News, Recent Newsletters

We have had overwhelming support for the new style newsletter, thank you for all your kind words, it certainly made all the hard work worthwhile.

We do receive newsletters from many of our member clubs and it does seem to be the case that FBHVC news is being included in more of them. This means that all club members can see what is happening directly and is of benefit to everyone. The newsletter is available by email and also to download in a choice of formats from our website to make it as easy as possible to cut and paste text.

It is subscription time again. The office has received a good number already, but if your club has not yet renewed please do give a gentle reminder to your treasurer. Every time we have to post out a reminder it is money that could be spent on keeping our vehicles on the road.

Download Newsletter in full – click  HERE

Download Newsletter in rtf – click HERE

WELCOME

Roger Wrapson

Just when we wondered how much longer the winter was going to continue (so much for global warming!) spring was suddenly upon us: OK still a cold wind, but enough sun to encourage us to get into the garage, fettle the Project, and enjoy Drive it Day. In my area we broke new ground with a table top rally and social run in aid of charity. The day couldn’t have been better, with bright sunshine, a good mix of cars, new born lambs in the fields, country lanes and blossom on the trees. We ended the day with everyone still talking to each other and wanting to do it again!

The Royal Wedding brought out an interesting selection of Rolls Royces – and with impeccable timing, the following day the VSCC held their Spring Start race meeting which included a mouth watering selection of pre and post war sports and racing cars. With events like these plus glorious sunshine there can’t be too much wrong with the world.

RESEARCH

DON’T FORGET – ACTION NEEDED! By the time this is published, the 2011 survey will be well underway.

The success of this project hinges on a strong response to the survey and every one of our readers has a role to play to ensure that happens.

If you are a club official, there are three things to check on or do – first, make sure your club members know, and are reminded whenever possible, that the survey is taking place on-line (suggested text for your publications or website appears below); second, put a link to the survey on your website (details from admin@fbhvc.co.uk); third, make sure your club has completed and returned the paper questionnaire about club activity that was sent to all nominated addresses early in May; and finally, go to www.fbhvc.co.uk to complete the on-line survey yourself.

If you are a museum official or a trade-supporter, please make a point of completing and returning the paper questionnaire sent early in May. Please also do the on-line survey.

And if you are an individual supporter, please make sure you do the on-line survey, and encourage all your friends to do so as well.

The outcome of this project will have a bearing on the future ability of FBHVC to lobby effectively on your behalf. To minimise costs for members, the management and analysis of this survey is being undertaken by the same unpaid volunteers who handled the similar exercise in 2006 – between them, they are devoting hundreds of hours to this effort free: please do your bit to make sure they are not wasting their time!

Clubs: please include this on websites and in all June/July publications

IMPORTANT SURVEY

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs exists to ensure that we all continue to have the right to use our vehicles on the road – whatever their age.

It does this by lobbying but it can only be really effective when armed with accurate information such as the number of people involved with historic vehicles, the number of vehicles they own and the value the movement brings to the economy.

FBHVC’s last survey in 2006 now needs to be brought up to date, and a new survey has been started. We urge all our members to take part and to encourage their friends to do so as well: the more people who do, the more accurate the results will be, and the more accurate the results are, the better FBHVC will be able to protect all our interests.

The simplest way to participate is to go to www.fbhvc.co.uk/2011-survey and click the link to the questionnaire. The link is now open and will remain until the end of July.

If you prefer to complete a paper questionnaire, please send a C5 stamped addressed envelope to FBHVC, Kernshill, Shute Street, Stogumber, Taunton. TA4 3TU

Next Steps

The intention is to complete the analysis of the data by late summer and prepare a report for publication during the autumn. The wonderful benefit of carrying out this survey on-line is that the team analysing the results will have a head start as most of the data will already be in electronic form – in 2006, twenty thousand individual returns had to be scanned and manually checked before the real work could start.

LEGISLATION

David Hurley

No feedback from outstanding closed consultations has been received over recent months. This is probably due to the normal practice of the civil service to minimise statements during the run up to elections. The full extent of staffing cuts and consequent reassignment of duties within the Department of Transport and agencies (DVLA, VOSA etc) are as yet unknown, but will have an impact. At least one long term knowledgeable contact of the FBHVC has apparently moved off the radar.

Red Tape initiative

The Cabinet Office has set up a website asking for feedback on their attempt to tidy up unnecessary, unwanted or out of date legislation. This first batch consulted on four areas listing Statutory Instruments which other departments feel are no longer required. We ploughed through nearly 100 SIs under the heading of Retail, sub-heading Vehicles, Parts and Fuel, and identified only two which needed a response concerning fuel labelling – important to club members to identify the likely composition of the fuels for sale at pumps. These were the Biofuel (Labelling) Regulations 2004 and the Biofuel (Amendment) (Labelling) Regulations 2009.

We did also pass on information about the challenge to the British Weights and Measures Association and they made a very lengthy submission for the section on Weights and Measures.

