From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
CHARLES JARROTT: Of all the early motoring and motor racing pioneers, Charles Jarrott stands out as one of the most interesting and likeable. No doubt this is in part due to the highly readable account of his motor racing career, Ten years of Motors and Motor Racing, which he has left us. (This exceptional account of early motor racing was actually ghost-written by AB Filson Young).
Having studied law, Jarrott went to work in the motor trade, commencing his racing career on motor tricycles and transferring to motor cars in 1900. His first major success was in the Paris to Berlin Race of 1901, when he finished 8th. His greatest triumph was in the 1902 Circuit de Ardennes which he won after a terrific and sustained duel with the Breton driver, Gabriel.
He drew first starting place in the ill-fated Paris to Madrid race of 1903 and was 4th overall when the race was stopped at Bordeaux. After this race he turned his attention to the Irish Gordon Bennett Race.
Cecil Bianchi, who was to accompany him in Ireland wrote: "Jarrott was a man who really enjoyed life. He was very sporting, he'd been a good boxer and an excellent shot. He was a man who really entered into a meeting. Everyone liked him.
"He had a most charming personality and of course, as the ace driver of the day, he had lots of fans. He was a big fellow. He stood over six foot tall and must have weighed fourteen or fifteen stone. I never had any worries at all when driving with Jarrott - he inspired such confidence. I never thought he drove too fast."
Bianchi's confidence in Jarrott was put to the test in the Irish race when a steering failure on their Napier pitched the car into a series of rolls from which the duo were lucky to escape with their lives.
In the following year's Gordon Bennett Race in Germany, Jarrott placed 12th, driving a Wolseley. This was to be Jarrott's final race apart from a few minor outings in the early Brooklands meetings.
Charles Jarrott had many links with Ireland and loved to motor here. He toured Ireland on many occasions in the early years of motoring and most notably was one of the few British motorists to take part in the Irish Automobile Club's epic Irish Tour in 1901.
This event marked the first time that motor cars penetrated to many of the more remote parts of Ireland.
In 1905 he was one of the founders of the Automobile Associations and became that organisation's chairman in 1922. He was also a founder member of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. During the first World War he became Inspector of Transport to the Royal Flying Corps, being mentioned in despatches three times.
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Jarrott died on January 4th 1944.
THE FIRST PETROL-ENGINED BUS: The first petrol-engined bus is believed to have been the 5hp Benz single-deck enclosed landau which began operations over a 15km route - Siegen to Netphe to Deutz - in the German North Rhineland on March 18th 1895. The bus could carry six to eight passengers inside with a further two outside on the driver's box. High operating costs and frequent breakdowns rendered the service uneconomic and it closed down at the end of 1895. During the period the company was active a total of 10,600 fare-paying passengers were carried.
The first bus service in Britain began operations in September 1897. The Yorkshire Motor Car Co. Ltd., used a covered Daimler wagonette and it is not known how long the service operated.
In Ireland, the Ballina to Enniscrone route was the first to be operated by a bus, a consortium being formed in 1899 to operate Daimler vehicles on the route. The service operated successfully for several years.