Flying Scotsman Rally 2014 From the Cockpit

The original plan was to take my two-liter Low Chassis Lagonda. This was a “barn find” bought nine months previously. I subsequently found out that not only was it an original supercharged car, but had a rally history, including the 1931 London to Edinburgh Trial. What better way to celebrate the re-commissioning of the car than to enter it in the Flying Scotsman Rally? However, a massive oil leak from the rear main oil seal, only three weekends before the event, clearly meant that it would not be ready and, even if it were, probably not reliable enough for what was going to be a tough event by any standard.

The Flying Scotsman Rally is a “vintageant” navigation rally, loosely based on the fact that a 1930s Talbot 105 raced the “Flying Scotsman” steam train from London to Edinburgh. With the entry paid and a navigator waiting, the only choice left was to wheel out my 15/98 two-liter Aston Martin. It was last used in a couple of races in the previous Aston Martin Centenary year and for a week touring with my wife and dog along the south coast of England. I knew it was in good fettle and hoped it would be reliable.