Based in the
Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, the club has an extensive programme of events
throughout the year, with the Jim Clark Memorial Rally as the premier event in the
calendar
(Click for a
larger map)
Berwick & District Motor Club celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1995 and
since its inception has organised motoring events. One of the first was a Sprint at
Haggerston Castle in August 1935. This event attracted a very healthy entry of moor cars
and bikes but unfortunately attracted a huge number of spectators who blocked the A1!
As the years past the club's organisational abilities improved and its membership grew.
From the very early days club members competed in a wide variety of events on both two
wheels and four in the UK and abroad, where drivers like Bill Stoddart competed very
successfully in the 1950's in rallies such as the Tulip in Holland and the Monte Carlo.
In the late fifties and early sixties many of the world's leading racing drivers
competed in motor races on the courses set out on wartime airfields at Winfield and
Charterhall in Jaguar D Types, Ferraris and Aston Martins. These events attracted many top
class drivers including Roy Salvadori, Innes Ireland and Mike Hawthorn. Many a famous
driver started out on Berwick's club events, including Ralliart's Andrew Cowan and, more
recently, World Ladies Rally Champion, Louise Aitken-Walker.
Of course World Motor racing Champion Jim Clark was as famous a member as any.
He is reputed to have learned at least some of his skills regularly racing against a
Triumph motorcycle in his Lotus and claiming many drystone walls in the attempt!
 |
This is the Border Reivers' Aston Martin DBR1 that Jim
Clark shared with Roy Salvadori to finish 3rd in the 1960 Le Mans 24-Hour Race. The trophy
is The Motor Cup for best British performance. - (thanks to Peter Bramwell) |
Over the years the club has organised many different types of events. As forest
stage rallies grew in popularity in the late sixties and early seventies, the club ran the
Border Rally as well as a round of the Scottish Championship. This was followed by a joint
venture with Border Ecosse Car Club which has finally culminated in the Jim Clark Memorial
Rally. A forest event for many years it moved onto closed roads for the first time in
1997.
Whilst many of the club members are interested in stage rallying, the club has for many
years run a number of road rallies and the annual Buglass Trophy Rally is a round of two
local championships attracting over thirty entries. The Club also runs The Berwick
Classic.
The 
is an event for classic, vintage and
historic cars which takes competitors on a 100 mile route through Berwickshire and
Northumberland that links a series of autotests, sprints and so on at various places of
interest on the way.
Club members have always travelled far and wide to compete in events, and 1997 saw them
competing in hillclimbs, autotests, autocrosses and rallies all over the UK.
The Club looks set to move into the next millennium with a healthy membership and a number
of very popular events in its calendar attracting entries from the Clubman in his everyday
car, to the works teams in their four wheel drive World Rally Cars.
Club Contacts
