SOME FAMOUS BRITISH RACING CARS.

Southland Times, Issue 21073, 3 May 1930, Page 17

SOME FAMOUS BRITISH RACING CARS.

WITH MALCOLM CAMPBELL AND SIR HENRY SEGRAVE. FROM'THE “LADYBIRD'’ TO THE “SILVER BULLET.” We live in an age of speed and everywhere we see evidence of this assertion. In the air, on the water, on the land, mighty engines are every day creating new records, new standards, doing what a short while ago was thought impossible. It is well that this page should review the cars and their fearless drivers of some of the celebrated land speed events of recent years, events that will always be remembered, events that caused the whole civilized world to rise on its feet. The "Ladybird.” Sir Henry Segrave’s Sunbeam racer “Ladybird” was specially built to attack the existing world’s kilometre record in 1926. The trials which took place on the sands at Southport were crowned with success, for the kilometre was covered in the time of 14.687 seconds. Contrary to what one might expect the “Ladybird” was a comparatively small car weighing well under a ton. The engine had 12 cylinders which were of exceptionally small size being only 67m.m. bore and 94 m.m. stroke. They were set crankcase in two blocks of six in “V” fashion at an angle of 60 degree.? to each other. A gear ratio of three to one gave the car a speed of 162 miles per hour when the engine was turning at 5000 revolutions per minute. “Babs." Scarcely had the excitement of Sir Henry Segrave’s exploit subsided, when word, came from Pendine Sands, Carmarthen of even faster speeds. The hero in this instance was Mr J. G. P. Thomas driving his specially built car “Babs” which was fitted with an enormous aero engine. Thomas accomplished the kilometre at 171.69 m.p.h. and the mile at 170.624 m.p.h. Over 200 Miles An Hour. On Tuesday, March 29, 1927 the world's motoring speed record was not merely surpassed but shattered, by Sir Henry Segrave who drove a Sunbeam car along Daytona Beach, Florida, at the speed of 207.015 miles per hour. The huge red vehicle in which the record was broken was built, by the Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Ltd Wolverhampton, England. It was very striking in appearance and was up till that time truly the most amazing motor car ever constructed. Two engines were used. Each was a 500 h.p. Aero unit of the “Matabele” class manufactured by the Sunbeam Company. Each engine had 12 cylinders mounted in “V” fashion upon the crankcase. As each cylinder had four valves and two sparking plugs, 96 valves, 4S sparking plugs, 8 magnetos and 4 carburetters were used to attend to the needs of the giant power plants. Up to this date Sir Henry Segrave’s world' records were as follows: — I mile —203.841 miles per hour. 1 kilometre—2o2.s4l miles per hour. 5 kilometres—2o3.6l6 miles per hour. "Bluebird.” Records are made only to be broken. On February 1, 1928, Captain Malcolm Campbell’s wonderful achievement on “Bluebird” at Daytona Beach provided yet another demonstration of that .fact. Travelling with the. wind his speed for the mile was 214.797 m.p.h. while against the wind his speed fell to. 199.60/ m.p.h. Captain Campbell's mean speed was therefore 206.356 m.p.h.—almost 3 m.p.h. greater than Sir Henry Segraves figures. “Bluebird” the Napier-Campbell car in which Captain Canipbell achieved this fine, performance was specially designed for high speeds and therefore had the least possible projecting surface. It was built by Barkers Limited, the well-known coach-builders, and embodied the results of a series of elaborate tests on models 'carried out by Mr A. Pierson, chief aeroplane designer to Messrs Vickers, in their wind tunnel. The power unit was a special racing Napier aero engine, the fitting of which special permission was given by the Air Ministry. It was a development of the standard Napier "Lion” engine, but whereas the latter developed only 450 h.p. the racing engine developed 875 h.p. The engine fitted into the "Bluebird” developed as much power as one of the most powerful locomotives. The “Golden Arrow.” Pow-ered by a Napier Lion engine of 900 h.p. with 12 cylinders in blocks of 4 set in fan formation at an angle of 60 deg., the “Golden Arrow” was a remarkable car. Constructed at the Robin Hood Engineering Works Putney vale it was designed to regain for Britain the world’s land speed record which was held by an American Ray Keitch with a speed of 207.55 m.p.h. In March 1929 the distance was successfully run when the amazing speed of 231.36 m.p.h was accomplished. Thus Britain once more had the honour of constructing the fastest car in the world. The Napier Arrol-Aster. Shortly after Sir Henry Segrave’s effort, at Verneuk Pan, South Africa Captain Malcolm Campbell in his Napier Arrol-Aster made a gallant but unsuccessful attempt to wrest the world’s land speed' record from the Irving-Napier Special. He however succeeded in setting up world’s records for five miles and five kilometres for which his average was respectively 211 m.p.h and 216.03 m.p.h. Kaye Don’s “Silver Bullet.”

The attempt made to better the world's land speed record of 231.36-m.p.h by Kaye Don in his “Silver Bullet” did not meet with success. Latest reports to hand state that the nine miles of beach upon which the existing record was established is in a dangerous state. At the same time there has evidently been some minor troubles with the “Silver Bullet” as regards carburation and supercharger revolutions, but according to Don, everything is in readiness for the attempt except the beach surface. There seems to be some doubt as to when a further attempt will be made however, as it is reported that Don intends leaving New York for England, but it is not stated whether he is taking the car with him or not. The Value of High Speeds.

Finally in the words of Captain Malcolm Campbell to the Editor of the Meccano Magazine. "Looking back. one realizes that a more rapid means of communication has been man's aim since the world began. Speed means progress —the linking up of places and people—the shortening of distance. The British Empire will become a greater Empire when communication between the Dominions and the Motherland is speeded up and places are brought nearer to one another. To travel at over 200 miles an hour over a short distance to-day may not, at first glance, strike one as helping to this end, but it must be remembered that the motor car of to-day has been built up from the experience gained by similar achievements. This striving after high speeds has given us motor cars than can to-day run for thousands of miles without trouble; tyres that can withs:and stresses unheard of a few years back, and brakes that make motor car driving faster and safer. So with the future. Although one does not expect speeds of 200 miles an hour on the roads, the lessons learned and experiences gained, by these high speeds are available for improving the cars of the days to come.”