Tag Archives: Brooklands

City To City Racer – Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R

Leave a Reply

In June 1854 on the Bristol & Exeter Railway a broad gauge steam train set an out right speed record of 82 mph that appears to have stood until July 1934 when a Milwaukee Road class F6 recorded a top speed of 104 mph to become the fastest steam train.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

The year before the Wright Brothers made the first controlled powered flight William K. Vanderbilt recorded a top speed of just over 76 mph aboard his Mors in 1902 to set the first Land Speed Record for a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, the following year AEG and Siemens & Halske built an electric train that recorded a top speed of just over 130 mph.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

Having pioneered the Panhard System of placing the engine in front of the automobile and driving the rear wheels with the aid of a clutch operated gearbox and pioneered the use of a steering wheel in place of the hitherto ubiquitous tiller steering Panhard et Levassor were vying with their former collaborator Gottlieb Daimler to supply the best vehicles in Europe to Royalty and industrial leaders at the turn of the 20th Century.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

To ensure their clients awareness of it’s products Panhard et Levassor took part in the popular city to city races of the day, Émile Levassor crossed the line first ahead of another Panhard et Levassor in the 1895 Paris Bordeaux Paris race, but the cars only had two seats, four seats being mandated for prize eligibility.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

By 1903 Panhard et Levassor had developed it’s 70hp model to compete with the Mercedes Simplex.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

The 13672 cm³ / 834 cui 70 hp S²4M 4 cylinder motor and chain drive train was fitted to an R chassis along with two seats and a fuel tank and enough space to carry a few spare tyres.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

16 70hp Panhard et Levassors are believed to have been built, I believe Charles S Rolls, of Rolls Royce fame, drove one in the fatal 1903 Paris Madrid race, but retired before the race was abandoned at Bordeaux and city to city racing was banned in France.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

Felice Nazzaro won the 1km flying sprint at Florence in June 1903 aboard his 70hp and 2 days later won the La Consuma Hillclimb in the same car, a week later Baron Pierre de Crawhez won the 500km Circuit des Ardennes driving another 70hp and Felice rounded out his season with a win in the 10km Padua-Bovolenta Sprint and flying 1km Padua Sprint in October.

Panhard et Levassor 70hp S²4M R, Brooklands Double 12

Richard Black’s 70hp, seen in these photographs at a Brooklands Double Twelve meeting with Michael New at the wheel, was first registered in the UK on the 1st of October 2007.

Share

Windowless Aluminium Door Roadster – Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SL

Leave a Reply

In November 1955 Hong Kong Army Seargent Douglas Stearn drove a Mercedes 190 SL to second place in the Macau Grand Prix for the Zung Fu Company, finishing behind the Austin Healey 100 driven by Robert Ritchie.

Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SLR, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands,

For 1956 Mercedes Benz built two light weight competition 190 SLR’s, featuring window less aluminium doors.

Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SLR, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands,

Additional weight was saved by replacing the windscreens with perspex racing aero screens and deleting the soft top, front and rear bumpers.

Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SLR, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands,

Power was also increased from 104 hp to 115hp which gave the car a top speed of 121 mph, though these speeds are unlikely to have been reached around the tight Macau street circuit.

Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SLR, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands,

One of the 190 SLR’s was delivered to the Zung Fu Company, the offical Mercedes Benz dealers for Hong Kong and Macau to this day, for Douglas to drive in the 1956 Macua Grand Prix.

Mercedes Benz W121 B2 190 SLR, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands,

Douglas duly won the race at his second attempt beating the Ferrari 500 Monidal driven by Mário Lopez da Costa and the MG A driven by Fernando de Macedo Pinto.

The 190SL seen in these photographs taken at Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands, was imported to the UK and first registered for the on March 5th 1957, it appears to have been converted to an approximation of the SLR spec by Redcastle Classics in 2008.

The whereabouts of the two original 190 SLR’s are unknown to me at this time if you know please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks for joining me on this “Windowless Aluminium Door Roadster” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Tailor Made Motor House – Mercedes Benz 36/220 #35906

Leave a Reply

The original of today’s featured 1928 Mercedes Benz 36/220, Charles Gerald Brocklebank, is known to have competed with a Mathis in pre-World War 1 Oxford University Motor Club speed trials. After serving through out the 1914-18 war as a Captain with the Royal Engineers for which he was decorated with 1914 Star, Military Cross and Médaille militaire he forged a successful career as a broker in the City of London.

C.G., as he was often referred to in the contemporary press, also tuned a Schneider raising it’s top speed from 55 mph to 72 mph before buying a 1913 Grand Prix Peugeot which he named “Laura”.

