A Sprint to the Top – Kop Hill Climb

9

Darren Rungasamy

There’s a little country lane, on a Chiltern escarpment deep in the countryside of Buckinghamshire, that has until fairly recently been one of the best-kept secrets in British Motorsports. The first event, organised by the Motor Cycling Club, was held on a track consisting of flint, stone and chalk. Held on a damp day in April 1910, it is recognised as the inaugural event of what is known as the Kop Hill Climb. The word spread and soon became one of the most popular speed Hill Climbs in the UK, and several motor clubs embraced the challenge. Over the next two decades, it attracted eminent names such as Sir Malcolm Campbell, Archie Frazer-Nash and Sir Henry Segrave.

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Following a string of mishaps, a lack of marshals to manage the overflowing spectators, and the practical difficulties of holding a motorsport competition on a public road, things came to an abrupt end in 1925. For nearly three-quarters of a century, the unassuming public road remained intact but devoid of the echoes of battling Bugattis and Ballots, until a timely resuscitation in 1999 as part of the Risborough Festival. However, the first event that bears a resemblance to the current set-up came in 2009, in which 220 vehicles spanning from 1903 to 1973 took part in a non-competitive climb.

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After a successful decade of Kop Hill Climb events, which include soapbox races, stalls, live music and food, the nucleus of the event remains to raise funds and increase awareness for local causes and projects. Successfully managing to appeal to both die-hard motorsport enthusiasts, as well as families, the substantial growth and careful organisation of the event has benefited the local area and as a result, has been retitled the Kop Hill Climb Festival.

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Sara Beaumont explained to Car & Classic the event’s appeal, and why it has resonated with the local community. She told us that ‘Kop Hill Climb Festival falls after the Goodwood Revival, and given the shared machinery at both events, the Hill climb acts as something of a run-off to allow competitors to see off the year with a final last fling of glory.’ ‘We are also very proud of the funds it raises for charity and projects on behalf of Hearts of Bucks. An incredible £870,000 has been raised to date!’

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The weekend is indeed a draw for the local community, but its reach has clearly gone way beyond the confines of the Chilterns. Both visitors and competitors travel from all over of the UK to attend, including Guernsey, Ipswich and Canterbury.

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The Kop Hill starts as a gentle slope, gradually steepening to a 1:8 climb. It eases off a little and then finally increases to a 1:4 gradient. Measuring just over 900 yards (or 826 metres in new money) One at a time, competitors ascend the slope while the marshals watch out for potential hazards. Kop Hill has long been resurfaced in tarmac, but retains its gentle bends and wooded verge, lined with sections for the spectator to watch in safety.

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To ensure that everything is run with efficiency and in the best interests of the public and competitors, it is supported by the goodwill of 300+ volunteers who will, no matter what the weather or the circumstances will ensure the event runs safely and smoothly.

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So let us explore the venue and map out the itinerary that Car and Classic have planned for the weekend. It’s not a big site and with the exception of the actual road leading up to the top of the hill, spectators have free run to explore every corner of the grounds. We take note of the days sprint timetable, which starts off at around 10 am with classifications for Veteran and Edwardian Cars and Motorcycles, through to Vintage, Post Vintage, Classic, Modern Classic and Supercars. In addition, there are runs honouring the 70th anniversary of Lotus, the 100th anniversary of the Austin Seven, Hot Rods, and the 75th anniversary of Ferrari road cars. A true treat for every type of car and motorcycle buff, covering everything from steam to electric vehicles.

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The competition is divided into three main areas. The paddock, where the participants’ cars are kept, is divided from the car club display area by an avenue that has been named in memory of the late Paddy Hopkirk. The entrance to the Hill Climb path is located across the main road.

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The start of the climb is lined up with hay bales, with the crowds cheering and offering goodwill to the drivers and their lucky passengers. Participants are also encouraged to chat with the event commentators, who were not only knowledgeable but provided a level of entertainment during the course of the action. As each vehicle crawls up to the start line and flagged off, the challenges differ depending on your chosen mode of transport.

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Car & Classic were very lucky to have been passengers in three different cars on the day, starting off with Peter Tuckett’s 1925 Daimler 16/55. Incredibly, Peter is believed to be only the car’s second owner! Quite a feat for a car that is almost 100 years old. It was used up until the 1960s and then placed aside into storage and left to its own devices. He discovered the car in the late 90s, and never a man to back away from a challenge, brought the car back to life. The car retains much of its originality including its Sleeve Valve ‘Silent Knight’ Engine, which is known for its smoothness. However, it is equally known for its notoriously smoky attributes which can often be startling for anyone following the car!

