The Generations Rally has proven to be a very popular early season draw and, next March we are very much looking forward to welcoming at least 50 crews to the start line on the shores of Lake Windermere.

Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, in-laws and soon to be in-laws will be thrown together for a weekend of fun, motorsport and a bit of Northern exposure to boot.

The Rally has attracted a great field of entrants with some exceptional cars as well, but it is the Frazer Nash company who are fielding the biggest team, with a total entry of nine. And, from this quirky, much loved but shortlived brand, six of them are chain driven models with the other three being the slightly more civilised BMW 328 variant.

Of this chain gang, no fewer than four are TT Replicas which were built from 1932 to 1938 and were the most numerous Nash’s to have come out of the Kingston Upon Thames works.

Founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922, the original company failed in 1927 but, a new company, AFN Limited, was created from the ashes.

They continued to produce Frazer Nash cars with the famous multi-chain transmission until the Second World War, whereafter they made another 85 vehicles before ending production totally in 1957. All of these post-war cars had conventional transmissions.

We spoke to a few of the Nash crews who have signed up for this inter-generational challenge and they gave us a few insights into what they’re bringing, why they’re bringing it and who they’ll be sharing the experience with.

Bill and Olivia Holroyd, 1932 Frazer Nash TT Rep’

Chassis number 2026 started life as a Tourer in 1931 and was raced at Brooklands by D.A. Aldington, part owner of the company. In 1933 it was re-bodied as a TT Rep and sold to Albert Tinker, a Yorkshireman who insisted that the new car be given the identity of the most famous works car of the time – MV 3742, chassis number 2065. It then lived a fairly easy life with another two owners before being acquired by Bill in June 2019. Bill says that “I love the quirkiness of the chain drive – and the car in general. It is a unique driving sensation”.

“We are using the TT for the Generations Rally because it is a short event and it should be great fun to really get to know the car. There is no roof, but hey it never rains in the Lakes!”

Patrick and James Blakeney-Edwards, 1928 Frazer Nash Saloon

If the Frazer Nash’s are something of a factory team, then it must fall to Patrick to be the team principal and director of engineering. Founder of his eponymous motorsport company, there’s not much Patrick doesn’t know about pre-war cars and Frazer Nash in particular.

He’ll be accompanied by his twelve year-old son James as navigator, who will be the youngest competitor on the start grid. According to his father, James is obsessed with cars. He’s surrounded by them and has learned to drive already, in an Austin 7, at the age of 8. “We’ve done some VSCC events already and he’s fiercely competitive and can get really cross when things go wrong. His first rally though will be a step up for him with a defined role and serious responsibilities to deal with”.

“What could be more fun however than spending three days with your son in this sort of environment, although I can’t imagine the amount of times he’ll say that the notes are wrong and we may even spend some time following the other crews”.

It’s certainly not going to be an easy ride for him and after a hard day on the road, Patrick expects him to muck in every evening with the spanner checks and maintenance tasks.

“Luckily he likes maps, geography the company of adults, and handbrake turns”.

Craig and Cosmo McWilliam, Frazer Nash Super Sports

The records show that there were maybe 115 Super Sports built between 1924 and 1929 and chassis number 1139 was built at the Kingston Works in July 1927, it was described as three-seater Super Sports and given the registration PK3764.

Whilst the car itself is a veteran of many an event, its owner, Craig McWilliam only “bought it two years ago – so I’m a newbie to the Nash world (though I have had vintage cars for quite a few years).”

“My “other car” for example is a 1926 Twincam Sunbeam super sports – a lovely car but my wife doesn’t want to drive it as it’s too big. So we got the Nash – sporty, light, easier to drive, a great club and also fun to slide round corners”.

“Our car is a 1927 Anzani powered Super Sports – so a proper vintage Nash. It’s a well-known original car, with some well-known club luminaries as owners in the past. Many of these people used the car for very strenuous rallies – so I am really hoping it will be good enough to get up these Lakeland hills – should be better than the Sunbeam up the narrow twisties!”

