Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc

Hornet Special Newsletter

Issue 61 June 2015

WHS Club ContactsSecretary

Bill Russell, ph (03) 9349 2262

PresidentLyle Cooper

ph (07) 3312 2365Editor

Henry Hancock, ph (07) 3878 2850

3 Gilia Court Indooroopilly Qld 4068hlaevt@aanet.com.au

MISSING: MELBOURNE’S OWN 1935 14HP HORNET SPECIAL

WHSCA WEB SITE NOW ACTIVE

Michael Santin, WHSCA Registrar, continues the search for this elusive car on page 2

Page 2 Hornet Special Newsletter

MISSING: MELBOURNE’S OWN 1935 14HP HORNET SPECIALby Michael Santin

A most rare 1935 14hp Wolseley Hornet Special mysteriously disappeared in the 1950s from Melbourne.

No photos or records exist but for the yellowing thread of information teased from a stack of newspapers in the Vic-torian State Library.

The most major discovery, so far, is its Victorian registration number HA442, which it would have gained in late 1945.

The following eight Melbourne advertisements could conceivably represent the exact same vehicle – this rare 1935 14hp WHS, registered HA442. They stretch from 1940 to 1955.

1. “LIZZIE”, advertised 16th Mar 1940, the Melbourne AGEWolseley Special 14hp sports fitted every conceivable extra including twin carburettors and rev counter, particularly smart and fast ₤185 500 Elizabeth St.

2. “SWANTSON”, advertised 17th July 1943, the Melbourne AGE

3. “ALLATT”, advertised 24th July 1948, the Melbourne AGESPORTS – Wolseley Hornet Special 14hp 1935 HA442 Allat Kingston Rd Cheltenham (Occupier was Arthur Allatt)A month earlier it was advertised at ₤120 from the same address.

4. “LOCH”, advertised 14th May 1949, the Melbourne AGESports Car, Wolseley hornet 14hp 6 cyl, twin carbs, 1500 miles since rebore and complete overhaul, 17 Loch St Kilda (Occupier was Robert Planner)

5. “BONBEACH”, advertised 30th June 1951, the Melbourne AGE

6. “WILLS”, advertised 20th Oct 1951, the Melbourne AGE

This phone number was from the Hawthorn exchange.

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7. “PARKHILL”, advertised 26th Jan 1952

8. “BURN”, advertised 22nd Jan 1955, the Melbourne AGEWOLSELEY Hornet Special, 1935, 14hp, 6cyl, sound mechanical condition, very smart appearance, new tyres and tubes, 10mnths registration. Will accept ₤295, 26 Byrne Av Elwood. (Occupier was David Allan).

Working from the newspaper dates, this ghost of a car cannot be John Clucas’ 14hp WHS because his was stationed in Perth by 1953 at the latest. Nor could it be the ex-KN Brooks vehicle (s163-Ref05) as this appears to have con-tinued on in South Australia postwar, as evidenced by adverts appearing 1945 and 1950. And nor would it be the low-mileage NSW vehicle (s163-Ref07) advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald for ₤395 in 1950 from the suburb of Caringbah.

When these eight adverts are considered as a set, their sell prices suggest a realistic progression from the desperate time of WWII, a jump in value after a rebuild in ’49, to the sports car craze of ‘51 (when the ‘sports’ section of the classifieds peaked) to a tapering off starting in the mid-50s. If there were ever ads later than these eight (and yes we may yet discover some), we would expect to see the price tumble, as the many MG models on offer become an obvi-ous and affordable alternative to a worn out Hornet.

When we consider the locality of the ads, we see them raised from a fairly narrow zone. This is not a surprise in itself, given the de-mographic, but certainly consistent with them representing the travails of just one car.

But what doubts exist that these eight ad-verts represent different vehicles? Well, the “WILLS” ad doesn’t list the year 1935, nor use the word Hornet. Therefore, it might be for the later Wolseley 14/56 model. And the “SWANTSON” ad doesn’t list any Special equipment or use the word Special. However, the remaining six adverts are almost certainly for a genuine 1935 14hp WHS(s). Could these be for six different cars? We doubt it very much. Let us say it was one car, for now, and nickname it “HA HA”.

Mystery, too, surrounds HA HA’s appearance in Melbourne. Why is there no evidence of a 14hp Special before 1940, apart from a weak theory that there was a maroon coloured 1935 Hornet Special presented at the Melbourne

Motorshow? Could HA HA have landed in Melbourne due to a military mobilisation?

The final point to highlight, and one which adds to the theory there was only a single 1935 14hp WHS in Melbourne, is that no collector has ever found a single physical part of this rare model in Victoria. So where did this car go??

M.Santin.

