Seven of the eight classic classes are relatively easy to police. There may be debate or discussion whether or not a particular car should be in a certain class, but mostly the facts speak for themselves. Except for the rear engined cars where there is an engine capacity split. Under 1300 and you are in class four, over 1300 and you are in class six. It is the redoubtable, and very popular, VW Beetle that causes all of the problems. Open up the deck lid and look inside. Is that type one engine a standard 34 hp 1200 or over a hundred horses of 2.1 litre screamer. OK, if it's a type four lump it rather gives the game away, but otherwise how do you tell? From time to time there are accusations. I remember standing at the foot of Tog Hill on the '96 Allen Trial and over-hearing a couple of Beetle drivers saying that Murray MacDonalds car "went rather too well for a 1300". Mostly, as in this case, it's in friendly jest and goes no further. However, a few year ago one Beetle driver had the legality of his motor formally challenged.
It was all rather strange. In the end nothing was really decided. Nobody ended up smelling of roses and the trials world lost a rather nice mag. There were three principle actors in the drama. Dennis Greenslade was the man who's engine was challenged. "Our Hero" is one of the most experienced drivers around. Although he is currently driving a Reliant SS in class five Dennis has mainly been a VW man. I can remember him driving a 1302S at Tring Park in the early 70’s. He has also driven a Brasilia, Porsche 911 and a 1300 Beetle. It's this orange car, currently campaigned by son Giles, that was the cause of the controversy. Dr Brian Cope was man who questioned the legality of Dennis's engine. Brian has just announced his retirement from driving in Classic Trials after some twenty years. He went out in a blaze of glory, winning class eight on the Isle of Man event in his familiar "Peugeot Shuttle". At the time of all the arguments Brian edited Wheelspin, a very nice Trials magazine, that was on the scene before "Re-Start" came along. As a class eight driver Brian had no direct interest in the legality of the Greenslade Beetle.
Finally we have Les Needham. I can remember meeting him some twenty five years ago when I was a member of Falcon's successful Castrol Quiz team and he was one of the regional organisers. The tall, rather weedy, Needham was the “Director of Sporting and Technical Services” of the RAC at the time. Having set the scene we can now follow the drama from archive copies of Wheel Spin.
At the start of the 1989 Cotswold Clouds Brian Cope lodged a formal protest against Dennis Greenslades Beetle concerning its eligibility for class four. In his written protest he claimed “This action is necessary in the light of rumours and innuendoes which have been circulating this year about this vehicle to protect the drivers good name and preserve the integrity of our sport”.
At the end of the event the scruitineer’s “sealed” Dennis’s engine with red touch up paint and Brian Cope was informed that he would have to deposit £550 with the RACMSA if the engine was to be examined internally. Brian indeed sent his cheque to the RAC, but with certain proviso’s, including a stipulation that he must be present when the engine was examined. Needham informed him by letter that this was not possible. Further correspondence took place about the validity of the way the engine was sealed and whether or not Brian could be present at the engine strip. Then on the 15th February Brian Cope wrote to Les Needham withdrawing his protest. In his letter he said “Because the car was not impounded after the trial and in view of the uncertainties related to engine sealing and the fact that there would be a three week period between the event and the examination of the engine, the proposed examination of the engine, in my view , would be inconclusive.”
So that was that? No, it wasn’t. On 7th March Needham sent Brian Cope a letter saying that publication of an article in Wheelspin, “Justice Needs to be Done”, could have contravened RAC regulations. The matter did in fact go to an RAC tribunal. In the November issue of Wheelspin Brian wrote:- On October 4th 1989, Dr C. B. Cope, the Editor of WHEELSPIN magazine, lost an appeal against the RAC Motor Sports Association Disciplinary Tribunal which ruled that he was guilty of “actions prejudicial to the interest of the Motor Sports Council or motor sport generally” by publishing articles in the magazine. No other charges were made against him!
Shortly afterwards Wheelspin ceased publication. According to Brian Cope a major reason was the withdrawal of advertising support by the RAC!