J G Parry-Thomas
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John Godfrey Parry-Thomas helped to develop the Leyland Eight road car, assisted by Reid Railton, which was capable of 100 miles per hour. Assisted by the Leyland company, he raced Leyland cars, including the Leyland-Thomas car, at Brooklands. His first unsuccessful attempt at the Land Speed Record was in 1925, but he broke the record twice in 1926 at Pendine Sands. Tragically, he was killed at Pendine in 1927 attempting to break Malcolm Campbell's new record. He raced the Leyland-Thomas No.1 at the Brooklands circuit successfully, from 1922, & it was in 1922 that he started record breaking at Brooklands, as well as racing. On 9th November 1922, he set a World Record for the 10 Miles flying start at 114.74 miles per hour. During 1923 he set World Records for the 5 Miles flying start & 10 Miles flying start, at 119.43 mph and 116.25 mph respectively. A new Leyland-Thomas was built for 1924, an on 22nd May 1924, the World Records for the 5 Miles flying start & 10 Miles flying start, were increased to 122.86 mph and 120.46 mph respectively. 26th June 1924 saw an attempt on the World's Land Speed Record over the 'Flying Mile', involving a two-way run on the Brooklands circuit. A new Mile record was set at 129.73 miles per hour. JGPT also set a Brooklands Outer Circuit record of 128.36 miles per hour in 1924, and a World 1-Hour Record at Brooklands of 109 miles 160 yards. The Leyland-Thomas was taken to the opening of the new Montlhery circuit outside Paris, and on 19th October 1924, won the 25km Grand Prix de L'Ouverture for cars over 1500cc.
At the beginning of 1925, a 6-cylinder 2 litre supercharged Sunbeam was taken to Montlhery, with drivers Segrave, Parry-Thomas, & Conelli, to attack the World 12-Hour & 24-Hour records. On 22nd February 1925, the 3-Hour record was set at 102.74mph, as well as Class records over 50km, 50miles, 100km, 100miles all over 100mph, however bad weather called a halt to the proceedings. Parry-Thomas increased his Brooklands Outer Circuit record to 129.63 miles per hour in 1925, driving his Leyland-Thomas. During 1925, he acquired Count Zborowski's Higham Special, with its 27,059 cc V12 Liberty aero engine, and proceeded to rebuild it for record-breaking, renamed "Babs". In 1925, on 19th October, Parry-Thomas attempted to break Campbell's 150.76 miles per hour record at Pendine Sands, but the weather & beach conditions were too poor. In April 1926, driving "Babs", he twice set new Land Speed Records at Pendine. On 27th April, the Flying Mile record was raised to 168.07 mph, and the Flying Kilometre to 169.24 mph. The following day, on 28th April, new records were set for the Flying Mile at 170.62 mph, and the Flying Kilometre at 171.09 miles per hour. In the Summer, World's standing-start records were set for 1Km at 86.9mph, and 1Mile at 98.87mph. Returning to Brooklands, driving the Leyland-Thomas on 7th October 1926, he set World Records for 500 Kilometres, 500 Miles, and 3 Hours. Then, driving "Babs" on 14th October 1926, he set class records for 5 and 10 Miles, and 10 Kilometres. On 21st October 1926, driving the Leyland-Thomas, a new 1 Hour World Record was set at an average speed of 121.74 mph. Driving a newly-built light-weight racing car, with an 8-cylinder 1500cc supercharged engine, the "Thomas Special", on 30th October 1926, he set a 1500cc class record for 1 Hour at an average speed of 112.77 mph. At Pendine Sands the next year, on 3rd March, he attempted to break Campbell's new Flying Kilometre record of 174.88 miles per hour, but was killed in an accident.
Web Links http://www.parry-thomas.co.uk/index.html http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/world_land_speed_record_23.htm http://www.bluebird-electric.net/parry_thomas.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Parry-Thomas http://www.sandspeedwales.co.uk/5907.html http://www.bluebirdteamracing.net/bluebirdsupportersclub/pla/pendine.html http://www.oswestryschool.org.uk/extraDiary/1026/March_T_N http://www.racingcampbells.com/content/campbell.archives/babs.parry.thomas.asp http://www.bwlch-y-cibau.com/parrythomas.html Video of Babs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3jcwb_l9OI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekiAsPfyr3k&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3TUt2l5y5s
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