Perth and District Motor Club was first established in April 1907 (earliest record) as a car and motorcycle social club. The first recorded minutes are dated 1908. The Club ran social events involving families, i.e. picnics as well as motor car and motorcycle events and as the years passed they became more involved with sporting activities such as motorcycle road racing and more and more members took up the sport.
The Club went on to promote all aspects of the sport for both motor cars and bikes, and the ever popular family days when buses were hired to transport the families and spectators. These outings continued in the years after the second World War and into the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, as did the children’s Christmas parties and of course the Annual Dance.
The move to mainly motor bikes came about in late 1954/early 1955 when a group of Perth businessmen members decrede as it was a motor club the bikes should be excluded, but they misread the strength of the bikes and were promptly voted out. They then went on to form the 55 Car Club and P&DMC continued as mainly bike events with the odd car treasure hunt. Over the years the Club ran all aspects of the bike sport including:
Road Races: Meetings were held at Errol Aerodrome, Balado (when T in the park is now held), Gask Airfield and finally at Knockhill.
Scrambles (Motocross): Meetings were held at Tullibardon, Auchterarder, Dunning Old Golf Course and several other venues in the area.
Grass Tracks: Meeting were held at Methven Playing Field, Bridge of Earn, next to the Bowling Green, Blairgowrie and probably the most popular, South Inch, Perth.
Hill Climbs: Meetings were held at places like the the Old Golf Course, Dunning, Kinnoull Hill, Perth and Wicks of Beagley (on the right as you climb the hill on the Edinburgh motorway just after Bridge of Earn.
Trials: Meetings were originally held on part on, part off road and covered vast areas including Killin, Kenmore, Aberfeldy, Glen Lyon, Crieff, Methven, Bridge of Earn – in effect all of Perthshire, and a bit more.
Rules and regulations now make it too difficult for one club to run all disciplines and we as a Club now concentrate on Trials. Over the years the Club has had its share of success with Scottish Champions in all sports with Jimmy Buchan winning the Senior (500cc) and Junior (350cc) Manx Grande Prix in 1957 – that lad had a truly natural talent!
The great thing about the Club is the family connection with some of todays members who have relatives going back fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty plus years. Long may such connections continue.