RAC Motor Sport members Badge
Discussion
This is probably a long shot but ....
I have acquired an old RAC Motor Sport Members badge. I believe it dates from somewhere between 1955 and the mid sixties
My understanding is that these were issued to members who had competition licences and/or were directly involved in motorsport.
The badges were individually numbered as they were issued. The number is on the rear of the badge and is quite distinct on my example.
I'm trying to find out who the badge was originally issued to. I've approached the RAC , but disappointingly they no longer hold the records.
Any ideas ?
Picture of a similar badge below.
I have acquired an old RAC Motor Sport Members badge. I believe it dates from somewhere between 1955 and the mid sixties
My understanding is that these were issued to members who had competition licences and/or were directly involved in motorsport.
The badges were individually numbered as they were issued. The number is on the rear of the badge and is quite distinct on my example.
I'm trying to find out who the badge was originally issued to. I've approached the RAC , but disappointingly they no longer hold the records.
Any ideas ?
Picture of a similar badge below.
mph said:
I have acquired an old RAC Motor Sport Members badge. I believe it dates from somewhere between 1955 and the mid sixties
My understanding is that these were issued to members who had competition licences and/or were directly involved in motorsport.
That was in the days before the RAC split up. There were Full Members who had the use of the Pall Mall HQ and the Country Clubhouse and we who just wanted the roadside help were Associate Members. The RAC Competitions Department controlled and authorised motor sport and issued us with Competition Licences.My understanding is that these were issued to members who had competition licences and/or were directly involved in motorsport.
I think I could have had a badge like yours as a Comp. Licence holding Associate Member, but didn't think it worth the 7/6d (or so) price.
Allan L said:
That was in the days before the RAC split up. There were Full Members who had the use of the Pall Mall HQ and the Country Clubhouse and we who just wanted the roadside help were Associate Members. The RAC Competitions Department controlled and authorised motor sport and issued us with Competition Licences.
I think I could have had a badge like yours as a Comp. Licence holding Associate Member, but didn't think it worth the 7/6d (or so) price.
That's very interesting, thanks.I think I could have had a badge like yours as a Comp. Licence holding Associate Member, but didn't think it worth the 7/6d (or so) price.
I'm still amazed that the RAC haven't retained these historic records. What a shame.
Have you asked the Royal Automobile Club itself, or the (RAC-) MSA?
Once the Competitions Department was detached from the Pall Mall HQ and established in Belgrave Square it became pretty independent and once they set up in Colnbrook there's almost no memory of the RAC origin. However all Competition records should be held by MSA and, if they don't know, one could mutter about poor service to the sport they control.
Once the Competitions Department was detached from the Pall Mall HQ and established in Belgrave Square it became pretty independent and once they set up in Colnbrook there's almost no memory of the RAC origin. However all Competition records should be held by MSA and, if they don't know, one could mutter about poor service to the sport they control.
Many thanks for the helpful info gents. The current status is :-
I initially emailed "Heritage" at the RAC. I received a pleasant reply from the club librarian regretting that they no longer have the register for these badges, but offering to date the badge if I send him an image.
I've gone back to him asking if he knows another avenue I could explore and await his reply. I'm not optimistic as I feel he would have given that info in the first instance.
I've also contacted the MSA and received a reply to the effect that they don't hold any such historical records and suggesting I contact the RAC !
I'm surprised that historical records have been "lost". The RAC have a unique responsibility to preserve our motor sport history.
My own car is alleged to have been officially timed by the RAC in the 0-100-0 category. Given my recent experience I'm not at all optimistic I can verify that now.
I initially emailed "Heritage" at the RAC. I received a pleasant reply from the club librarian regretting that they no longer have the register for these badges, but offering to date the badge if I send him an image.
I've gone back to him asking if he knows another avenue I could explore and await his reply. I'm not optimistic as I feel he would have given that info in the first instance.