This Red Tape procedure is ongoing and we will continue to be vigilant. The next topic of interest to us is Road Transport which started on 19 May: www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk. There are eight sections to this: Licensing, Registration and Insurance; Freight; Highways; Parking; Road Safety and Cycling; Transport Workers and Organisations; Vehicle Safety and Standards. Many of these sections contain over 50 items of legislation so we will be busy in the next few weeks. This phase of the Challenge closes on 17 June.

Ethanol in fuel – testing of additives

This subject is dealt with in greater depth later on in this newsletter, but it is appropriate at this point to mention that Matt Vincent, the legislation team’s fuel expert, has spent a considerable time setting up the testing programme with specialist organisations to an agreed regime, which also includes a test element relevant to the storage life of the resultant mixture – mimicking the pattern of usage of our vehicle park.

Insurance without a registration number

A few club members have recently reported difficulty getting laid up cover for unregistered vehicles. The reason given by the broker or insurer is that the Motor Insurance Database ‘requires a registration number’. Since the MID was designed to hold information to identify insured road going vehicles (thus enabling uninsured vehicles to be identified by Automatic Number Plate Recognition) there is no necessity for insurers to notify MID about laid up cover transactions. In fact by doing so, leads to confusion. For example I have three vehicles (with registration numbers) insured for laid up cover only – all appear on the MID on-line enquiry screen of ASKMID as insured but with no make or model. It would appear that insurers are incorrectly entering laid up cases alongside legitimate RTA contracts thus creating this problem for themselves and innocent customers and, most importantly, misleading ANPR which should identify them as uninsured. Perhaps the specialist brokers who advertise in this newsletter can comment?

Meanwhile we will be contacting the ABI (Association of British Insurers) on the subject, especially as there are limited circumstances when an unregistered vehicle needs RTA cover.

Withdrawal of cheques

Many of our clubs have expressed concern about the withdrawal of cheques following the article in the last newsletter. We have now raised this matter with Greg Knight, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, who confirmed that the matter had not yet been discussed in parliament.

In May the FBHVC subscribed to the Federation of Small Businesses with the intention of joining forces to lobby against cheque withdrawal until a satisfactory alternative method of payment can be found.

MoT testing stations

The list of MoT testing stations that understand the needs of historic vehicles continues to grow, thanks to member contributions. It now stands at almost 250 and is updated weekly on our website. Many of these garages have joined the Federation as trade supporters too, so do please keep sending in your recommendations to the secretary.

Proposed consultation on exempting early vehicles from testing requirements

In the last issue I wrote in detail about the possibility of a consultation on exempting some early small vehicles from the need for an MoT test. We have had some feedback from clubs which we will pass on to the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group. APPHVG have asked us to report by 14 June and so time is short. If any other clubs wish to respond please email or write to the secretary.

FUEL NEWS

Biofuel additives

At the end of April the Federation contacted seven suppliers of biofuel corrosion inhibitor additives inviting them to take part in the FBHVC test programme. Those products that pass the test may then carry the FBHVC logo on the packaging. This endorsement will be similar to that given to the lead replacement additives that protect against valve seat recession and the products submitted will either be given a ‘pass’ or a ‘fail’; we will not grade them for effectiveness.

The biofuel test regime is different to the programme used for the lead replacement additives in that it is purely a laboratory test for corrosion. The fuel has to be aged for 13 weeks while tests are conducted on each sample every two weeks and compared with a base fuel.

We still carry details on our site, at www.fbhvc.co.uk, of the lead replacement additives; look out in due course for the additional details of the biofuel additives, which will be shown after we have the latest test results in a few months time.

The Federation has been contacted by both Frost and Millers Oils, in addition to Tetraboost who we mentioned in the last issue of the newsletter, giving information about the launch of their additives. These companies have all been invited to submit their corrosion inhibitor products for testing. It should be noted that no endorsements for any products have been granted yet.

Please remember that corrosion inhibitors should overcome many of the problems associated with the inclusion of ethanol in petrol but will not address material compatibility issues.

AGM and Conference

As the whole topic of biofuels is of great interest to all our membership, this will be subject of our conference on 15 October 2011. Matt Vincent, our legislation committee’s fuel expert will be the keynote speaker.

Kerosene

We have had a number of enquiries about the use of kerosene recently and we can confirm that the Federation holds a licence on behalf of all our member clubs. The wording is reproduced below:

To the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs Limited [henceforth FBHVC]

General Licence to mix hydrocarbon oils:

Regulation 43 of the Hydrocarbon Oil Regulations 1973 (SI 1973/1311).

1. Subject to paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 below, all members of FBHVC subscriber clubs are hereby licensed by the Commissioners of Revenue & Customs to mix, or have mixed on their behalf, heavy oil (kerosene) in respect of which a rebate has been allowed under section 11 of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 [henceforth HODA] with any light or heavy oil in respect of which no rebate has been allowed.

2. This licence does not permit the use of rebated gas oil (red diesel) under any circumstances except where the tractor is being used for bona fide agricultural, horticultural or forestry work pursuant to Schedule 1 section 2 of HODA 1979.

