Hi folks did anyone see the Mountain prog. on BBC 1 last night (Sunday), was that an Austin 7 driving to the top of BEN NEVIS?

I wondered how the brakes would hold out on the way down.

Stephen

No it was a 20hp Model T Ford in 1911 - and then a Model A in 1928

Ben Nevis conquered by Car

In 1911 a 20 horse-power Model T Ford was driving to the top of the mountain as a publicity stunt by the Ford agents in Edinburgh. Henry Alexander Jr, the son of the owner, was the driver. The car was not simply driven up the track - it involved 10 days of preparatory work finding and checking a driveable way to just the half way mark, and to put in bridging planks. It took three further days to drive the car to this point and just two more days to cover the stones and snow to the observatory. The car would sink axle deep in the boggy ground and would have to be hauled out by role. The 'Daily Telegraph' reported at the time that a false turn of the wheel would mean a fall which would have caused total destruction to the car, and certain death to the driver!

Me Alexander was feted as a hero when the car returned to Fort William. After the brakes were adjusted no other repairs were necessary, and the car was driven back to Edinburgh.

Mr Alexander seemed to enjoy his feat so much that he repeated it in 1928, this time in a Standard New Ford (Model A Ford). The last quarter of a mile was driven with four passengers.

George Simpson (ScA7C Past President), drove a 1928 Chummy to the top of Ben Nevis the same year, (I think). I have some information on this trip somewhere and will post it onto the site for interest.

Cheers

Ruairidh

There was a George C. Simpson, D.Sc. Meteorologist, (nicknamed "Sunny Jim" for some reason), who went on Scott's expedition to the Antarctic in 1910. Would be interesting if the same adventuring character? From memory there's something in the Assoc. mags about the effort plus the commemorative run in later years. Cheers, Bill in Oz

Thanks Ruairidh the car on TV did look like a chummy.

Seems to have created some intrest.

Stephen.

The car on Ben Nevis on sunday night was most definitely not a 7,I am fairly sure it was a model A Ford. The George Simpson who drove his Chummy up the Ben in 1928 attended the Sc A7 Club commemeritive event in 1978,and did not appear to me at the time to have been old enough to have taken part in Polar expeditions in 1911,but you never know. Ian