and 1924 a ½ mile stretch was used, increasing in 1925 to a ½ kilometre. With speeds increasing safety concerns became an issue and in 1970 the ¼ mile was reinstated. From 1980 until 1992 a ½ mile was again used before safety concerns reduced it back to the ¼ mile that is used today.

All types of cars and bikes take part. This year the oldest car competing was a 1903 Humberette and the youngest was a Bentley Continental convertible fresh out of the showrooms, alongside the 14th made Gumpert Apollo. Cars need not be Street legal or standard, specially built single seater sprint cars such as Mallocks, Van Diemens and a highly tuned Nissan Skyliners compete along side a 200 mph Allard. The bikes taking part are just as varied, Norton TT machines, Tritons and BSAs complete against Suzuki Hayabusas and GSXRs. Sidecars also come in all shapes and sizes with some riders replacing the passenger with a lump of concrete or are partnered as on one machine by L. Ed. Waite.

This year 4 Morgans owners where competing. Roger Bluff from TVMOG, competing for his 14th year, was in the handicap class driving a totally standard A reg 4/4. Please don’t ask me how the handicap time is derived, because Roger was given the same handicap as a 4.2 litre Sunbeam Tiger. Roger says his aim is to beat his personal best, and to get as close as possible to the time set by the factory for a standard 4/4. This year he recorded a respectable time of 17.12 with a terminal speed of 74 mph.

Brian Horne from AngleMog was reluctantly competing for the first time in his Morgan. Reluctantly because Brian, who usually races purpose built sprint cars, was unable to drive his Cantral Utima due last minute engine problems, and rather than let entry go decided to compete in his standard N reg +4. This meant that Brian was in a class of specialist Sports Libre cars and did well to beat a Ford GTD40s with his time of 16.12.

Greg Parnell in his 4.6 L +8 competed against Dodge Vipers, a Ferrari F40 a Lamborghini Mur, and many other exotic cars in the Roadgoing and Modified Production cars over 3500 cc class. Greg, with a time of 14.04, beat 9 other cars including a brace of modern Ford Mustangs.

Roger Bluff was also competing in the under 2 litre class along with Roger Shadbolt who was driving a far from standard +4. They were competing against a Ford Contina, MGBs, Caterhams and Westfields. Roger Shadbolt was the Morgan star of the show by recording run of 13.33 with a terminal speed of 102 mph, and was only beaten by 4 very fast Caterhams and Westfields.

For the record, the fastest car this year was a Ford Puma Xtrc with a terminal speed of 135 and time of 9.95. However, 6 bikes were faster, with the fastest machine being a Suzuki Hayabusa recording a time of 8.89 and a speed of 157 mph. Remember this is from a standing start, on a public road!!

It would be nice to see more Morgans competing next year, perhaps one of the new Aero8s with the automatic gearbox or even a +8+. So put a note in you calendar to join us next year in sunny Sussex by the sea.

I may be able to make the Sun, sea and sex trophy available.........