Report on Operation Europe
from whom to who?

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NORWAY
SWEDEN
DENMARK
GERMANY
HOLLAND
BELGIUM
LUXEMBOURG
FRANCE
SWITZERLAND
LIECHTENSTEIN
AUSTRIA
YUGOSLAVIA
ITALY
MONACO
ANDORRA
SPAIN
PORTUGAL

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As you will recall in 1952 a HUMBER SUPER SNIPE, with a four litre engine, carried out the above exercise, under my direction, with considerable success and resultant publicity.

This record still stands to HUMBER LTD., and we believe that what we did with four litres can be beaten with one litre - our HILLMAN IMP.

The impact value can be increased by including on the run in Europe, visits to more Dealers, as we found that when our 'NON-STOP' IMP visited all our Dealers in ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND and WALES, the interest shown in our IMP by them, their staff, customers and the Press was truly astonishing. It also boosted morale, and as the car arrived when we said it would, the Dealers were able to invite to their premises in advance, their Retail Dealers, Customers, Press and prospective Customers to see the car pass, etc.

We know that the HILLMAN IMP is now a reliable car and on this NON-STOP run of 3,350 miles we can prove it to the Dealers in Europe, especially as we would make the effort, if approval is given, in March.

This is a departure from our Competition work, as it really becomes a Dealer Interest exercise, and something they would really understand, as they would bc involved.

I feel we are resting on our laurels too long with our successes in Competitions, and it's time we did more of Mr Everymans type of event, espcially where our Dealers are concerned.

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The actual run will be undertaken by members of the Royal Air Force Motor Sport Association; the drivers are:

• Flight Lieutenant J.A. Quilley            (RAF Watton)
• Flight Lieutenant D. Carrington               "   "
• Flying Officer G. Smith                     (RAF Woodhall Spa)
• Officer Cadet I. Stewart-Rattray       (RAF Feltwell)

Flight Lieutenants Quilley and Carrington: Co-promotors of the event and co-organisers - route, timings, reconnaisance, briefings, etc. Both very experienced Rally drivers with Racing experience. Co- organisers of the very successful 48-hour attempt, at Snetterton. Flight Lieutenant Quilley was Team Manager, Flight Lieutenant Carrington the Chief Driver. Both have International Licences, Flight Lieutenant Quilley a Rally Licence, Flight Lieutenant Carrington a Racing Licence.

Flying Officer Smith is a very experienced Rally and Racing driver - figures prominently in results of National Rallies and RAF Rally Championship each year. He was one of the fastest and steadiest drivers in the Snetterton Team.

Officer Cadet Stewart-Rattray is a very experienced Rally driver (International Licence); rallies an Imp regularly in National and RAFMSA events; ex-RAFMSA championship driver.

All the above were short-listed for the RAF (Rover) entry in this years East African "Safari" but have stood down in favour of this event.

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From Norway to Portugal is a distance of 3,352 miles and calls for an average speed of 40 miles per hour, inclusive of frontier formalities and stops for refuelling.

The object of the run is to "prove the endurance, reliability, comfort and speed of the Scottish built Hillman Imp and all its accessories as usad by thousands of the general public. Ths tests to be made in all weathers and over all varieties of road with four drivers and normal luggage".

The run is not, however, recommended for the average tourist, as there will be very little rest for the drivers.

The car will start from Oslo, Norway, latitude 60 degrees, at      hours (      ) on      and will complete its run when Badajos, on the Spanish-Portuguese frontier, is reached, then on to Lisbon, latitude 39 degrees, making a total mileage of approximately 3,700.

As the car enters a fresh territory it will display the country's emblem on the side of the car alongside the Union Jack.

The Hillman Super Imp, an 875 c.c. passenger car with a new all alluminium four cylinder engine, has not been altered in any way - engine, gearbox and other components being as for normal production.

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The car will use Shell Petrol ad Shell X-100 Oil which will be bought from garages en route.

In the opinion of the Group experts, the run will be as difficult as a Monte Carlo Rally, especially if the snow, sleet and icing conditions continue - as at the present - over the continent from Norway to the Mediterranean.

The run - apart from refuelling when hasty snacks of hot food will be taken - is practically non-stop day and night, and, despite time delays taken up by continued frontier formalities ad passage by two ferries in Denmark, the run must be maintained at an average speed of 40 miles per hour.

No speed limits will be exceeded and the schedule is so planned that this will not be necessary.

The Route

• From Pava to Alpine Passes
• Rough tracks to Autostradas

The route is one of the most comprehensive in Europe this side of the "Iron Curtain", and even without the element of the weather will prove that the car "can take it" anywhere on any road.

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In detail the route is:-

Start from Oslo. A metalled winding road along the Oslo Fjord out of the capital later turns inland to pine-clad hills as the Swedish frontier is approached. At this time of the year the road will be snow and ice covered.

Then, provided the weather is favourable, there is a good long run down the western coast of Sweden through Goteborg and onto the first ferry at Halsingborg.

After landing at Helsingor (Hamlet's Elsinor) the route runs through Copenhagen and down through Lolland where the second and last ferry is taken to Fehmarn where the Danish- German frontier is crossed. The road runs through forest and agricultural country to Hamburg and on to Hanovor.

From here onto Cologne there is a succession of autobahns to test the maintained high speed of the car, which will by now have covered nearly 1,000 miles of its journey.

Continuing from Cologne the road rises from the Rhine valley over pave into Aschen and across the Dutch frontier through Maastright into Liege (Belgium), through Bastogne, scene of bitter War-time Ardennes Fighting, over into Luxembourg. The river Moselle is crossed at Metz (France), through Nancy and rising to 2,399 ft in the Vosges foothills as the Swiss frontier at Basle comes into sight. From Basle to Zurich and along the southern shore of the lake into Sagens and through Liechtenstein into Feldkirch (Austria).

Once into Austria the eleventh country to be visited on the journey the road winds its way over the Tyrol through the fashionable ski-ing resort of Kitsbuhel and on to the Yugoslavian border.

A brief visit to Yugoslavia before heading across Italy for Milan and the second thousand miles are on the clock. From Milan to Autostrada at Genoa, then a 200 mile drive along the picturesque shores of the Mediterranean through Menton, Monaco, Nice and Cannes.

Cont'd.....

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It is estimated that here the drivers will experience one of the toughest sections of the run and that they may have difficulty in maintaining their schedule.

After Cannes, the drive goes inland through Aix-en-Provence, the delta levels of the Rhone to Arles, through Montpellier, Narbonne, Carcassonne to Pamiers where a sharp turn to south is made down to the small country of Andorra.

The final stage cones with a very long fast drive across through Zeragoza and Madrid. The three thousandth mile-stone has now been passed and as the Portuguese town of Badajoz is traversed the mission is accomplished.

Approximately another eight hours driving in Portugal before final destinetion - Lisbon, making a total mileage of approximately 3,700 miles in 85 hours.

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