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Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Report and Photos

1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider
1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider

The Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 was staged 17-19 April, starting in England and finishing in Scotland. The sun shined on this year’s event as the 110-strong field of pre-war cars battled it out over 750 miles from Leeds to Scotland’s Gleneagles in three days. It was William Medcalf, last year’s winner, with navigator Tony Brooks in the 1925 Bentley Super Sports that raised the winner’s cup at the finish line of what has been called the toughest short pre-war rally in the world.

Medcalf said, “This is a really tough event where you have to push the car to the limits to manage your position. It’s full on for the navigators and there is stiff competition, as the event’s reputation for being expertly organised has resulted in serious rally entrants from all over the world.”

Second place went to Bill Cleyndert and Dan Harrison in the 1928 Ford Model A, who almost found himself out of the rally on the final day when the rear axle broke until the rally leader came back to help him fix it. Cleyndert kept urging Medcalf to return to the rally, to which Medcalf replied, “I want to beat you on the road, not by the side of it, now grab a hammer!”

David Thomson and Alan Smith in the 1936 Talbot 105 Alpine took third place with Sue Shoosmith and Trina Harley in the 1926 Bentley 3-4 1/2 Litre in fourth with the class win. The Netherlands’ Olaf Pothoven and Piet van Leusden, also in a Bentley Derby 3 1/2 Litre, finishing just one second behind in fifth with a class win.

There were also class wins for Brad Mottier and William Hoff in the Riley Bigley Special, Jonathan Turner and Jonathan Proctor in the Triumph Dolomite and Martin and Lesley Neal in the MG TA Sports.

Both team awards went to Bentley crews while the Spirit of The Rally award went to George Melville and Steve Gipson in the Ford Model A Sports Coupe. The Concours d’Elegance award went to Robin and Helen Rainsley in the Ford Model A.

The Flying Scotsman, established in 2008 by the Endurance Rally Association (ERA), started out on Friday morning from Oulton Hall in Leeds, with overnight stays in Newcastle and Edinburgh. It’s the only long distance rally to be aimed solely at vintage car enthusiasts incorporating several timed stages and off-the-road time trials.

Fred Gallagher, Vice-President of the Endurance Rally Association, commented, “This is a full-on event that was made harder with the recent loss of Philip Young but the ERA team did him proud and delivered an exceptional event, as they will continue to do with the future rallies on the calendar.”

The next Flying Scotsman takes place 14th to 17th April 2016. The next ERA event sees the team move stateside as 45 crews take part in the second TransAmerica Rally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to San Francisco, California, in June. For the latest updates, visit EnduroRally.com.

Photographer Gerard Brown documented the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 with the following images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery

 

1931 Bentley Speed Six
1931 Bentley Speed Six
1928 Ford Model A
1928 Ford Model A
1936 Aston Martin 15/98 Sports and 1936 Triumph Gloria Special
1936 Aston Martin 15/98 Sports and 1936 Triumph Gloria Special
1934 Lagonda M45
1934 Lagonda M45

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1937 Alvis 4.3 Tourer
1937 Alvis 4.3 Tourer
1937 Cadillac 60 Series Coupe
1937 Cadillac 60 Series Coupe
1930 Bentley Speed Six
1930 Bentley Speed Six
1926 Bentley 3-4 1/2 Litre
1926 Bentley 3-4 1/2 Litre

 

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Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Two

 

Start of the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
1928 Ford Model A at the start of the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
1933 Talbot AV 105
1933 Talbot AV 105
1936 Alvis Special 3.5 Litre
1936 Alvis Special 3.5 Litre
1937 Lagonda LG45
1937 Lagonda LG45

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1929 Bentley 6 1/2 Tourer
1929 Bentley 6 1/2 Tourer
1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre
1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre
Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
1936 Delahaye 135S
1936 Delahaye 135S

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Three

 

1938 BMW 328
1938 BMW 328
1924 Vauxhall 23/60 Wensum
1924 Vauxhall 23/60 Wensum
1931 H. E. Tourer Special
1931 H. E. Tourer Special
1932 Invicta
1932 Invicta

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1927 Alvis 12/50 SD
1927 Alvis 12/50 SD
1936 Morgan 4/4 2-Seater
1936 Morgan 4/4 2-Seater
1936 Buick 46C Special Roadster
1936 Buick 46C Special Roadster
1926 Bentley 3-4 1/2 Litre
1926 Bentley 3-4 1/2 Litre

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Four

 

1937 Bentley Derby 4.25 Litre
1937 Bentley Derby 4.25 Litre
1934 Lagonda M45
1934 Lagonda M45
1931 Bentley Speed Six
1931 Bentley Speed Six
1936 Talbot 105 Alpine finished third overall
1936 Talbot 105 Alpine finished third overall

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1929 Ford Model A won the Concours d'Elegance at the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
1929 Ford Model A won the Concours d’Elegance at the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
1935 Alvis Special Silver Eagle
1935 Alvis Special Silver Eagle
1934 Jaguar SS One
1934 Jaguar SS One
1936 Morgan 4/4 2-Seater
1936 Morgan 4/4 2-Seater

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Five

 

1935 Bentley Derby 3 1/2 Litre
1935 Bentley Derby 3 1/2 Litre
1927 Alvis 12/50 SD
1927 Alvis 12/50 SD
1933 Lagonda M45
1933 Lagonda M45
1938 BMW 327/328 Coupe
1938 BMW 327/328 Coupe

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1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider
1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spider
1930 Bentley Speed Six
1930 Bentley Speed Six
Flying Scotsman 2015 Scrutineering at Oulton Hall
Flying Scotsman 2015 Scrutineering at Oulton Hall
1939 Frazer Nash BMW 328
1939 Frazer Nash BMW 328

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Six

 

1927 Frazer Nash Sports
1927 Frazer Nash Sports
1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre
1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre
1938 Riley 16/4 Special
1938 Riley 16/4 Special
1935 Lagonda LG45
1935 Lagonda LG45

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1937 BMW 328
1937 BMW 328
1931 Ford Model A
1931 Ford Model A
1928 Ford A Sports Coupe
1928 Ford A Sports Coupe
1931 Talbot 105
1931 Talbot 105

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Flying Scotsman Rally 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Seven

 

1936 Delahaye 135S
1936 Delahaye 135S
1928 Alvis 12/75 FWD
1928 Alvis 12/75 FWD
1936 Lagonda Le Mans
1936 Lagonda Le Mans
1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe
1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe

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1928 Ford Model A
1928 Ford Model A
1927 Alvis 12/50 SD and 1929 Ford Model A
1927 Alvis 12/50 SD and 1929 Ford Model A
Winning 1925 Bentley Super Sports at the finish line - Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
Winning 1925 Bentley Super Sports at the finish line of the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
Medcalf and Brooks at the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015
Triumphant team of William Medcalf and Tony Brooks at the Flying Scotsman Rally 2015

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

[Source: Endurance Rally Association; photos: Gerard Brown]