He was to accompany Captain James Algernon Toop, formerly of Home Counties Divisional Supply, as passenger aboard the Peugeot for a race at Brooklands in 1924, but elected not to in order to save weight, Capt. Toop was killed while racing for lead when the Peugeot went over the Brooklands banking.

IMG_8045sc

C.G. Brocklebank also briefly owned the 1914 Mercedes Benz with which Christian Lautenschlager won the 1914 French Grand Prix.

On the 28th of February 1928 C.G. ordered today’s featured Mercedes Benz 36/220, it was delivered sans body on April 13th the same year for Cadogan Motors Ltd. to create and fit the lightweight fabric-skinned body.

#35906 was registered for the road in the UK on the 22nd of May 1928 and C.G. had a tailor made motor house erected to accommodate it at his property Giffords Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk.

IMG_8046sc

Upon his death in 1940 C.G Brocklebank’s son inherited the car and kept it in the same tailor made motor house where it remained until C.G Brocklebank’s grandson inherited it.

When the grandson disposed of #35906 in 2012, after 84 years ownership in a single family, it was still in running condition showing just 8,375 “probably genuine” miles on the clock, the car is seen in these photographs at the Brooklands Double 12 meeting prior to it’s sale at auction for £2,801,500 including buyers premium.

My thanks to Tim Murray and Richard “Vitesse 2” Armstrong at The Nostalgia Forum for helping me to identify C.G. Brocklebank as the original owner of today’s featured car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Tailor Made Motor House” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Matra Simca. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Unchained – Mercedes Benz W114 / W115

Leave a Reply

In 1968 Mercedes Benz launched the midsize W114/W115 series which was to feature an all new chassis, distinguished by it’s semi-trailing rear arms and ball-joint front end suspension that would replaced the low-pivot swing axle and king pin/double wishbone front suspension dating back to 1945, on all new models until the introduction of multi point suspension in the 1980’s.

To keep things simple the W114 series were all powered by six cylinder motors and marketed as 230, 250, and 280 models according to engine size while the W115 series were all powered by four cylinder engines and marketed as 200, 220, 230, and 240 models, the exception being the five cylinder 3 liter / 183 cui OM617 Diesel 300 introduced in 1974 which counts among the W115 series vehicles.

Unchained, Mercedes Benz, W114/W115, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands

The design was over seen by Chief Engineer Paul Bracq and was available as a 4 door saloon or attractive 2 door pillar less Coupe, a W115 220D pickup was also available in Argentina which had it’s own W114/W115 assembley line for a brief period in the 1970’s.

In 1974 the W114/W115 series received a face lift that included the ribbed tail lights to minimize occlusion of the tail lights with road dirt, US variants included unique sealed beam head lights and a variety of different bumper styles which thanks to the 1974 Department of Transport (DOT) 5mph impact edict grew significantly for the last two years of US spec production from 1974 to 1976.

Unchained, Mercedes Benz, W114/W115, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands

Over 1.8 million W114/W115 series were manufactured in Germany, South Africa, Portugal, Venezuela and Argentina, the ultra reliable W114 / W115 saloons were and in some places still are, particularly popular among cab drivers.

In 2004 Greek Cabbie Gregorios Sachinidis donated his 1976 240D to the Mercedes-Benz Museum Collection after it had clocked up over 2.8 miles / 4.6 million kms, including 2000 trips from Greece to war torn former Yugoslavia where it served a medical support vehicle, to become the highest mileage Mercedes Benz known to date.

Unchained, Mercedes Benz, W114/W115, Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands

North Carolina born artist Geraldine O. Lloyd rescued the 1975 US spec W114/W115 4 door saloon, seen here at Mercedes World at Brooklands, from the scrap heap in 1994.

Over the next ten years her courage, strength and unbridled will to live helped her transform the car into the artwork “Unchained” as she battled cancer and transformed herself from empty-nester to world renowned artist.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unchained” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Renault. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Der Großer Ultra Luxury – Mercedes Benz 600 SWB

Leave a Reply

So here is a little teaser question to start the week, what do American actor Jack Nicholson, Cambodian totalitarian dictator Pol Pot and Colombian drug dealer Pablo Escobar all have in common ? Answer at the end of this blog.

In order to compete with Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Cadillac, Lehmann-Peterson stretched Lincolns and the Chrysler Imperial Crown Ghia in the Ultra Luxury market segment Mercedes Benz built the 600 also known as “Der Großer” which was launched in September 1963.

Mercedes Benz 600 SWB, Brooklands Double Twelve

Since the biggest Mercedes Benz 3 litre 183 cui was never going to be up to the job of propelling this heavy weight, Mercedes Benz developed it’s first V8 engine, featuring single overhead cam shafts, with a capacity of 6289 cc / 383cui that produced 250hp.

