A 1934 Wolseley Hornet Special at a hillclimb meeting.
Gordon Paton dropped me a note, asking for some information about the venue shown in the photo below. He asked:
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"I have this old picture of my father competing in a hill climb some time
during the 50's. I've managed to identify the car as a 1934 Wolseley Hornet
Special, but I would love to know where the hill climb was. It was probably
somewhere in Scotland, but I've no idea where. Is there a list of
historical hill climb venues? Also I would love to know what type of car is in the background on the
right. Have you any ideas?"
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The car on the right looks familiar, but I can't place it, so I'm hoping someone will call by this page and recognise the low-slung competition car. And perhaps does someone recognise the hillclimb venue? if it is in Scotland, then the best known hillclimbs held during the 1950s were at Bo'ness (in the grounds of the Kinneil Estate), and Rest and Be Thankful (organised by the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, between Arrochar and Cairndow on the A83 public road). All information welcome! There is a photo of Dennis Poore in his Alfa Romeo competing at Bo'ness in the early 1950s here. [Update Tom has had a look at the photo, and confirmed this is indeed the Bo'ness hillclimb, thanks Tom!]
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Firstly, a general view, showing Gordon's father at the line in his smart Wolseley Hornet Special, then a closer in view of that car, and finally a closer look at the unidentified car to the right of shot. Does anyone know what became of this Wolseley sports car, registration AOG 996? Note the headlamps pointing rearwards, to prevent any errant stones or low-flying sparrows piercing the lenses.
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The six cylinder Wolseley Hornet saloon was introduced in 1930, with a Special chassis being offered in 1932 onto which individual coachbuilders would fit their own design of body. For 1934 a revised chassis was put on sale, with improvements to both engine and transmission being incorporated. It was at this time that the radiator design on Gordon's father's car was introduced, featuring an elongated chrome 'U' on the grille, with a badge set within. In 1935, the final year for the Hornet Special, the radiator design would change again, back to a single centre strip, thus dating the car in the photos as a 1934 example of the sporting Wolseley. To read more about these rare Wolseleys, have a look at the Wolseley Hornet Special Club website.
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Return to Old Vehicle Photos Page 7. Links to other pages with a motor-racing theme to them at oldclassiccar, can be found here.
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