1931-03-21 — Page 8

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, MOTORING SUPPLEMENT. SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1931.

THE NEW

FAIR-FLIGHT

PRINCIPLE TYRES by

FISK

This New Principle is the

invention of FISK

One:

of the World's Greatest Tyre Companies.

It gives at last the Luxury

of an Air-Borne Car.

means

more

mileage

Sole

Distributors:

GILMAN & CO., LTD.

4A. Des Vœux Road, C.

Hongkong Bank Bldg..

Telephone 28011.

TRUST A THORNYCROFT With Your Transport

DEAL DIRECT.

THORNYCROFT

SIX-CYLINDERED

COACHES & OMNIBUSES

MOTOR VEHICLES

Pioneer Manufacturers of Commercial Motor Vehicles

THE LAND SPEED RECORD.

In 33 Years Speeds Have Increased. From 39 m.p.h. to 245 m.p.h.

The first authenticated world's many have tried dispute our record was established no fower supremacy in this direction. than 33 years ago, when one First eamo K. Lee Guinuous Chaaacloai-Laubat, driving a with a 350 h.p. Sunbeam, a giant Jeantaud car, averaged the mean of 4 car, which

Honu too cany speed of 30.24 m.p.h. for the tok

as others found out to their kilometre a really prodigious per-

Rene Thomas broke formance. That not the ball roll the Gallida Hill record with it, the

Harry Hawker ing, or, more strictly speaking, the late

hurdled wheels revolving, and in the follow-through the fence in it at Brook-, ing year Jenatzy, a German, who lands and Juen later earned the soubriquet of the

tried his handsagne also this speed "Red Devil," raised the figures monster. Lee Gufuness, however, of his was the only one who acemed to some 20 m.p.h, with a car

be thoroughly at home with

it and own manufacture,

Hemery,

it was rather a hair-raising sight when he was clocked to do a mean speed of 129.17 m.p.h. on the Brooklands circuit, for down the

some time he had been in posses- sion of the identical Sunbeam with which K. Leo Guinness captured the record la 1022. Campbell, as

160.766 m.p.h. and 150.889 m.p.h. respectively.

The late J. G. Parry Thomas, undeterred by Campbell's feat,

a matter of fact, had also obtained | then started upon the construc- several recorda with the car. tion of a new car of For instance, he obtained the nature.

a nondescript It was a foaraomo-look- world's flying kilometre on Sait-leg monster, nicknamed "Baba" burn Sands at

mean speed of by the brilliant engineer-driver, 134.07 m.p.h. and at the Inter- and powered with a 12-cylinder national Speed Trials at Fanco Liberty aero engine of umpteen Island. Denmark, he was credited thousand e.c. capacity built into with having nocured the world's a chain-driven chassis. Thomas flying mile and kilometre records was confident it would go quite at the respective average mean quickly. Ho

was right.

At the speeds of 137.82 m.p.h, and 138.32 very first attempt on Pondine ni.p.h. He also covered a mile in Sands he shattered Campbell's one direction at 146.40 m.p.h. speed by approximately 18 m.p.h. Unluckily for Campbell, however, Having achieved his object he did these figures were not confirmed, not rent on bis laurols. Later in owing to the fact that the elec- the year-1926-he raised it still History of the Land Speed Record.

Car Jenntand Jenatzy

World's

American Record

Record, m.p.h.

Year.

1898

Driver. Chassolouy-Laubat

39.24

1899

Jenatzy

65.79

1902

Serpollet

Serpollet

76.08

1902

Fournier

Mors

76.60*

1902

Auglera

Mors

77.18*

1003

1003

Duray

1903

been so

Two years later, in 1924, the luto J. G. Parry-Thomas, with his wonderful Leyland-Thomas, which at one time was hard-pushed to do much more than 90 m.ph., had and modified by its driver that Lee'

Henry Ford

Gobron-Brillte Ford

84.21*

91.37

1001

1904

W. K. Vanderbilt

Mercedes

92,307

1904

Rigolly

Gobren-Brillle

93.20*

1904

de

1904

Rigully

Catera

Mercedes

07.20*

Gobron-Brille

103.66*

1904

Baras

Darracq

104.58*

1905

A. Macdonald

Napier

104.65

TR05

H. L. Bowden

Mercedes

109.76

1906

1990

F, Marriott

Stanley Steamer 127.059

1000

1909

V. Homery

Benz

116.923

1910

Barney Oldfield

Benz

181.724

1311

Bob Burman

Benz

Bonz

141.732

1914

L. G. Hornsted

Benz

124.00

1919

R de Palma

Packard

149.876

1920

T. Milton

Duesenberg

156,046

1902

K. Lee Guinness

Sunbeam

129.17

1924

J. G. Parry-Thoms

129.78

1924

Rene Thomas...