3. This licence permits the mixing described in paragraph 1 above only in the fuel tanks of tractors of a model in production before 1960 and for use as fuel only in propelling the engines of those vehicles.

4. This licence does not permit any mixing of different descriptions of hydrocarbon oil in bulk or for resale.

5. This licence is valid until revoked or varied by the Commissioners.

For the Commissioners of HM Revenue & Customs

Charles Markuss

EU LEGISLATION

Extract from FIVA’s regular update provided by its lobbying service, EPPA.

European Parliament Historic Vehicle Group

On 7 April, the MEP Historic Vehicle Group met for the fourth time in Strasbourg. FIVA and the VDA led constructive discussions on the importation of historic vehicles into the EU – addressing specifically the differing customs tariffs applied by the member states – and on biofuels. Further details of planned MEP rallies/historic vehicle activities were also discussed. Outputs of the meeting were that the Group members recognised the negative implications of the divergent approaches by Member State authorities to the customs code and agreed to raise the matter with the European Commission; the Group members recognised the need to ensure availability of E5 fuel in light of potential problems identified by the use of E10 in historic vehicles and will raise the matter with the Commission.

Anticipated proposed amendment to the Roadworthiness Testing Directive delayed

The European Commission does not now expect to adopt its proposal to amend the existing Roadworthiness Testing Directive until after the summer break. The delay is primarily a consequence of work on the impact assessment rather than because of discussions on the principle of the proposed changes.

European Commission outlines new Transport Policy

The European Commission has published a new policy paper on transport which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 60% and to reduce dependence on, and impact of, fossil fuel use and to reduce congestion. One of the headline goals is to ensure that by 2050 cars used in cities do not run on petrol. The idea is for electric cars, hydrogen cars, hybrid cars and public transport to be used instead, and to increase walking and cycling.

Another initiative is to develop an EU framework for urban road user charging and access restriction schemes for the increasing number of Member States which want to use charging schemes to alleviate congestion and shift transport patterns in cities. The objective is to ensure that the different schemes operate within a coherent EU-wide framework and that they are non-discriminatory.

France and the Czech Republic are to implement LEZs

Eight French urban areas including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Grenoble have volunteered to trial low emission zones (LEZs) in order to reduce pollution. The Government intends to assess the success of the schemes (by measuring reductions in pollution) in three years time.

The Czech Parliament has also agreed to create more LEZs to combat air pollution from transport, particularly in the industrial region of Moravia. Prague is currently the only Czech city with an LEZ. Additionally, it is proposed that authorities will be able to allow drivers to bypass cities free-of-charge on what normally are tolled roads on days with high smog levels.

Chinese-made tyres are breaching the PAH rules

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has published a survey showing that 11% of tyres sold in the EU breach the ban on the use of high-PAH extender oils in tyres and that all of those in breach were made in China. The survey added that not all Chinese-made tyres were in breach but also noted that the sale of Chinese-made tyres is rising by around 30% a year.

ETRMA wants EU member states to enforce the requirements more thoroughly to make sure EU tyre-makers that comply with the regulation are not disadvantaged.

New exemptions for end-of-life cars

New exemptions on toxic substances in end-of-life cars have been published – most concern the use of lead in various materials and components. The lead exemptions include the use of lead in capacitors and regenerative braking equipment, and another, for lead in continuously galvanised steel sheets that was due to expire in 2016, has been extended. The European Commission says that the use of lead in these applications is currently unavoidable.

DVLA LIAISON

Nigel Harrison

DVLA clubs meeting

This took place on 24 March at the DVLA local office in Theale. A copy of the meeting notes, which were produced by the Federation and have now been approved by DVLA, are on the Federation’s website and have been sent to all participants. It is not the intention to reproduce large sections within the Newsletter. However, some of the subjects raised will be discussed in this, and subsequent Newsletters.

The majority of the action points are with DVLA, so the Federation will be having discussions with them regarding how those points are progressed. DVLA have indicated that they would be prepared to attend another event, possibly on an annual basis, should there be a demand from clubs.

Vehicle condition for original number claims

DVLA will base their judgement on the information that is supplied to them. This information would typically consist of certified copies of original pre-1983 documents, overall photographs of the vehicle, legible photographs of the chassis and engine numbers, completed V765 and V55/5 forms, and a club-produced covering letter.

The vehicle needs to be substantially complete, although not necessarily roadworthy. DVLA will make an assessment on this based on the supplied photographs, which should therefore create a positive impression. In effect you are selling the justification to DVLA for them to register that vehicle.

At the Theale meeting one question related to a claim for an original number that had been rejected because the vehicle was not ‘complete and restored’. DVLA admitted that the phase used was incorrect and that the policy requiring a vehicle to be ‘substantially complete’ has not changed. However, in this case the submitted photograph showed a vehicle partly obscured making it difficult to see if it was substantially complete. A few minutes spent clearing around the unrestored vehicle to expose it would have created a positive impression and possibly a positive outcome for the original number claim. Unfortunately I don’t have a copy of that photograph for you to make your own judgement.

