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The pages linked from this page have some information on the earlier BTCC with the 850 and the S40 and are kept for historic reference, and details of previous and current club motorsport events.

Current club motorsport reports and information are now incorporated in our club magazine, Volvo Driver, and are available in PDF format and will be made available here soon.

17 August 1996, Castle Combe Racing Circuit

FOR ANYONE INTERESTED in motoring, motor sport and this type of car - the atmosphere . . . noise. . . kaleidoscope of colour are jusst some of the things missed by not attending the CLASSIC AND SPORTSCAR ACTION DAY which was held at the Castle Combe racing circuit on Saturday 17 August. Again there was an excellent response from Club Members. Whilst unfortunately both Tim Johnston from West Yorkshire and Keith Wilson - Bath, (PV Register Keeper) were unable to attend in their PV's, with 4 Amazons, a P1800, 140, 360 and 240GLT's together with a Morgan, service van, friends and also VOC Members from the "other" Swedish car - the Saab Owners Club on the next stand who could complain?

Members and cars attending were John Dando - Bristol (Chairman of The Tavern Motor Club), Dr Raj Karkera - Ringwood and myself with rally prepared Amazons, Raymond Mason - Painswick, Gloucs with his immaculate Amazon estate, Nigel Keen (P1800 register keeper) with his model, Tony Miles - Salisbury, 140 (PV suffered mechanical maladies which he couldn't rectify in time) - the first occasion in four years that the car hasn't flown around the track! Philip Bacon from Bracknell - 360GLT and Ged Andrew - Poole with his 240GLT. Saabs included Nigel Bailey's model 96 (also VOC Member) plus others from the same era and more recent 900/9000/turbo models and a lovely Saab Sonnet sports cars - now quite rare. Also joining us were Frank Datson and Howard Judd in a Morgan and friends from the Triumph Dolomite Club.

The event attracted 5,000 people, 80 club stands and approximately 700 vehicles on display mainly covering the 60's and 70's era. (Organiser's figures) Visitors were able to get close to the vehicles and to ask questions to owners. The energetic walked to Quarry corner, - the most interesting, with many big "moments" by the tyre marks on (and off!) the track. Those attending are already looking forward to 1997's event. As Nigel Keen said, there must be other P1800 owners who would enjoy this type of event - where are you? PV's, but for the various troubles would otherwise be well represented with the Amazon outnumbering the other models each year.

My thanks to all members attending and to the event organisers and sponsors who are to be congratulated for another superb day. On behalf of those attending I would also like to thank Gareth Hughes - ace mechanic and now Amazon and Dolomite expert for his help and assistance. Knowing that we will have the tools and expertise to resolve most problems during the day is reassuring to all attending. John Griffiths

Competition Volvos

THE VOLVO OWNERS Club have an invitation for a Speed Hill Climb at Wiscombe Park in Devon for May 1996. Come on you sporting Volvo owners-come to South Devon and show what your car can do! It has been my ambition to create a little sporting competition in the VOC and, to this end, I think we can arrange for up to 10 cars to compete at Wiscombe Park. For those who do not know it, Wiscombe Park is set in the grounds of a country house near Honiton in Devon and is a tarmac 1000 yard climb which includes two hairpin bends. The event to which we will be invited will be run by the 500 Owners Association, and to those members not as ancient as me, 500's were the small motor cycle engined racing cars that were developed just after the War. Stirling Moss started his racing in a car of this type and, believe me, the owners still compete with just as much enthusiasm as ever. I can promise any entrant a good day out. Perhaps I had better explain to would be entrants what would be involved. The car would enter the road going class and, as such would have to comply with certain safety regulations. The ignition switch would need a clear on/off label-there should be a fireproof bulkhead between the fuel tank and the passenger compartment (not a problem on a Volvo)-and have a timing strut fitted to the front of the car. a competition licence would be needed from the RAC £28-a crash helmet to the correct grade approx £70- and some overalls to the correct grade approx £50 upward and an entry fee of approx £50. You would get two timed practice runs up the hill in the morning and then a further two timed runs in the afternoon. To arrange the prizes-the winner/winners would be decided on the best percentage improvement on their timed runs over their practice runs. So come on - LET'S BE HEARING FROM YOU Any problems contact me, Keith Wilson PV Registrar

Autocross

TO THOSE OF you who are not as ancient as me, I had better explain about the motoring event I took part back in October in my Volvo PV 544. It was called an Autocross. This type of event was very popular in the 1960s and 70s and consisted basically of racing around a reasonably flat large field on which a circuit was laid out by means of markers. Cars started two abreast and you raced against the clock. Regrettably it is a sport that is nothing like as popular as it was, being taken over by Rallycross and Autograss-both of these being totally different 'animals' to Autocross - Rallycross being four abreast and a real "rough and tumble". I only ever did one never again ! Autocross, however, is different, being to my mind the basic clubmen's motor sport. It was 30 years since the John Players sponsored the first National Autocross Championship and Jeff Williamson, one of the original competitors, thought it would be a good idea to have a Re-Union. It was held at Thoresby Hall near Retford in Nottinghamshire, as was the first actual Final all those years ago.

To explain there were various regions in which one registered to compete and after approx six rounds there was an area final and then the actual Final, to decide the class winners and overall Champion. It was a marvelous concept. I took a look up in our loft and discovered all my old printed results and a few Trophies. And you could win some money, £6 it was for a class win in those days and that almost paid for the weekend. I remember events with over 100 cars competing and over 5000 spectators. I used to compete in a Mk 1 Sprite, the famous 'frog eye' type and somehow managed to get to the Finals in 1967,1968 and 1969. To return to the Re-Union, it was brilliant! On Saturday there was a Re-Union Dinner in the grounds of Thoresby Hall, during which old competitors could meet up again. I met people that I would have seen at most weekends during those Summers and have not seen since for 30 years. The event on Sunday was blessed with beautiful Autumn sunshine. The course was good, a fair number of people turned up to watch and all of us "old players" were taken back 30 years and despite of all those promises to each other 'that we were only here for a demonstration run' -we were all trying! My favourite memory was of a youthful 80 year old called Ron Easton, still driving his same TVR of all those years ago.

He drove up from Devon-no trailers for him and 'Boy' can he still drive! As we cannot wait for another 30 years for another reunion, we have asked Jeff Williamson to have another "do" in five years time. I, for one, can't wait. Did readers notice that in the RAC Historic Rally, run over some of the same stages as the modern RAC Rally, Stein Johnsen and Hans Sellbergs Volvo PV 544s came 5th and 6th out of an entry of 40 cars, 13 of which were Porsche 911s. Despite the fact that the stages were extremely slippery and therefore the Porsche drivers could not use their power advantage, I think that is brilliant. When asked how he did it, Stein Johnsen said it was easier for the Swedish drivers and that he used "traction control", in other words his right foot properly! There was a team of Volvo PV544 models on the recent Le Jog Lands End to John O'Groats runs-but as yet I do not know how they progressed.