Out and out sports car

[PeterW]

Hi,

Thought you might like to see a picture of a real motorcar. In this setting the picture could have been taken 75 years ago, but this beautifully restored example was taken in 1986. It's an early 1930s four and a half litre Bentley, a car I always wanted to own but never did. I did, however, get a chance quite often to drive an example owned by a friend.

In another thread Curt said he found a 1967 427 Corvette a bear to handle. Curt, you should try one of these beautiful bits of machinery. No refinements, very little comfort; they're just massive honest to God, hair on their chests, out and out sports cars. Doors? What are you? Sissy? Climb over the side like anyone else. Synchromesh? That's for wimps! You mean you don't know how to double declutch, up and down? Where did you learn to drive? Oh, and to save you looking for it, the handbrake lives outside, there wasn't room for it inside.

Just keeping one of these beauties on the road is an acquired art. They're like half-tamed high-spirited horses, but once you get to know them, and if they like you, thundering along at about 80 mph, dropping down to third and steering it round a bend on the throttle is the most exhilarating thing you can imagine. My late wife Valerie could really handle one of these!

Taken with a Hasselblad, 50mm Flektogon lens, Fujichrome 200.

Peter

[vintageslrs]

Peter

I thought you were gonna show me a photo of a Railton.
I know Hudson Motor Car Company was involved in Railtons....don't know if they produced them or just made motors or something for Railton--but I know there was a connection there.
So, Peter, you're a wealth of knowledge....how about a photo and some history? ;D

Bob

[vintageslrs]

Peter

here's one---you like?



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[mickeyobe]

Beautiful cars. Why are those old cars always so beautiful?
That 1/2 timbered house is also gorgeous.

Mickey

[Randy]

Peter, isn't that the same kind of car that Patrick MacNee (John Steed) drove in the TV show 'The Avengers'? That's my favorite all time television show.

[paulatukcamera]

Railtons were made in Cobham Surrey in the late 1930s.

The chassis and engine were from the Hudson terraplane of the same period. There were a number of makers who took the same route - Brough Superior was another. They all took advantage of the relatively cheap Hudson Straight 8 engine to give them an 8 cylinder engine to compete in the marketplace (remember this was a time when more cylinders=prestige) A number of American small firms like Marmon also indulged in "multi-cylinderism" to their detriment! The Hudson engine wasn't particularly advanced - a stolid side valve of 4168cc developing (I gather) around 125bhp at 4000rpm.

Not a car that I have ever fancied - the market still does not value them highly.

A tale:

Around 1964, my friend said he had discovered two old cars in a deserted garage in Caterham Surrey on his delivery rounds. So three of us went to investigate. The house itself was deserted and in the garage sat a Morris 10-4 of about 1931 and a Railton Saloon. Nothing much wrong with it - just up on blocks and long abandoned. In the glove box I discovered a diary - a girl writing about her brother's exploits in the RAF.

Entries stopped in 1943, so I presume her brother was killed. The car had obviously been stored for the duration of the war.

A few years passed and I asked my friend if he could lead me there again and I would see if I could find who was the owner with a view to buying it. Unfortunately, he could not remember where the house was! We looked for hours!

So somewhere in Caterham still sits an old Railton -awaiting discovery!

Not a far from Caterham roundabout was a restorer of old cars. He had two low chassis Invictas (my dream car) and I thought I might prize one from his grasp. No chance. What he did offer me though was a Horch - an open tourer - very Germanic & "Hitler style". Do you know my younger self turned my nose up at it - if I had only guessed that a well restored example would now buy a decent detached house, I might have done something else!

I will bore you all to death soon, so must desist. One day I will show you my Alvis pictures as for years I was involved with the car club and have got a goodly few photos of Alvis in action.

Paul

[PeterW]

Bob,

I've got pictures of Railtons and Brough Superiors somewhere but can't put my hand on them at the moment. However, you've provided a very nice shot of a Railton, obviously taken in the US but in full UK trim including the AA and RAC badges. I may be mistaken without a lot of delving, but I suspect the badges are a shde late for the date of the car which, if that's the original number plate, was first registered in Birmingham (Warwickshire, not Alabama ) in March 1936. Does it live in the US or was it a visitor do you know?

Not much I can add to the history that Paul's already given, except to add that Railtons were the brainchild of Noel Macklin and Reid Railton and were built by the Fairmile Engineering Company in, as Paul says, Cobham in Surrey to the south of London. I have an idea that they eventually sold the company to Hudson who carried on building them for a short time though Hudson was offering its own cars on the UK market with both American and English bodywork.

Noel Macklin had previously teamed up with Oliver Lyle to make Invicta cars, more of a pure sports car than the Railtons though there was a vague family likeness, but it proved too expensive.

Randy,

Yes indeed, Patrick McNee did drive a Bentley in The Avengers. I too loved the series - implausible, but thoroughly enjoyable escapism .

Mickey,

I don't know the answer to that one, they just do! Unless it was because the bodies as well and the engine and chassis were designed by engineers so they had an uncompromising functional, fitness for purpose look about them, the same sort of atmosphere that old steam locomotives had, appealing to the young boy still in all of us - the COR!! factor. ;D.

Peter

[Just Plain Curt]

Always have a special place in my heart for British sportscars. I believe on one of the many (we get several dozen) British shows on TV here in Canada there was a similar Bentley on a James Herriot episode or at least starring the particular actor who plays James Harriot.
Did I mention I used to own an Austin Mini (not the Cooper or Cooper S unfortunately) in 1979? Particularly fond of Austin Healeys, TR 6 Triumphs, Bug Eye Sprites, MGA's and of course Jaguar XKE. A local doctor just totalled his Jensen last summer. Also got a roll of pics of a local Daimler if I can ever find them in my toss 'n dig system of filing (or should I say "piling"?).