However, what is shown below are photographs of another vehicle. I rejected the earlier of these photographs because, in my view, it did not create a favourable impression. Being covered in a tarpaulin, it might have given the impression that there was something to hide. With the replacement photographs the vehicle can be seen and gives an impression of being a complete vehicle, which it was. The application, using the replacement photographs was accepted by DVLA.

The key point is: do the photographs of the vehicle give a totally positive impression that it is a substantially complete vehicle? If not, reject the photographs.

Early V5 documents

The V5 document is the predecessor of the V5C, and both are generally referred to as logbooks. The information on the V5 and V5C is an extract from the DVLA vehicle computer database and includes vehicle and registered keeper details.

In the early days of DVLA (or DVLC as it was originally known) there were concerns, (subsequently found to be incorrect) about the memory capacity of the computer system. In the early days of DVLC if a vehicle record had been inactive for three years it was archived and removed from the on-line system. By inactive, this could mean that there had been no changes of ownership, or that the vehicle had not been taxed. There have been cases where an owner had tried to tax, or change ownership, of a vehicle that had just an early V5, as distinct from the later V5C. Because the vehicle did not come up as normal on the on-line system, the DVLA local office assessed, incorrectly, that the vehicle was not registered with DVLA so suggested a claim for an original number using the V765 scheme.

If you have a V5, then a record should already be in the DVLA system or archives, so using the V765 scheme is not the way ahead. In cases like this contact the Federation for advice and assistance.

Obtaining vehicle data from DVLA

Agents of DVLA will sell extracts of data from the DVLA vehicle registers (sample below). Excluded will be the owner’s name and address, vehicle registration number, chassis and engine numbers. The full list of available information runs to 30 items of data per vehicle, including make, model, engine size, body type, date of manufacture, date of first registration, gross weight. For historic vehicles many of these 30 items are not populated.

Based on examining the data for one manufacturer that ceased to exist in the early 1980s, only about half of the records have a value for the year of manufacture. This is possibly because the record source was just the legacy RF60 or VE60 old style logbook where is not recorded.

The vehicle model (e.g. Minor) was populated from a drop down list of vehicle models supplied by the manufacturers from the 1960s-1970s onwards. If a vehicle model was either not on the original logbook, or was not on the drop down list, then that model will not be populated on the vehicle database for that particular vehicle, but just listed as ‘Unspec’.

Experience with obtaining data indicates that at least one supplier was inexperienced in supplying this early, incomplete data, with the initial run of data being light on the number of records expected.

It is suggested that the selection criterion for the extract of data needs to be extremely simple, and based upon one of the values which should always be populated, like make, or date of first registration. If the number of lines of data exceeds 100,000 then this could cause difficulties on a PC. The club would need to have some idea of the quantity of data to expect, and to have the skills to sort and filter the data obtained, in a format, e.g. Excel, that they are experienced in.

If a club wants further advice on obtaining DVLA Vehicle Register Data, please email the Secretary.

Communication with DVLA

Before DVLA will alter a vehicle record, normal practice is that this is triggered by the appropriate piece(s) of paper. One owner has a vehicle, which was manufactured in 1972, but the year of manufacture is not recorded by DVLA, possibly because the computer record was derived from the VE60, which does not include this date.

Being manufactured in 1972 would give a taxation class of Historic Vehicle, where the duty is nil. Normal practice is to obtain a dating letter from the appropriate specialist club, and to take this in to a DVLA local office with the V5C, insurance certificate and MoT when applying to tax the vehicle, as explained in the DVLA leaflet INF34, Taxing Historic Vehicles.

However, rather than having a dating letter, this owner attempted to have the year of manufacture added using a series of emails, initially indicating a link to a website which indicated that the vehicle was manufactured in 1972, and then forwarding an email from a specialist club. The owner unfortunately appeared not to accept the advice that, although email has its place, a letter is needed for the actual application.

The key point is that the change needs to be triggered by the appropriate piece(s) of paper.

Renewal of Federation membership

With the last few weeks the annual renewal notices have been dispatched to clubs’ nominated contact addresses. If you are the nominated contact, you will be possibly reviewing who receives copies of the Federation Newsletter. One of the obvious recipients for the Newsletter will be the editor of the club’s magazine. Some of the possibly less obvious recipients for the Newsletter will be those responsible for technical information (the current hot topic being fuel), and the clubs DVLA liaison officer, because some elements of the Newsletter are of direct relevance here.

Don’t forget that all newsletters can be found on the FBHVC website to download in either .rtf or .pdf format.

TRADE AND SKILLS

Tony Davies

Although the FBHVC’s five-yearly national socio-economic survey is underway, you may recall that on 1 January 2011 we started our phase 1 web-based trade and skills questionnaire via a link at the bottom of the Trade and Skills Information page on our website. This questionnaire simply set out to identify your opinions on the availability etc. of vehicle restoration skills and services and was aimed at clubs. This web-based questionnaire was also available in French and Dutch on the websites of the Belgian and Dutch Federations so a reasonable cross-section of opinion from European enthusiasts should be available towards the end of 2011.

