The annual Moulton Bicycle Club weekend gathering took place at the Hall in Bradford-on-Avon between 29th-31st August 2014, writes Guy Vincent.
The Hall is the home of the late Dr. Alex Moulton and where the Moulton Bicycle Company continues to produce his bespoke range of cycles. This year the trustees of The Hall Estate and the bicycle company’s Technical Director, Dan Farrell, in conjunction with well-known car enthusiast, Allegro Club International Chairman and Bradford boy, Paul Vincent, organised guided tours of Dr. Moulton’s former HQ.
A display of vehicles fitted with Hydrolastic and Hydragas suspension systems designed and engineered by Dr Moulton appeared in the car park, three of which were making a nostalgic return to Bradford-on-Avon as they were owned by Alex Moulton from new until his death in December 2012. The full list of cars present was as follows:
1) 1966 Morris Mini Cooper S GMR135D (with Downton conversion) owned by Alex Moulton for 46 years and now residing in Buckinghamshire; 2) 1967 Morris 1100 Saloon FTK943E from Leicestershire; 3) 1970 Austin 3 Litre Saloon WTB511H from Shropshire; 4) 1972 Austin Maxi 1500 Saloon KPG292K from Surrey; 5) 1973 Wolseley Six Saloon MUC300L from Bristol; 6) 1981 Austin Mini Metro 1.3S HHR499W (formerly owned by Alex Moulton) now owned by Paul Vincent in Leicestershire; 7) 1981 Austin Allegro 3 1.3 HL RPH977X from Surrey; 8) 1996 Rover 100 Knightsbridge Saloon N743MMW (Alex Moulton’s 3rd car) from Somerset and finally 9) 2001 MGF M44RAG from Warwickshire.
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Some of the presenters of the car drive past were ex- design BL studio stylists, and regaled the audience with several interesting un-published anecdotes regarding tussles andd rifts with the cells and studios.
The men in charge were not known for smiles and humour, many moved on at short notice, therefore changes of direction were a-plenty, successive managers stamping out those from before forcing in their own particular tastes, however good or bad.
The mocked and parodied Allegro Quartic wheel, at the insistence of a manager, being rather “plump” he could not fit underneath a conventional wheel.
THe styling of the Allegro estate, said to be the least favoured of thedrawing board options, a persoanality clash from above led to its final selection over others.
The Metro, over wide and bloated relative to wheel size and track, the sides were retooled (inflated) late in the game to take out the austerity of the car.
The SD1, somewhat compromised for headroom, dismissed by “does anyone ever sit in the back of a Rover”?
An incisive statement deleivered by a presenter, the company was led by Engineers and yet the cars were crucified by their engineering faults, gearboxes (the Maxi) etc