The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs annual 'Drive It Day' event celebrates Britain's transport heritage and calls on all owners of heritage vehicles to get them on the road on this day. In support of this, CPUK has organised a visit to the Atwell Wilson Motor Museum in Calne and is offering members a choice of 2 starting points for road runs converging on the museum. Choose to start in Gloucestershire (Stroud) or Somerset (Shepton Mallet) to arrive as a group at the museum in Wiltshire around 1pm for a picnic lunch or choose to make your own way there. With over 100 exhibits to view - cars, motorcycles, motoring memorabilia and a reconstructed garage - this is a super venue at which to celebrate this important day in the car club calendar. Please note that as this is a CPUK organised event, Peugeots of all ages are very welcome, so please bring yours along, young or old, to showcase a broad range of the marque. For Stroud start - contact Rob Exell 07900 490906 or email membership@clubpeugeotuk.org For Shepton Mallett start - contact Alison Budd email events@clubpeugeotuk.org
The FBHVC-promoted annual Drive It! Day nearly turned out to be a damp squib; it was certainly very wet in Wiltshire for the Atwell-Wilson Museum visit. Alison had organised two start points for members in the south west: Shepton Mallet, Somerset and Stroud in Gloucestershire. 10 cars turned up altogether, some with Alison and John but, surprisingly, there were no takers to join Rob for the drive from Stroud. Others, including the author, made their own way from other directions. As soon as we arrived a constant heavy drizzle set in which tended to put us off much ‘tyre kicking’. The Museum had opened up a room for us to have our picnic lunches and offered coffee and tea. Dr Shan offered round a box of delicious Sri-Lankan delicacies made by his wife for the occasion. This worthy little museum is well laid out in four Halls and visitors are able to walk all around the exhibits, the only stipulation being that you are not to open the doors. The friendly staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable and happy to talk. Exhibits range from a late 1800s Merryweather fire cart through the vintage period cars - an Austin Chummy and 3-litre Bentley Tourer from 1924, a beautifully restored Charlesworth-bodied Alvis Speed 20 SB saloon and a less usual 1928 Clyno Royal photo 479 - and 1930’s one-time common- place Austins and Morrises to post war cars of all descriptions and nationalities in the main hall. Such cars as the Saab 99, Opel Manta, Datsun Sports, MGA and an ultra-rare RHD Polish FSO looking as-new. Although the cars are mainly from the 60s, 70s and 80s, there are some huge American ones and a hall full of Wedding cars, all available for hire. The descriptive panels are well produced and some of the more significant exhibits have their own “red book” of history. Highlights among these were the Peugeot 106 ‘Coach Electrique 20KW’ donated by Peugeot. Although this particular car was listed as 2004, the model was only listed in production statistics for 2000 and 2001 with a different version listed for 2003. An exhibit of Alex Issigonis’s Minis was interesting and included an example of his ‘9X Project’ of the late 1960s. This was designed to replace the original Minis and 1100s with a lighter weight, roomier and more efficient car using vertical McPherson struts at each wheel instead of the Hydrolastic suspension. Photo 502 There is also a Mini fitted with an example his ‘Gearless’ project which was only successful above 20 mph if it met anything like a steep hill! An even less successful project was the AHC Daimler Dart with an extremely expensive and somewhat ungainly retracting roof that never made it into production. This gem of a Museum is definitely worth another visit if in the area as it includes loan vehicles among the resident vehicles, so there is always something different to see. Despite the rain, it was a good day and worth the 100 mile drive from Northampton to give Sacre Bleu her first spring outing to blow out the cobwebs. Attendees, from the right in photo 476: 205 - Alan Paramore, R508 RX - Roger Turner, 405 - Alison & John Budd, 607 - John & Tammy Till, 504 - Anthony Goodwin, 203 - Alastair Inglis, 403 - Richard Beddall, 504 PU - Rob Exell, 504 - Dr Shan & Vallabai Shanmugalingam, 604 - Philip Christian, and an unknown 406.
