I managed to rescue just this one picture from the file showing my son Chris re-inflating the tyres after completing one of the sections on this year's MCC Edinburgh Trial

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Reinflating tyres, MCC Edinburgh 2010 [/img]

I'll post some others when I manage to find them

John

What car is that?

Is it a Spartan kit car - Triumph Herald base ?

It's a mid engined car powered by a Peugeot 205GTI engine. I built the aluminium body for it.

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Originally posted by John Bonnett
It's a mid engined car powered by a Peugeot 205GTI engine. I built the aluminium body for it.

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You're quite right about thin section tyres. They do work very well in the mud, cutting down to something solid and finding grip.

My Austin 7 which did amazingly well in these events had 3.25 x 19 tyres. The picture shows a bit of over exuberance on my part but we just avoided tipping over thanks to my 18 stone passenger.

Austin 7 on Waterloo, MCC Exeter Trial

Wow That is a classic photo, what year was that?

Tell me more, show us more!!!

That photo was taken in 1965. Here are a few more pictures of cars that I campaigned ober a 25 year perio
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Series E Morris 8 on Bluehills 2 [/img]

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Hillman Imp on Bluehills 2 1968 MCC Land End [/img]

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Dellow MK1 [/img]

The Morris8 Series E had a 1600 crossflow, 105E gearbox and Anglia axle. The Hillman Imp was brand new and the Ford Special; is a Dellow.

Some awesome photos, thankyou for sharing and keep them coming!

The great thing about Trials is that there are classes for every type of car and they are a great day out; really sociable and a lot of fun. Unlike in many of motorsport disciplines you can still be competitive without spending a fortune. This YouTube clip was taken at the MCC Testing Trial during the Summer. All the tests were agains the clock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evwqFW62cXQ

[Edited on 18/12/10 by John Bonnett]

For some reason I had thoughts of Austin 7s two up, with fiddle brakes and steep hills...


I always thought the trial was up a steep hill with obstacles in a standard sort of car.

Yes, you are right, certainly the one day field events are exactly like that. The MCC Classics are very different using roads to link sections which are not marked from 1 to 10 as they would be in a one day event. You just have to make a clean climb. These events are more of an endurance nature both for the car and the crew and they last for 20 hours. The Testing Trial is just a bit of fun in the Summer; very lighthearted and nobody takes it very seriously.

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/photos.php?action=gal&user=John Bonnett&folder=Attachments

I've put a few pictures of the car in my photo archive.
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/photos.php?action=gal&user=John%20Bonnett

This is the kind of car I associate with trialling. Link A friend of ours used to do a bit but sadly he died this year. I think his car ran a Triumph Acclaim type Honda engine.

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Originally posted by Peteff
This is the kind of car I associate with trialling. Link A friend of ours used to do a bit but sadly he died this year. I think his car ran a Triumph Acclaim type Honda engine.

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Classic trials are one of the oldest forms of motorsport going back 100 years when most roads were not surfaced and cars and tyres not as reliable as they are now. It was a real test of driver and machine to do London Lands End London in one shot. Even today, many of the sections are the same as those used long ago. Look for a sign "Untuitable for motors" and that's pobably a section! Classic, reliability trials take place on public roads as well as forestry commission land and all cars have to be road legal. The sections themeselves are not marked 1 to 10 you just have to make a non-stop ascent. If you stop it's a fail. For some classes there are restarts and for everyone timed special tests as tie deciders. This link will explain better than I can:
http://www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk/

An offshoot from Classic Trials are NTF trials for out and out specials conforming to the National trials Formula. These event take place in the day in fields and woods all on private land. The link given by Peteff shows NTF cars in action.

The Dellow was made especially for competing in trials and was fitted with a Ford sidevalve 1172 engine. They were produced in the early 50s at a time when steel was short. The chassis were made from ex MOD rocket launching tubes. Of the 300 produced, over 200 still survive.

This is us in UEV3 at Tring Park in the early 70s
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UEV3 at Tring Park 1970ish [/img]

A picture of a gathering of Dellows. A very engaging little car seriously appreciating in value.
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A gathering of Dellows [/img]

[Edited on 19/12/10 by John Bonnett]