John Cobb
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Driving a Delage, John Cobb won the British Empire Trophy race, held at Brooklands on 30th April 1932. The 24-cylinder Napier Railton broke the record for 1km from a standing start, at Brooklands on 4th November 1933. In 1935 John Cobb drove this Napier Railton, to set the ultimate Outer Circuit lap record at the Brooklands circuit in the U.K., at a speed of 143.44 miles per hour. The car was designed by Reid Railton. This car also set records, at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah USA, for the distance covered in 1, 12, & 24 Hours, and from 50-4000 km, in both 1935 & 1936. In July 1935, its average speed over 24 Hours was 134.85 miles per hour, and in 1936 its average speed was 150.16 miles per hour. John Cobb's co-drivers were Tim Rose-Richards and Charlie Dodson.
In 1938 John Cobb first drove the sleek lightweight aerodynamic Railton, at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah USA, achieving 345.49 miles per hour on 29th August, then setting a World Land Speed Record of 350.20 miles per hour over 1 Mile on 15th September. The next year on 23rd August, he increased this to 369.74 miles per hour. Following the Second World War, the car was taken back to Bonneville in 1947, where on 16th September, he set a new record of 394.196 miles per hour over 1 mile, and 393.8 mph over 1 kilometre. The Railton, designed by Reid Railton, had a lightweight aluminium body, & was powered by twin twelve-cylinder Napier Lion aero engines, developing 2,500 b.h.p.
John Cobb
Web Links Video of Napier Railton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrLq83aFUZY Video of Railton Special http://www.birminghamstories.co.uk/story_page.php?id=4&type=fo&page=1&now=97 http://www.bluebird-electric.net/john_cobb.htm http://www.lesliefield.com/personalities/john_cobb_a_reluctant_hero.htm http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/world_land_speed_record_33.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cobb http://www.brooklandsarchives.com/ look in Gallery C6 http://www.youricons.macrojuice.com/content/view/29/ http://www.thrustssc.com/thrustssc/History/Railton.html http://www.speedace.info/john_cobb.htm http://www.highlandclassic.org.uk/john_cobb.htm http://www.sportsframe.co.uk/category.asp?itemid=729&002=1
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