To ensure the silent operation of the air conditioning, power window’s, sunroof, seats, auto door and boot/trunk closure and the suspension damping Mercedes Benz eschewed complex electrics and developed a complex hydraulic system that operates at a nominal 3200 psi, all well and good until it develops a leak and or the system gets refilled with synthetic automatic transmission oil, which eats the all rubber seals, instead of the correct mineral based oil.

Mercedes Benz 600 SWB, Brooklands Double Twelve

The windows are hydraulically activated by door switches that have a variable rate of closure depending on how hard one presses the switch, whack it inadvertently and someone could loose an arm, similarly if one touches the open boot/trunk lid it will close automatically, try and push it shut and one will likely as not break the hinges.

To keep ones hydraulics in order Mercedes Benz thoughtfully equipped the car with a hydraulic spares kit that contains brass spacers to keep the power seats from collapsing in the event of hydraulic system failure, three hydraulic blocks, three line connections, a set of hydraulic line plugs and clips, four wooden wedges to insert in to the window channels to keep the windows up, a spare hydraulic flex line, an oil container and an instruction manual to help you use all of the above correctly.

Mercedes Benz 600 SWB, Brooklands Double Twelve

The design of the 600 is credited to Italian Bruno Sacco, German Friedrich Geiger and Paul Bracq, the latter allegedly helped in the design of 600 pick up and hearse conversions that were built by Karl H. Middlehauve in the United States.

In all 2,677 Mercedes Benz 600’s were built up until 1981 they include; 2,190 Saloons, like the 1965 example seen at Brooklands Double Twelve a couple of years ago in these photographs, 304 4 door Pullmans, 124 6 door Pullmans and 59 Landaullets and 2 Coupé’s one of which was given to Mercedes Benz 300 SLR designer Dr. Rudolf Uhlenhaut upon his retirement.

By now you have probably guessed that Jack Nicholson, Pol Pot and Pablo Escobar have all owned a Mercedes Benz 600, the latters was destroyed in an attack in an attack in 1988 five years before his death. Other entertainers who owned a 600 include; Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison, Karen Carpenter, Elvis Presley and Rowan Atkinson, politicians who owned 600’s include; Josip Broz Tito, Nicolae Ceaușescu, Francois (Papa Doc) Duvalier, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, F. W. de Klerk, Leonid Brezhnev, Idi Amin, Fidel Castro, Ferdinand Marcos (times 4 !), Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Saddam Hussein and Chairman Mao Tse-tung / Zedong, no other drug dealers are recorded as having owned a 600.

Thanks for joining me on this “Der Großer Ultra Luxury” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a vehicle said to be responsible for the cancellation of a rivals model amid accusations of industrial espionage. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

All Aboard – Busman’s Holiday

Leave a Reply

Seems summer in the UK is not summer without the traditional four days a week torrential rain, ice cream on a day so hot it has melted onto the pavement by the time one has trousered the change after paying for it and a ride on a classic bus to no place in particular.

Bristol K5G, Castle Combe,

For the last couple of years the 1941 Bristol K5G, above, has served as the Race Winners Victory Parade lap vehicle at Castle Combe, it was one of a fleet of 272 K5G’s purchased by Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company between 1938 and 1941 as part of their tram replacement programme, it was sold on to Brighton and Hove District in 1955 and they are believed to have taken the roof of the top deck.

Bristol L5G, Frenchay Car Show, Bristol,

Longer than the double decker is the Bristol L5G which like the K5G went into production in 1937, Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company bought this example in 1948 and it is seen at the Frenchay Car Show transporting passengers to the Frenchay Flower Show.

Bedford OB, Silverstone Classic,

Seen above on a parade lap at Silverstone Classic last year is a 1950 Bedford OB which I believe has recently been restored in Northumberland, like the Bristol K5 and L5 series the 28hp OB went into production in 1937 this one has I believe a 29 seat Duple Vista type body and is awaiting period correct headlights.

Mercedes Benz, Silverstone Classic,

Officially the Mercedes Benz seen above, in the Silverstone Classic campsite earlier this year, is registered as having been built in 1959, I believe the destination reads “rarely on schedule” in Norwegian, that might be because it is pining for the Fjords.

AEC Reliance MU3RV, BRM Day, Bourne, Lincs,

Built in 1958 the AEC Reliance MU3RV above is seen on the BRM Day Parade through Bourne, Lincolnshire a couple of years ago, it is one of three such vehicles fitted with Yeates Europa body work for John Boddy & Son in Bridlington, it later was operated in the Scottish Borders before going to the holiday resort town of Skegness.

