Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Gilletman]

An artikel in motor sport magazine of 1963 (june) is asking to start up a Minerva register from a guy on this adres
2 dene court, valley road, shortlands. His name E.A. Price. He owned a Minerva, knew about 15 Minervas in UK and had a big amount of spares at the time.
Someone knows/knew this guy/relatives or the register he was making or other Minerva related stuff? would be happy to know more about it.

Thanks for all reply's.

Also, a Minerva with start number 10 participated at the Oakamoor Hill Climb races in North Staffordshire organised by the Bolton family. between 1907 and 1912. Looking for all info about this event/ people etc....
you have old minerva pictures or storrys, i'm interested.


Thanks.

[Cargy]

The annual Oakamoor Hill Climb in North Staffordshire was run from 1906, if newspaper interpretation is correct, and it has been recently revived; its web page: https://oakamoorhillclimb.org/

Pre-dating it on Saturday, 12th May 1906, a Derby and District Club hill climb was held at Hill Cliff Lane, Derby at which Mr. Burford was on a “Minerva Trimo” and Mr. Clifford drove a 10-hp Minerva; neither won against more powerful cars.

It was announced there that the following week, the third annual Oakamoor hill climb would be a four-county club handicap event sponsored by Francis. A. Bolton J.P. of Moor Park Oakamoor, who had been a medal-winning member of the Derby and District Automobile Club, which had been formed in 1902 and had held motor-meets at his house from at least 1904.

That next event on Saturday 19th May 1906 was a near one mile climb up the Star Hill from Oakamoor village to the Blazing Star Inn for a silver cup donated by Bolton, then president of the Derbyshire and North Staffordshire Automobile Club. Teams of four cars from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire took part in the handicap, the final round of which was won for Leicester by J. A. Doran in a 22-h.p. Minerva, beating an Argyll, a Humber, a Rover and a Wolseley to do it.

In May 1907, Doran’s now 24-h.p. rated Minerva was beaten on handicap in the semi-final by a De Detrich, although it had the second fastest time overall of 1m 55s for the mile, only seconds quicker being a 30.55-h.p. Daimler.

In 1908, Doran was absent but Mr. D. I. Swainston of Leicester drove a 28-h.p. Minerva, listed as Car No.10. He was beaten in the semi-final by a Clement-Talbot.

The 1909 Challenge Cup hill climb was announced as the fourth annual competition with Mr. F. Dickinson driving a 15-h.p. Minerva; he was beaten in the semi-final by a Talbot.

In June 1910 North Staffordshire and Derby members took part in a climb against the clock from the station under a mile uphill to the church at Hazelwood. This included the 15-h.p. Minerva of Mr. C. T. Leech, who was placed sixth in a time of 2m.13.8s. The July four-county cup event was hit by rain with only 11 of 16 cars and 5 of 12 motorcycles turning up; none were Minervas.

At the 1911 Oakamoor Bolton Challenge Cup event, reportedly its sixth year, contestant D. I. Swainston was listed driving a 25-h.p. Minerva and won two rounds but scratched from his semi-final run. One of those he’d beaten was J. A. Doran in his 38-h.p. Minerva.

1912 saw seven clubs attending but no Minervas listed and none could have taken part after that, with only a motorcycle hill climb reported in 1913 and one for motorcycles and up to 1200cc cycle-cars in 1914. Hill climbs resumed there for a while after WWI. The D.N.S. Motor Club was liquidated in 1928.

[Gilletman]

[Cargy]

Sorry Gilletman, no pictures of Minervas in these local paper extracts, although there was a picture in the Tatler Magazine of two cars, one a Rolls Royce and motorcycles at Oakamoor in 1912, and one in the Globe of Francis Bolton in his Crossley, so there must surely be some pictures in automobile sports magazines somewhere.

Did find a bit more about Swainston who won the Hartopp Challenge Cup, awarded to amateur members of the Leicester automobile clubs, at the Kettleby hill climb on Saturday, 3rd July 1909 in a 24 or 25-h.p. Minerva and also appears listed with a 35-h.p. Minerva. Mr. F. C. Dickinson was driving a 16-h.p. Minerva in the event and Bolton was there too in a 57-h.p Daimler, winning FTD in Class C.

[Gilletman]