Arab (automobile)
Encyclopedia
The Arab was a high-performance English automobile designed by Reid Railton and manufactured in Letchworth
, Hertfordshire, between 1926 and 1928.
The car came about following discussions between J. G. Parry-Thomas, design engineer at Leyland Motors
, Reid Railton, his assistant and Henry Spurrier
, chairman of Leyland Motors. Leyland had made 50 four-cylinder engine blocks intended to be used in fast delivery vans, but the project was not proceeded with. The three discussed what to do with the blocks, and the building of a 2-litre sporting car was agreed. A prototype was built using an Enfield-Allday and the car taken to Brooklands
for the 1924 Easter Meeting. The engine had an overhead camshaft with the same unusual valve springing using leaf springs as those found on Parry Thomas's Leyland Eight
. Drive was to the rear wheels via a Moss 4-speed gearbox and ENV spiral-bevel rear axle. It was one of the first English cars to use an electric fuel pump. Production was started in 1926 at the Letchworth works of two variants, a low-chassis sporting model and a high-chassis touring type. Two and four-seater bodies were available on the high-chassis at £525 and probably only the two-seater on the low-chassis at £550.
Parry Thomas died in March 1927 attempting to break the World Land Speed Record
in his car Babs
, and with his death Railton lost interest in the Arab and the Letchworth works closed after only about 6 or 7 cars were made. The remaining components were bought by Thomson & Taylor
based at Brooklands and a few more cars were assembled. This was something of a pity, as the car was an impressive performer with the two-seater high chassis good for 80 mph, and the Super Sports was said to have been capable of going 90 mi/h. One high chassis is known to have been supercharged and is said to have achieved 105 mi/h.
Two cars are known to survive, both low chassis.
A 1927 Arab Super Sport, one of the world's rarest cars is set to be auctioned in the Isle of Man autumn 2010. There are only two in the world and this one is the finest – the other is in need of restoration.
The auction, to be held on Friday, October 1, at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club, Santon, features a range of rare cars which also includes a 1929 Riley Brooklands and a 1936 Railton Fairmile, as well as motoring memorabilia. (Source iomtoday.co.im)
Gearbox
Chassis
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
, Hertfordshire, between 1926 and 1928.
The car came about following discussions between J. G. Parry-Thomas, design engineer at Leyland Motors
Leyland Motors Ltd
Leyland Motors Limited was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after being nationalised...
, Reid Railton, his assistant and Henry Spurrier
Henry Spurrier
Sir Henry Spurrier was a British engineer and industrialist, and the third generation of the Spurrier family to head Leyland Motors.-Biography:...
, chairman of Leyland Motors. Leyland had made 50 four-cylinder engine blocks intended to be used in fast delivery vans, but the project was not proceeded with. The three discussed what to do with the blocks, and the building of a 2-litre sporting car was agreed. A prototype was built using an Enfield-Allday and the car taken to Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
for the 1924 Easter Meeting. The engine had an overhead camshaft with the same unusual valve springing using leaf springs as those found on Parry Thomas's Leyland Eight
Leyland Eight
The Leyland Eight was a luxury car produced by Leyland Motors from 1920 to 1923. The car was designed by the chief engineer of Leyland Motors, J.G. Parry-Thomas and his assistant Reid Railton, and was intended to be the finest car available...
. Drive was to the rear wheels via a Moss 4-speed gearbox and ENV spiral-bevel rear axle. It was one of the first English cars to use an electric fuel pump. Production was started in 1926 at the Letchworth works of two variants, a low-chassis sporting model and a high-chassis touring type. Two and four-seater bodies were available on the high-chassis at £525 and probably only the two-seater on the low-chassis at £550.
Parry Thomas died in March 1927 attempting to break the World Land Speed Record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
in his car Babs
Babs (Land speed record car)
Babs was the land speed record car built and driven by John Parry-Thomas. It was powered by a 27-litre Liberty aero-engine.Babs began as 'Chitty 4', one of Count Louis Zborowski's series of aero-engined cars named 'Chitty Bang Bang'. As it was built at Zborowski's estate of Higham Park near...
, and with his death Railton lost interest in the Arab and the Letchworth works closed after only about 6 or 7 cars were made. The remaining components were bought by Thomson & Taylor
Thomson & Taylor
Thomson & Taylor were a motor-racing engineering and car-building firm, based within the Brooklands race track. They were active between the wars and built several of the famous land speed record breaking cars of the day....
based at Brooklands and a few more cars were assembled. This was something of a pity, as the car was an impressive performer with the two-seater high chassis good for 80 mph, and the Super Sports was said to have been capable of going 90 mi/h. One high chassis is known to have been supercharged and is said to have achieved 105 mi/h.
Two cars are known to survive, both low chassis.
A 1927 Arab Super Sport, one of the world's rarest cars is set to be auctioned in the Isle of Man autumn 2010. There are only two in the world and this one is the finest – the other is in need of restoration.
The auction, to be held on Friday, October 1, at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club, Santon, features a range of rare cars which also includes a 1929 Riley Brooklands and a 1936 Railton Fairmile, as well as motoring memorabilia. (Source iomtoday.co.im)
Specification
Engine- 1960 cc four-cylinder water-cooled monoblocMonobloc engineA monobloc or en bloc engine is an internal-combustion piston engine where some of the major components: cylinder head, cylinder block, or crankcase are formed, usually by casting, as a single integral unit, rather than being assembled later...
. - Two bearing crankshaft
- 70 mm bore 127 mm stroke
- Single overhead cam, leaf spring controlled valves with positive closing.
- Single Claudel-HobsonClaudel-HobsonClaudel-Hobson was a series of British carburettors manufactured by the H. M. Hobson Components Ltd..First introduced in 1908, they were widely used in British car and aircraft engines in the early 20th Century...
carburettor - 65 bhp at 4000 rpm
Gearbox
- Moss 4-speed
Chassis
- Wheelbase 88.5 inches (2,247.9 mm), track 52 inches (1,320.8 mm), overall length 154 inches (3,911.6 mm)
- Half elliptical springs front and rear
- Four wheel brakes (Perrot System)