Leyland Leopard L2, Goodwood Revival,

With a Cavalier body by Harrington the 1962 Leyland Leopard L2, seen above at Goodwood Revival, would originally have been built to undertake inland and continental tours.

Leyland Atlantean, Brooklands Museum,

Looking in need of a little TLC is this 1966 Leyland Atlantean, with bodywork by MCW seen at the Brooklands Museum, back in the day when I was a British Overseas Airways Corporation passenger this was one of 15 vehicles on which I may have traveled twixt London Victoria and Heathrow Airport at speeds of up to 70 mph on my way to the sunny climbs of Zambia for my school holidays.

Bristol LH, Frenchay Car Show, Bristol

Finally back at the Frenchay Car Show the Bristol LH above served with the Bristol Omnibus Company from 1972 to 1980 before finding it’s way to Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, Wales where Thomas Bros. continued to operate her until 1997.

My thanks to all those who take pleasure in maintaining and operating these vehicles.

Thanks for joining me on this “All Aboard” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Brabham. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Blue Bird & Pandora – Pendine Sands

Leave a Reply

Anyone passing through Pendine in Camarthenshire might miss the relevance to the checkered flags on the head board of Sunbeam Dinner.

Sunbeam Diner, Pendine Sands

However if they were to turn left before the Dinner and go through to the small beach car park like the couple in the 1909 Alldays below …

Alldays, Pendine Sands

… they might notice the Museum of Speed, entry just £2.00 when BABS below is resident and free when she is not.

BABS, Museum of Speed, Pendine, Carmarthenshire

Regular readers may remember JG Parry-Thomas became the first man of land to travel at over 170mph when he set a new land speed record aboard BABS on the 7 mile beach at Pendine in April 1926.

Darracq 1.9 Twin, Pendine Sands

On July 21st this 1904 Darracq, builders of the first car to travel two miles in less than a minute, 1.9 Twin and all the other vehicles featured in today’s post gathered to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the previous land speed record of 150.87 mph by Malcolm Campbell.

Sunbeam 3 litre, Pendine Sands

Like the 350hp Blue Bird Campbell drove in 1925 the 1930 3 litre heavy sports car above was made by Sunbeam.

Chrysler Prowler, Pendine Sands

Sunbeam merged with Automobiles Darracq S.A. in 1920 to become Sunbeam Talbot Darracq shortly after Automobiles Darracq S.A. had themselves bought Clément-Talbot to sell Talbot Darracqs. In 1935 the triumvirate went into receivership only to be rescued by the Rootes Group owners of Hillman and Humber who created the new Sunbeam Talbot brand in 1938. Rootes sold a 30% stake to Chrysler who were attempting to establish a presence in Europe in 1964 which gives us a tenuous link to the 2002 Chrylser Prowler seen above.

Gilbern Invader Mk II, Pendine Sands

Adding another touch of local flavor in the car park was the 1971 Gilbern Invader built in nearby Pontypridd.

Blue Bird Sunbeam 350hp, Don Wales, Pendine Sands

Above Sir Malcom Campbells Grandson Don Wales, a World Land Speed Record holder for steam powered vehicles, drives his Grandfathers Blue Bird which was built in 1920 when the car was known as the Sunbeam V12. After several unsuccessful attempts at claiming the Land Speed Record Malcolm Campbell bought the car, which now belongs to the National Motor Museum, in 1924 and turned it into a record breaker.

Napier Railton, Alan Winn, Pendine Sands

Also being demonstrated at Pendine was John Cobb’s Napier Railton seen above driven by the Brooklands Museum’s Director & CEO, Allan Winn. In 1950 the Napier Railton was given a new nose and windscreen and called Pandora for an appearance in the film Pandora and the Flying Dutchman staring Eva Gardener as Pandora, James Mason as the Flying Dutchman and Nigel Patrick as a would be land speed record breaker Stephen Cameron. It’s a lovely period flash back movie the trailer for which can be seen on this link, after Stephen pushed the Napier Railton off a cliff to prove his love to Pandora he rescues the car from the sea and restores it and sets an improbably high 200 mph plus record before the car catches fire and has to be driven into the sea to quench the flames. The scenes of the fictional record breaking were filmed at Pendine apparently with Dylan Thomas among the extra’s.

Jaguar XF Portfolio Sportbrake D, Pendine Sands

Finally this Jaguar XF Portfolio Sportbrake D in the car park was a reminder that Bristol’s own SSC Bloodhound team are making preparations on their own Supersonic World Land Speed Record attempt in South Africa in the not too distant future.

Thanks for joining me on this “Blue Bird & Pandora” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be making the first of three visits to Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share