The History of Wandsworth Common

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The Bellevue Special

The remarkable aluminium-bodied Bellevue Special was built in 1937 by Walter 'Wilkie' Wilkinson at Bellevue Garage. It was raced at the first meeting at Goodwood, and many times since. It was discovered in a scrapyard and beautifully restored in 2003.

Flickr Search: "MG Bellevue"

Lots of fine photographs, including this.

[Flickr Search: "MG Bellevue".]

Also this, with the commentary:

This Special started life as an MG Magnette NA which was based on the MG Magna 'F'. Maximum output of the Magna's 1,271cc with its Wolseley Hornet-based overhead-camshaft engine was originally 37bhp and was later raised to 47bhp, after tuning the improved KD version produce 56bhp, was carried over to the 'NA' Magnette of 1934 which included a revised and lighter chassis.

The Bellevue Special was owned in its early days by Bellevue Garage Ltd of Wandsworth, and was hired out to compete at Brooklands during 1935 and 1936. Manager of Bellevue's racing subsidiary, W E 'Wilkie' Wilkinson who then rebuilt the MG as an offset-bodied single-seater during the winter of 1936/37, equipping the engine with six Amal Carburettors., its chassis was lightened by extensive drilling of frame members, pedals, shock absorber brackets, etc, and a streamlined panel beaten body with tapered tail fitted. The engine had been linered down to under 1,100cc, with a very high axle ratio. In this trim the MG lapped Brooklands at 106mph.

Wilkinson and the Evans brothers proceeded to race the modified Magnette with some success during the 1937 season.

In August of that year the MG was advertised for sale in 'The Sports Car' magazine and was acquired by Charles Mortimer, an established Brooklands competitor who campaigned the car until the closure of the circuit. Mortimer sold the car during the war, and it then passed through the hands of Frank Kennington and John Marshall. The next known owner was Basil de Lissa, who competed in the MG between 1946 and 1960. including the inaugural race at Goodwood in 1948 the Leinster Trophy meeting, the Manx Cup and the Stanmer Park hill climb. During this time it was race prepared for de Lissa by Paul Emery, originator of the 'Emeryson' marque, who fitted it with a supercharger in 1949 and a more modern radiator cowl. De Lissa sold the car in 1950 to the MG specialist dealers Toulmin.

It passed through the hands of Mr H,H. Garret in the 1960s, and was purchased by Norman Hart corresponded with the MG Car Club ni 1972, by which time it had lost its streamlined body and sported a two-seater glassfibre body. After researching the cars history, Hart commenced its restoration, which included returning the MG to its pre-war specification complete with a replica offset body made by David Royle at Vintage Motor Car Restoration.

Wilkie Wilkinson was reunited with the now-rebuilt MG in October 1981 when he drove it at the Croft circuit near Darlington, and again in 1982 when he drove it at the Brooklands Reunion.

Since completion, the Magnette has been sprinted and hill-climbed successfully with impressive reliability. In 2013 it beat ERA 'R4D' at VSCC Brooklands Sprint and in 2014 set FTD at the VSCC's Curborough Sprint, beating ERA 'R14B'

Shot at the VSCC Spring Start, Silverstone 18:04:2015 Ref 105-378.



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This MG Bellevue Special raced at the very first Goodwood meeting



(Click on image to enlarge)

Funny how old racing cars go through a phase of being almost worthless. This MG Bellevue Special, for instance, was found languishing in a scrapyard in the 1960s, the final ignominy following a descent into having had an unflattering GRP body fitted in place of the original aluminium.

That's not how its began life in 1937. The Bellevue Special was built by Walter 'Wilkie' Wilkinson on a 1935 MG Magnette to create a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre offset monoposto. 'Wilkie' went on to make his name working on Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C and D-Types, but was working for the Wandsworth based Bellevue Garage when he built this aluminium bodied MG.

'Wilkie' and Bellevue founders, the Evans brothers, raced the car with some success in its first season, and two years later it was sold to Brooklands racer Charles Mortimer. During the war and just after, it changed hands a few more times until, in 1948, it was purchased by Basil de Lissa. He raced it at Goodwood's first ever meeting in September 1948, and was responsible for the addition of a supercharger and updated radiator cowl.

It was after de Lissa sold the car that it was fitted with unattractive GRP bodywork and ended up in a scrapyard. Norman Hart acquired the car in 2003 and carried out a thorough restoration. When historic motor trader Tom Hart was enlisted to help sell the car a few years ago, he couldn't resist keeping it. The original engine and six Amal carburettors are on display in Tom's showroom.

He brought it back to Goodwood last year, but unfortunately a broken crankshaft meant that the car retired. It took 30 weeks to source a replacement, but he's back with the car this year. Since we last saw it, the suspension has been put back to how it was in period, and the manual gearbox has been swapped for a pre-selector 'box, the car having alternated between the two transmissions throughout its life. The chassis has also been put back to its original Bellevue Blue from the BRG we saw last year.

