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HSTA.co.uk |
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Historic Sporting Trials Association |
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The earliest reference to a Cotton trials car appears in the 1st December 1950 issue of Autosport where a photograph taken at the Kentish Border Sporting Trial shows Doug Cotton with his own car NPE797 Like most specials of this time it used the combination of an Austin Seven chassis with Ford 10 running gear. |
reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
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By February 1951 Tony Rumfitt was the new owner of NPE797, here is a superb photograph of Doug Cotton, at the Presidents Trophy Trial, regretting having sold it! |
reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
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By February 1952 3 Cottons were in existence, the original Cotton NPE797,
Cotton 2- PPH6 went to Tony Rumfitt, Cotton 3- RPD4 to Rex Chappell and later Cotton 4- RPJ3 to Percy Barden, here is a photograph of Rex with Cotton 3 at the Kentish Border Trial. |
reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
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reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
Rex Chappell had considerable success with Cotton 3, here he is at the High Peak Trial in late 1952, the Ford steel front wheels and large drums can be seen. Note the distinctive single headlight and sidelights mounted almost level with the rear edge of the bonnet. Many specials had single headlights, probably the most well known was Gerry Pentony's car Cyclops! |
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At the Roy Fedden Trial in November 1952 Rex rolls Cotton 3 on the Castle Coombe hill called Nettleton and his wife breaks her arm, the hill was cancelled. This hill, Breakheart, is now known as Crooked Mustard on the Cotswold Clouds Trial |
reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
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Motor Sport magazine occasionally featured Sporting Trials,
Here is a photograph from April 1953 of Rex Chappell in Cotton 3, it is described as Blue in colour and now sports much lighter front brakes and wire wheels from a pre-war Morris Minor. |
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The Knott Cup trial of October 1954 appears to be possibly the last outing for Rex in Cotton 3, he won a first class award. |
reproduced with the kind permission of AUTOSPORT |
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In total there appears to have been 4 Cottons:- 1950:Cotton in NPE797 1951:Rumfitt in NPE797 1952:Rumfitt in Cotton2 PPH6, Chappell in Cotton3 RPD4, Barden in Cotton4 RPJ3 1953:Roberts in Cotton2 PPH6, Chappell in Cotton3 RPD4, Barden in Cotton4 RPJ3 1954:Roberts in Cotton2 PPH6, Broadhead in Cotton? TTU222 1956:Potts in Cotton4 RPJ3 1957:Potts in Cotton4 RPJ3 All the Cottons bar Cotton4 disappear in early 1954, it is possible that these early Cottons, in their original form, fell foul of the specification of the 1953 RAC Trials Formula. It is a fact that Rex Chappell had Cotton3 rebuilt by Mike Cannon with a new tubular chassis to become the Cannotton, the new chassis shows a strong resemblence to the tubular chassis already used for Cotton4. Mr Cotton was active in car trials and possibly building specials until the mid 1950's. His original car: NPE797, Cotton2: PPH6 and Cotton3: RPD4 were very similar cars with narrow but tall frontal profiles whereas Cotton4 was built on more modern looking lower profile tubular chassis right from the start. The registration number NPE797 appears in 1952 on Alastair Baring's Dellow so maybe the original Cotton was used as a donor? It is thought that more Cottons (or Cotton-Cannons) may have been made; J. C. Broadhead is listed as driving a Cotton: TTU222, in the Ninth High Peak Trial of 1954 and this car looks to have the more modern low profile similar to Cotton4. |
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