I would like to thank all those who took part in this valuable exercise – please don’t forget though that this is entirely separate from the national survey currently taking place – we really need your participation here as well in order to get the best possible picture.

The next phase of the Trade and Skills project will be started in January 2012 so please keep your eyes open for the launch. More details will be given at our AGM on October where I will also give you some early feedback on Phase 1.

HERITAGE

David Whale

Over the past few months we have significantly increased our resource devoted to linking historic vehicles to our national heritage. Our strategy closely aligns with the objectives of the History and Heritage Commission of FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens).

As you will see from the feature in this Newsletter, Drive It Day this year was tremendously successful and is a great way to demonstrate our vehicle heritage, including motor cars, motor cycles, steam, agricultural, commercial and ex-military vehicles, to a wide audience.

However we need to develop other means of connecting road transport to the heritage that is displayed through historic buildings and locations. Here we have the opportunity to introduce vehicles to a broader audience and make the connection with highly reputable bodies having significant political influence in promoting the preservation and accessibility of our national heritage. This has proven to be highly successful in France, for example, where the Journée Européenne du Patrimoine (European day of the Heritage) has become extremely popular with significant visitor numbers attending historic properties and enjoying historic vehicle displays as part of the experience!

Roy Dowding joined the Heritage team some months ago and, beside his involvement with the Gordon-Keeble Owners’ Club and a Reliant Scimitar, Roy is coordinating our Heritage Open Day programme.

Heritage Open Days

Saturday 10 September Sunday 11 September

Bateman’s (NT), Burwash, E. Sussex Killerton House (NT), near Exeter, Devon

Bury Transport Museum, Lancashire Pier Head Plaza, Liverpool

Hastings & St. Leonards, E. Sussex Great Yarmouth Seafront, Norfolk

Bristol City ‘Doors Open’, Bristol North East Aircraft Museum, Tyne & Wear

Basildon Park (NT), Reading, Berkshire Surrey Soc. Model Engineers, Leatherhead

Wentworth Village Church, South Yorks. Bedford Cemetery (English Heritage listed)

St. Saviours Church, Bristol BS36 2RP Colne Valley Postal History Museum, Essex

The Orangery, Wakefield, West Yorks. Thorney Heritage Museum, Peterborough

Willington Dovecote (NT), Bedford Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancs. Gawthorpe Hall (NT), Burnley, Lancs.

Binham Priory, Binham, Norfolk (English Heritage administered)

The Kymin (NT), Monmouth NP25 3SF

Dean Forest Railway, Lydney, Gloucestershire

Corfe Castle (NT), Dorset

Cambrian Heritage Railway, Oswestry, Shropshire

Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, Cheetham, Manchester

Gloucester Docks and Waterways Museum, Gloucester

South Tyne Dale Railway, Alston, Cumbria

Paddock Wood, Kent

Sutton on Hull Heritage Event, East Yorkshire

Langley Park Gardens, South Buckinghamshire

Middleton-in-Teesdale Village, Co. Durham

Cirencester Abbey Grounds, Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Coughton Court (NT), Warwickshire

These are days on which properties up and down the country normally closed to the public, or those which normally charge an admission fee, are open to the public free of charge. Some are very small, others much larger. The scheme, coordinated by English Heritage, is intended to celebrate the wealth of our architectural and cultural heritage. These open days take place over a weekend in September each year.

We are delighted to report that, to date, we have 34 properties and locations to link with displays of members’ vehicles.

The locations vary enormously, and include eight National Trust properties, such as Basildon Park near Reading, Gawthorpe Hall near Burnley and Corfe Castle in Dorset. Museums dedicated to postal history, aircraft, waterways, transport and local heritage will be playing host, as will a medieval priory, several preserved railways and the Pier Head Plaza on Liverpool’s waterfront, with the magnificent Royal Liver Building as a backdrop.

In some instances, entire communities will be participating, with many separate activities taking place, augmented by displays of historic vehicles. At present, these include Bristol, Great Yarmouth, Hastings, Paddock Wood and Sutton on Hull. Meanwhile, Bedford will undoubtedly provide the most unusual venue this year – an ancient cemetery!

The full list of properties is shown below and opportunities still exist to support the sites shown in bold type. If you, as a club or individual member, would like to play your part and are geographically well placed, please contact Roy direct on 01728 668100, email: roy.dowding@btinternet.com or via the FBHVC Secretary.

In addition to the above, mention should be made of the Wiltshire Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club who, on their own initiative, will be attending the Heritage Open Day at Stourhead (NT), near Mere in Wiltshire, for the fourth year in succession!

Museum Night

On a totally different topic, we are also developing a programme with our museum partners based on the Museum Nacht (Museum Night) concept pioneered in Berne and replicated in Munich.

