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The Middlesex County Automobile Club is a motor club based in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. ==Formation== The club has its origins in early 1905, and the club records show that a small group of young businessmen and professionals met at The Fox Hotel, Palmers Green, north London, and decided to form a motor club, which they named The North London Car Club (NLCC). However, on finding that the North London Cycle Club was already in existence, they quickly changed the name to the North London Automobile Club (NLAC). The club committee invited the most prominent personage in the district to be the first President of the club. Col. Henry Ferryman Bowles MA MP JP was a direct descendant of the 6th Earl of Macclesfield, a founder member of the Middlesex County Council, Chairman of the Enfield Bench, and Conservative Member of Parliament for the Enfield Division. Col. Bowles was to remain in office for 38 years, until his death in 1943. One of the first vice-presidents was The Hon. Rupert Guinness, heir to the Guinness brewing business, ADC to King George V and an MP. Another vice-president was Mr. A.W. Gamage, founder of the famous Gamages store in Holborn. Initially, the NLAC was affiliated to the Motor Union (MU), a subsidiary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain (as the RAC was known at that time). However, at the end of 1907, the MU broke away from the RAC due to internal frictions. The RAC then announced a scheme whereby local clubs could become associates of the RAC, with representation on its committee. In January 1908, the NLAC changed its name to the North Middlesex AC (NMAC) and, on 1 January 1909, joined the RAC Associates scheme. The first ever recorded motoring event took place on Saturday 27 May 1905. That was followed by a further eight such runs that year, including four Friday to Sunday weekend events. The first competitive event took place on Saturday 5 May 1906, and involved what would be known today as a Production Car Trial. It was won by the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Chas Smith, in his 12hp Darracq. On Saturday 19 May 1906, a speed-judging contest was the first co-promoted event, in conjunction with the Southern Car Club, for the Gamage Challenge Cup. Although this event was won by the Southern Car Club, the next three events held in succeeding years were won by the NMAC, and resulted in the club retaining the Gamage Cup in perpetuity. It is today the oldest cup in the club's collection. On Saturday 16 May 1908 at Cat Hill (A110), Cockfosters, north London, the club became the first such organisation to receive written permission from the Commissioner of Police to hold a motoring competition on a public road. The event was won by Mr. Alfred Alexander in his 8hp De Dion-Bouton, winning the President’s Cup. In February 1910, a meeting was held at the Middlesex Guildhall. This public meeting was considered so important that the chairman of the Council made the Council Chamber available, and many important personages connected with the County Council, the motoring press and the RAC were in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to consider a proposal suggested by the Council Chairman and supported by the Secretary of the RAC, Mr. Julian Orde, that the NMAC be reconstituted as the Middlesex County Automobile Club‘……so as to become the representative motoring organisation in the county’. The resolution was passed, and the MCAC came into being at the committee meeting held on 25 February 1910. In 1911, the Kensington AC was amalgamated with the MCAC, and several former officials joined the MCAC Committee. In 1912, the Club entered a team in the RAC Associates Day at Brooklands and won The Autocar Cup in the 5-mile Relay Race. Mr. Malcolm Campbell, who was to play a large part in the Club’s activities in later years, won the All-comers Handicap race on that day. With the advent of hostilities in 1914, pleasure motoring almost came to a complete standstill, although the Club did run a few events up to mid-1915. During the war, the Club’s standing committee adopted a very patriotic attitude, and did what it could for the war effort. With the cessation of hostilities, the Club quickly resumed activities, notwithstanding a fall in membership by some 50% since 1914, to around 200. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Middlesex County Automobile Club」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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