Monthly Archives: January 2011

Choking on a clothes peg – Austin 10/24 Ripley Sport

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The Austin 10 produced from 1932 to 1947 was a mid range car fitting between the Austin 7 and Austin 12.

Austin kept the chassis low by dipping the chassis frames 2 3/4 inches between the front and rear axles.

Capable of 55 mph and 34 imperial mpg this 1935 version, originally registered in Derbyshire, would have cost £168 when new. The clothes peg operating the choke is a not a factory fitted item.

In 1939 the Austin 10 was restyled by Argenrtine Ricardo “Dick” Burzi and 53,000 ’10s’ were produced during the course of WW2 for use by the UK armed forces. After the war almost all Austin 10s were exported the first exported to the USA in July ’45, in September ’45 the first cars to be imported into Switzerland after the war were a pair of Austin 10s.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s open top edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll be up for getting down and dirty with me for some grass track fun tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

08 04 12, the full name of this model was added today, I have also found out this car is thought to be the first of an eventual fleet of 7 used by the Derbyshire County Constabulary.

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Brotherly love – Riley 9

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The chassis of the Riley 9 was designed by Stanley Riley while the hemi head 1087 cc 66 cui was designed by his brother Percy. Riley 9s were produced from 1926 – 1938 with a variety of body styles.

The twin cam engine with short push rods operating the 45 degree inclined valves proved particularly suitable for tuning and Riley 9s were raced with great success into the mid 1950’s. This version, seen at Prescott top and Loton Park bottom, is owned by B Wildsmith and driven in VSCC events by Tim Hopkinson is a Special dating from 1929/34.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s brotherly love edition of Getting a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you’ll join me tomorrow for a look at another quintessentially British motor car. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The slowest car they have ever built – Audi R8

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For the 8th day of Christmas and first day of the New Year I present this Audi R8.

According to the on line publicity it takes 70 skilled workers to fit over 5,000 unique parts to each vehicle and build 25 of these cars a day.

These vents direct air straight through the car.

The aluminium space frame which includes 99 meters of welds, 782 punch rivets, 308 self tapping screws, and 113 weld studs takes 45 minutes to manufacture.

The R8 rides on a magnetic damping system which provides the the driver with two modes of ride, comfort or sport.

This is the first Audi to compete with Porsche it is not quite as quick to accelerate but has been demonstrated to have slightly better handling than the 997.

Powered by a 420 hp all aluminium dry sump 32 valve V8 with Fuel Stratified Injection, FSI, the R8 is capable of a 12.8 sec 1/4 mile and a top speed in excess of 185 mph.

Audi use 210 exterior LED’s in the R8, 186 of them as brake lights which run at 5,700 degrees centigrade, they are said to use 50% less energy than conventional bulbs.

Expect to see racing versions of the R8 in two wheel drive form make an impact in GT3 racing in the coming year particularly at the annual 24 hour Nurburgring race.

Hope you have enjoyed to today’s LED edition of ‘Getting a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you will join me tomorrow living the life of Riley. Wishing you all a healthy and happy New Year, don’t forget to come back now !

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