The path taken by Melbourne’s mysterious 1935 Wolseley Hornet Special: 1940 - 1955. Now missing.

Page 4 Hornet Special Newsletter

Reducing the flexibility of a 1933 ChassisVintage chassis are known to be flexible and it was not until 1934 that Wolseley introduced diagonal bracing into the Hornet chassis.

Even though all the rivets in my ’33 Doctors Coupé seemed tight, one front corner of the bare chassis could be lifted 127mm before the other front corner lifted.

When I got the car, the metal bodywork was severely distressed, with the metal at the tops of the A pillars and at the base of the windscreen torn almost completely apart, and with tears into the roof from the top corners of the doors at the B pillars.

I am very aware of the danger of just welding on plates or cross tubes because this may result in a concentration of stress causing dangerous cracking. I’m not an engineer, but was advised by friends that if chassis sections are plated they should incorporate long tapers at the ends of any stiffening to form a slightly more flexible transition zone.

My idea for the Hornet was to make the central “square” of the chassis as stiff as possible with bracing as light as possible and to let the chassis front and back ends cantilever from this and to “waggle about as they wanted to”.

The chassis rails and the cross members are U-shaped which is very inefficient in torsion. For stiffness the U-shapes need to become rectangular tubes.

The new plating is 3mm mild steel to match the 1/8” thick chassis. The holes in the plating of the 4” depth main rails are to lighten the bracing and to allow for access and painting and are 65mm dia. centrally at 110mm centres with additional 25mm holes at the lower chassis flange to allow for drainage. The holes in the plating to the 2” wide cross members are 30mm dia. at nominal 55mm centres, but are specifically set out to allow access to the bolts for the battery bracket, handbrake support angle, etc. and for drainage. 45° brackets were added from the underside of the chassis to the “inside” faces of the two central cross members, but not on the “outside” because I didn’t want the bracing to be too visibly un-original. The rear 45 °

Left: Chassis plating at front, central cross member.Right: Rear, central cross member from below

Issue 61 Page 5

brackets had to be carefully shaped around the handbrake pulleys. A bead of weld was added at the junction of the cross members and the original bracing plates and the chassis rails to “support” the rivets. Although not part of the central bracing, a plate was installed into the chassis each side of the engine and also to the cross member above the fuel tank to stiffen the rear end.

Ihe boxing of the cross members had the most effect and reduced the bare chassis flex to 35mm. Installing the bracing in the main chassis reduced the flex to 10mm.

Henry HancockPlating in the chassis rail beside the engine.

LYLE COOPER’S PROGRESS Painted, now for assembly.

Where else do Wolseley Hornet Special parts live, but in the spare bedroom.

JOHN HIGHAM’S PROGRESSJohn reports, “The body work is still progressing with attention now on the doors. We “hung” the doors a week ago and they are now skinned and the rest of the body panels are being welded together, primed and painted and fixed to the timber frame. We are getting close to the point where we have just the wings/mudguards to do and final painting.

Of course I haven’t started anything mechanical in earnest yet, but I have had the head that Joe Wilson provided cleaned and tested and it is looking OK. I am also now looking for a DX6A, DY6A or DZ6A distributor.”

Page 6 Hornet Special Newsletter

WHSC OF AUSTRALIA Inc.FINANCIAL RETURN FOR YEAR 1.4.14. TO 31.3.15.RECEIPTS:Subscriptions WHSC of Aust: $800.00 Subscriptions WHSC of U.K.: $1365.00Payment for Parts UK: $802.20 Interest: $0.32Sale of Books $5190.00Total: $8157.52 Banked: 1.4.14. to 31.3.15: $8272.20Interest Credited: $0.32.Less 13/14 subs banked 14/15 $ 115.00Total: $8157.52.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------PAYMENTS:Newsletter: $616.50Registration Fee: $104.40U.K. Subs & Parts: $2539.05Petty Cash: $20.00Postage for books Aust + NZ $385.95Kenward Trophy costs $51.95AGM Expenses: $46.00Engraving Trophy $6.50 Payment for books $5760.00 Total: $9540.35BALANCE:Bank Balance @ 1.4.13: $3251.43.Plus Deposits 1.4.13 – 31.3.14. $8272.52.Total: $11,523.95 Less Payments: $9,540.35.Total: $1983.60.Plus one cheque not presented $ 53.00Final Balance: $2036.60.

BANK BALANCE @ 31.3.14: $2036.60.

Balance reconciled: John Ireland, Treasurer WHSC Of Aust Inc.1.4.15.Treasurer’s Report, 2014/2015.

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR YEAR 1.4.14. TO 31.3.15.

