Sheffield Uni Motor Club / Vintage Badges

[neutral 3]

Purely by chance I stumbled upon this lovely looking badge up the other day and I bought it, as a present for someone who is studying there.
Had no idea that Sheffield Uni had a Motor Club !

Anyone tell me more ?

However, looking around, motoring clubs seemed to be so common from the 1930s up until the 1970s.
Bristol Uni had an “ Expeditions Dept “ they took 2 Austin Gipsy Series 1s around the world.
As a boy, I attended a “ West Essex Car Club “ grass track meeting, near Stapleford, Essex, in 1973 ish. A then pals, very sadly Late Dad, Dr. Mckenzie Brown, was the Doctor @ their events and I recall a West Essex Car Club badge.

[austin]

I think some of the Universities had fairly good sized "motoring societies".

When I was going through the old glass plates at LAT there were quite a few for Cambridge University events.

https://austinharris.co.uk/search/node?keys=univer...

Edited to add, there were also "Inter Varsity" events -> https://austinharris.co.uk/event/inter-varsity-spe...

They even had a meeting at Donignton, smoking a pipe while competing!

[gdaybruce]

I can confirm that the Uni of Bristol had a very active motor club between 1970 - 73 (ask me how I know!) Plenty of other universities also had active clubs and some put on major events. Oxford, for example mounted the Targa Rusticana which was one of THE events on the road rallying calendar when road rallying was a major thing.

At Bristol our ambitions were more modest but we ran a 12 car rally championship, Autotests, production car trials and treasure hunts. Plus pub nights and evenings where we would hire suitable films from the likes of the Castrol film library.

No wonder I did so little actual work!

[Allan L]

Yes, as the OP wrote, there were many motor clubs in the 1930-1970 years. Many were just local Clubs but a good number were tied to colleges and universities and a few were works-based. Then there were (and are) one-make clubs.
In and near Hertfordshire we had local clubs:
Herts County Auto and Aero Club, Verulam AC, Chess Valley MC, Sporting Owner Drivers' C, Falcon MC, Orchard MC Harrow CC
College clubs
Hatfield Tech C MC, Luton Tech. C MC Cemian MC (College of Estate Management)
Works:
DH Propellors MC, Vauxhall Motors RC

plus more which agéd memory won't recover!

[neutral 3]

I well recall the name “ Harrow Motor Club “ I think ? That the elderly chap who bought XET 684, new, TVR Grantura, in 1961, was a member.

[garythesign]

My Dad was a member of the Sporting Owner Drivers Club.

I think he may have also been the Treasurer.

I remember the inter club hill climb at Woburn, before it became a safari park

[Allan L]

neutral 3 said:

I well recall the name “ Harrow Motor Club “ I think ? That the elderly chap who bought XET 684, new, TVR Grantura, in 1961, was a member.

It was and still is Harrow Car Club - see here:
https://harrowcarclub.net/

[neutral 3]

neutral 3 said:

I well recall the name “ Harrow Motor Club “ I think ? That the elderly chap who bought my old TVR Grantura, XET 684, new, in 1961, was a member.

[neutral 3]

neutral 3 said:

Purely by chance I stumbled upon this lovely looking badge up the other day and I bought it, as a present for someone who is studying there.
Had no idea that Sheffield Uni had a Motor Club !

Anyone tell me more ?

However, looking around, motoring clubs seemed to be so common from the 1930s up until the 1970s.
Bristol Uni had an “ Expeditions Dept “ they took 2 Austin Gipsy Series 1s around the world, in circa 1960.

As a boy, I attended a “ West Essex Car Club “ grass track meeting, near Stapleford Abbots, Essex, in 1973 ish. A then pals, very sadly Late Dad, Dr. Mckenzie Brown, was the Doctor @ their events and I recall a West Essex Car Club badge.