“The car went into the garage with a broken starter motor last December – and we had a terrible attack of the “whilst we are here’s!” Anyway – the chassis is back together and the body is back on now and it should go off for painting soon… “

“My son, Cosmo, is coming with me – he will have recently turned 17 so I keep telling him he could take the wheel for a bit… He prefers moderns!”

Maybe after a few days with this little cracker though he’ll change his mind?

Theo and Olivia Hunt, 1933 Frazer Nash TT Rep’

Theo is no stranger to this car and revels in its nimble handling and effortless acceleration. He’s also a student of mechanical engineering so was more than happy to wax lyrical about the darker, and more oily parts of his Nash.

“It is an original meadows powered car with a wide type Elkington body. Not much is known about its pre-war activities, however it was recorded that it started life as a blue and white car, which is terrible to think about.

“We have owned AMF since 2011, which may not seem like a long time but is almost half my life and, ever since we bought it I have always had a fascination with everything about it. I can vividly remember the first time I drove it at the age of 15 around Goodwood Motor Circuit, (a pretty special place to fall in love with a car)”.

“There are so many special things about Frazer Nash cars which make their owners adore them, however, the most important is the way that the cars drive. Pre-war Nash’s have a weird and wonderful transmission which combines to make the most magical driving experience”.

He continues “the rear axle of a Frazer Nash is solid, no differential, this leading to the most ludicrous handling characteristics. As a Nash driver you will find yourself with an arm full of opposite lock around most corners when travelling at speed, and you are always pleasantly surprised how the low ratio steering allows these slides to be caught and controlled rapidly. The steering is a ¾ turn, lock to lock. The transmission, combined with the lightweight nature of these cars means that it can change direction on a six-pence and will always ensure big smiles when drifted around a race track or a quiet village roundabout.

“Given the opportunity I would drive them everyday. For rallies in the UK they are unbeatable, I can guarantee that the driver smiling the most at the end of the day will be clambering out of a Nash, gasping for a pint and desperately stretching their sore back. They may not be the most comfortable, or the most powerful, but they are the most fun and can be darn fast when they need to be. Being a Nash owner also means being a Nash mechanic and, a tinker in the evenings is an occupational hazard.

I will most certainly be wandering around the car park in the evenings offering a hand where I can; as long as I’ve completed all my post thrashing checks first!”

I cannot wait to shock my mother, Olivia. But, I’m sure that she will try and give me some stern words beforehand, and then her competitive streak will come through along with cries of FASTER FASTER!

I hope that there will be a proper Chain Gang spirit during the Generations Rally and I’m so excited for an awesome rally, and the premise of it is brilliant!”

Martin and Georgemma Hunt, 1937 Frazer Nash-BMW 328

Martin has campaigned this car far and wide and is no stranger to the challenges of a rally in a small open car. Daughter Georgie however is a relative newcomer.

“The Frazer Nash-BMW has been our rally car of choice for short events for the last five or six years. In addition it occasionally comes out to circuits for pre-war events. The car was unbelievably ahead of its years when it was built in 1937. Obviously it was built in Germany by BMW, but it was one of the 48 or so right-hand drive examples which were imported into the UK by Frazer Nash. It still has its original six cylinder, 2 litre BMW engine, which makes the most glorious noise, sounding more like a Cooper Bristol than a pre-war BMW! It’s an incredibly nimble car, and really quite easy to drive, without the need for the tricky double declutching that is required in most pre-war cars. It doesn’t have a huge amount of luggage space, so it’s ideal for an event like the Generations Rally, which is a hub and spoke event, without the need to transport luggage in the vehicle.

I will have my daughter Georgie in my car, who has never done any motor events before and says she is not going to try and compete with her brother and mother…that’s going to lead to an interesting dynamic because given (her mother) Olivia’s navigational skills and competitive nature, I reckon that they might do quite well in this rally!”

Rory and Diana Henderson, 1939 Frazer Nash-BMW 328

Rory is tackling the Generations Rally with his mother, Diana, in the family’s Frazer Nash-BMW 328, which is no stranger to rallying as it claimed outright victory in the 1939 RAC Rally, driven by AFP Fane.

Rory says “for the Generations Rally, I have been allowed behind the wheel under strict instructions to obey my navigators’ orders! Having previously rallied a Bentley with my fiancé Anastasia, I’m looking forward to tackling the various routes in something slightly smaller and nimbler”.

