1933 Napier Railton Special

John Rhodes Cobb was an individual who had the necessary means and finances to participate competitively in racing during the 1920s. His list of impressive cars included a 10-liter Fiat, a 27-liter Parry Thomas Special named the 'Babs' Special, and even a 10.5-liter Delage V12. His Delage was even driven to a lap record at the Brooklands circuit with an average speed of nearly 130 mph.

As Tim Birkin's supercharged Bentley Special began to outpace Cobb's Delage, it became clear that a new racing machine was needed. Cobb commissioned Thomson & Taylor to oversee the project. Reid A. Railton, the company's chief engineer, designed a chassis that could accept the weight and power of an aircraft engine. The Napier powerplant displaced an astonishing 24 liters and over 500 horsepower. Despite its size, it was rather compact, being constructed with three banks of four cylinders for a total of 12 and set in 'W' configuration. Further tuning of the engine brought the horsepower even further, nearing 600. A special three-speed Moss gearbox was created to handle this power and torque. The entire package rested in a ladder frame fitted with a live axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs. Drum brakes were placed on the rear wheel and provided the only stopping power for the car. To help reduce weight, the body was constructed from aluminum with seating for one. The design and construction of the body were handled by Gurney Nutting.

With a car of this caliber, there are going to be many unforeseen problems and potential shortcomings. During testing, the tires were unable to handle the nearly two-ton machine. By the time of the car's inaugural debut at Brooklands in August of 1933, Dunlop had found a solution and Cobb was ready to go racing. The car quickly made its way to the front of the pack and would finish in first place and even broke records. The car's winning streak and record-breaking campaign would continue during the course of its racing lifespan. It set new world records at Montlhery, the Bonneville Flats, and Brooklands. Its 143.44 mph speed set a record at Brooklands, which is still unbroken.

The Napier-Railton Special was later purchased by Sir Geoffrey Quilter, who fitted it with disc brakes and modified the rear end to house a parachute mechanism. The car was then used for testing parachutes. The car was sold in the 1960s, and in 1963 it raced to a second-place finish in a Formula Libre race at Silverstone.

After many years of service, the car was due for a restoration, which it received in the 1970s. It was brought back to its original configuration though the disc brakes were retained. As the 1990s came to a close, the Brooklands society purchased the Napier-Railton and put it on display in the Brooklands Museum.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008