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Over 50 Vintage and Post-Vintage Motorcycles were seen on the hill over the weekend, offering a firm connection with the original purpose of the Hill Climb. Bikes of this vintage were largely British, with illustrious names such as Velocette, Scott and Brough Superior lining up to tackle the hill. The near-perfect weather, with good cloud cover, mild temperatures and not much in terms of dampness made it close to the ideal Hill Climb conditions.

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This 1936 MG is fitted with a Williams and Pritchard alloy coachwork and is a regular at the Kop Hill Climb. Owner Geoff Godwin has owned it for 45 years and rebuilt it in 2008. Based on the underpinnings of the N-Type, the coachbuilders designed and built the body in the 1950s and it appears to be influenced by the ‘Barchetta’ Ferrari look of the period.

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Another fascinating mash-up of different eras came in the form of Duncan Edwards’s 1958 Morris Minor. Its stance and wide tyres gave the game away somewhat, but the discovery of a Sierra Cosworth engine shoehorned under the bonnet was a pleasant surprise.

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Dick Skipworth and his friend have known each other for over 60 years and were one of four Le Mans Jaguars seen on the track over the weekend. Naturally, due to the car’s rarities and value, all examples seen on the day were replicas, but their grace and unmistakable styling didn’t leave anyone disappointed.

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Power isn’t everything, as Jon Florsheim in his 18bhp Fiat 500 demonstrated. The very original 1971 car made neat contrast to the Abarth 850TC, which is a performance-tinged version of the 600. Built to Group 2 touring car requirements, the car is no stranger to historic competition and is often seen tearing up racetracks.

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There was also a run-up in a tribute to Kop Hill patron Paddy Hopkirk MBE, who regular graced the Hill climb in recent years. Several BMC Mini’s were evident at the show, with this 1970 example powering up the hill in homage to the former 1964 Monte Carlo Rally winner.

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Several other rally cars were given the opportunity to stretch their legs, a Lancia Stratos replica as well as a Polish Subaru Impreza making short work of the Hill Climb to the delight of the audience.

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The racing was consistent throughout the day, with the first runs starting at 10 am all the way through to 5 pm. With over 400 cars running over each day and many competitors being offered second or third runs later on Sunday afternoon, the appeal of watching 112 years’ worth of machinery all driving up the hill was exhilarating. We’ll take a little break from the racing and drift around the showground.

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As described above and very much the centre of the Kop Hill event, the focus is on local charities but it is also supported by local businesses and organisations. Fullers Flowers are a family-owned florist from nearby Princes Risborough, who actually pre-date the Kop Hill event, having been set up by the current generation’s great-grandmother in 1899. ‘Wendy’ their 1959 A35 van was in attendance at the event, and also managed to compete in several runs up the hill. The owners of Fullers added a touch of glamour to the weekend by dressing up impeccably.

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Well known for their car recovery and recycling business, ASM are a regular attendee of the Kop Hill events and brought in a whole fleet of scrap cars loaded up on their transporters. Several recovered cars, which included a tidy 16V VW Golf that needed cosmetics and a spares-only flood-damaged Porsche 964, were joined by their signature MK2 Ford Escort, acting as a focal point of their 35 years of business.

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Scannappeal, who raises funds to purchase life-saving and life-changing revolutionary medical equipment used the opportunity to park up a rare V8 AC Ace Brooklands at the front of their stand. An attempt to re-establish the AC brand finally ran out of luck in 2000, after just 46 cars were built.

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Neil Bainbridge who runs BS Motorsport will be driving a specially modified Land Rover in the Morocco Desert Challenge next April. Keen to show off the 7-litre V8 engine up the hill, he hopes to raise money for cancer support causes and provided one of the liveliest spectacles on the Hill Climb.

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The celebration of 70 years of Lotus was represented by 20 cars highlighting the brand’s achievements since 1952. There were no less than four pre-1960s examples of the early version of the Lotus Seven, including Paul Wakely’s 1958 Series 1. Powered by a 37bhp BMC A-Series engine, rather than the commonly installed Ford blocks, the car was a surprisingly spritely performer as Car & Classic were once again privileged enough to sit beside him as he glided the car up the hill. Capable of exceeding 80mph, he originally bought the car as a project 5 years ago. It was one of two lightweight open-wheeled cars he brought to Kop Hill, the other being an ultra-ultra rare (i.e. the only one in existence) 1958 Alderton Special, which was built specifically by William Alderton for Hill Climbs.

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Of course, Lotus owes its whole existence to the Austin Seven, which celebrates its centenary this year. Quite possibly the most important car in the history of British manufacturing, it served as the backbone of the British car industry. The Seven was made under licence by both BMW and Nissan, which set them on the path of global success, but also inspired Colin Chapman enabled by his background in engineering to create the Seven. Part of this post-war automotive productivity was also grasped by Bruce McLaren who similarly developed his first race car from a Seven Special. We were also able to experience a run up the hill in Peter Tuckett’s other car, a 750cc 1933 Austin Seven Special driven by Justin Shardlow. Unfortunately, a slight miscalculation in gear change meant that the car lost drive at the steepest section of the hill, and your reviewer had to jump out of the car! Justin managed to engage the gearbox almost immediately and continued to finish the drive, as I was helped back on the footpath by the marshals.

