THE 1 1/2 LITRE CLASS
THE 11-LITRE CLASS
This year’s R.A.C. isle of Man Race will again be limited to 11-litre cars, and at the new road-circuits special prizes will be offered for good showing by ears in
this class. Consequently considerable interest attaches to the more important contenders for 11-litre honours, and although it is early yet to he able to give much information, we have heard of some interesting developments. As exclusively announced in MOTOR SPORT for February, the Conan Doyles will run the 1924 twelve-cylinder Delage, which they hope to enter for the Crystal Palace meeting on April 24th. Independent front suspension will be used, the existing tubular axle being hinged in the centre, a single transverse leaf spring taking a large proportion of the braking torque, though radius arms will also be used. The brake system will be modified. We believe that considerable modifications have been made to the engine internals. Formerly a 2-litre unit, it will be reduced to 11-litres. There are four o.h. camshafts driven by a very complicated layout of timing gears and two superchargers. The
gearbox gives five speeds with ratios varying from 0.9 to 1 top, to 2.34 to 1 bottom, which, we imagine, will be modified for road-racing. The Delage lapped Montlhery at 143 m.p.h. in. 2-litre form. Another interesting 14–litre job is
being prepared by Powys-Lybbe. It will have one of the 1926 type straighteight roller-bearing Talbot engines in a new frame. This engine has welded water-jackets, twin o.h.. camshafts driven by a train of gears, inclined valves each with three return springs, twin magnetos to feed single plugs, and a Roots blower. The drive is taken via a unit four-speed gearbox and torque-tube enclosed propeller-shaft to a very light, bevel driven rear axle. A new frame is being prepared, with freely floating half-elliptic front springs, though the original Talbot ovalsection, two-piece front -axle is retained. Ian Connell has acquired Douglas Briaalt’s E.R.A., and ” Bira ” retains two E.R.A.s and will, of course, race the ex-Seaman Delage, and the sister Delage, the independent suspension for which is of Delahaye type incorporating a single transverse spring, constructed to
M. Lory’s designs by an English firm.
Austin Dobson, in conjunction with Peter Aitken, has two 11-litre Maseratis, of the type which will compete freely In Continental 11-litre events, but has disposed of the third.
The official E.R.A. team is to have independent front suspension and Zoller compressors—of which more anon. The new cars are awaited with great interest and may appear in the Empire Trophy Race at Donington On April 10th. Murray J amieson and Hassan recently joined the E.R.A. concern.
The 11-litre E.R.A. with which Dennis Scribbaus Made such a fine start as a racing driver last season is to have a normal in place of a Wilson self-change gearbox this year. Thomson and Taylor are fitting a Railton designed box with a Riley casing.
Amongst the lesser 11-litre cars, EasonGibson will probably run his Zollerblown, monoposto Ford Ten at the Palace, where R. B. Lakin is likely to serve his racing apprenticeship with the ex-Cholmondeley-Tapper, independentlysprung Bugatti.