Referred to as the White Mercedes. It was based on a modified Mercedes chassis with a 160 hp (120 kW) Mercedes single-overhead-camshaft six-cylinder aero engine, tuned to produce 180 hp (130 kW). The car achieved some success and recorded a lap of 112.68 mph (181.34 km/h) at Brooklands.
The Chitty 3 equipped with a 160 horsepower, six-cylinder Mercedes aircraft engine, which was powerful for its time. This engine gave the car significant speed and power, comparable to the earlier Chitty cars. Similar to its predecessors, Chitty 3 was built with a large, open-body design. The car was designed with a focus on speed and performance, rather than comfort or aesthetics. It continued the tradition of using large, powerful aircraft engines in a car chassis.
Chitty 3 was known for its competitive performance in various racing events during the 1920s, particularly at the famous Brooklands racetrack in England. However, it did not achieve the same level of fame as Chitty 1.
Louis Zborowski later used it as his personal transport, and drove it to Stuttgart when he negotiated to join the Mercedes racing team.
Timeline and Key Dates for Chitty 3
- 1921-1922: After the creation of Chitty 1 and Chitty 2, which were both powered by massive aircraft engines, Count Zborowski continued his passion for building innovative race cars. During this period, he began working on Chitty 3.
- 1922: Chitty 3 was completed. Unlike its predecessors, Chitty 3 was fitted with a Mercedes six-cylinder aero engine. The exact model and displacement of this engine varied in different accounts, but it was consistent with Zborowski’s trend of using powerful, aviation-based engines in his cars.
- 1922-1924: Chitty 3 participated in various racing events, primarily at Brooklands, which was the center of British motorsport at the time. Although not as famous or successful as Chitty 1, Chitty 3 continued to demonstrate Zborowski’s ingenuity in combining high power with innovative car design.
- 1924: Count Zborowski tragically died at the age of 29 during a race at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. After his death, his collection of cars, including Chitty 3, was dispersed. The details of what happened to Chitty 3 after this period are less well documented, and it did not gain the same iconic status as Chitty 1 or 2.