THIS spectacular picture of Saltburn clifftop features in the new book Wheels Around Yorkshire by Paul Chrystal (Stenlake, £10) as Memories 341 told.

We had already worked out that the driver had stripped down his Model T Ford, which is outside the Zetland Hotel, so that it was carrying no excess weight – apart from the horn – ahead of the famous motor races on the flat sands.

Motor historian EJ Crust, of Nunthorpe, takes the story on: “The driver is Rowland Winn, who was a successful garage owner from Leeds. He became Lord Mayor of that city, and he had a garage in Middlesbrough on Linthorpe Road.

“The photo was taken in July 1911, and he was in luck that day as he won his class at a speed of 44.5mph.”

Rowland Winn was a colourful character. Born humbly in 1879, after attending Leeds Modern School he set up a little business aged 19 in a cellar repairing cycles. One mechanical thing led to another, and before he was 30, he’d become the first agent in the city for foreign cars: Levassor, Benz, Daimler.

As well as his practical skills, he was a clever businessman: he offered potential customers, who were thinking of buying their first ever car, driving lessons.

And he had a cunning eye for publicity: he drove a car up and down the Leeds Town Hall steps and he got himself convicted of driving “furiously” across Woodhouse Moor at 12mph! And he had a musical horn – perhaps that is what is attached to the car in the picture.

In 1903, he had the foresight to get Leeds’ first licence plate – U1 – which is still to be seen on the Lord Mayor’s car, and he became the first and sole distributor of Fords in Yorkshire.

His successful business career led to him been awarded an MBE and in 1939 he became Lord Mayor. He was also a generous benefactor to the city right up to his death in 1959.