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LOT 137 Maroon/Black/Polished Aluminium
Regarded by many as a Bentley beater for the connoisseur the Vauxhall 30-98 is nothing short of a super car of the early 1920s. With speeds in excess of 100 mph in stripped racing form it was capable of running rings round the 3 Litre Bentleys on the open road and was the chosen stead of many of the world’s wealthy elite, racing rascals and even the odd Bentley Boy! The first 30-98 was constructed in 1913 and was supplied to a car dealer and motorsport competitor by the name of Higginson whose initial objective was victory at the Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb in June of that year. If successful the result would significantly increase the appeal of the brand and thus encourage sales for Higginson. The adage race on Sunday sell on Monday is not a new one and demonstrates how early it was that motorsport was used as a tool to promote car sales. The Laurence Pomeroy designed car didn’t disappoint. It was such a success in fact that Higginson broke the hill record - a record which then stood for 15 years. Initial production was minimal and with the outbreak of WW1 the production of Vauxhall 30-98s was placed on hold. In 1919 production resumed with the E-type 30-98 powered by a 4.5 litre side-valve engine capable of producing a power output of around 95bhp. This power output seams unremarkable by today’s standards but given the lightness of the car (24cwt) and the huge amount of torque its performance was, and indeed still is, admirable. By September of 1922 287 E-type 30-98s had been produced. There was then a brief gap in production until 1923 when the upgraded 30-98 was introduced. Named the OE-Type (the O stands for overhead-valve) and while the engine capacity had been reduced from roughly 4.5 litres to 4.25 litres the power output increased to 110 bhp + due in no small part to the more advanced and modern overhead valve system. Ask anyone in the know and they’ll inform you that 30-98s are not known for their great stopping ability but in 1924 front wheel brakes were introduced which did helped them stop a little better. However given the good handling and strong torquey motors stopping was not what Vauxhall owners were about. Going as fast as possible on the open road or round a track was far more the ticket and the cars performed admirably at many speed events particularly in the UK and Australia. By 1927 when the last 30-98s were produced, the buyers had ceased to exist in any great numbers due to the high cost of the cars at a time of economic doom and gloom together with the rather aged design at this stage. General Motors took over the Vauxhall brand and the rest, as they say, is history. Had Vauxhall Motors followed Bentley and taken their cars to Le Mans and seen success the brand would likely carry a far greater caché in today’s society. However it is a testament to their design and sporting appeal that a good number of both E-type and OE-type 30-98s survive to this day and are highly sought after by collectors of vintage sporting cars. The market value of 30-98 Vauxhalls has increase hugely in recent years but considering the plethora of events available to 30-98 owners including, races, hill-climbs, sprints, hill trials, rallies and tours all around the world, the rise in market value is perhaps unsurprising and should be sustainable in the long term. Factory records kindly relayed to the author by Vauxhall 30-98 historian Nic Portway, indicate that Chassis 0E 178 left the Vauxhall works in December 1924 and that the car was fitted with a Velox style body and engine number 187 making this example a ‘matching numbers’ car. At the time of going to press the early history of the car was still being investigated and it is hoped that by the time of the sale more information will be available. Working back from the present day the car has been in the ownership of the Braid family of Wagga Wagga, NSW since 1954/55. In more recent times Australian based Vauxhall restorer, Barry Ford was commissioned by the Braid’s to carry out a cosmetic restoration of the car which has been completed and presents very well. A few mechanical niggles were sorted but the major running gear was left untouched and it thus highly original. The car was purchased by the Braid family from Brian Marsland who had purchased the car in around 1952/53 from Barry Ford. Barry Ford had purchased the car from a Mr Buckle in 1952. At the time of purchase from Mr Buckle it was in totally original condition and was fitted with scuttle mounted instruments already. Buckle informed Ford that he had purchased the car from Vauxhall Motors in Luton and there was the suggestion the 30-98 may have had a Brooklands history thanks to a couple of dash plaques (one showing it had ‘been timed’ on the Surrey track at c.108 mph). The holes where these plaques were located are still visible on the dashboard but it’s not known why, when or where they were removed, nor is it possible to confirm the Brooklands history without the UK registration number. If the original registration can be traced, it may be possible for historian Nic Portway to establish the origin of the scuttle-mounted instruments and whether it competed at Brooklands in period. Current records indicate that Buckle had brought the car to Australia in 1934 but it seems likely that it came here earlier as Barry Ford informs us that tickets for the Milsons Point to The Rocks Sydney vehicular ferry were found behind the upholstery in the Vauxhall when the cosmetic restoration was carried out. In 1934 the Sydney Harbour Bridge was open so it would be unlikely that Mr Buckle would still use the vehicular ferry and suggests that the car was brought to Australia earlier on possibly in the mid to late 1920s. Whilst we can’t be sure of this car’s early history or any Brooklands history at the time of going to press what is crystal clear is that OE 178 is an original ‘matching numbers’ example of a highly sought after vintage sports car. It has had very few owners from new and is offered for sale on the open market for the first time since the mid-1950s. Given a mechanical re-comissioning and some minor detail improvements this car could fairly be described as one of the finest and most authentic examples of its kind anywhere in the world and would thus be welcome at all the wonderful events Vauxhall owners enjoy taking part in. N.B. This car is subject to GST on the hammer price as well as the buyers’ premium. If the car is exported from Australia within the government guideline times then it is possible that the GST can be reclaimed. Please talk to CTS Auctions for further information. Sold without registration.
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