Clem, nice to meet you!
Royal School of Mines Motor Club President Jack Swires delves into Mascotry in Imperial
Mascotry is a somewhat interesting and often overlooked aspect of Imperial College life, with many students nowadays resolving to study in the library rather than spend their evening attempting to procure an oversized spanner, thermometer, or miner’s lamp. However, nestled amongst the towering departmental buildings of South Kensington Campus, there remains one last bastion protecting the wonderful and slightly ridiculous tradition of mascotry at Imperial in the form of the Motor Clubs. The dedicated, grease-covered, and oil-soaked students and alumni of the Imperial College Motor Clubs spend an incredible portion of their time keeping the mascots Clementine, Boanerges, Derrick, and Jezebel alive and well. These vehicles have been well known and fondly loved around campus and beyond for many years, and there is noexception for Clementine II, the 1926 Morris T-Type truck.
Clem’s Significance
Numerous students and alumni of the Royal School of Mines and wider Faculty of Engineering will recall times where they had joyrides on and took photos with Clem, as this year we celebrated 65 years of her service at the College. While this would not be possible without the long lineage of committed RSM Motor Club members, it equally would not have happenedwithout the continued support and enthusiasm of those students and alumni who invite Clem to events and come with us on rides. As we look to the year ahead, the current RSM Motor Club committee are delighted to announce the planned celebration for the Centenary of Clementine II as she turns 100 in October 2026, and we warmly invite you all to join us.
More About the History of Clem Morris
Before we look ahead, it’s worth reflecting on the remarkable history that we are celebrating. Clem started life at the Morris Commercial factory on 13th October 1926, when she was registered to Mr E.R. Courage of the famed Courage Brewery. With her distinctive flatbed body and canvas tilt-frame, she was used to transport the Courage family’s belongings across the country before serving as an estate vehicle at Edgcote House.
By the 1950s Clem was retired and sold on, eventually discovered by RSM students seeking a new mascot to replace their ageing steam traction engine, Clementine I. Purchased in Norfolk, Clem was soon brought to campus, repaired, christened, and painted bright yellow. She represented the RSM at countless events, even joining Jezebel on the first Historic Commercial Vehicle Brighton Run. After an unfortunate rollover on Exhibition Road in the 1970s, she lay dormant until a group of students revived her in the 1980s. A triumphant “proving drive” to Devon marked her return to form, and she has since travelled to events across the country, including a 550-mile Trans-Pennine Run and multiple appearances on the Isle of Wight.
Want to know more aboutClem and celebrate mascotry in Imperial?
In order to celebrate this incredible century of history, the committee of the RSM Motor Club has planned several events for the coming year:
• 21st March 2026: Centenary Dinner: British Motor Museum, Gaydon.
• Recreating the proving drive: A repeat of her 1988 trip to Devon.
• Taking part in the Trans-Pennine Run before her 100th birthday.
• Restoring her tilt-frame to its original specification.
• Decorating Clem with an RSM crest and other festive touches which pay homage to her historical looks.
If you would like to get involved with the ongoing work on Clem, are interested in attending our centenary events, or have a society running an event which could benefit from the appearance of a 1926 Morris T-Type (what event wouldn’t!) we would love to hear from you. Please email clem@imperial.ac.uk.
