Goodwood Festival of Speed 1999

1923 Delage V12 10˝ litre
Driver/Entrant: Johnty Williamson (UK)

In July 1924 René Thomas took the land speed record at Arpajon to 143.31 mph in this car beating Ernest Eldridge's FIAT on a technicality. (The FIAT had no reverse gear). In 1928 the car was imported to England to be raced at Brooklands by John Cobb. It was subsequently driven by Oliver Bertram and then Kay Petre who set the Women's Outer Circuit Lap Record at 134.75 mph on 3 August 1935.

Kay's record was beaten three days later by Gwenda Stewart who took the record to 135.95 mph - 1 minute 13.27 seconds as opposed to Kay's time of 1 minute 13.92 seconds. And you thought F1 was competitive?

1923 Miller 122 GP - 2.6 litre
Driver/Entrant - Karl Bloechle
In the early twenties Harry Miller pioneered race car production for sale to customers - successfully adding Louis Zborowski to his clientelle during a foray to Indianapolis by his Bugatti team.

This straight-eight engined car is one of three GP two-seaters built. It won at Brooklands and took a second place in Spain, driven by Count Zborowski, builder of the famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cars.

1924 Curtiss Special - 8 litre
Entrant: Honda Motor Company Ltd

Soichiro Honda was a fine engineer, an industrial visionary and keen racing driver. He built this Curtiss aero-engined dirt-track car when only 18, but was injured when driving it on the Tokyo river bed track.

Fortunately the car was repaired and stored away. It really is a work of art.

1927 Bugatti Type 35 - 2.3-litre chassis 4896
Driver/Entrant - Julian Majzub (UK)

The Type 35 GP car is probably the best known and most desired of the Bugattis and was built in significant numbers to be raced by private entrants. This 1927 works car ran in the rain soaked British GP at Brooklands in the hands of Conelli and was later acquired by Malcolm Campbell who won a JCC 200 Mile Race in it. On 11th October 1934 Kay Petre used this car to set the Women's Outer Circuit lap record at 124.00 mph; a time of 1 minute 20.20 seconds.

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