Imperial’s motorised mascots

Pride is a funny sort of thing. It tends to only come out on special occasions: times like when you realise the person you are overhearing on the tube went to a university that is rated 3rd from the bottom rather than 3rd from the top of the league tables and you sit there thinking that you’re pleased that you go to Imperial. I think part of our pride comes from the fact that Imperial offers somewhat ‘classical’ subjects, showing a reverence for the timeless and historically robust. In particular, those things that make sense to us but the rest of the world think are slightly bizarre, such as the fact that we have Varsity against ourselves and that we have a Mountain Hut in the midst of Wales. We are one of three universities (guess the other two) with an Exploration Board that encourages students to get off campus and explore the world, and we are one of two taking care of Vintage Vehicles.

The students of Imperial College London are collectively the owners of four vintage vehicles that are as much a repository of the College history as the Archive Office itself. Each vehicle was bestowed, bought or assimilated to become part of the biggest university fleet in the country, which is now envied by our competitors. They are Clementine (II) Morris, Jezebel Dennis, Derrick and Boanerges – oh yes, our fleet have names.

It seems pleasingly appropriate that Imperial would have these attributes as a unique selling point, having been a leader in engineering since the genesis of motorised transport. Who doesn’t crack into a smile or point them out when a vintage vehicle chugs down the road? To this end, when they do get out and about, they serve as some of the very best ambassadors for the college and its students in humility, respect and technical ability.

Our youngest addition is lovingly known as Clem. She is a Morris T-type (I’m sure that means something to some people) one tonne truck born on 13th October 1926. Having changed hands a couple of times, she was adopted by the students of the Royal School of Mines to become their replacement vehicular mascot in 1960. Despite being a truck, she is very much in touch with the modern stereotypical Imperial girl, being understated in looks but a rewarding lover if you give her the attention she deserves. In days gone by, she boldly sported the RSM colours with a yellow cab, black bonnet and wings, and a red chassis. Her biggest claim to fame is a total resurrection in 1987, having been put aside in boxes with the intention of an overhaul 11 years before. Despite this medical marvel, she runs like a charm and continues to pass her MOT.

Jezebel Dennis is perhaps the celebrity of the fleet in a sort of Jordan-glamour-model way. She’s got large assets in the form of her working pump, as she is an original 1916 Dennis N-Type fire engine that was used by the London Fire Brigade up until her retirement in 1932. She then had a fling with another owner before settling down to become the RCSU mascot in 1955 on the grounds that the RCSU of the time “were looking for a suitable means of transport for their President.” However, like Jordan and being a bit cheeky, 2 years later she managed to ruin the Queen Mother’s coat with her new red paint job. Since the early days, she’s become the more demure Katie Price and an excellent advocate for the college by representing us at events like the Lord Mayors Show and the New Year celebrations until in 2009 when she had a run in with a Routemaster bus… literally. What you would only find out in her autobiography (Jez’s not Katie’s) is that she is the owner of her own Blue Peter Badge, which she got for appearing on the show in 1982, and starred in Michael Winner’s “The Jokers”; a film released in 1966.

Boanerges (translated as ‘Sons of Thunder’) is the older gentleman of the fleet and a true gentleman’s sort of vehicle. Abbreviated to Bo’, he is the mascot of CGCU and was bought in 1934 for a handsome £40 though the car was born in 1902: a James & Browne with a 9 horse power engine. In 1953, in the 50th publication of Felix, he underwent a challenge that can only be thought to be the idea for the modern day TV show, Top Gear, in which he boasted a 35ft diameter turning circle. Despite having a maximum speed of 28mph, he was pursued for speeding in 1956 by the police. Charges were dropped after the famous British satirical magazine, Punch, published a cartoon of the episode on their front cover that week. Bo has a younger brother, Derrick, which is a 1926 Ner-a-car motor cycle. Together, the vehicles undergo a strange gender transition to become a homage to Bo Derek (yes, a change in spelling), a popular Hollywood actress of the 80’s.

In many ways these vehicles are the perfect hobby for the budding engineer or DIY enthusiast. The other rare opportunity for a university student here is that you get to be a caretaker of something that has been passed down to us from our own alumni with the hope of carrying on what was started long before our transient experience of the college, and continuing that source and tradition of pride. You don’t even have to be an engineer, as it’s a great learning environment for anyone who wants to appreciate vintage in one of its most lasting forms. Failing that, the uniforms that accompany the cars could perhaps do with a visit from a sewing machine if that is more your style. If you’ve been charmed into getting involved or lured by a false promise of meeting Katie Price, please email jez@imperial.ac.uk – the clubs would be happy to show you the ropes.