Brno–Sobesice 2016

The organizer of the six pre-war years was ČAMS (Czechoslovak Automobile Club for Moravia and Silesia). The first year already had 54 domestic and foreign participants on the starting list. Until 1929, riders representing the top European riders of the time would come to Královo Pole every year. The technology of motorcycles and cars was also at the highest level. In the same year, terrain adjustments and construction preparations for the Masaryk Circuit began, the first year of which was held in September 1930.
Exactly 90 years ago, in 1926, Brno experienced amazing races on the track to Soběšice. On Saturday, June 6, eighty participants gathered. The weather was traditionally unfavorable, but the impeccable condition of the road allowed the riders to achieve excellent results. Eliška Junková broke all records with her Bugatti in 2:29.6 and won the overall victory. In motorcycles, captain Vladimír Kučka on a Brough Superior and Bohumil Turek on a Walter won the dead heat in the same time of 2:26.0. In total, eleven track records were broken. Eliška Junková's performance was admirable, as she defeated famous competitors on more powerful machines, her husband Čenek Junk, Tunál Divíšek, Soffer, Szolnay and Urban-Emmerich. She repeated the absolute victory in 1927.

Let's start with a real rarity. The only surviving BSJ 500 OHV motorcycle was manufactured by the Brno Královopolská strojírna in 1948. It is a machine made according to the model of the Sunbeam M9 500 OHV from 1932. Probably five engines, differing in details, and three machines were produced. Ivo Šarlingr, a member of the Pavlíkov Veteran Club, who in 2007 fulfilled his dream by opening a motorcycle museum in the aforementioned village near Rakovník, called, how else, „"A Dream Come True"“, received this motorcycle not only in a completely disassembled state, but its parts were also mixed with parts from a Sunbeam, which he probably used as a model. It required the work of an expert to correctly sort the parts. Then it was possible to assemble the machine, practically in its original condition. However, the actual year of production is doubtful. It is known that during the Protectorate, skilled enthusiasts developed various projects that they kept secret from the occupiers (for example, the Jawa), so it is likely that the machine was created at that time. Of course, it arrived late in 1948. The motorcycle is said to run beautifully and is quite sharp, unfortunately the miniature brake drum in the front does not match this. In short, a prototype.

Ladislav Kolegar from Harley-Davidson Club Brno arrived with his WLC from 1942 in the original US Army design. The engine is of course a 750 cm³, 19 HP, open-valve twin-cylinder. The Brno club has existed since 1963, unlike the Prague club, which was founded in 1928. Before the war, up to 400 Harleys were sold here per year, which was the second largest market after the USA! After the war, the offer was made up of leftovers from war supplies. The army left used HDs here, but as part of UNRRA aid, completely new machines were also imported, folded in boxes. Until 1948, it was also possible to buy them, the WLA and WLC types, built primarily for the army. For five thousand pre-reform crowns... In addition to the machines from the HD Club Brno, their number was also increased by their Austrian colleague Jaromír Svoboda from Vienna, who arrived with seven comrades from a club called Harleyson's. Their object of interest is pre-war machines, especially sharp ones. Harleysoni regularly go to Soběšice and were again very satisfied with both the weather and the atmosphere of the event itself.

However, in addition to the Harley party, Jaromír Svoboda also brought an amazing car. His Willys Knight 66 Touring from 1925 has a 3.9-liter inline six-cylinder valve-operated engine with 60 HP. In its time, engines controlled by valves instead of valves were considered to have a bright future. They were also used in sports, for example, in 1926 a car with a Knight system engine completed a lap of 100 km/h at Le Mans. Jaromír Svoboda bought this Willys because, as he says, it was love at first sight. But he couldn't find anyone willing to make him his valve-operated engine. In the end, he had to do it himself for many years. The engine has two valves per cylinder, each moved by its own connecting rod, so the cylinder has three connecting rods. The valves are sealed by the interaction of the oil layer and the pressure in the cylinder, which causes problems when starting when both are missing. This process is well known to aircraft enthusiasts. You can see on YouTube that historic radial piston engines are very reluctant to start, one cylinder seizes, then the other, and it takes a while for the engine to really start. Willys are similarly difficult to start.