A successful year for the Club, dominated, of course, by the very important publication of “The Book” which sold out very quickly – The Club holds just seven spare copies for future sales.Points to be made regarding the figures shown are:1. Though the subs show just $800.00 , there were, in fact, eight members who paid their subs before the end of the 13/14 year, so the income was $1000.00 plus a $53.00 donation. We spent $855.35 over the year. This figure includes $51.40 for last year’s Registration Fee which missed being paid on time, and $68.45 for “one off” expenses for the Trophies. There was also $46.00 for AGM expenses and we must endeavour see that the AGMs pay for themselves in future. 2. As stated above, the Registration Fee was doubled up and this year’s fee was $53.00.3. The UK payment includes $460.00 paid after the 13/14 cheque was sent.

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Oh oh, subs are overdueSubscriptions to both the Australian and UK clubs were due on April 1.Due to the increased cost of colour printing and postage we have had to make the hard decision of increasing the Club’s membership fees and to offer a cheaper option of email Newsletter; also the falling AUD has made the UK membership more expensive. Your options are:

$10/yr No club membership. Newsletters emailed.• $20/yr WHSCA membership. Newsletter emailed.• $35/yr WHSCA membership. Newsletter hard copy posted.• $100/yr (Only $90 if paid by 30 July 2015) WHSCA and UK club memberships. WHSCA newsletter emailed.• $115/yr (Only $105 if paid by 30 July 2015) WHSCA and UK club memberships. WHSCA newsletter posted.•

Payments by bank transfer to: Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc Heritage Bank Ltd BSB: 638-070 Account No: 8958866 Reference: Your surname

Or cheque or money order to: Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc C/- John Ireland, Treasurer 83/40 Riverbrooke Drive, Coomera Qld 4209 deeandjohn@ngvemail.com

On 22nd - 27th of March 2015 the NSW Wolseley Car Club had their National get together in Corowa NSW.

We heard about it from the Corowa Car Club, so we contacted organiser Tony Eccles (who is a member of the WHSC) to see if we could bring our 33 WHS along for the Monday 23rd March display in the Corowa RSL park. He said we were welcome, and as we came around the corner we could see Tony waving.

He had saved us a spot with all the Pre-war Wolseleys. We noted at least 70 entrants turned up, it was a wonderful day talking members about Wolseleys and the Swan Hill Wolseley festival. I heard the run even got on TV.

Alan Jones

Alan Jones takes the ex Betty Corbin WHS to the NSW Wolseley National Meet

The pre-war line up Norman and Alan’s famous 1933 WHS once raced by Betty Corbin, See Newsletters, Issue 22 July 2005, Issue 30 August 2007 and Issue 31 Nov 2007.

The Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc. (Victoria, No. A0034589S) exists to encourage the preserva-tion and use of Wolseley Hornets, Sports and Specials. The Club and its Committee take no responsibility for the accuracy of this newsletter’s content nor for the consequences of acting upon any information published herein.

WANTEDFor John Higham - a DX6A, DY6A or DZ6A distributor.Phone:02 6238 1559

Wolseley Hornet Special Club of Australia Inc. internet site Our Club Web site, www.whsca.org.au, is now operating.

Thank you to John Clucas for obtaining the domain name, organizing the internet hosting and preparing and setting up the web site.The site contains information about the club, the Club Constitution, past newsletters (with at least a year’s delay), the book, the AGM and contact details and resulted from the deliberations of the Sub-committee set up at AGM 2014 to review the Club’s subscription, newsletter and public presentation. It brings WHSCA into the electronic age.

As we are a small club it is not intended to be a very active site and will be updated only occasionally.

Thank you again John

BELOW GOVERNMENT PRICEIn the advertisement at the top of page 5 in the March 2015 Newsletter: “TRUNK” on 21st October 1944 for a Wol-seley Hornet Special, it says “… owner will accept £350, which is below Government price…”

What does “below Government price” mean?

John Phillips of Adelaide has provided the answer.

During the war there were no new cars and no spare parts. To stop speculation, the Commonwealth Government listed a price for all cars and trucks and it was forbidden to sell above this price - with heavy penalties.

At the end of the war and for some years afterwards, cars were being brought out of wrecking yards and reconditioned. Part of a serviceman’s pay was retained by the government as “deferred pay” and this was a nest egg upon discharge. So when John was discharged from the Air Force he bought a 1928 Austin 7 with an Australian built Meteor body with a pointed tail.

An Austin 7 with Australian built “Meteor” body similar to John’s.

2015 AGM and HORNET EXTRAVAGANZABathurst NSW on 13-16 NOVEMBER 2015All 1930 - 1935 Hornet enthusiasts are welcome to attend.

Once in a lifetime opportunity for your Hornet to circuit the Mount Panorama course - See flyer in this issue.