Throwback Thursday | Bristol Motor Club

Story Sunday: 1949 Grand Cup Trial

Our full name is Bristol Motorcycle and Light Car Club Ltd. Just like in our name, the bikes came before the cars and on this day in 1949, we ran the Grand Cup Trial for motorcycles. Here’s how it was [click. . .]

Story Sunday: 1949 Lulsgate Race Meeting

In 1949, we secured the use of the Lulsgate Airfield, which is now Bristol International Airport. We ran a race meeting on a circuit around the perimeter roads and down the runway. There were 8 races featuring over [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1955 Full Moon Cup Trial

On this day in 1955, we ran the Full Moon Cup Trial. Here’s how it was reviewed in our journal… Full Moon Cup Trial 19th March 1955 This event attracted twenty-five entrants, of which all but three [click. . .]

Story Sunday: 1949 Colmore Trial

We did a lot of climbing muddy hills in the post war years. On this day in 1949, we ran The Colmore and here’s what appeared in the club’s journal soon after… The Colmore 12th March, 1949. The years [click. . .]

Story Sunday: 1960 Full Moon Cup

On this day in 1960, Chris Bigwood won the Full Moon Cup Trial in his VW. The event used many of the hills used today on the Allen Classic Trial. Here’s the review in Driving Mirror that year. FULL MOON TRIAL [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1950 Lulsgate Race Meeting

On this day in 1950, we ran a race meeting at Lulsgate Airport, or Bristol International Airport as it’s known today. With the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship kicking off in just four weeks time at [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1966 Bristol Rally

#OnThisDay, we ran a rally through the night and on to some special tests at Castle Combe Circuit the following day. Here’s how the regulations described it and how it was reviewed in the February 1966 edition [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1949 Half-Day Sporting Trial

On this day in 1949, we ran a sporting trial. We still run a sporting trial each November, the Roy Fedden Sporting Trial. Half-Day Sporting Trial 19th NOVEMBER, 1949 At one Tuesday meeting when reading Motor Sport, [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1955 Roy Fedden Trial

On this day in 1955, we held the Roy Fedden Trial, which included the infamous Crooked Mustard section, now a feature on the Cotswold Clouds. Here’s how it was reported in the December issue of Driving Mirror, [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1949 Weston Speed Trials

1949 Weston Speed Trials Programme Cover

On this day in 1949, we ran speed trials on the promenade at Weston-Super-Mare and for the first time, cars left the line side by side. Big names attended; 17 year old Peter Collins (future Ferrari F1 driver), Joe Fry [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1949 Silverstone International

This should have been a Throwback Thursday a few weeks ago, but it’s too good to miss… Back in the 1940s, we ran coach trips to major events. 30 or more club members hopping in and spending the day [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1949 John Bull Cup Trial

In the 1940s, we ran trials in the Summer as well as over the wetter months. In the height of Summer and the middle of a heat wave, on this day in 1949, we ran a car trial. Here’s how C.B. Salter described it [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1949 MGCC Gymkhana

On this day in 1949, we were invited to the MG Car Club’s Gymkhana. A.W. Morrish decided to write a review for the club’s journal, which rather amazingly shows that what would be a very small event today [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1977 Wiscombe 5 Clubs

On this day in 1977, we ran the second “5 Clubs” hillclimb at Wiscombe Park Hillclimb, an event that continues to this day. Here’s what Dick Mayo, the Clerk of the Course, wrote in our newsletter at [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1955 Castle Combe Race Meeting

On this day (actually it was Thursday, but it didn’t post for some reason) in 1955, we ran the Easter Monday race meeting at Castle Combe Circuit, which we had built 5 years previously. Chris Bigwood wrote a [click. . .]

Throwback Thursday: 1955 Wessex Rally

On this day (and tomorrow) in 1955, we were invited to Burnham Motor Club’s Wessex Rally. We sent two teams, totalling about 30 members to compete. Things were very different back then and some of the reported [click. . .]

On This Day: 1965 Roy Fedden Trophy Trial

In 1965, we ran the Roy Fedden Trophy trial, as we do each year, sadly not including this Sunday. We kick off at 11:02 each Remembrance Sunday, hopefully again in 2020. Here’s how it panned out in 1965, as [click. . .]

On This Day: 18th July 1965

We ran our first ever 3 lap sprint at Castle Combe Circuit on this day in 1965. The event was stopped early due to some local residents who objected and the future of the circuit was in jeopardy. Two of our members [click. . .]

On This Day in 1964: Dyrham Park Hillclimb

During the 1960s, we ran hillclimbs up the drive at Dyrham Park, the National Trust venue off the A46. On 9th May 1964, we ran a closed to club event in addition to our restricted meeting in July and the British [click. . .]

On This Day in 1948: Naish Hillclimb Resurfacing

The cover of the June 1948 journal of Bristol Motor Club

Back in 1948, the war had just ended and the club was thriving. The club was looking for venues to run events and over the next few years would run speed events and circuit races on the sea front at Weston-Super-Mare, [click. . .]