Named the Kickstart Club formed 1 August 1952, under the guidance of Francis (Frad) Jones, renamed Wadebridge & District Motor Club a few weeks later.
In 1956 the club became Camel Vale Motor Club to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of car owners at the end of petrol rationing after the Suez Canal crisis.
Club Chairman Gerald Hammett and Club Secretary John Crowle held regular committee meetings at Treningle Café near Bodmin. Most competitions were motorcycle trials attracting a youthful band of enthusiastic members. Summer motorcycle Scrambles at Gerald Hammett’s farm at Trevorrick, St Issey attracted racers from all over Cornwall and beyond. Car owning members carried out marshalling duties on the local sections of the trials. The brain testing Annual Voyager’s Rally for cars and a few brave motorcyclists was organised by Dave Hilliard (later Club President). This involved searching for complex navigation clues to be able to complete the slow speed rally course.
At the Annual General Meeting in January 1958, Jerry Jermey of Bodmin became Club Secretary and Evan Holman of Camelford was elected the new position of Car Competition Secretary with the task of organising competitive events for road-going family cars to increase the number of car owning members. These competitive events led to off-road Mud Plugs and Auto Tests against the stopwatch on the dis-used Davidstow Airfield. More serious competitions soon included a standing quarter mile sprint for cars and motocycles at Davidstow Airfield attracting entries from a wide area. New Club Chairman Ken Huthnance provided a level field beside the river Camel at Wadebridge for twice a Summer Autocross (racing on grass) to the delight of many paying spectators which swelled club finances to a healthy balance.
For several years Club Secretary Jerry Jermey had the huge task of providing the paperwork for the many motorcycle trials as well as duplicating late into the night for the busy and demanding Car Competition Secretary. As car membership grew in the early 60’s, motorcycle and car competitions became more specialised and Edna Broadbelt came to the rescue as Car Secretary.
In 1970 the motor cycle section broke away and formed the Camel Vale Motor Cycle Club. The 1970’s saw Camel Vale Motor Club running Sprints at the Royal Cornwall Show Ground near Wadebridge for the first time. The club was also heavily committed in organising many other disciplines such as Autocross, Autotest, Car Trials and Road Rallies. It was also the decade when we ran our first Stage Rally using some of the best forest roads in Cornwall.
Fast forward to the year 2000 and the club ran its first Speed Hill Climb at “Castle” near Lostwithiel which continues to this day. 2021 saw the club run its first Autocross in over 30 years and we hope this will be an annual event in September as part of Motorsport Month in the south west
In 2022, we were invited to co-promote the closed road Watergate Sprint alongside Truro and District Motor Club, Plymouth Motor Club and Newquay Auto Club.