The reborn Zbrojováč Disk, originally manufactured in 1923, was practically driven for the first time. It is built using many original parts, including the engine, but above all based on the completely complete original documentation, down to the last pad. Similar to last year with the Omega, its renovator/creator Karel Jaroš from Auto Z Klub Brno was concerned with setting the friction transmission, which, together with the in-line two-stroke four-cylinder with a capacity of 600 cm³, makes the Disk such a unique machine. The problem was clear - if the friction is insufficient, the transmission will slip and the car will not be able to handle the hill. With greater spring pressure, the rider will not be able to change gears while driving with one hand. However, as is customary with the Jaroš family, everything worked in the end. Only the panel entrance to the premises showed that the simple suspension without shock absorbers must have been a source of suffering for the driver even then.

Richard Jura from VAC Brno had long wanted to have an Express, or Z5, in his collection along with the Z4, Z6 and Z18 Zeta cars. In the spring, he managed to discover this 1935 model in a standard two-door version and in very nice condition, not far from Vienna. After a long period of standing, the rust in the tank needed to be removed, but the Zeta came to life, and when I was taking photos on the track, I gave it a personal prize for the least smoking two-stroke. Which Mr. Jura later commented on with a laugh, because his lovely Express bit him on the third run up the hill. But the hill climb is here to test the cars. Jirka Mátl, with his (finally after ten years) renovated Renault Celtaquatre from 1935, was convinced that when the radiator leaks, the rest of the water boils and the engine bites just as much.

In 1933, Walter began offering, in addition to its luxury models, the more affordable Junior, Bijou, Princ and Lord series. If the name Bijou sounds strange to anyone, it is a piece of jewelry – think of the word bižuterie. In order to offer cheaper cars, Walter began to cooperate with Fiat. The Princ is derived from the Fiat 522, which was a 2.5-liter, 50-horsepower, six-cylinder underbody engine. The licensed cars were initially assembled from original Fiat parts, before Walter gradually took over the production of parts. Radim Hlaváček from the Slovácko VCC says that he acquired this piece in relatively good condition. He only says „"he stood outside for a long time, and a fallen tree fell on him too"“. It is therefore clear that the renovation was quite extensive. This is probably one of the first pieces, as many parts are marked Fiat. However, the desire for perfection paid off and this year this 1933 Princ, coachbuilt by Peter from Vrchlabí, was a real gem at its first appearance.

The Aero 662 from 1930 was brought by Viktor Vadura from the Aero Club Austria. Vadura has helped organize events for oldtimers since the early 1980s, is now active in the Austrian expatriate community, works in Vienna, among other things, and is also involved in Czech theater, and was at Soběšice for the first time. His Cililink is originally a 500, but was converted to a twin-cylinder 662 in the Aero factory in the 1930s.

Jiří Kohlíček from SKAM Olomouc did not show the Olomouc Arena exhibit this time, but his own Z4. This is the 18th car from the 250-unit additional second series from 1934. The car has traveled just over 87 thousand kilometers and is very original despite the seven-year renovation. Jirka Kohlíček had to deal with a number of other activities, so his friends no longer believed that they would see this Z4 again. But they did, including the original license plate of the first owner from Kobylis.

Eduard Treschl's Chrysler 70 from VAC Brno was imported to the Czech Republic in 1930 as a new car. It was used until the 1960s, when it pulled a tow truck with a racing car. It then stood somewhere near Moravany, in the 1970s it was bought by a collector, but he also left it standing until the 1990s, when the Treschl brothers' company dismantled and renovated it. Much of the original woodwork and sheet metal was preserved, but it was still a large job. Its engine is a 4500 cm³ inline six-cylinder underbody engine and produces a respectable 90 horsepower. Although I felt like I saw Chryslers often, it has only driven about 2000 km in the last four years.

The 1929 Sunbeam M 25 Doctor Coupe is in the family of Tomáš Hořice from VAC Brno. The car was imported from England 13 years ago. The engine, a 3.8-liter OHV inline six-cylinder with a good 72 horsepower, has just been overhauled, but everything is said to be authentic, including the silver lettering.