New CN7 Book

[f1steveuk]

If you want to be thoroughly depressed, go and look at the state of the Napier Railton, that is criminal!

[malcolm uk]

Two out of the three are in UK Museums so their condition reflects the way in which those responsible for the running of such places treat mechanical objects. Perhaps they are working to the same "rule book"?

I have seen pictures of (to my mind)the over - restored '35 car in the USA and whilst it would be good to have it back in the Country that vehicle is one of many examples where they now reside away from their origins.

Where LSR cars are in a dedicated display area (ie Coventry) their condition is being maintained to a much better standard. The line up in Beaulieu has never displayed the four at their best.

I doubt that we will ever see this (small) element of our heritage in one place, but that would be admirable if a lottery winner were to open a 'speed record collection'. The best we may hope for is the often discussed idea of a virtual speed museum where the cars, bikes, planes and boats are 'kept' in one place for as long as digital media last.

Malcolm

[Pullman99]

If you want to be thoroughly depressed, go and look at the state of the Napier Railton, that is criminal!

Hi Steve! Did you really mean the Napier Railton? This is, of course, at Brooklands and seems very well cared for with quite a few outings during any one year.

Brooklands Museum website:

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

The Railton Mobil Special is, howver, supposedly a star exhibit at Birmingham's thinktank. Howevr, searching the website today, I could only find a one-line reference and no pics although, to be fair, they have crammed in quite a few other exhibits. I haven't been to thinktank since shortly after the museum moved from Newhall Street but I'm in Birmingham next Tuesday so I'll try to get some pics.

Edited to include this link (hidden away in the thinktank website)!

http://www.birminghamstories.co.uk/stor ... ge=1&now=0

[f1steveuk]

Hi Ian

Yes your right, and so am I!!! According to the drawings, and Reid Railton, both cars are Napier Railtons. Any other title has been created by sponsors (Mobil or Gilmour) or simply to identify the two cars to prevent confusion, which I have just created, sorry!

The twin engined Napier Railton is not well looked after which is a real shame, although it is pretty original. I was horrified a few years ago when there was talk of restoring the Golden Arrow. Why? Fairly original, and why add miles to a car that has never had many put on it, and which has only been driven by one man?

[quicksilver-wsr]

An interesting aside to the "twin-engined Railton" story ...

In the early 1990s, a chap with no connections to the speed-record scene offered to sell me the full set of original drawings for this car!

He offered to fax me a full list through and I remember the fax machine here practically ran out of paper because there were reams and reams of it ... each drawing carefully referenced.

Of course, I didn't have the money. But I've still got that list tucked away somewhere, fading with age on one of those rolls of shiny fax paper.

I wonder what became of that little lot? They must still be out there somewhere.

A crying shame, I recall feeling then, that they couldn't be reunited with the car itself.

With the car and all of the original drawings in the same place, maybe ... just maybe ... there'd be someone with the get-up-and-go to get that lovely car running again.

[f1steveuk]

Nigel, that wasn't Eric was it? He still has all the drawings for the 1935 Blue Bird (well as many as you need to convert the 33 to the 35 version) and I'm sure he had the Railton drawings as well, and may well still have them.

[quicksilver-wsr]

Nigel, that wasn't Eric was it? He still has all the drawings for the 1935 Blue Bird (well as many as you need to convert the 33 to the 35 version) and I'm sure he had the Railton drawings as well, and may well still have them.

The name doesn't ring a bell, Steve - but I can't swear to it. Until the fax surfaces again here (it's buried deep) I won't be able to check. But if your guy "Eric" had some involvement or interest in motor-racing, there's an outside chance.

I say that because at the time I encountered this chap I was on the lookout for some spares for a 1970s Formula 1 car owned by a friend of mine. In passing, I mentioned to this fellow my interest in speed-records and that's when he asked me out of the blue if I'd be interested in buying his full set of drawings for the Railton Mobil Special. I nearly fell off my chair!

He didn't seem to have any special interest in these drawings. He seemed to be somewhat dispassionate about them, beyond their financial value.

I hope you're sitting down when I tell you the price he wanted ...

£30,000!

Does that sound like your guy Eric?

I couldn't figure out how this chap had got possession of these drawings in the first place, but didn't like to ask. I felt it was a pity that a collection like this was in the hands of someone who only seemed to be interested in the price he could get for them.

I knew the asking price was way beyond the budget of any speed-record enthusiasts I knew, so have never mentioned this story to anyone before today.

When that fax next surfaces, I'll give you a shout.

[Pullman99]

Hi to you both. I think that we maybe need to start a new thread on this (Mr Bull permitting of course) as it is now well beyond the topic of the CN7 book!

Eric Brooklander (I think)? I noticed that he was advertising the Railton drawings in about 1993 and I did obtain a list as well. Need to search that out as I should still have it. I telephoned him and I think the story was that he had rescued them from a skip at T&T. Didn't know that he had the Blue Bird drawings as well. Supposedly - again - the NMM were supposed to be on top of this kind of thing. Anyway, I was interested to know what he had and I also cointacted what was then called The Museum of Science & Industry in Birmingham. They stated that not only would they not have the funds but were not interested anyway. Not only that, but they queried why I was alerting them to this (as in "what business is it of yours?) despite the fact that I had previously had some dialogue with the museum over exchanging exhibits with The Patrick Collection (also in Birmingham) I had also arranged through Bridgestone, in 1986, the loan of Mike Thackwell's 1985 F 3000 Championship runner-up Ralt RB20 (2nd to Christain Danner's March 85B) that Bridgestone had retained for promotional use so that the museum could exhibit it - in a "development of motorsport" sort of context - alongside the "Blitzen" Benz that they had on loan for many years. Both cars were paraded (on transporters) as part of the City's promotion for the forthcoming Birmingham Superprix. I was a bit put out by their reaction!

[Pullman99]

Enough with the digs at me about moderation/keeping on topic etc please.

Sorry. Only kidding. And I haven't mentioned the Z word all day!

[Renegadenemo]

Hi to you both. I think that we maybe need to start a new thread on this (Mr Bull permitting of course) as it is now well beyond the topic of the CN7 book!

Aye, pack it in, you! or I'll moderate you next...