President’s Report - June 2023
As some of you may know, my Bentley S1 is currently undergoing restoration including a back to bare metal repaint. The body shop is doing a terrific job and I am keenly awaiting to see the final result. However, did you know that only one man paints all of current Rolls-Royce’s pinstripes by hand? Mark Court has been painting the pinstripes on all Rolls-Royce cars for the past 20 years. He has been doing this intricate work since the company opened its Goodwood plant in 2003. It’s his only job, and reportedly earns him a six-figure salary. It’s well deserved. There is no room for error as the pinstripe paint is a unique variety that binds immediately to the car’s paint, so mistakes result in the whole car needing repainting.
The club enjoyed some great events in May. At the technical section we learned about the intricate network of spare parts suppliers that our chief judge, Neil Matthews, has built up over many years and the valuable resource that he can offer to members needing to source a part for their car. Focussing on the topic of stater motors, we all gathered around a trestle table to watch the intricate work of disassembling a non-functioning starter motor from Peter Jordan-Hill’s 20/25.
Our general meeting, guest speaker Dave Rayner enthralled members with the history of his highly successful company Rare Spares which he built from a small operation at his brother’s garage into a major manufacturer and supplier of spare parts. His Shelby Mustang, one of only a few hundred, was our amazing display car. The Sunday run to Mount Macedon and Silver Spoon Winery proved to be popular and most pleasurable.
We have some very special events coming up in June
As winter approaches, the technical section will focus on windscreen wipers, washers, heaters and demisters. Our June general meeting will be the ever-popular Trivia Night. This year we are encouraging everyone to come along and bring your partners along with you for a really fun evening led by our quiz masters, Keith Mortimer and Russell Rolls.
As a special treat, we have arranged for High Tea in June at the Flowerdale Estate in Strath Creek. This will be a sumptuous high tea in a delightful homestead, crafted in the traditions of all great high teas. Details are in this newsletter and please
remember to book early as this will be very popular.
Howard Wraight