The Napier-Railton Special is a historic British racing car that was designed by Reid Railton and built by Thomson & Taylor. It was commissioned by John Cobb in 1933 and is famous for its record-breaking performances during the 1930s.
The 1933 aero-engined Napier Railton Special, which holds the all-time lap record of 143.44mph at Brooklands. The Napier-Railton has its own unique history at Pendine, having been the star (alongside James Mason and Ava Gardner) of the 1951 movie Pandora & The Flying Dutchman. In the film, the car is used for an attempt on the Land Speed Record, for which the action sequences (culminating in the car being driven into the sea to quench an engine fire) were filmed on Pendine Sands during 1950.
In recent months, a film researcher has established that amongst the ‘extras’ in the crowd scenes for these sequences was the famed Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Owned by the Brooklands Museum since 1977, the Napier-Railton will also run at Pendine, with Museum Director & CEO, Allan Winn, in the driving seat.
Key Features:
- Engine: The car is powered by a massive 24-litre, W12 Napier Lion aircraft engine, originally used in World War I bombers. This engine produces around 580 horsepower.
- Design: The Napier-Railton has an aluminum body with a minimalist, open-wheel design typical of early 20th-century race cars. Its long, sleek shape was optimized for high-speed runs.
- Transmission: The car features a three-speed manual transmission, which was robust enough to handle the immense torque generated by the aircraft engine.
- Performance: The Napier-Railton is most famous for setting the lap record at the Brooklands circuit in 1935, with an average speed of 143.44 mph, a record that still stands today since the circuit was closed during World War II and never reopened for competition.
Historical Significance:
- The Napier-Railton was not just a track racer but also participated in various endurance and speed record attempts, including the 24-hour record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States.
- The car remains an iconic example of pre-war engineering and is often displayed at automotive museums and events, including the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, England.