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Undaunted and extremely grateful not to have been forced to jump out in front of the hundreds of people in the grandstands just 200 yards behind us, I walk back down to the main enclosure again and have a look at some more of the static displays. Representing an impressive number of 60’s American metal at the event, was this triplet consisting of a Ford Galaxie 500, Lincoln Continental and Chevrolet El Camino pick-up, all looking ominously like Mafia staff cars.

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Various clubs were in attendance over the weekend, including the Model T Ford Register of Great Britain. Founded in 1960, the club’s aims are to record and maintain pre-1927 Fords. Very much an active concern with over 450 members across Europe, there were at least half a dozen cars being displayed.

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A display of individual classic cars filled up a whole section of the static display, which included a handsome selection of Alfa Romeos and Lancia’s. Alan Parkes has owned the Fulvia Zagato Sport since 2008, which had only 45,000 miles on it when he bought it and was said to have once belonged to a titled lady. His son, Dr Michael Parkes, opted for an Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV for his Italian motoring fix and took his car up the hill several times over the weekend.

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Inspired by the Mercedes SSK, the Desande Caprice is the brainchild of Belgian Danny G Vandezande. Debuting at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the exact number produced is thought to be 250, but that’s likely to be an over-estimation. Once part of a private collection, this Chevy-powered roadster is certainly an acquired taste but perfect for those who want to make a memorable entrance to any car show. The quality and finish are of a high standard, thanks to the efforts of London-based Grand Prix Metalcraft probably best known for their open-top six-wheeled Range rover conversions.

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Peter Leitch brought along his Datsun 280ZX to the event. The car is the latest in a line of Nissans he’s owned, having also owned several S14’s. His main requirements for a classic car were simply reliability and comfort, which pretty much sums up the Datsun in a nutshell. Keen to drive something a bit different, he’s owned the car for 16 years and its effortless torque and distinctive style still hold a massive appeal to him.

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There was also a dedicated classic car parking up the hill, in which the marshals guided some of the more interesting cars into the public area. Often a fascinating place to explore, as simply as it covers a wide variety of the beautiful, the common and the unusual. These caught our eye for different reasons. This Citroen 2CV6-based kit car looks like it could be tremendous fun to drive, given the car’s ability to deal with the rough stuff. At a guess, we think it’s a Falcon-based kit body with some homemade modifications.

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A selection of 1980s Liege lightweight two-seaters, suggests that they are part of an organised club meet. Powered by Reliant Robin engines and fitted with Robin drum brakes, these agile cars are well known in classic reliability trials.

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This 1938 Ford Station Wagon with a UK spec RHD configuration stood out amongst the sports cars. Compete with a superb patina, this example is believed to have been once owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell and is regularly used including trips to Europe and back.

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Back in the main enclosure, awards were also given out to a selection of cars, as voted by the public. The car that most people would like to have taken home was won by Ian Tomlinson’s 1960 Triumph Italia 2000 coupe, suggesting that the visitors to Kop Hill also have impeccable taste. A combination of Italian artistry and British craftsmanship, Vignale built the TR3-based vehicle with plans for global distribution. As Triumph ran into financial difficulties in 1961, they were acquired by Leyland. A new management team decided not to build any additional vehicles beyond the 330 that had already been sold and instead concentrated their efforts on the upcoming TR4. This car was originally ordered by a customer in Mexico and has since been subject to a full body restoration.

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Let’s drift back to the Hill Climb, as there has been a noticeable amount of noise and wheel spinning that needed investigation. In celebration of 75 years of producing road cars, nine Ferrari’s ranging from a 1962 250 SWB to a current 812 Superfast were let loose up the hill. The sight of a wheel-spinning Testarossa was a truly memorable experience.

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Jay Kay from the band Jamiroquai is known for his passion for cars and is an occasional visitor to the event, this year we were graced with one of his fleet, a Porsche 918 Spyder.

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As the event draws to a close, drivers were keen to let loose and added a little theatrics to the proceedings which naturally went down well with the crowds.

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Part of the Kop Hill Climbs success is the balance of its grassroots sensibilities and genuine passion for motorsports, which also manages to embrace the local community in one very unique event. There’s no VIP, hospitality or pretentiousness, the field as was evident over the weekend is level and even. Throw in a truly eclectic mix of machinery that complements Kop Hills 112 year history, and you’ll be just scratching the surface of one of the UK’s most unique classic car events.

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