Golden Arrow (land speed racer)

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Golden Arrow
Production one-off (1928)
Body style(s) front-engined land speed record car.
Engine(s) 925 hp, 23.9 litre naturally-aspirated Napier Lion W12 aero engine,
ice cooling, no radiator
Transmission(s) 3-speed, final drive through twin driveshafts running either side of driver
Designer J.S. Irving
For the contemporary racing seaplane, see Gloster VI.

Golden Arrow was a land speed record racer.

Built for Major Henry Segrave to take the LSR from Ray Keech, Golden Arrow was one of the first streamlined land speed racers. With a pointed nose and tight cowling over the 23.9 liter (1461 ci) W12 Napier Lion VIIA aeroengine.[1] Specially prepared by Napiers, and originally intended for the Schneider Trophy, it produced 925 hp (690 kW) at 3300 rpm[2](bmep=151.9psi). The Thrupp and Maberly aluminium bodywork was designed by ex-Sunbeam engineer J.S. Irving, and featured ice chests in the sides through which coolant ran and a telescopic sight on the cowl to help avoid running diagonally.[1]

In March 1929, Segrave went to Daytona, and after a sole practice run, on 11 March, in front of 120,000 spectators,[2] set a new flying mile at 231.45 mph (372.46 km/h), easily beating Keech's old speed of 207.55 mph (334.00 km/h). Two days later, Lee Bible's White Triplex crashed and killed a photographer, leading Segrave to quit land speed racing briefly, only to be killed attempting a water speed record the next year. Golden Arrow never ran again. She is now on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b (1974) "Golden Arrow", World of Automobiles Volume 7. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., p. 799. 
  2. ^ a b Tom Northey. (1974). "Land Speed Record", World Of Automobiles Volume 10. London: Orbis Publishing Ltd., pp.1161-66. 
  3. ^ National Motor Museum collection. National Motor Museum.