Our August newsletter featuring the following articles: Oily Rag Run, Collection In Action – H, Whales and Wheels, Cape Motoring History Book, Exhaust blips.
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OILY RAG RUN

FMM Library
This year’s Oily Rag Run will take place on Sunday 20 September, starting at the museum at 11h00 (cars will be on view from 10h00) and finishing at Crossley & Webb’s showrooms in Solan Street in the Gardens. Organised by FMM’s consultant engineer Dickon Daggitt, the route and the ‘activities’ required of participants along the way are still secret, but will doubtless be as entertaining as last year’s.
 
Entry is open to any unrestored vehicle built before 1 January 1961 and amongst the early entries are three from FMM to be driven by staff members – a 1926 Talbot with Deon de Waal and Donny Tarentaal at the wheel, a 1934 Ford pick-up piloted by Lorenzo Farella and Shawn Botha, and Karin Ras and Magdaleen Wepener in the Rupert family’s Braganza Tea-liveried Borgward station wagon. Braganza Tea was a product of the Rupert Group’s National Tea and Coffee company, which was headed by a woman – hence the all-lady crew. Other entries so far include a 1927 Buick, a 1934 Lagonda, a 1934 Ford phaeton and a 1951 Riley. An entry form is available at dickon@worldonline.co.za. MM

COLLECTION IN ACTION – H









An alphabetical series of short driving impressions of some of the museum’s car collection. This month we follow Hollywood movie star Morgan Freeman behind the wheel of a Hudson Commodore.

 
Befitting its name, the Commodore was the flagship of the fleet in Hudson’s model line-up. Built in motor city Detroit, the first generation lasted only two years – 1941-42 – cut short as America became involved in WWII during which Hudson made aircraft and landing craft engines. Afterwards, having generated a small profit from its wartime effort, in1946 the company returned to motor manufacture with facelifted versions of the pre-war models. These cars were notable for having exterior and interior trim design input by Elizabeth Anna ‘Betty’ Thatcher, the first American female automotive designer. (To avoid a conflict of interests, Betty resigned in 1941 following her marriage to Joe Oros, then Cadillac designer.) The second generation also only lasted two years before its ground-breaking replacement appeared.
 
Often hailed as one of the great post-war designs, production of the unibody third-generation Hudson Commodore began in December 1947 and was made available in just three versions – a four-door sedan, a two-door Club Coupé and a two-door Brougham Convertible. All could carry up to six passengers. Engines on offer were the same as those for the lesser Super Six and Super Eight models, namely a 262 cu.in. (4 293 cm3) L-head in-line six and, oddly, a smaller, less powerful 254 cu.in (4 162 cm3) L-head straight-eight. 
 
The car’s all-steel unibody design was quite radical for its time. Its construction incorporated a perimeter frame that allowed for the seats to be set lower than would be possible with the more common separate body/chassis assembly, so passengers ‘stepped down’ into the car, which became a catchphrase when referring to the design. Hudson actually trademarked the design as Monobilt. Apart from saving weight, the layout offered some side impact safety protection and lowered the car’s overall height and consequently the centre of gravity, which benefitted handling, a characteristic for which the car became universally acclaimed.
 
A narrow glasshouse, full length bodyside swage lines and spats over the rear wheels made the car appear exceptionally low and sleek. Sedans were 5207 mm long, 1 957 mm wide, 1 533 mm high and rode on a 124-inch (3 150 mm) wheelbase. In later years, the look appealed to hot rodders who often converted Commodores into lead sleds, a ground-hugging expression of automotive art that usually horrifies purists but thrills the California Custom Club.  
 
Inside, seats featured foam cushions and sedans were trimmed in broadcloth while coupés boasted leather. Standard luxury features included a two-tone walnut-grained dashboard, instrument light dimmer, swivelling sun visors, electric clock, opening rear quarter-lights, and an 18-inch plastic steering wheel with horn ring. (The Super Series cars had a 17-inch wheel.)
 
FMM’s 1949 Commodore has the in-line six-cylinder engine that features a chrome-alloy block, a four main bearing crank, solid valve lifters, a 6,5:1 compression ratio and a Carter two-barrel carburettor. The motor delivered 95 kW at 4 000 r/min and 271 N.m of torque at a low 1 600, and was mated with a three-speed column shift manual gearbox. Top speed was around 150 km/h. When new, an aluminium cylinder head, an oil bath air cleaner, overdrive and different axle ratios were amongst numerous powertrain options. 
 
