I’ve had a thing for British trials since first reading about them in the 1960s. In a nutshell, it’s driving century old cars on grueling “roads”, often wet, and always steep and slippery. I love seeing old machinery still being pushed hard, and the Brits have a real love for doing this.
There’s gobs of these videos on Youtube; these two or three are just some recent ones that were offered to me. The first is of the larger cars, including a number of Ford Model A’s. The second one is of the little cars, most of them 750cc Austin 7s. It becomes pretty easy to predict who will make it through these tough sections: those that push their cars really hard.
Here’s the small cars.
I was aware of this sport from the several old British car books I got as a kid but it never occurred to me that it was ongoing let alone on YouTube. Thanks for posting. It just shows that low gearing, skinny tires, and especially enthusiasm, can almost make up for lack of 4wd or any other kinds of traction aids. And it’s great to see people not afraid of breaking their old cars, or at least not concerned about getting them dirty. Only in England, I suspect.
A morbidly obese companion seems to be useful.
I think that the cars AND their passengers were put through grueling trial. Can you hear the car after this trial looking at its owner, “What the hell did I do to you that you took me through this?”
No doubt, after these trials (and tribulations), the motorists gathered at a charming inn for a hearty meal and much whiskey. The cars, meanwhile, were left out in the mist to cool off and to utter awful things out of their exhaust pipes at their masters.
One Riley was effusing steam from the radiator cap, but the driver continued to get the poor Riley out of the mud.
Ad in a personals column in the U.K. “1929 Model A seeks new owner.”
Interesting. Never having been aware of this activity before, I have to ask if the enthusiastic bouncing of passengers in the rear seat actually helps with traction, or is it just…enthusiasm?
I guess I am more of a simpleton. I think I would have more fun on that trail in my 1994 Toyota 4WD pickup.
Here’s a video about the 2013 Hereford Trials meeting which attempts to explain what is going on.
Thanks for that video.
I am quite enamored of the host.
Even better once she starts driving in her fur vest.
“In girly terms, when you put your foot down, these stretch, right?” 🙂
The rules say that cars must have an operational differential, and they’re excluded if they don’t pass a (one wheel) roller test of the differential, but I saw no evidence of anyone running an open differential in the video that I posted. I wonder how they all pull that off?
This was fun to watch.
The types of terrain / environment in the first video (I still need to watch the second) is not the far off from how many roads were – at least in the United States – when these cars were new. At least with the Model A, this was what many owners put them through. Given the passage of nearly a century most would not dream of using their cars like this, but it’s not like these cars are being tasked with something outside their wheelhouse.
Kudos to the British for doing this. The appeal is obvious and it really separates the good drivers from the less good drivers.
Yes, thes were simply being used as they were designed to be .
I used to drive my various ‘A’ model Fords like this, unrestored beaters .
Notice all that went through in one go kept the speed and RPM’s up ~ that last up hill with sharp left turn was designed for you to floor it and drift the back end of the car ’round the bend .
I’d have loved to do this in a Doodlebug .
-Nate
Watching those videos at double speed is good for a laugh. Reminds me of the Benny Hill Show sped up chase scenes without the Yakety Sax.
One is tempted to say that only the English could think that sitting in the mud, and rain, in winter, to watch a car not get up a hill is a jolly good show, but no, the silly hats and headlight brows and such make it clear this is done in good spirit. Personally, glad to be watching on you tube, mind.
On consideration, it’s no sillier than most forms of motorsport: people attend drifting competitions, after all, and consider being deafened by screeching and choked by burnt rubber to be a fine night’s entertainment.
My dear departed mum, who hadn’t the slightest interest in things vehicular, would see me watching motor-racing, and ask why I didn’t just go down the local major road and stare at that.