Glenlude Motor Car Hill Climbing Competition

Saturday 14th June 1902

MOTOR CAR HILL CLIMBING

COMPETITION

 

The Scottish Automobile Club held a hill climbing competition on Saturday at Glenlude Hill (Paddy Slacks), about 4½  miles south of Innerleithen on the St. Mary's Loch' Road. The cars from the Eastern Section assembled in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh at ten o'clock for the run to Innerleithen, where they were joined by the Western section cars. The gradient was one in seventeen.  In the competition each car, which was required to carry its full complement of passengers, including an official observer, had to mount the measured mile on the hill twice. The vehicles competing were divided into two classes, namely, those with one cylinder, and those with two cylinders.  Eleven cars left Charlotte Square shortly after ten o'clock, at which time the weather though dull was favourable enough.

 

The turnout comprised an interesting variety of vehicles, from the commodious car of the waggonette type, to the smart landautte and Victoria.  The assembly and despatch of the cars attracted a good deal of attention. The following were the results: - Two cylinder cars -  1,  J. H. Paterson,  Aberdeen,  double phaeton Peugeot, 8 h.p.  4 seats, 3 mins. 10 secs;.   2, ,J. W. Hunter, Edinburgh, Daimler 10 h.p. 4 seats, 3 mins. 20 secs.;  3,  W. Hunter, Edinburgh, Gobron Brille, 10 h.p. 4 seats, 4 mins. 25 secs.   One cylinder cars  -  1, Alexander Govan, Glasgow,  Argyll voiturette,   8 h.p. 2 seats, 2 mins. 39 ,secs.;  2, W. L.  Sleigh, Edinburgh, Argyll, 8 h.p. 4 seats, 5 mins. 12. secs. ;   3, do., Waverley, 9 h.p., 4 seats, 5 mins, 27 secs,

 

One of the cars returned to Edinburgh in 56 minutes from Peebles in Spite of the fact that the many long hills had to be descended very slowly as only one brake was working.   The Lord Justice-Clerk made a non-stop run between the scene of the trials and Edinburgh on both journeys of 34 miles. Mr J. Paterson's car, which came out so well in the competition, had travelled by road all the way from Aberdeen with a load of passengers, and that of Mr R. J. Smith, C.A., the secretary of the western section of the S.A.C left late in the afternoon on an Argyll car for Troon - a distance of about 85 miles.

 

St Ronan's Standard  Wednesday 18th June 1902  Published by E Smail & Sons,  Innerleithen