A near identical 1949 Hudson Commodore sedan was one of the star cars in the Oscar-winning movie Driving Miss Daisy starring Morgan Freeman as the driver Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy as Miss Daisy. But perhaps Hudson’s more famous silver screen star was the lovable Doc Hudson in Pixar’s animated Cars movies, but he was actually modelled on a 1951 Hudson Hornet Club Coupé. Nevertheless, the similarities are obvious – the Hornet and Wasp briefly superseded the Commodore before the body style – which, surprisingly, was not a trendsetter – was dropped for the 1954 model year.
 
So, with my wife acting as Miss Tandy, I did my Hoke impersonation around the L’Ormarins estate and soon understood why FMM curator Wayne Harley is enthusiastic about the car. Tipping the scales at just over 1 600 kg, the Hudson is no sprinter but the motor feels – and is – strong. Thankfully, the big wheel is not too heavy to twirl when manoeuvring but such bulk needs consideration when pressing on along twisty roads. For sure, roll is hardly evident and looking through the split windscreen, the car exudes a kind of majesty when cruising along, the shallow windows adding an air of mystique to outsiders looking to see who is driving – and being driven.  

“What you say, Miss Daisy?”
“Did you have the air-conditioning checked? I told you to have the air-conditioning checked.”
“I had the air-conditioning checked. I don't know what for. You never allow me to turn it on.”
“Hush up!”
Great movie. Great car. MM

WHALES AND WHEELS

This year’s Whales and Wheels Classic Car Show will be held in the Hermanus Primary School grounds on Saturday 3 October. As part of the annual Whale Festival in the coastal town, the show will once again feature a mix of vehicles from years past together with a model car display and, for the first time, a ‘live’ model railway. Admission price is R20, under 12s free, while participants and passengers also enter for free. For further information e-mail Piet Haumann at haumannonrus@gmail.com or phone 072 488 5741. MM

CAPE MOTORING HISTORY BOOK

Cape motoring history book
Museum sales of Derek Stuart-Findlay’s book Our Intrepid Cape Motoring Pioneers, featured in last month’s newsletter, are going well. Copies of this well-researched and entertaining tome can be obtained from FMM or direct from the author at dsfindlay@telkomsa.net. The 183-page A4-sized hard cover book costs R250. MM

EXHAUST BLIPS

In the August/September issue of Classic & Performance Car Africa magazine there are features on FMM’s ex-Equipe Nationale Belge Jaguar D-Type that finished fourth in the 1956 and 1957 Le Mans 24-Hour races, as well as the 1928 Ford Model A Phaeton.

DATES TO DIARISE:

 

August 29: Extreme Festival races Rnd 6, Dezzi Raceway, Port Shepstone
August 30: 33rd BMW Concours d’Elegance. Montecasino Outdoor Piazza

September 5: Power Series races Rnd 7, Killarney
September 5-6: Wheels at the Vaal Show, North West University, Vanderbijlpark
September 11-13: OFSVCC Rendezvous Tour
September 12: SCC Spring Trophy races, Kyalami
September 19: Historics races Rnd 6, Zwartkops
September 19: Circuit races, Scribante Raceway, PLZ
September 20: Oily Rag Run, FMM
September 20: British Car Clubs’ Fun Run, Cape Town
September 20: Piston Ring Autojumble, Modderfontein
September 24: SAVVA National ‘Drive It’ Day

October 3: Whales and Wheels Classic Car Show, Hermanus
October 5-8: SAVVA National Tour, Queenstown
October 10: Historic races, Phakisa
October 17: Regional races, Scribante Raceway, PLZ
October 17: Inland Championship Rnd 7, Zwartkops
October 17: GT Supercup, Phakisa
October 17-18: Prince Alfred Hamlet Car Show
October 17-18: Volvo National Saamtrek, Forever Resort, Gariep
October 18: Bikers4Bandanas, Killarney
October 24: Extreme Races Rnd 7, Killarney
October 25: Studebaker Smuts House Show, Irene
October 30: Lowveld Classic Ford day, I’Langa Mall, Nelspruit


(Clubs and organisations are invited to send details of upcoming events to mike4m@telkomsa.net for inclusion in Exhaust Blips.)

WHERE, WHAT TIMES
AND HOW MUCH

The Franschhoek Motor Museum is situated on the L’Ormarins Estate along the R45 in the Franschhoek Valley in the Western Cape.

The opening hours are Monday to Friday 10h00 to 17h00 (last admittance 16h00), Saturday and Sunday 10h00 to 16h00 (last admittance 15h00), and the museum is open on most public holidays

Admission prices are R60 adults, R50 pensioners, R30 children. An on-site delicatessen offers refreshments and A Rupert Wines can be enjoyed.
View cars currently on display.
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Newsletter text by Mike Monk.

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