The softer suspension has made the car easy to drive on the limit, says Tom: "On the last lap of qualifying, I came out of the chicane sideways. My wife Helen said 'I told you not to do that!'" He plans to stiffen up the suspension before the race but his other qualm, heavy steering caused by excessive castor, can't be rectified in the paddock.

It'll be great to see a car from Goodwood's very first meeting competing again this weekend.

Photography by Tom Shaxson

[Source: Link.]



"Ex-Bellevue", Bonham's auction 13 September 2014

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THE EX-BELLEVUE GARAGE, 'WILKIE' WILKINSON, CHARLES MORTIMER 11993355 MG MAGNEETTEE NA 111/2--LLIITREE MONOP OSSTO RACIING SSPEECIIALL CHASSIS NO. 0756 ENGINE NO. 869134

Footnotes 'It is not surprising that with the makers' knowledge of racing... it should be capable of giving as high a speed as 80mph. What comes as a revelation is the ease with which on Brooklands that speed is reached and held. The rev needle hovering between the 5,000 and 5,500 marks, the whole mechanism feeling as one, and with no sense of adventure attached to such speeds.' - 'The Autocar' on the N-type Magnette.

Small-capacity six-cylinder cars were much in vogue in the early 1930s and MG had duly climbed aboard the bandwagon in 1931 with launch of the Magna 'F'.

Maximum output of the Magna's 1,271cc Wolseley Hornet-based overheadcamshaft engine was later raised from a modest 37bhp to a much healthier 47 horsepower. An extensively revised and improved version of this 'KD' engine, tuned to produce 56bhp, was carried over to the 'NA' Magnette of 1934; the chassis too had come in for revision, being lighter than hitherto.

Owned in its early days by Bellevue Garage Ltd of Wandsworth, this N-Type Magnette was hired out by them to aspiring racers to compete at Brooklands during 1935 and 1936. Manager of Bellevue's racing subsidiary, W E 'Wilkie' Wilkinson then rebuilt the MG as an o_set-bodied single-seater during the winter of 1936/37, equipping the engine with six Amal Carburettors.

A contemporary news item in 'The Sports Car' magazine, written by Bill Boddy, states that the chassis had been considerably lightened by extensive drilling of frame members, pedals, shock absorber brackets, etc, commenting that the body 'embodies some very cne panel-beating and a tail ending in a cne taper.' The engine had been linered down to under 1,100cc, and Boddy observed that in the preceding year, with a high axle ratio and a two-seater body, the MG had lapped at 108mph.

Wilkinson and the Evans brothers proceeded to race the modiced Magnette with some success during the 1937 season. In August of that year the MG was advertised for sale in 'The Sports Car' magazine and by 1939 had been acquired by a Mr H H Garrett of Birtley, County Durham. When Garrett sold it to Norman Hart in 1972, an inelegant two-seater glassfibre body had been fitted. Norman Hart corresponded with the MG Car Club and previous owners Wilkie Wilkinson, Charles Mortimer and Basil de Lissa to establish the car's history. In 1975 Norman Hart commenced its restoration, which included returning the MG to its pre-war specification complete with a replica offset body made by David Royle at Vintage Motor Car Restoration. Wilkie Wilkinson was reunited with the now-rebuilt MG in October 1981 when he drove it at the Croft circuit near Darlington, and again in 1982 when he drove it at the Brooklands Reunion.

The current owner purchased the car from Norman Hart in 2003, undertaking a complete restoration over the next two years in conjunction with marque specialists Baynton Jones. In the course of his original conversion, Wilkinson had fitted MG K-Type axles and K3 brakes, to which end both axles had to be narrowed. The front axle was cut and re-welded to achieve this, and during the rebuild was found to be sound. Nevertheless, it was deemed prudent to replace it with an exact copy. The car has alternated between the standard N-Type gearbox and a pre-selector during its career, and is currently fitted with the manual 'box.

Accompanying documentation consists of some bills relating to the most recent restoration; a copy of the car's Triple-M Register entry; various press cuttings; copies of correspondence from previous owners and VSCC Eligibility Form. A quantity of spares comes with the car to include a cylinder block (believed to be the cars original), Lucas racing magneto, gearbox (rebuilt), the original front axle, alternative Amal six-carburettor set-up, and a twin rear wheel set-up for sprints and hill climbs.

Since completion, the Magnette has been sprinted and hill-climbed successfully with impressive reliability. In 2013 it beat ERA 'R4D' at VSCC Brooklands Sprint and in 2014 set FTD at the VSCC's Curborough Sprint, beating ERA 'R14B' and a host of other doughty pre War racing cars in the process. Always in contention, not only in hill climbs and sprints but also circuit races, this very user friendly historic racing MG with period Brooklands and Goodwood history is completely ready to go.

[Bonhams: Link. With numerous excellent images of the car racing in the 1930s and as restored - a must-view for fans.]

. . . here is St James's Drive . . .

. . . here is Althorp Road . . .

. . . here is Wiseton Road . . .

. . . here is Trinity Road . . .