“My father Gavin is swapping the 328 for the Bentley, with Anastasia as his navigator, so we are all looking forward to some friendly family rivalry along the way!”

Taking advantage of the fact that Italy was at the time on the UK’s “Green List”, Jim Smith and I flew to Milan in mid-September to recce the high roads of Northern Italy that will soon be closed by snow.

Carrera Italia starts and finishes in Sanremo, but we picked up the route in Piedmont at a splendid international kart circuit that will host the first test on the second day. From there we headed north through the provincial capital of Biella and into the Alps. The roads tuned out to be virtually deserted and very twisty, the way we like them. The area felt surprisingly remote with lots of sheep and goats in the swirling mist and low cloud. We found a couple of great regularities, before a lunch halt in a rural farm.

After lunch we headed east towards the Italian lakes. After a final regularity we found a lovely lakeside setting for the end of day Time Control. Crews can linger here as long as they like, before 65 kilometres of mostly highway to Como, and a really picturesque drive along the lakeshore to our wonderful overnight hotel. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo is luxuriously beautiful and has wonderful views over the lake, while being one of the best run establishments it has ever been my pleasure to experience.

The next morning, we had to tear ourselves away from the breakfast terrace and get back on the road. After leaving Lake Como we found an interesting regularity, with a lot of hairpin bends to give the drivers a workout first thing in the morning. The main road east was less interesting for 40 kilometres, so on the next recce we will investigate some of the minor parallel routes. Then, in an instant we were in beautiful hills again with a great choice of roads. We found a splendid regularity through mountain farmland. All of the cows at the side of the road had bells around their necks and the sound was tremendous in the beautiful surroundings.

Looking for a coffee stop in Edolo, we chose the Touring Hotel at random. It was a lucky call because Simone, the proprietor, is a great fan of old cars and was immediately talking about reserving parking in the town square and wondering why we couldn’t stay for lunch.  However, that was because we had the mighty Gavia Pass ahead and on the day it was only open from 12h00 to 13h00 due to roadworks. The road climbs above the tree-line to 2621 metres above sea level. There is a typical mountain restaurant where we can catch our breath and have a simple lunch.

After the descent to Bormio, we began the climb of the most famous Pass of all, the Stelvio. With its fame of course comes more tourist traffic than we experienced anywhere else, so the timing will be accordingly slack. It is a spectacular road however, especially the never-ending series of hairpin bends on the descent. We did investigate a potential regularity in the orchards of the Venosta Valley and we are awaiting permission to use the roads. From there it was main road all the way to Bolzano and the rally’s five-star hotel in the city centre. 

After a quick inspection Jim and I carried on and were quickly into the Dolomites, where we were spoilt for choice of interesting roads. Our overnight stop was planned to be a rally lunch halt but during dinner it became apparent that would not be the case…..

Bright and early the next morning we were motoring again with a mid-morning, hotel inspection at our spectacularly situated hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Then onwards to drive what should be the most splendid day of the entire event, the Dolomite Loop. The entire day comprises a multitude of mind-blowingly wonderful scenery and tremendous roads. The day will end in a wonderful mountain top restaurant from where competitors will return to Cortina in free time.

From Cortina Jim and I headed to Venice Airport and home. It was a wonderful four days, although we were left wondering how such a beautiful area ended up giving its name to the Ford Cortina and the Triumph Dolomite……..

We look forward to completing the rest of the recce as soon as travel plans allow, and look forward even more to seeing those of you who are joining us in Sanremo in less than 12 months’ time!

Just over 20 weeks since coming home from the Southern Cross Safari, Jim Smith and I went abroad again in one of Rally the Globe’s Toyota Hi-Lux. Our destination? Ypres in Belgium, where our rally to Istanbul will begin in June 2022.

Leaving Surrey for the first time in five months was exciting enough, never mind catching a ferry to continental Europe. We were fully equipped with face masks, hand-gel and a determination not to catch the virus. Ypres was comforting; social distancing well observed by all but it was bliss to sit at a table outside a restaurant in the town square eating moules frites with a glass of local beer.

