Ulster urge

Last month, I wrote that performance figures for the supercharged Ulster Austin 7 have proved elusive. Since then I have discovered that while a representative of The Light Car & Cyclecar, that then-enjoyable Temple Press weekly with its distinctive photographic front cover, was in Ards for the first Ulster TT in 1928, he was lent a supercharged A7 by Harry Ferguson, later of tractor fame. Ferguson had at one time a Gordon England Brooklands-model A7 but his supercharged car would have been one of the newly-introduced £225 blown Ulster versions. The chap from Light Car, who hid behind the name of ‘Focus’ when writing his weekly column Rich Mixture, says the car was too new to extend fully, as it had done but 500 miles, but nevertheless he took some acceleration figures. From 10-40 mph in top gear took 17 sec, and 40 mph from a standing-start, using the gears, took 10.

Although not fully run-in, the car was willing to do 56 mph in second gear.