Keith Ruffle also joined the Heritage team a few months ago and, when not enjoying his MGB, he is exploring the concept that will be the most appropriate for museums in the UK.

Currently we have held discussions with three museums and more will be invited as we develop the programme for 2012.

Early signs are that a nationally promoted Museum Day would be popular with particular emphasis on attracting new visitors, the younger generation of classic vehicles and an opportunity to engage education groups. Potentially museums would have the flexibility to develop their own programmes, perhaps creating the opportunity to visit two or three participating museums during the day.

We will be delighted to share progress in future issues of the Newsletter.

EVENT NEWS

Colin Francis

I have been on a few events this year and all were very well organised and enjoyable. The first one was the Poppy Rally run by our member club, the CRA, out of Ypres in Belgium which I did in an MGB with Dave Maryon. He drove very well but I made too many mistakes being unable to have enough time to put the route onto my map. I think most people had the same problem and I have suggested some ways that the organisers can improve this aspect in the next edition in early 2013.

My next event was the Costa Brava Rally in Catalonia, Spain which I did with a friend from New Zealand who keeps a car in Andorra, where he has a hotel run by an Australian! This event is an experience and is an excellent deal if you belong to another member club, the HRCR, so think about going next year; it has a superb atmosphere. Over a third of the cars were Spanish Porsche 911s with all sorts of electronic aids for the navigator so do not expect to do well – merely go for the experience.

I then did the Corinium run by Cirencester Car Club on the day before Drive it Day. I did this event, which attracted mostly historic cars, in a modern Fiat and we achieved about 68 mpg as a high mpg was the objective of this one day out. Unfortunately my driver had estimated we would achieve 81 mpg which was a little ambitious over the Cotswold lanes.

I have just arranged to do the Winter Challenge in November which was one of the events that increased the popularity of road rallying for historic cars in western Europe when it was called the Monte Carlo Challenge. I hear that many crews are coming out once again on the next Winter Challenge and I hope that they will try to run it as close to the earlier events as possible; allowing crews to plot the route at home before they start, very few driving tests if any, and having no changes of speed and just a start and finish on regularities. The main test should be checking the cars and crews reliability and getting to the many time controls, which are all achievable individually, on time. Time will tell if they can avoid many of the modern introductions which are making our events very specialised.

An article in the Old Stager, which describes itself as ‘Europe’s Top Historic Rallying Magazine’ hit this nail on the head when it wrote: ‘sadly, some people think the purpose of writing exams is to trick candidates into making errors… This sad attitude seems to crop up with occasional event organisers’. I think I know some of those organisers and my thoughts are that they do nothing to get newcomers involved. The answer is always one of simplicity.

CLUB NEWS

David Davies

Some of the publications surveyed for this edition were dated April 2011 I am resigned to having been hoodwinked at least once…

There is a description of a wonderful Emmett-like invention for grinding motorcycle brake drums back to concentricity in the magazine of the AJS & Matchless Owners’ Club along with a feature on an AJS TRF radio which has surfaced recently. www.jampot.com

All you need to know about lead-acid batteries can be found in the magazine of the Ford Model Y & C Register www.fordyandcmodelregister.co.uk

Congratulations to the TR Register in winning the Classic and Sports Car Magazine Club of the Year award for 2010!

There are some interesting statistics presented in the Bond Owners’ Club magazine on survival rates and of vehicles known to the club. A surprisingly large percentage still exist – but what has happened to all of the Bond Bugs? The cover photograph to their magazine points out that single-front-wheel drive vehicles coped with the snow quite easily www.bondownersclub.co.uk

There is a reference to Walter Browness in the Vanden Plas Owners’ Club magazine as the inventor of the car sunroof. Is anyone out there able to add to this? www.vpoc.info

There is a useful suggestion for leaf spring protection using self-amalgamating tape in the BSA Front Wheel Drive Club magazine www.bsafwdc.co.uk

A wonderful atmospheric photograph in Steaming, from the National Traction Engine Trust shows the interior of Clayton and Shuttleworth’s Titanic Works in Lincoln. It was so named because it was the same length as the ill-fated liner but unlike the liner, the building still survives www.ntet.co.uk

There is a useful article in the magazine of the Velocette Owners’ Club on coaxing failed petrol tank sealer out of a petrol tank www.velocetteowners.com

The history of independent front suspension as applied to Austin Sevens is outlined in the magazine of the London Austin Seven Owners’ Club www.austinsevenownersclub.com

The cover photographs on the Austin A30-A35 Owners’ Club magazine are always eye-catching. The magazine features John Hughes, who drove an 1968 A35 van from new and later purchased it from his employer – it has now covered 97,000 miles www.austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

The Foden Society magazine has a series of photographs of the many designs of tankers used by the Esso company. Have any survived into preservation? www.thefodensociety.org.uk

The Midland Rolls-Royce Club bulletin has details of a GPS security tracker that might be of interest to historic car owners, full details can be found by contacting FBHVC trade supporter RBS Ltd www.rbs-propertymarking.co.uk

