The Singer Car Centenary Celebration
Press Reports
1 - The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald
They say you could hear the roar of the engines ten miles away on race days at Brooklands - and in the era before the First World War a legendary Coventry marque was often among the leading cars.
Last weekend at Stoneleigh Abbey, some of the atmosphere of Brooklands - and memories of immortal drivers like John Cobb, Malcolm Campbell, Henry Seagrave and Count Louis Zborowski - were recaptured.
The district trembled and vibrated to the crescendo of four and six cylinder engines with side valves, overhead valves and overhead camshafts being revved up.
More than 200 Singer cars congregated from all over the world - the largest gathering ever of these machines - to celebrate the centenary of the marque. The city of Coventry was the centre of Singer car production in Canterbury Street in the first half of the 20th century.
The marque’s founder, George Singer, is one of the fathers of the British motor industry. Among the special guests who assembled for the anniversary was Diana Richardson, of Leek Wooton, the grand-daughter of the legendary Edward Bullock, who as managing director, steered Singer through its most triumphant production years in the 1920s and 1930s.
Cars that once led the field at Brooklands
Vehicles on display included Singer cycles, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Predominant interest focused on Singer cars from the earliest veteran and vintage periods, the full range of Singer Sports and Saloon cars from the 1930s, post-war Saloon and Roadsters, and the classic Singer cars of the 1960s - Gazelle, Vogue and Chamois.
Special attention was paid to:
· A 1907 12/14hp Singer, believed to be the oldest surviving car of its type in the UK
· A motor-wheel tricycle.
· A unique display of Singer manufactured tractors
· A special display of Singer competition cars from the period.
The weekend’s activities were organised by the Singer Owners’ Club with the help and support of the Association of Singer Car Owners and similar clubs from the USA (& Canada - Ed.) , Australia, New Zealand and
Holland. The event on Sunday was the highlight of a full three days of events and visits in and around the Coventry area. Among the enthusiasts taking part was South Warwickshire businessman John Taylor, whose Singer RU 3845 is a familiar participant in vintage rallies. The 1926 10/26 four-seater deluxe tourer has travelled to North Wales, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man on several occasions with the Midlands Vehicle Preservation Society. Mr Taylor has also been behind the wheel of his beloved Singer at Vintage Sports Car Club events at Shelsey Walsh, Prescott, Silverstone, Donnington and Mallory Park.
He told the Herald: “Alex Issigonis [the designer of the Mini] raced one at Brooklands and was doing quite well - then got disqualified for overtaking at a banned area which turned out to be an area of circuit under repair!” The pre-First World War Singer 10, a two-seater with a channel-steel chassis, four-cylinder engine and a gearbox incorporated in the back axle, made a sensational debut at Brooklands, where up to the eve of hostilities, it captured all the one to nine hours track records for the under 1100cc class.The golden days returned in the 1930s when Singer officially re-entered the competition world in the 1½ -litre sports car categories competing at Le Mans - and venues such as the tourist Trophy Races at the Ards Circuit in Northern Ireland. Here Singer would do battle with legendary marques such as the Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Lea-Francis, Frazer-Nash, Talbot and Delahaye and MG Midget.
In the 1934-5 season, over a thousand privately owned Singers took part in competitions, winning 700 premium awards.