First thing Tuesday morning we hit the road to prepare the initial stage of the event, a 190-kilometre loop involving a number of potential regularity sections and a couple of tests. The organisers of the Ypres rally, soon to be a round of the World Championship, made our task easier by supplying us with a road book of the region’s “greatest hits” many of which I had competed on with the great Tony Pond 40 years ago.

Highlights of the day were a terrific lunch halt for the event on the rooftop of a brewery, a test along the promenade in a seaside resort and lots of tricky regularities through the fields of Flanders.

Next morning, we said goodbye to the Flemish speaking region after another regularity and a test through a town centre (things are different in Belgium!) before a relatively short highway section. We found a couple of interesting sections where we least expected it, before the beautiful countryside of Wallonia, the French-speaking area, opened up. The event lunch will be taken in a beautiful old farm right on the French border but we didn’t have time to spare and headed on, direction Chimay. That town will be known to ale aficionados for its local Trappist beers but motor racing fans know it only for its ultra-fast road circuit. We have been offered a mixture of gravel tracks and closed public roads for a pair of tests that will be one of the highlights of the event. An international karting circuit and two great regularities took us to our brand-new, excellent hotel in Remouchamps near Spa.

If our continuing negotiations are successful, it will be a very early start for the competitors as they will have a test with a difference first thing. We continued into the Ardennes for a test at a driving centre before entering the German speaking part of the country (it’s complicated in Belgium!). The final regularity in that country was found for us by Joseph Lambert, a former FIA Regularity Navigator Champion. Twisting through deserted minor forest roads it had Jim and me laughing out loud at times. Great fun will be had and there will be a lot to talk about at the morning coffee stop on the German frontier.

The afternoon saw us in the Eifel and our friends from the annual Rally Festival held there offered to close a public road for a twisty asphalt hill-climb test. It seemed rude not to accept. Then across the picturesque Moselle River, a short but twisty regularity before our hotel perched above the River Rhine. We hope to be on time to take our competitors and team for a late-afternoon river cruise – with drinks of course.

Jim and I started Friday morning with a 65-kilometre main road run to circumnavigate the city of Koblenz. However, since returning home our German fixer has found a local motor club with some forest and asphalt roads so we may have a couple of tests straight after breakfast. A splendid kart track was made even better when the owner agreed we could continue the test there by exiting onto a gravel road. A first surely.

In Schotten, where motorcycle Grand Prix were held on the public roads in the 1950s, we called in on Rainer Hainbach, 1978 & 1979 German Rally Champion. He pointed us towards a complex about 40 kilometres away where the enthusiastic owner has a good collection of old rally cars, but more importantly a splendid rallycross-type track to drive them on. We will have a test before and after a hearty local-style lunch. Crossing into the former East Germany we plan a Time Control at the Eisenach Motor Works where BMWs were built before the war and EMWs thereafter. A fascinating place to end the day before a run in free time into the wonderful city of Weimar and the splendid Hotel Elephant.

Saturday morning saw us heading for the Czech Republic but not before a short test or two. Once over the border an early lunch will be taken. Different food and different surroundings. From there it’s into the hills for most of the day with great regularities on deserted roads. Our hotel is in the centre of Prague and there is a lot to see and do in that great city.

After a Sunday spent collating notes and checking maps we headed off into the Monday morning rush hour. Not a great idea so the route for the rally has been completely revised using Mark Appleton’s knowledge of the area from previous events. Deep in Bohemia we found great roads for regularities and at least four surprising tests. We ended the day in Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO Heritage site, but our preferred hotel wasn’t up to scratch so an alternative is actively being searched.

Pavel Kacerovsky, our Czech helper suggested some great forest roads to us and promises us a special treat as we cross into Austria on a minor gravel road. For Jim and me it was a trip to the Autobahn at Linz and a dash for the Channel and home. Our timing was good because only a couple of weeks later we would have been forced to quarantine, although I’m happy to say that a few weeks after our return we are both totally symptom free.

We can’t wait to get back on the road and do the full route from Ypres to Istanbul sometime in the Autumn, conditions willing.

Hope you can join us in June 2022!