For all those of you who are addicted to spanner waving, the Fairford Classic Car Club magazine has a fascinating table of spanner jaw gap comparisons www.fairfordclassiccarclub.org.uk

There are some tantalising references to the Reliant BRM engine in the Reliant Kitten Register newsletter. Do any survive? There is also a blow-by-blow description of the repainting of a car using a high volume low pressure spray outfit. www.kitreg.org.uk

The existence of sophisticated communications between F1 cars, their drivers and the pits is something that we take for granted, but an account in the Bentley Drivers’ Club Review tells us that the HRG team in the 24-hour race at Spa in 1948 were the pioneers of pit-to-car radio telephone technology. www.bdcl.org

The Journal of the Cumbria Steam and Vintage Vehicle Society informs us that after three years dedicated hard work a Leyland Clock is now fully restored and on display at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal. An article will appear in a future edition of this newsletter.

Stardust, the journal of the Sunbeam Talbot Register, has a nice little story of Sir Stirling Moss being re-united with the Alpine in which he won the Rallye des Alpes in 1953 at the NEC Show. www.stardust.uk.com

There is an appreciation of the achievements of the late Professor Gordon Blair, of Queens University, Belfast for his research work on motorcycle engines, especially high performance two-strokes.in the newsletter of the Greeves Riders Association www.greeves-riders.org.uk

The Crash Box and Classic Car Club of Devon Review has an illustrated feature on the best driving roads in Devon – any offers for other parts of the country? www.crashboxclassiccarclub.com

The Globe from the Triumph Razoredge Owners Club has an in-depth article on how to clean your car. www.trocltd.com

It is doubtful if the two-man, three ton, ox-powered road roller is eligible for membership of the Road Roller Association but it makes a delightful cover photograph for their magazine. www.r-r-a.org.uk

The Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club magazine tells us that the club has acquired Sir Malcolm Campbell’s last car, a 1948 Hurricane, for restoration. There is also an article on the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally complete with a map showing all the (most unlikely) starting points from Sundsfall in Northern Sweden to Constantinople in the East. It was a proper event in those days, concluding with Concours de Confort trophies. www.siddeley.com

There is a detailed description of a steam driven Bullnose Morris made by a Mr Rodgers, of Leicester in 1938 in the Bullnose Morris Club magazine – where is the car now? www.bullnose.org.uk

Floating Power, the Traction Owners’ Club magazine- tells us that the 15th International Citroen Car Clubs rally will now take place in Harrogate, one week earlier than originally planned, over the weekend of 9-12 August. www.icccr2012.org.uk

Overdrive, the Rover P4 Drivers’ Guild magazine, has an interesting table of survival statistics than will be argued over for months… another edition of this excellent magazine has a brief biography of the Thorneycroft Mighty Antar 6×4 tractor unit and its connections with the Rover company. www.roverp4dg.org.uk

An interesting and topical snippet in the Octagon Car Club Bulletin concerns the application of headlamp beam deflectors to older headlamps. www.mgoctagoncarclub.com

The Invalid Carriage Register has a obituary for Oswald Denly MBE who not only coaxed his 147cc Argson invalid tricycle on a 1,500 mile journey to Switzerland in 1947 but who was the leading figure in the campaign to secure specially converted cars for the disabled. He donated his faithful Argson to the Shuttleworth Trust in 1975 – is it still there?

The Land Rover Series 2 Club magazine has an interesting article on steering wheel restoration. www.series2club.co.uk

The Keighley Bus Museum seems to be establishing a reputation for its provision of buses for weddings. The back cover of their magazine shows a superbly restored Bradford Trolleybus.

Vintage Taxi from the London Vintage Taxi Association has a feature on some of the perversions inflicted on London taxis including the bizarre conversion commissioned by the late Nubar Gulbenkian – does it survive? www.lvta.co.uk

As one might expect, steam-powered vehicles dominate the pages of the magazine of the Steam Car Club of Great Britain. The latest issue features a steam-powered Morris Minor pickup and a 1907 Buard steam motorcycle in the Le Mans Museum.

Some companies showed a remarkable degree of innovation in diversifying their interests but none can have been as ambitious as Daimler – who established the Daimler Airway in 1921. There is an account of these pioneering activities in the February issue of the journal of the Daimler and Lanchester Owners Club www.dloc.org.uk

The Sunbeam Motor Cycle Club held its 73rd Pioneer Run to Brighton on 20 March in spring like weather. The club commenced this annual reliability exercise for pre-1915 motorcycles and three-wheelers in 1930. This year there were 375 entries and 299 finishers.