I've also contacted the MSA and received a reply to the effect that they don't hold any such historical records and suggesting I contact the RAC !
I'm surprised that historical records have been "lost". The RAC have a unique responsibility to preserve our motor sport history.
My own car is alleged to have been officially timed by the RAC in the 0-100-0 category. Given my recent experience I'm not at all optimistic I can verify that now.
In my experience they do not know exactly what they have squirrelled away - an important set of papers relating to early car designs came to light a couple of years back.
I was recreating a period livery and hoped they might have the template for the 60's RAC rally entry number you can just about see on the bonnet - again no luck with them
Luckily this original turned up on ebay which I used to recreate what I needed
I was recreating a period livery and hoped they might have the template for the 60's RAC rally entry number you can just about see on the bonnet - again no luck with them
Luckily this original turned up on ebay which I used to recreate what I needed
Edited by Willhire89 on Wednesday 10th January 17:19
[quote=mph
My own car is alleged to have been officially timed by the RAC in the 0-100-0 category. Given my recent experience I'm not at all optimistic I can verify that now.
[/quote]
I'm not at all sure how one could officially time such a category.
It must depend on someone knowing that (and when) 100 mph had been reached for the change from acceleration to braking. I'd imagine that that someone would have to be an independent observer watching a certified speedometer. There would be similar difficulties in defining the point when the deceleration had finished.
I know various Aston Martins were timed for that sort of thing but can't recall if I read about it in Autosport or Motor Sport. If it was the latter an online search would get somewhere and if your car's performance was reported at the time it would have been in one of those mags. If it was the RB Special it would be a relatively easy search of course . . .
My own car is alleged to have been officially timed by the RAC in the 0-100-0 category. Given my recent experience I'm not at all optimistic I can verify that now.
[/quote]
I'm not at all sure how one could officially time such a category.
It must depend on someone knowing that (and when) 100 mph had been reached for the change from acceleration to braking. I'd imagine that that someone would have to be an independent observer watching a certified speedometer. There would be similar difficulties in defining the point when the deceleration had finished.
I know various Aston Martins were timed for that sort of thing but can't recall if I read about it in Autosport or Motor Sport. If it was the latter an online search would get somewhere and if your car's performance was reported at the time it would have been in one of those mags. If it was the RB Special it would be a relatively easy search of course . . .
Allan L said:
I'm not at all sure how one could officially time such a category.
It must depend on someone knowing that (and when) 100 mph had been reached for the change from acceleration to braking. I'd imagine that that someone would have to be an independent observer watching a certified speedometer. There would be similar difficulties in defining the point when the deceleration had finished.
I know various Aston Martins were timed for that sort of thing but can't recall if I read about it in Autosport or Motor Sport. If it was the latter an online search would get somewhere and if your car's performance was reported at the time it would have been in one of those mags. If it was the RB Special it would be a relatively easy search of course . . .
I'm not sure either. It must depend on someone knowing that (and when) 100 mph had been reached for the change from acceleration to braking. I'd imagine that that someone would have to be an independent observer watching a certified speedometer. There would be similar difficulties in defining the point when the deceleration had finished.
I know various Aston Martins were timed for that sort of thing but can't recall if I read about it in Autosport or Motor Sport. If it was the latter an online search would get somewhere and if your car's performance was reported at the time it would have been in one of those mags. If it was the RB Special it would be a relatively easy search of course . . .
It was the RB Special and it came from the horses mouth in magazine interviews so I'm inclined to believe it.
RAC supervision was also specifically mentioned (Rixons uncle, Leslie Bucknall, was a founder member of the RAC)
A time of 14.2 seconds to 100 mph is quoted in one article. Can't recall where else I've seen it mentioned as I have so much documentation I'd need to spend an afternoon going through it all.
Not that important in the grand scheme of things, just interesting.
This article in Motorsport mentions 0-100 in 15 seconds. The car is certainly much more accelerative than a standard E Type so it seems feasible.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff