Humber 8HP 1909


Links

About Humber

Humber History

Lotus Elite 1962


Lotus Cars

Coventry Climax motor

This Humber was difficult to photo. It was placed in pre room befor the main museum. It was very dark here. I have tried to better the contrast, but instead the photo became a little grainy.
Lord Montagu bought this car 1959 as a wedding present for his wife. Note that the passenger place has no windshield against road dust or bad weather. The monocle like shield was only for the driver. The lamp got their light from gas, while side lamps were shining with the help of kerosene or oil. This car became well known in the film Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang 1967.
2 cyl, 1525 cc.

This wonderful car with the name Lotus Elite was built with a reinforcedplastic moulding. On this the body was formed and was a part of the car. It had problems with it's rear end and also the drive ends. In the beginning there were the holdings for rear wheel uprights and the rubber ends. These were dimensioned for a Climax engine with 80 hp. But the racing teams put in far more hp in the engine. The result was that the rear drive axles went around in the end and destroyed almost everything.
Lotus Elite was Colin Chapman's first closed car and also the first made from glass fiber. At that time it was the only British sport car with Coventry Climax engine. The type was a FWE with OHC, disk brakes on all four wheels and separate rear end. Lotus Elite ended on first and second place in it's class at LeMans 1960 and took after that many victories.
4 cyl, 1216 cc 80 hk, 180 km/h, £2066

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Peel P50

Peel Micro Cars

Peel video





Daimler 12HP 1899



Daimler 1

Daimler 12HP 1899

Daimler 2

Peel was the only car producer at Isle of Man. The body was mad of glass fiber and weighed only 59 kg. That was the same as 60 bags of sugar. A single door on one side allowed driver and passenger to enter. The engine was started by pulling a rope. It was a 49 cc DKW mc engine. There was no rear gear but instead a handle to pull the car backwards. Changing of driving direction was done with hand signals. Advertising pointed out that it was no problem to park. The driver was sitting in a chair and was protected  against the weather. Powerful brakes and a suitable room for shopping bags. In reality it was impossibly to bring a parcel inside.
1 cyl 2-takt, 49 cc, 65 km/h, 4,2 hp, £149.

This car was bought new by Lord Montagu's father. It was the first car that was driven to the lower house parking place and also the first English brand that took part in a foreign car competition, Paris - Ostende race. The car took the 3rd place in tourist class. It was the Prince of Wales that was the driver, later became King Edward VII, in his first tour with a car. The car is renovated in the workshop of the museum.
4 cyl, 3053 cc, 50 km/h, £775, produced 1899-1900.

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Hispano Suiza

Hispano Roadster

Douglas Dragonfly 1956

Douglas

Douglas bildsida

Douglgas Vespa

This car got it's name after the companies most prominent customer King Alfonso the XIII. The car is an early example for a sport car. Probably only three cars sold in England. The damage on the steering and rim happened when one of the cars former owner was killed by a bullet ricochet during Irish revolution.
4 cyl, 3615 cc, 120 km/h, side valves in T, £545

Douglas Dragonfly 1956.

Napier Sunbeam

Record on beach

Sunbeam 350 HP

Napier Sunbeam 1

Napier Sundbeam 2

Sunbeam 1000 HP

1000 Hp Factory

Sunbeam made to break top speed for cars. Napier Sunbeam.

Sunbeam 1000 HP

BRM

Links

BRM 15

BRM V16

BRM Story

Connaught B-Type 1955

Connaught

Connaught B-Type

Bild gallery

The prototype for the BRM race car was ready 1949. It was a 1.5 litre compressor equipped 16 cyl double horizontal engine with 600 hp in H configuration. BRM also introduced disk brakes. Most know car with disk brake was otherwise Jaguar LeMans cars some years later. Reg Parnell drove this car with chassis no. 1 to victory in second and third competition on Goodwood 1950. 1952 it was in the winners circle three times and had fastest lap with Parnell and team driver Ken Wharton. Juan Fangio made a triumph at French Grand Prix F1 1953 ad had again fastest lap. Wharton took later another three victories before he end up racing. He bought the car and gave it as a gift  to England with support by Beaulieu.
V16, 1488cc, 170 mph, 32 valves, DOHC, 600 hp 12000 rpm.

Connaught B-type was the most successful British racing car in the time when Grand Prix wins were few. A young dentist student Tony Brooks was invited to drive the car B1 at 1955 Syracusa Grand Prix Sicily. He made new lap record and left all other factory cars from Maserati way behind and won Connaught first Grand Prix victory in formula 1. The secret with Connaught engine was direct injection. This success at Sicily made that the manufacturer for soft drinks in Italy bought the car with number B6 and started to race it. After several broken races, the car was sent back to the Connaught factory in England. When the factory closed 1957 the car was moved to Technical Museum. In their hand it was kept in original condition.
4 cyl, 2470 cc, DOHC, 2400 cc.
I raced at historical meeting and ended second after Connaught at Karlskoga Raceway 1966, with my Ferrari Monza 1955.