Friday 10th February 2012

Time For Tea? Silver Arrows return...

Pass the earplugs - the Silver Arrows are going to be running at the Goodwood Revival

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A friendly tip-off from Goodwood that at least 10 1930s era Silver Arrows Mercedes and Auto Unions will be running at, quote, "full racing speed" at this year's Revival meet inspired today's Time For Tea? submission. With a promise like that it's only fair to have a look and see what race speed in 500hp+, skinny tyred monsters looks like.

Scary, in a word. And noisy too. These cars have run individually at events like the Festival Of Speed but this time they'll be unleashed together on the track at the Revival and taking part in a carefully choreographed and simulated race with what the Goodwood press release describes as period 'cannon fodder' from the hapless rivals that tried to break the German stranglehold on pre-war GP racing.

See Auto Unions take on Mercedes

On occasion they did - Tazio Nuvolari's stunning win at the Nurburgring in 1935 in an obsolete Alfa Romeo a defining moment - but on the whole it was a two-way battle between, ah, government funded Auto Union and Mercedes.

The Silver Arrows did race in the UK as late as 1939 at Donington, the teams under orders to destroy the high tech cars should war break out while they were still on British soil. Indeed, the last event at which these cars raced in anger actually took place in the then Yugoslavia on the very day war was declared in 1939. In these friendlier times the Goodwood display comes with the full backing of Mercedes and Audi and a promised - but yet to be confirmed - stellar line up of celebrity drivers. The celebration will be housed in its own specially constructed pit area too, based on that of the contemporary Bremgarten track in Switzerland where they once raced. Examples of the Mercedes-Benz W25, W125, W154 and WS165 will be present alongside Auto Union Type C and Type Ds.

To see the action in person be at Goodwood the weekend of September 14-16. For now enjoy the vid...

[Omaruk]

500HP and skinny crossply tyres in the rain in Monaco - wow !!

[Mini1275]

I can't wait to see and hear these beasts together.

Great video too.

[Gorbyrev]

Grand prix the year my dad was born - that is a lot of history ago. So impressed the Auto Unions have been rebuilt with serious power to rubber issues!

[wst]

"...the young British driver, Dick Seaman".

Poor lad.

I've heard the Napier-Railton that holds the Brooklands lap record from incredibly close up, it sounded like... nothing else really.

Hearing more than one of the race cars from that era all running together... wow. I think I'm sold on this!

[mr2j]

they're some kind of dance troupe with silver leotards right? excellent!

[LukeBird]

Fantastic! Would love to see and hear them in anger.

[L100NYY]

'My' of motorsport and having never missed a Revival event as yet (and GRRC member) I simply cannot wait for this.

Superb video too, more of this please PH's

[soad]

Omaruk said:

500HP and skinny crossply tyres in the rain in Monaco - wow !!

Simply great, amazing to watch.

[mister.t]

Cannot wait to see these, without a doubt my favourite race cars of all time. Not just because of the lunacy, but because beneath they were incredibly well engineered, and some ideas were very forward thinking.

[urquattro]

There is or was a picture of one of these monsters at the Donnington (Brit.G.P) just before war 2 broke out, it had all four wheels well clear of the track, lord knows what bhp these brit. destroyers had on super fuel, open cockpit and skinny tyres, even though some had double rears.
show his age I feel.

[jamesatcandsc]

urquattro said:

There is or was a picture of one of these monsters at the Donnington (Brit.G.P) just before war 2 broke out, it had all four wheels well clear of the track, lord knows what bhp these brit. destroyers had on super fuel, open cockpit and skinny tyres, even though some had double rears.
show his age I feel.

You mean the one used here?

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/classic-ca...

[inkafone]

Richard Seaman (1913-1939) was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery in London and his grave is maintained by Mercedes-Benz to this day. He just had to be quick with a name like that.

[Garlick]

inkafone said:

Richard Seaman (1913-1939) was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery in London and his grave is maintained by Mercedes-Benz to this day. He just had to be quick with a name like that.

Wow. Not far from my home, will go and take a look. Thanks.

[will261058]

Could watch vids like that all day long!

[Panda76]

I love watching the old stuff planes and automobiles.It always makes me smile if I imagine , right now I'm in WW2 in a spitfire and all of a sudden a sortie of typhoons and raptors turn up be like WHOAAHAAAAAA What the fk just happened.Ow my ears hurt.We can sonic boom the jerries out.
Same with cars when they are messing about with 60'S F1 cars and a V10 growling F1 car gets warped into a Race ,they would be like WTF and more.
I like keeping progression from old to new in my head before offering unsound critique.

[ChrisJ.]

Hope the AUs go faster than at the See Red VSCC meetng a few years ago?

[James Dean]

Panda76 said:

I love watching the old stuff planes and automobiles.It always makes me smile if I imagine , right now I'm in WW2 in a spitfire and all of a sudden a sortie of typhoons and raptors turn up be like WHOAAHAAAAAA What the fk just happened.Ow my ears hurt.We can sonic boom the jerries out.
Same with cars when they are messing about with 60'S F1 cars and a V10 growling F1 car gets warped into a Race ,they would be like WTF and more.
I like keeping progression from old to new in my head before offering unsound critique.

What?

[urquattro]

jamesatcandsc said:

urquattro said:

There is or was a picture of one of these monsters at the Donnington (Brit.G.P) just before war 2 broke out, it had all four wheels well clear of the track, lord knows what bhp these brit. destroyers had on super fuel, open cockpit and skinny tyres, even though some had double rears.
show his age I feel.

You mean the one used here?

http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/classic-ca...

Yes, thanks I had not picked up this link, look at the state of that track, almost gravel. Current F1 brigade would probably not enter the cockpit.
Richard Seamen's story is very good and moving, glad MB still look after his grave.

[V41LEY]

Look it. Rosemeyer wins and immmediately lights up a fag !

[V41LEY]

Look it. Rosemeyer wins and immmediately lights up a fag !