Vintage Sports-Car Club 2025

Nigel Cole
Dec 2, 2025
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

David Morris - ERA R11B "Humphrey"

The Vintage Sports-Car Club is one of the oldest car clubs in the UK - formed in 1934. There is a long association between the VSCC and Wiscombe. The founders of Wiscombe Park Speed Hillclimb, estate owner Major Richard Chichester, and his great friend Major Charles Lambton, had close links with the VSCC and were keen to establish an event. We have been welcoming the VSCC members to our wonderful venue since May 1983.

As always, there was a great selection of vintage racing cars in action. The event celebrates the great manufacturers of the 20’s and 30’s including Austin, Frazer Nash, Riley and Morgan. This event has a unique garden party atmosphere.

The most valuable car on the hill was probably the ERA of David Morris. Arguably one of the most famous names in British motorsport, the cars were built in the 1930’s. However, only 19 cars now exist, and they are extremely rare and valuable. Devon resident and car collector Martin Morris purchased ERA 11B – affectionately known as “Humphrey” - in 1962 – it has been in the family ever since.

Sadly, Martin Morris passed away in 2006. He was a hugely successful vintage car racer and particularly with the ERA R11B, in which he won the Historic Trophy 10 times between 1969 and 1986.

Martin’s son, David, inherited the car and continues to race it regularly. We last saw David and Humphrey at Wiscombe in 2023. They are huge crowd pleasers!

This year we celebrated VE80 with a collection of military vehicles in the forecourt of Wiscombe House. We also welcomed representatives of the Royal British Legion – Sidmouth Branch.

In a Wiscombe “first” we had a steam driven car on the hill! And because the White steam car – known as “Whistling Billy” - was being shared, we saw it make eight runs – what an incredible sight! It will leave a lasting impression on all those present. Just a feint whistle....and clouds of steam when the accelerator was applied.

“Whistling Billy” was perhaps the most famous steam car ever produced, and one of the fastest cars of the American dirt track races in the early 20th century, before being all but destroyed in a crash in 1912 and left to rust on an American farm. It was built by the White Sewing Machine Company in 1905 and was engineered specifically for racing.

Another glorious sight was Richard Wiseman competing in his Type 35 Bugatti. He was then joined by a further two non-competing Bugatti’s in the bottom paddock to complete the “yesteryear” atmosphere.

And to enhance the very special atmosphere of the VSCC event, we had a couple of celebrities on the hill too. Ex F1 team owner and historic racer Vijay Mallya (Force India) was competing in a BMW 328. He was joined by renowned car restorer and very successful racer Patrick Blakeney-Edwards who was in action in a Frazer Nash. Patrick dispenses business and racing advise to Richard Hammond as he develops his Smallest Cog car restoration venture, appearing regularly in the episodes alongside Richard on tv.

FTD was claimed by Ian Baxter in his stunning 1937 Alta 61 IS with a time of 47.75s