Scottish Group Rally 2000
Scottish Wolseley Rally - 13th & 14th May 2000
by Gordon and Stuart McCallum - extracted from Wolseley World Issue 86 (July/August 2000)
With 54 entrants attending the Wolseley Register Scottish Group's 10th Anniversary rally, on 13th and 14th May, this was the biggest Wolseley event ever to be held in Scotland. What an event it was with a total of 29 different Wolseley models taking part in the two day celebrations.
Saturday began with "Bonjour Monsieur" as our Parisienne entrants arrived in their 6/110 at the Bannockburn Centre near Stirling for the start of our road run.
David Palmer together with his eighty year old Mum (just to keep an eye on him) travelled from Nottinghamshire in his magnificent 1928 21/60 Straight Eight Doctor's Coupe. His run went without a hitch.
We set off as the first lead car from the Bannockburn Centre followed at a brisk pace by John Garbutt in his 1939 25HP Super Six Saloon.
The cars were timed out at one minute intervals and along the route stopped periodically to carry out road safety and skill tests with one hidden at the very end.
The run had also been designed to be fun and interesting with breathtaking scenery as the prize on the day. John Garbutt, in his 1939 25hp was the overall winner of the driving tests. Mr. & Mrs. Stephens from Devon came in second in their 1957 Mk1 1500.
Some of our visitors were visiting Scotland for the first time. They had commented that the back roads we had chosen provided a fantastic opportunity to see the real Scotland away from the tourist routes. The scenery was scattered with highland cattle, pheasant, buzzard and eagle (and funnily enough Ostrich and Tartan Sheep at the Auchangarroch Wildlife Centre) to add to the interest on the day.
There was high tea in the evening and a chance to relax amongst Wolseley friends and exchange motoring stories. The following morning on the Sunday, a road run departed from Caithness Glass, Perth, via Killiecrankie to the sun-drenched Blair Castle. Blair provided the perfect backdrop for 54 assorted Wolseley classic, vintage, and veteran models. 21 pre-war, 22 post-war, and 11-1500 models and one special attraction was an original design model from the Wolseley Works of a 6/90.
The selection was brilliant and indeed busloads of tourists arriving intending to tour the castle, finished up spending most of their time looking round this fine collection of Wolseley cars instead.
Michael Avery from Cherry Burton in Yorkshire travelled in his 1933 Wolseley Hornet Special to the event via John O'Groats. In an epic journey he and his backup team were undoubtedly the heroes of the event.
During his travels Michael overcame fuel and distributor problems and finally just when things could not get any worse, they did. Major back axle and bearing problems occurred the day before he was due at Blair Castle.
His backup team sprang into action to obtain all the required spares from Hull. Michael was spotted that night with an angle grinder in his hand, working by torch light.
That was real dedication and perseverance for which he and his team were awarded the 'Spirit of the Rally'. The oldest automobile at Blair Atholl was an exceptionally well presented 1908 Wolseley Siddeley owned by Sir William Lithgow the famous Glasgow shipbuilding magnate. One of the few remaining survivors produced between 1906 and 1909 had pride of place on a platform in front of the castle.
There was considerable interest that three 25hp Drophead Coupes attended the rally which made for an historic photo opportunity. There are now only five or six of these fine straight six coupes surviving in the UK.