Re-live the action from 1952
By 1952 there were a number of trials established as annual events and more forthcoming. The long established Light Car Club and Victorian Sporting Car Club were the most active, but were joined by the Victorian Amateur Drivers Club and the newly formed Eastern Car Club. Several regional clubs including in Geelong and Shepparton became active in conducting trials, as well as other established regional clubs such as the Ballarat Light Car Club and Western District Car Club.
We have details on quite a few rallies in 1952. If you have any information, please let us know! Here are a few of the events for which we have some information.
The Light Car Club conducted its annual Woman Drivers Reliability Trial on February 24th. It was sponsored by “The Age”. It attracted 64 starters and we think was won by Mrs. J, Steele in a Holden.
June 14th saw the running of the Eastern Car Club’s first Night Trial. It was by Derek Duncan in a Lancia Mercury. A brief report appeared in Australian Motor Sports.
The Victorian Sporting Car Club ran the first Blue Ribbon Trial on June 15th.
The Victorian Sporting Car Club ran their Midnight Trial on July 5th. It was won by Peter Manton and Don Thomson in a Morris Minor.
The annual Experts Trial was organised by the Light Car Club and ran on July 19th. It was won by Stan Jones in a Holden.
September 7th saw the running of the first VSCC Novices Rally. It was won by J.R. Warner in MG TD, navigated by Bill Shrugg. This may have been a closed event.
The Shepparton’s Car Club ran an open trial on October 25th.
The “Argus” Women’s Trial was held on November 2nd. It was organised by the Victorian Amateur Drivers Club. It attracted 50 entries and was won by Mrs. E. Gardner in an MG.
Probably the final event of the year was the annual Alpine Trial, conducted by the Light Car Club on November 29th and 30th. Winners were Bob Foreman and John McDougall in a Morris Minor,
Several clubs were active running trials and rallies, particularly the Light Car Club, the Victorian Sporting Car Club and the Victorian Amateur Drivers Club, but we have no details of their closed/club events conducted. Regional car clubs were becoming active with the Shepparton Car Club running a Night Trial in April and a Day Trial in June,
We do not yet have a calendar of events from this year.