Whilst idling away a few hours in Weybridge on Saturday whilst waiting for some paint to dry - really. I decided to visit the Brooklands Museum, thinking there must be good examples of racing Austins on display. To my suprise, amongst the Singers, MGs, Morgans and the heavyweight stuff - Cobb's Napier Lion and Vieux Charles II, there were only two Austins - a 1937(?)special body tourer and a copy of a 1923 racer with very crude bodywork [apologies to the maker if he or she reads this] that does not look as if it could have come from any works or factory. No sign of the famous Austin racers (March/Davis) in original or replica form. How sad. If ever there was a project for a few good Austineers it would seem to be to correct this gap in the history of British motor racing - permission from the Museum being a prerequisite of course.

There used to be a Gordon England Cup belonging to DrA at the Museum has it now gone?Would agree with you about the other two Austins.

The GE Cup was still there in September, David, though sadly not a brilliant example of the breed.

Mike

I've just enearthed the following note on the Internet regarding Austin 7 racing in 1923:
Austin recognised the advertising benefits that would accrue from racing and an Austin Seven was tuned and fitted with a lightweight fabric covered body. It made it's first appearance at Brooklands on the 19th March 1923 and was entered in the Easter Small Car Handicap for cars up to 1,100cc It was driven by Captain Arthur Waite who drove the car to the meeting from Longbridge won the race and drove home. The same car was entered for the Italian Grand Prix des Cyclecars at Monza over a distance of 250 km in May 1923 which it won at an average speed of 57 mph and made the fastest lap at 64 mph. The success of this car encouraged Austin to make another two identical cars and all three were entered for the Summer & August meetings at Brooklands. They were also entered as a team for the Boulogne Motor Week in France in September 1923 but their run of successes ran out with two retirements with lubrication problems and one crash. Early in the same year Gordon England had persuaded Herbert Austin to let him have a racing chassis on which he built a single seat body. In this form the little car was successful at the Brooklands Meeting sponsored by the BARC when it won and achieved a flying lap at 60.05 mph.

Can't find a picture of the Gordon England at the moment (anything in your archive Austin?) but the pictures I have seen of the Boulogne racers and the replica I have seen (Steve Hodgson's I think)look much better than the supposed 'racer' in the Museum.

Click images for bigger versions

Gordon England Barrel;


Fabric racer


Lots of Gordon England stuff including Cups



There are a lot of pictures of Austin 7s at Brooklands..

For what it's worth, pics of the Cup in the museum. Can't remember its pedigree:

Mystery solved. Looking down the 'Chit Chat' page of this very website I find an entry by John Barker describing the building (with Bev Keable) of a Capt. Waite inspired 1923-type racer. There is a picture, which unless I am mistaken shows the car that is currently on display in the Museum. The proximity of Walton-on Thames (home of Keable and Barker(?)to the Museum lends credence I think. Apologies to John and Bev for 'dissing' their work (if it is)

Two points about Brooklands. Firstly, with reference to Mike Whittome's comment of my 'not best example' Gordon England. It is a Replica built by the late great Alan Wragg, as far I'm aware the last car he built. Although possibly not exactly correct in its appearance (most people seem to like it), the car is brilliant mechanically, took my wife and I 1500 fault free miles thro' France and is almost as fast as my original supercharged Ulster VE4492. Mention of that car leads me conventiently to my second point. Despite 2 emails to the Organising Staff at Brooklands, they have failed to cancel my entry to the Centenary of the Test Hill Celebration on the 22nd March 2009. It is likely to appear in the programme despite my informing them 2 weeks ago that I would be abroad. I would hate it if any A7 enthusiasts or paying public thought that I simply just didn't turn up. If any of you are there please explain and extend my apologies for the car's absence, it really strorms up the hill !!!

James Sorry you wont be there David

David, Good to know there's at least one tasty A7 going up the hill ! Please spread the word re. the truth behind my absence. Regards James

If they want a very good replica of your car James just let me know. As you know it isn't far off although sadly not supercharged.

Thanks for the offer Austin, your Ulster is so similar, I remember returning to it in error at a Beaulieu Rally many years ago. However, I think the organisers, fellow competitors and some of the visitors would miss the number plate, the classic noise the car makes and the ever so slightly older driver behind the wheel !

Austin,Will you be there Sunday?

Unfortunately not David, we have just had a new baby Austin delivered and are a bit busy!

James No need to worry you had been deleted from the program.