THE STORY OF PRIMROSE IS QUITE FASCINATING. Back in the 60’s Derek was in the motor trade when Tucker talked him into competing in the Lands End with a brand new Minx. A look underneath afterwards showed Derek how unsuitable this particular car was for trialling! The poor old petrol tank and underside were looking decidedly second-hand after their battering on the Cornish rocks.
While looking at the damage to the Minx Derek found out a pal had smashed up his XK 120. He acquired the wreck, but the only usable bit was the bonnet. Derek had often talked about building a trials special but had never actually got round to starting it. Then one day he came back from lunch to find his mechanics had propped up the XK bonnet and laid out four wheels and an axle round it, and that’s how Primrose started. It isn’t just the bonnet that makes the old car so distinctive. Derek also built her with independent front suspension which was very unusual at the time.
The parts came from a Standard 10. Primrose is very well made. The wings are beautifully finished with rolled wired edges. The rear lights are another nice feature. When Derek finished the car the chassis stuck out from the body a bit so he wanted to set the rear lights back. The delectable looking housings are in fact cut down oil filter canister cylinders! Another nice touch is the rear number plate. It looks frightfully low and vulnerable. Until you realise it is hinged, rising out of harms way when the ruts come along.
How did the car get its name? Originally Derek entered it as a Ford special. Having built the car in his spare time his wife had been left on her own a lot. They were looking forward to spending time together on the events, but when the first one came along his wife wasn’t at all thrilled. It was a cold Lands End, and the car didn’t have a heater yet. But when the day dawned and they were going down all those narrow Cornish lanes all the Primroses were out in the hedges. The Secretary of the event, Jack Davis must have heard them talking about it because although Derek entered the next event as a “Ford Special” the Secretary put “Primrose” on the entry list and the name stuck.
When Derek was building the car people often asked him what colour he was going to paint it. Something exciting like British Racing Green? No “nothing gaudy” said Derek “just plain old yellow and black” So when he finished it he had to paint it yellow and black. Derek is delighted that Primrose is still active, so many other specials were left to languish under a tree and rust away. Although Derek still owns her Primrose has been on loan to Neil Bray for many years. Neil fitted a modern cross flow engine and a roll bar, using the old car on the classics for many years before going class four with a Skoda on some events to avoid the re-starts!
The barbecue after the run gave Derek and Ron Warren the opportunity to reminisce about their competition career. Derek won the Guy Fawkes in Primrose one year and also the Badderely on the Lands End a number of times.
Ron remembers when you had to register as a triple contender. Ron got three first class awards one year but no triple because he hadn’t registered. Reggie Marrions was Club Captain and stood no nonsense, rules are rules. Then Ron recalled one Exeter when the engine of his Dellow cried enough and he took it to a local garage. The mechanics fell on the car and quickly removed the engine. They had to fit a new piston and four exchange con-rods. Ron missed a section by about ten minutes but went on to do the rest of the trial.
Ron and Derek talked about another Falcon members special “The Lawford”. This was a real fly-weight that challenged Derek in Primrose on one Guy Fawkes. It was built by Mike Lawrence and “Lawford” came from “The Lawrence-Ford Special”. They were both clean on the sections but Derek was quicker on the special tests. He reckoned it was all down to his gear ratios Mike had a box from and “eight” while Derek’s was from a “ten”. It was super to see car and builder reunited again. Derek certainly enjoyed himself. Who knows we may yet see him on another Lands End.
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