Magnet's Motoring Question of the week.

[Magnet]

Hello folks,

Another not-for-Googling question:- 

 

The origins of the AA were linked to a sport.      What was the sport and what was the connection? 

 

Clues:- Nothing to do with sponsorship as we know it. The AA's livery colour might be another clue.

 

Will leave this run until the end of the week. 

Good luck,

Gareth.

 

[Steve Q]

1 hour ago, Magnet said:

Hello folks,

Another not-for-Googling question:- 

 

The origins of the AA were linked to a sport.      What was the sport and what was the connection? 

 

Clues:- Nothing to do with sponsorship as we know it. The AA's livery colour might be another clue.

 

Will leave this run until the end of the week. 

Good luck,

Gareth.

 

Now the Automobile Association started out as a type of club if I'm correct. And at the time 20s-30s they did road rallies to test a cars endurance and reliability. The RAC did this too. 

I do hope I'm correct :) 

Abit random but here's a pic of me with an old AA box in Norfolk :) 

[Magnet]

Like the pic. Steve.

Good attempt, but nothing to do with motorsport, where contact is not what you want! - good clue. 

[Steve Q]

Thanks! :) 

Darn it! Well in light of the clue I'm going to say either to do with insurance or banger racing or similar. 

[Magnet]

Got the gist of the clue Steve, but nothing to do with vehicles. 

[Steve Q]

13 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Got the gist of the clue Steve, but nothing to do with vehicles. 

Hmm, well I'll have to rack my brain as this has me stumped. I bet it's something really obvious that I'm not seeing! 

[Magnet]

Now just have to think about sport sports, not vehicle sports. 

Dont fail to get this one Steve. I'll give you another clue tomorrow if you don't  get it from the earlier clue! 

Well, have another one today - don't think team sports. 

Good luck, 

Gareth

[Steve Q]

I'm now thinking cycling or tennis? But.i still can't see the connection between sport and the AA. Unless the AA branched out into cars later on? 

[Trevor]

I have a funny feeling it is to do with Boxing but I don't know why 

[Magnet]

MAGIC Trevor.           Spot on.

The initial president of the AA back in 1905?? (or there abouts) was a keen sportsman, and attempted to "tidy up" boxing from its previous bare knuckle affair. He dedicated a still-contested boxing belt to this sport. 

Now parts 2 of question:-

What is the name of the belt?

What is the connection with the AA's livery yellow colour and this first president? 

By what I understand the choice of yellow had nothing to do with standing out/visibility as we now associate the colour being good for. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Steve Q]

3 hours ago, Magnet said:

MAGIC Trevor.           Spot on.

The initial president of the AA back in 1905?? (or there abouts) was a keen sportsman, and attempted to "tidy up" boxing from its previous bare knuckle affair. He dedicated a still-contested boxing belt to this sport. 

Now parts 2 of question:-

What is the name of the belt?

What is the connection with the AA's livery yellow colour and this first president? 

By what I understand the choice of yellow had nothing to do with standing out/visibility as we now associate the colour being good for. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

Wow! now I would never have guessed boxing! 

Was the yellow a simple for his local football team or something? 

[Trevor]

black and yellow was probably what his face looked like after a boxing match   

[Magnet]

Hello folks,

Thanks for the good attempts.

Lonsdale belt, which was presented by the 5th Earl of Lonsdale - Hugh Lowther - in 1909.

He had been elected the first president of the AA in 1905. 

It seems he had a penchant for the colour yellow, and in fact was know as the Yellow earl. His carriages etc. were always painted in yellow - one surviving example in the National Trust Arlington carriage museum in  N. Devon. No, they don't know he was the yellow earl or of his AA connections either!  

So, the Yellow Earl was the first president of the AA and the AA's livery is yellow. Bit of a coincidence? or choice?

Try asking any AA patrol this question. Good odds they won't know, but you do.

Kind regards, 

Gareth. 

[Adbro]

The earl was a founder member of the nation sporting club and he donated the first belts for boxing. One of the guys at work is boxing mad and has loaned me some history over the years 😂. The only connection with sport that the AA has it seems is the earls positions in two different organisations. 

 So the colour yellow. Without research here on the earls background I would speculate that like almost all of his peers he was involved to some extent in being a mason. Colours have meaning to masons and yellow symbolises the search for the light/truth. Or it could be he just liked yellow.

[Magnet]

Thanks for the update Adam. Quite right of course that the AA's link is as you say.

Now masons and the meaning of colours?

