Door Industry Journal - Spring 2013

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk valve cars producing 112bhp, and built between 1923 and 1927. And it was the OE-type that became the first production car to exceed 100mph, partly prompted by a letter to The Autocar’s editor from a Major L.Ropner, complaining that he was unable to buy a road car that could cover a flying mile at more than 100mph! Vauxhall responded by producing a stunning two-seater 30-98 for him in polished aluminium, with a full set of road equipment. On March 28, 1923 factory test driver Matt Park took the car to Brooklands and achieved a flying lap at 100.7mph, before delivering the car to Ropner, who used it extensively for competition, continental touring and commuting to London from his home in Yorkshire. The British motoring press fell in love with the OE-Type 30-98, and in 1923 The Autocar subjected one to an early road test, recording a maximum speed (with standard Velox body and wind-breaking full windscreen) of 82.57mph - no mean feat at a time when most cars were struggling to top 50mph. The Autocar went on to say: ‘Few cars have such graceful lines yet at once suggest unlimited strength allied to speed...and very, very few can take a corner stiffly with absolute certainty as this one can.’ This year, Vauxhall Motors’ own 1926 OE-Type Velox Tourer (OE268) will join around 50 other 30-98s in Lancashire to celebrate the model’s competition debut at Waddington Fell. Working with the Vauxhall 30- 98 Register, local authorities have closed the public road which used to form the course, allowing cars from as far afield as Australia and the US to recreate Higginson’s winning run. Other events which Vauxhall is supporting as part of the 30-98 centenary include: • Brooklands Double Twelve (June 15-16) • The 30-98 Centenary Run (July 5) - Tour starting at Brooklands and travelling to Vauxhall’s Luton HQ and then on to Millbrook Proving Ground with up to 100 30-98s • CarFest North, Oulton Park (August 2-4) • CarFest South, Laverstoke Park (August 23-25) • ‘Thirsty Down Under’ Tour (Oct/Nov) - a three-week tour of Victoria and Tasmania for the thriving 30-98 Register based in Australia Goodwood has yet to confirm entry of the 30-98 in its centenary year at the Festival of Speed. 63 THE door industry journal spring 2013 motoring & transport SPACE INVADERS – STUDY REVEALS UK’S WORST PARKERS Audi Drivers Worst in Britain; Drivers of Small Cars Top The League. Drivers of German car brand Audi are Britain’s worst according to a survey looking at the parking habits of Brits. Second in the league table of car brands that are parked badly by their owners was Mercedes, followed by Mazda in third – 8,000 cars were analysed during February by online company www.StressFreeAirportParking.com , the UK’s biggest provider of meet and greet parking at UK airports. The company looked at cars parked in various city centre and out-of-town shopping centre car parks and found that, per capita of cars on the road for each car marque, Audi- branded cars were streets ahead of their nearest rival in the parking hall of shame. Almost one in four Audi car drivers (24%) were parked badly, compared to Mercedes (16.6%) and Mazda (14.3%). The brand whose drivers performed best was Land Rover, with just 2.6% of owners parking badly. Read the rest of this article on our blog, it’s well worth it! http://doorindustryjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/space- invaders-study-reveals-uks-worst.html