Prominent Brooklands Cars
Some Notes on Well-known Racing Vehicles.
I.—” Submarine.”
This is a single-seater Marlborough-Anzani, owned by Mr. T. B. Andre. Its power unit is a 1.5 litre side-valve engine, fed from a gravity tank of four gallons capacity, carried on the dashboard. The air-intake to the Solex carburettor projects through the bonnet in the form of a scoop pointing forward to assist induction, and a small pressure tube equalises pressure in the float chamber.
The gear lever is situated on the right-hand side as usual, but the brake lever is located on the opposite side of the car, near the driver’s hand, owing to the very restricted space in the cockpit. The front axle is streamlined and an apron-plate covers the dum irons as far back as the radiator. There is no differential, and the back axle is fitted with a tie rod underneath and a triangular system of radius rods.
” Submarine ” has Rudge-Whitworth wire wheels, a rellowes magneto, and forced lubrication working at I00 lbs. to the square inch. Early this season this car was considerably modified in the matter of suspensions, which now are semielliptic in front and quarter-elliptic at the rear, the whole being controlled by Hartford shock-absorbers of the dural-duplex type.
II.—” Larubia I.”
This car, the property of Capt. John C. Douglas, is one of the three special cars built by Bertelli for the 1923 200 miles race, since when it has been rebuilt and considerably modified.
The engine, a Burt-McCullum sleeve valve four-cylinder of just under 1.5 litres capacity, remains unaltered, apart from the fact that forced lubrication has been added.
The gear box comprises three speeds and reverse with Perodo brake linings, and the large capacity gravity tank carried beneath the scuttle, supplies the engine through a Solex carburettor. ” Larubia I” is fitted with Rudge-Whitworth wire wheels ; Delco Reine magneto ; semi-elliptic springs governed by Hartford shock-absorbers, and a Boyce motometer, which latter we imagine it is not easy to see from the driving seat when at speed.
III.—” Handy Andy.”
This two-seater was built by Mr. Tommy Hann, for his, own use on the track during the 1924 season. The engine is a 1911 O.H.V. Delage of approximately 3 litres capacity, having a curious form of bell-crank o.h.v. gear operated by push-rods. Tank capacities on this car are five gallons of fuel and two of oil. The petrol is fed to the New Memini carburettor by air pressure. The carburettor is similar to the one fitted to the Alpha Romeo, which won the Spanish Grand Prix.
Ignition is by Double-Remy and is controlled by two switches for duplex ignition. These switches may be operated also by one master switch lest emergency arise, when one movement of the hand may cut out the ignition entirely. Two plugs are fitted to each cylinder.
The gear-box provides five speeds and reverse ; and the gear quadrant is fitted with a special catch which ensures a positive change up from first into second.
The whole of the front axle and steering column are polished in order to facilitate the detection of defects in the form of cracks, etc. The dum irons are streamlined with aluminium apron. The starting handle is removable to assist streamlining.
The springs are semi-elliptic and are controlled by shock absorbers. “Handy Andy” being the first car to be fitted with the new type duralumin duplex Hartfords. The chassis and other parts are composite, the axles having been taken from one source and the frame, etc. from another.
The bonnet construction is unusual as is the exhaust manifold, which, at one point, is higher than the driver’s head ; this design having been found desirable in order to afford the gases a straight flow-through. The tail of the car is wedge-shaped. The wheels are of the usual Rudge-Whitworth wire type, and the tyres are Pirelli. The instrument-board bears an A.T. rev, counter, a Fournier radiator thermometer, and oil and pressure gauges, and the cockpit is provided with two self-controlled air cushion.