funny Brooklands image

stefan · 18 Jun 2002, 12:16 (Ref:316041)

I grabbed this from a 20th century racing DVD I bought. What an amazing difference in scale. The big one's a Napier Railton. Not sure about the other - austin 7 based?

TimD · 18 Jun 2002, 13:51 (Ref:316113)

Brilliant image, and yes, it really does show the variety of cars that competed against one another at the track.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, we're looking at the 1934 500 mile race. The little car is indeed an Austin 7, one of two of the type, known as a "Dutch Clog".

I can't tell whether the Austin is race number 1 or 2, but the team members that year were Pat Driscoll/Don Parish and Charles Goodacre/Percy Stephenson. The Napier was run that year by John Cobb and Tim Rose-Richards.

**Peter Mallett** · 19 Jun 2002, 11:28 (Ref:316868)

The Napier was demonstrated at the Brands Hatch CSMA Classic in May. It had a bit mof trouble negotiating some of the bends.

marcus · 19 Jun 2002, 12:43 (Ref:316922)

wowsers , thats amazing , thanks for the pic and the info guys , I sure as heck wouldnt want to be in that little car.

**Peter Mallett** · 20 Jun 2002, 03:44 (Ref:317310)

There are some tremendous shots from the Brooklands era, but I actually prefer the paintings rather than the photographs. Its easy to forget that magazines published painted prints rather than photos in those days. Gordon Crosby produced some wonderful images. (I have a limited edition of the MG Tigress) I suspect most of the stills we see are lifted from cinema film reports. Perhaps Tim could confirm?

DAVID PATERSON · 20 Jun 2002, 08:49 (Ref:317404)

That is truly an awesome picture, it is hard to imagine cars with such divergence of size being allowed on a track together. It must have been terrifying for the bloke in the Austin.

bolide · 24 Jun 2002, 14:27 (Ref:320424)

This kind of racing can be seen at any VSCC race meeting in the UK - till you've seen Austin Sevens and Morgan 3-wheelers mixing it with the big boys you ain't seen nothing

Not everyone's a fan of these cars (can't think why) but they are still raced as hard as they ever were. And the VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) is more a way of life than a club

See our VSCC Mallory Park Photo Gallery
http://www.bolide.co.uk/actions/imag...&link=mall2000

**Stephen Green** · 24 Jun 2002, 14:57 (Ref:320449)

The Napier Railton usually makes an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for those who want to see the big beast!

AllonFS · 3 Jul 2002, 10:15 (Ref:326366)

There was a free video with Motorsport a year or two back which had footage of this exact moment. What makes it all the more exciting is that the big Napier is bouncing off the track over the bumps and moving very rapidly. Each time I watch it I have to fwd and rwd several times as it is such an amazing clip.

Those early racers certainly had balls, (and probably no imagination)!

Andrew Kitson · 3 Jul 2002, 10:37 (Ref:326380)

Amazing photo and I too have seen this on video.
The VSCC meetings are great. The difference in size of some of the cars in handicap events is amazing. For example the 24 Litre ( Yes 24,000cc) Napier Aero engined Bentley against little 747cc austins and Morgan 3 wheelers.
I remember the first time I saw Peter Morley's 24 litre Bentley. It was in a VSCC race in the late 60s at Snetterton and he started from the back of the grid. The mechanic had a sack barrow with 6 car batteries on all linked up just to start it! It was leading before the hairpin at the top of the circuit having passed everybody on the long Norwich Straight.
It was a bit like an oil tanker, great in a straight line but took ages to stop and negotiate corners! I think Peter Morley sold it a few years ago and hope it is still raced. Haven't been to a VSCC event for a couple of years unfortunately.
Ah the VSCC....The smell of Castrol R!

**Adam43** · 4 Jul 2002, 09:11 (Ref:326900)

*music*
"baby your just my kind of girl,
you make me feel like a motor car,
filled up with castrol oil"

Great picture. I've seen the some of these big (massive) engined beasts. I think the last time was COYS lst year. Impressive stuff. Doesn't the front of the Napier open up and swallow the Austin?

strad · 9 Jul 2002, 08:05 (Ref:329975)

Since we're talking monsters....any facts on this

strad · 9 Jul 2002, 08:06 (Ref:329976)

I know it's Tim Birkin but what about the car?

bolide · 9 Jul 2002, 08:45 (Ref:329998)

I'm tempted to think it's another Bentley special - you can just see the blower in the radiator cowling. Only a single exhaust system so it's not a V (or W) shaped engine

Nick Froome
www.bolide.co.uk

TimD · 9 Jul 2002, 09:54 (Ref:330041)

That there is the Birkin single-seat Bentley 4.5 litre Supercharged racer. Built in 1930 with Dorothy Paget's money out of team car UU5872 (I think).

When it was built, it was finished in mid-blue, but for most of it's life, it's been pillar-box red.

Throughout the sixties and seventies, it was owned and raced by a stalwart of the Bentley Drivers Club, BM "Rusty" Russ-Turner, who was actually racing it at Brands Hatch when he died suddenly of natural causes in 1983. The car, effectively pilotless, parked itself gently in the catch-fencing with the minimum of damage.

George Daniels took it on after that, and it still comes out to play at VSCC and Bentley DC race meetings every summer. Definitely a charismatic car with an extraordinary history.

David McKinney · 9 Jul 2002, 16:17 (Ref:330293)

Quote:

Originally posted by TimD
it was owned and raced by a stalwart of the Bentley Drivers Club, BM "Rusty" Russ-Turner, who was actually racing it at Brands Hatch when he died suddenly of natural causes in 1983. The car, effectively pilotless, parked itself gently in the catch-fencing with the minimum of damage.

Silverstone, IIRC

TimD · 9 Jul 2002, 16:30 (Ref:330305)

Was it Silverstone? I stand corrected.

(And so too - I think - does an obituary column in a contemporary classic car mag...)

**Peter Mallett** · 9 Jul 2002, 18:25 (Ref:330401)

David I know its a different car and era but wasn't it about that time the Brian "Yogi" Muir departed in a similar fashion? And wasn't that at Silverstone?

strad · 9 Jul 2002, 20:28 (Ref:330503)

Thanks guys...I love to learn the tidbits

I offer this to help show the size of the Railton

**Peter Mallett** · 10 Jul 2002, 06:37 (Ref:330754)

In these days of Health and Safety awareness you can look at pics like that and feel really scared.

strad · 10 Jul 2002, 10:51 (Ref:330941)

You dont think the Occupational Safety and Health Association would approve of the supports?
hehehehe

**Peter Mallett** · 10 Jul 2002, 10:57 (Ref:330945)

Well he's dealing with hydrocarbons and not wearing a mask or eye protection. No bump cap or steel toe capped boots. Bet he's not wearing rubber gloves either.

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