Well at least these questions are providing a platform for gaining more knowledge. I've learnt something new today. I would have no means of knowing that otherwise! 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[Adbro]

Hi Gareth - thanks for your comment. Always a bit of a gamble posting stuff on masons. You never know how folks will take it. I thought it interesting though as it seems relevant. When you break down the patrol search you out with light. That light is the patrols knowledge that helps get you on your way. And as yellow seems symbolic of the same to masons. 

 Great question though and I too learned from it, having been a member of the A.A. for over 20 years I did not know Lonsdale was founder member. Look forward to next weeks 👍

[Steve Q]

Now this is interesting, I would never have guessed that the AAs roots were so unique! 

[Magnet]

Next week's question early.

Sorry won't be able to post on Monday. 

BMW (am I allowed to mention them?! ) started their car production by making a British car under licence. Indeed Nissan's predessor - Datsun- also made their variant of this car. 

What was that car? 

NO GOOGLING! 

Good luck, 

Gareth. 

[WPAWS]

1 hour ago, Steve Q said:

Now this is interesting, I would never have guessed that the AAs roots were so unique! 

me either none of this came up at Alcoholics Anonymous meeting :)

[WPAWS]

1 minute ago, Magnet said:

Next week's question early.

Sorry won't be able to post on Monday. 

BMW (am I allowed to mention them?! ) started their car production by making a British car under licence. Indeed Nissan's predessor - Datsun- also made their variant of this car. 

What was that car? 

NO GOOGLING! 

Good luck, 

Gareth. 

oh i had a datsun is it the cherry

[Steve Q]

9 hours ago, Magnet said:

Next week's question early.

Sorry won't be able to post on Monday. 

BMW (am I allowed to mention them?! ) started their car production by making a British car under licence. Indeed Nissan's predessor - Datsun- also made their variant of this car. 

What was that car? 

NO GOOGLING! 

Good luck, 

Gareth. 

I can't speak for BMW but I'm sure it was the designs for the Austin 7 we gave to the Japanese and which they built under license. I believe Austin even went to the trouble if bringing Japanese engineers back to their factories as well. 

[Magnet]

Well done Steve. Top marks! 

Yes it was the the Austin 7, the most widely known pre war British car. BMW started their car manufacture from a base of making these cars under licence from Austin. They called the car the Dixi - sometimes quoted with an e on the end. 

So you can tell your friends with their impressive M3s and 5s where it all began! 

Couple of marks for you too Paul. Datsun also built these - I would need to google what they called it! 

Datsun were very much maligned when they were first imported and treated as if they would never catch on, but were to have the last laugh  on the British motor industry, by drawing buyers away simply by including a radio as standard equipment. Unbelievable but true.

Thanks again folks. 

Knife regards,

Gareth.

[Steve Q]

19 hours ago, Magnet said:

Well done Steve. Top marks! 

Yes it was the the Austin 7, the most widely known pre war British car. BMW started their car manufacture from a base of making these cars under licence from Austin. They called the car the Dixi - sometimes quoted with an e on the end. 

So you can tell your friends with their impressive M3s and 5s where it all began! 

Couple of marks for you too Paul. Datsun also built these - I would need to google what they called it! 

Datsun were very much maligned when they were first imported and treated as if they would never catch on, but were to have the last laugh  on the British motor industry, by drawing buyers away simply by including a radio as standard equipment. Unbelievable but true.

Thanks again folks. 

Knife regards,

Gareth.

Woop Woop, glad I got this one right! 😀 

It's scary how the motor industry changed thanks to the British. Just like Volkswagen being brought back from the ashes by the British :) 

Looking forward to your next quiz Gareth :) 

Cheers

Steve

[Adbro]

Nice work guys. I remember reading about the engineer visit in an article when BMW took over Landrover. The article was explaining that BMW were looking at the Discovery details at that time. Not long after that the X5 came out.

 I had no clue of this weeks answer though to be honest.

[Magnet]

It's all useless information Adam! , but hopefully adds to the interest.

I like your reference to the Discovery.

Another useless piece of information but topical for this forum:-

At the time VW took over Skoda (yes, I remember all the Skoda jokes) we started supplying steel into Skoda and I was involved on the quality advising side, and VW sent their inspectors into Skoda to train them. Such was Skoda's commitment that within a year they were sending Skoda inspectors back into VW to update VW's quality systems. 

I guess that is why in my area anyway, you have a predominance of Skoda taxis - good value for money.

Kind regards,

Gareth.