Lakeland Motor Museum have just opened their new TT exhibition, more information at www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk

Solent Overlord Executive Military Club don’t have a hard copy newsletter but use a blog: http://www.solentoverlord.co.uk/blog/

The Brough Superior Club’s rally in May/June is based on a publicised ride in 1928 on a Brough Superior SS80 when FA Harvey rode from Carshalton to Inverness in one day. www.broughsuperiorclub.com

Finally congratulations to all those clubs celebrating significant anniversaries this year. The Allard Owner’s Club has its diamond jubilee; it is the golden jubilee of the Citroen Ami 6 this year and appropriate celebrations are being organised; it is the 50th anniversary of the Mini Cooper and the 10th anniversary of the new Mini – to be celebrated at Beaulieu on Sunday, 12 June www.minicooper.org. The Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club magazine reminds us that it is the 50th year of the E-type, 50 years since the introduction of the Mark X and the 40th birthday of the V12 engine, www.jec.org.uk. The Morris Minor Owner’s Club magazine has a feature celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Minor Million, when 350 commemorative cars were produced. Around 70 examples survive of which some 34 or so are on the road. The Delorean Owners’ Club tell us that their national assembly will take place at the Crich Tramway Village over the weekend of 9-11 September and that Eurofest 2011 in Belfast on 26-29 May will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the marque, www.eurofest2011.com. The Clan Owners Club will be celebrating 40 years of the Clan Crusader in Washington, Co. Durham in July, www.clanownersclub.com. The record for 100mph for 24 hours held by a Velocette Venom Clubman Veeline Production Roadster motorcycle still stands 50 years later and the Velocette Owners Club will be marking the anniversary in various ways. Whilst the outright record has since been broken it took a larger capacity machine to do it: as a record for 500cc machines, it still stands to this day.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Renewal notices went out early in May to all clubs, museums and individuals whose subscriptions fell due for renewal on 1 June 2011. These have been sent to the ‘nominated address’ in accordance with the articles of association, and in the case of clubs this can often mean that the renewal notice goes to someone other than the treasurer… if you’ve had a renewal notice that needs to go to someone else, please pass it on; if you haven’t had a renewal notice that you were expecting, please contact the secretary.

The renewal notice contains the list of the contacts within each club and this is the opportunity to make sure that we have correct details for everyone on our administrative database. This list is completely separate to the website Club Directory (which can only be amended on-line by clubs themselves). Many of the clubs listed in this directory do not have any contact details published at all beyond the basic club name, so please do make sure that you have taken advantage of this benefit of membership – you could attract some more members for your club and there is the facility to advertise all of your events completely free of charge.

MEMBER ORGANISATIONS

All of our member organisations are listed by club name on our website, but it is down to the individual clubs to add or amend their own details – see www.fbhvc.co.uk

Welcome to the following clubs who have recently joined:

Chardstock Vintage Tractor Club

Citroen Specials Club

Federation of Engine Remanufacturers Ltd

Historic Endurance Rallying Association

Jersey Old Motor Club Ltd

Norwich Classic Vehicle Club

Simca Club UK

South Wales Land Rover Club

Surrey Classic Vehicle Club

Vauxhall Viva Owners Club

Zastava and Yugo Owners Club

Welcome to the following traders who have recently joined:

Chapel Motor Repairs

Dawson Engineering (Burley) Ltd

French & Sons, Oakdene Garage

George Lane Motor Services

Hindle Reman

J A Rose Ltd (JAR)

Longmynd Service Station

Ojedo Ltd (T/A Autoregister.co.uk)

R & G Motors

Shakespeare Garage

The Autocar Storage Company

W J Taylor & Sons

2011 AGM AND CONFERENCE

As the whole topic of biofuels is of great interest to all our membership, this will be subject of our annual conference which follows the AGM on 15 October 2011. Matt Vincent, our legislation committee’s fuel expert will be the keynote speaker.

The 2011 AGM will take place at the Hunt House, Paulerspury (by courtesy of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation). There will be elections for directors with responsibility for Legislation, Trade and Skills, Heritage and International Liaison. The other members of the board all serve one more year. The formal AGM takes place in the morning and, after a buffet lunch, will be followed by the conference session.

Matt Vincent will speak on the effect of biofuel on historic vehicles and the work that the FBHVC has done since 2008. We also expect to have a speaker on the special lubrication requirements for historic vehicle, and the legislation chairman, David Hurley, will speak on how the legislative process works in the UK.

DRIVE IT DAY

We could not have wished for better weather for this year’s Drive It Day and was certainly a contributory factor in making this the most successful day to date. Thank you to everyone who took part, however small your contribution. Thank you also to everyone who encouraged those people not lucky enough to own an historic vehicle to come along and enjoy the spirit of the day in the company of enthusiasts.

We very much appreciate the many pictures sent in. A small selection is shown here in the newsletter and there are many more on our website.

The Federation spent the day at the Royal Oak in Bishopstone near Swindon at the invitation of the landlord Tim Finney. We filled the car park and the overflow parking with 150 vehicles, including many rarities, from at least 60 different member clubs. The weather was glorious and many people took advantage of the delightful pub garden to sample some of the good food and ale on offer as well as the inimitable bacon butties. The local photographer also took plenty of pictures and these can be seen (and purchased) at http://bit.ly/hQEfjh

Drive It Day 2012 will be on Sunday 22 April.