RE: Pic Of The Week: The 24 Litre Napier-Railton
Discussion
BlackCup said:
Will Elbourn said:
Real mans car. Would love to go round Brooklands, if only it was still complete.
Yeah it would be good wouldn't it! The top edges have nothing supporting them now they're crumbling away...really cool history that place.I remember seeing this do a run up and down the old runway at Brooklands pre-MB World. Watching them start it up looked fun, pushing it along with a couple of guys with fire extinguishers keeping VERY close to it. Glorious, glorious sound from the aero engine, but the driver took it very gingerly round the hairpins at either end... can't say I blame him!
Best thing was it was working. Seeing automotive history on the move, that's what it's all about. Made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Best thing was it was working. Seeing automotive history on the move, that's what it's all about. Made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Is this strictly a W-12 engine, given that it has three banks of cylinders, but only one crank? I think of it as a broad arrow design but I'm not an engineer. My cousin works at Brooklands and apparently they had three operational Napier Lion engines in one place at the recent Double-Twelve event. Fabulous machinery and John Cobb was a terrifically brave man. At the moment my cousin is helping with the restoration of a Duesenburg which (I believe) holds the second-fastest lap of the outer circuit. He was also helping out running the Napier Railton over Goodwood Friday.
Daggerpie said:
The wife snapped this pic of me sniffing round one ..
My Father-in-Law was offered a swap with the Napier Bentley many years ago. For his Mk6 Special I think. He declined. I'm a little disappointed to see the exhaust arrangement on this picture. What has become of the slash-cut stubs it used to wear?
Hub said:
When Jay Leno was driving? I might have a photo if it was!
Saturday morning I think it was, blue overalls, white helmet and a delicate drive up the hill, he nearly wet himself or had a stroke such was his joy and awe of this car! I think it fired four times going up the hill, it is formidible and a proud piece of british engineering lovingly maintained at Brooklands.At the recent Double Twelve Festival at Brooklands there were three huge aero engined Bentley cars plus an extra engine on a mobile jig running together with huge sheets of flame from their exhausts, and the most wonderful sound. The owner of the other cars, a wonderful eccentric gentleman with a bowler whose top had been singed and holed no doubt working on these mighty beasts. This experience brought a tear to my eyes as it was a brief glimpse into a wonderful era of racing now long gone.
I have to say that I enjoyed mightily all of the VSCC events that I have visited this season.
I have to say that I enjoyed mightily all of the VSCC events that I have visited this season.
Edited by Ipelm on Saturday 9th July 22:59
I currently live in West Australia so am very envious of the amazing cars you guys see in action every other weekend in the UK. I was at Brooklands last year and just standing next to the Napier and thinking of those photos of it "flying" over the bumps of the Brooklands track gave me goose bumps!!
I too have seen the Napier being driven at Goodwood Revival a few years ago and doing a loop around the sheds at Brooklands. A friend who used to work for Dunlop in the late nineteen thirties was involved in tyre research and development for the car. On a visit there he showed me the workshop where the work was done.
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