If a club is dedicated to the ownership and appreciation of Bugatti cars, It stands to reason that it's annual Garden Party is not just strawberries & cream on the vicarage lawn. On the last sunday in June the faithful and their friends assembled in the grassy paddock at Prescott Hillclimb and I was lucky enough to be on hand , with a couple of tables of books, to provide a kind of sideshow to the main business of the day. That wasn't really picnicing, although plenty of cucumber sandwiches and tea were consumed, It was allowing the membership to have a blast up the famous hillclimb course in whatever car they happened to bring along, Bugatti or otherwise.
There were I guess about a dozen or so of the exotic French marque present .I was stuck on the stall all day and could not see past the rows of other makes to count them up. I know three had arrived from New Zealand including a T59 replica (above) which bellowed it's way up the hill on numerous ocassions making a wonderful noise. Was it the best sounding car there? Maybe. But many would argue the Triumph Dolomite Straight 8 from 1935 (below) was even more melodic.
Thi was one of only two survivors from just three that were built . The car's designer Donald Healey later more famous for his association with Austin, wrote off the other one competeing in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally. With an engine based very closely on the Alfa Romeo 8C , the car present with owner and club chairman Colin Bullock at the wheel, not sparing the horses, it sounded positively orchestral .
However the rest of the paddock was filled with all manner of machinery from Mazda MX5s and a Dodge Viper to and MG TF by way of Escort Mk1s and a Lancia 037 in road trim. The last (only) one of those I have seen moving before was in the hands of Markku Alen on the 1982 on the Lombard RAC Rally…and it was really moving back then, let me tell you! It was a close run thing between this and the Triumph for Car Of The Day in my book. The Lancia was perhaps what Group B cars of the day should have remained, it being two-wheel drive and therfore not quite as mad as the four wheel driver monsters that quickly followed and werre just as quickly outlawed.
In between the runs, commentated on by the erudite Chris Drewitt who's voice you'll hear on most of Goodwood's YouTube videos, there was a lot of good old fashioned socialising. Interesting people, interesting stories and everyone seemed in a good mood. Lots of old friends. It was all most convivial. And the salted caramel ice cream was great!
The day before had been a small ‘club’ hillclimb, few spectators, a diverse selection of moastly road-going cars and a few Bugattis . The sun shone, thre sky was blue and I enjoyed that too!
It was nice to be located in the paddock and right next to the cars as they queued up for their runs. My thanks to the Bugatti Owners Club for allowing me to attend (Sunday was a members-only day) to Bob the Ice cream man whose van was parked alongside all weekend and is always entertaining company, and my friends Ian & Jo for their hospitality. A really good weekend.