143.312

1924

E. A. D. Eldridge

145.00

1926

M. Campbell

Sunbeam

150.766

1926

J. G. Parry-Thomas

168,075

1926

J. G. Parry-Thomas

Thomas Special.

170.624

1927

M. Campbell

174.224-

1927

H. O. D. Begrave

Sunbeam

203.790

1928

M. Campbell

Napier-Campbell

200.956

1028

Ruy Keech

White-Triplex ...

207.552

1929

II. O. D. Segrave

Irving-Napier

201.002

1931

M. Campbell......

Napier-Campbell

245.730

Three years elapsed before Jenatzy's figures were challenged und then, in 1930, three Frenchmnou in succession raised the figure until the mile record stood 12 miles high-railway straight he reached weil er. The famous Duray raised it over 140 m.p.h. to 84.21 m.p.h. in 1908. The Americans then took a hand in the game, through the medium of Henry Ford, who established a now national record of 91.37 m.ph.

fewer In 1904 there were no than five successful attempts on the world's record, and the Arst Guinness's record fell by a small This started the battle man to have the honour of accom-margin.

The famous plishing 100 m.p.h. was Rigolly, in real earnest. driving a Gobron-Brillte. This Frenchman, Rene Thomas, entered stood as a world's record for five the fray with a huge Delage and years, when Victor

promptly sent the Agurca soaring driving a Benz, covered the mile by the big margin of 14 m.p.h.

Nothing

daunted, another Eng- at a mean speed of 115.923 m.p.h.

lishman E. A. D. The first Englishman to dispute

Eldridge the overwhelming successes of the joined issue. He had had built, foreigners was that famous pilot, leviathan in the shape of an aero- under his supervision, a real Arthur Macdonald, who, with a six-engined Fint, which was practicni- cylinder 30 h.p. Napler, beat the

ly all engine. It required a super. previous best of Baras (Darracq) man to hold it at speed, especially by decimal points. This, however, on a track, and Eldridge was

that only ranked as an American record,

On

banking, and although four Americans in

either at Brooklands or Montlhery, turn raised the speed until it stood It had a habit of negotiating the at 111.73 m.p.h.-In 1911-it was banking with tail and nose not until 1914 that L. G. Hornated, down, while it up

wanted the re- driving a Benz, officially took the sources of a tyre factory to re- world's record from Barsa at over pince treads flung, burat covers two miles a minute. Rolph de and the like. Eldridge attempted Palma and Tommy Milton-the lat and got his record on that wonder- ter with a 16-cylinder Duesenberg ful bit of road at Arpajon, the

-Increased the national record to

Frenchman being beaten by the close on 160 m.p.h.

small but sufficient margin of 24 m.n.b.

British Drivers Outclass Opposition.

superman.

the

Recent World's Record Disallowed.

From 1922 until the

present time the opposition has been com- There wern, however, two other pletely outclassed by British Englishmen hankering after the drivers, for only two others, Reno record, and they made no secret Thoms and the Inte Ray Keech, of their intentions. Capt. Mal. have figured in the list, althoughcolm Campbell was one, and for

Leyland-Thomna

Delage

Flat

Thomas Special

Napler-Campbell

"These records were run over the flying kilometre which was up

to 1004 a recognized distance.

trical-timing appagtus had not further to

#

170.024 m.p.h., but ben submitted to or approved by shortly after this fourless sports- ti. A.LA.C.R. Nevertheless, the man lost his life in attempting to Sunbeam was rightly assumed to regain the record wrested from be the fastest ear in existence and him by Capt. Campbell with his with so capable a driver it was Napier-Campbell.

that confidently expected

tho record would fall when Campbell, on July 21, 1925, went to Peudine Sands,

The assumption was correct. for the speeds of the flying mile and flying kilometre wêre taken to

The New

Campbell's Earlier Sunbeam Eclipsed.

over

Undeterred. and yot striving for speed and yet more apeod, Campbell realized that his (Continued on Page 3.)

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