Eyston's Chyrsler links

A recent comment on the George Eyston Chrysler saloon said it was surprising that the great racing driver and record man, who took the LSR to 357mph in his improbable 4700hp ‘Thunderbolt’, had given his name to this restyled production Chrysler.

After refreshing my memory of this 1937 car, it seemed as good as any others of the ‘Airline’ period. Certainly Eyston had Chrysler connections. I once asked the great man what chassis he had used for the AEC diesel saloon with which he took the class record to 106mph in 1936, and the reply was, “Chrysler”. His companion Ernest Eldridge broke the Class C 24-hour record at Mondhery with a near-standard Chrysler 72 in 1929 at 72.1/2mph. I have great admiration for Eyston, and am not surprised at his name being linked to the big saloon.