Shelsley Walsh Launches Search for 72 Specials Ahead of Summer Reunion

We're calling on the motorsport community to help reunite the ‘Shelsley Specials’ – unique cars created specifically to earn the best time of day on the venue’s challenging hill – in time for our Reg Phillips meeting in July.

The tradition of building Shelsley Specials began not long after the Midland Automobile Club (MAC) had moved to the Worcestershire hill climb course in 1905, with the most famous Special arguably being Spider I, created by Basil Davenport.

Davenport’s mismatched car helped him become the first driver to break the 50-second mark in 1926, beating a field of the best drivers of the day, including the legendary Raymond Mays. In total, Spider I broke the hill record four times between 1926 and 1928.

An important part of our history, the Shelsley Specials are testament to the ingenuity of hill climb competitors throughout the years. Each with their own unique look and with names such as Wasp, Bloody Mary and the Gnat, a number of the cars are still in action today and remain a force to be reckoned with on hill climbs and at sprints across the country.

While a register was originally kept of all the Shelsley Specials as and when they were certified, it needs to be updated as the whereabouts of around 72 cars are currently unknown. Can you help us find them?

Those who have a Shelsley Special or know the whereabouts of one of the cars are asked to contact Amanda Palmer at the Midland Automobile Club on 01886 812211 or by emailing amanda@mac1901.co.uk

The cars that we're keen to locate are listed below.