During the pre-war years in England, the Brooklands circuit was seen as the epicentre of racing. In terms of motoring credentials Brooklands was it.
Over 100 years ago in 1907 the 2.8-mile banked circuit was the first dedicated racetrack built in the UK, and a possible 287,000 spectators could witness the greatest racing available. It was vast and built for speed.

Over time it witnessed arguably some of the greatest race cars ever produced and certainly piloted by some of the bravest drivers imaginable.

Between 1907 and 39, Brooklands was the crucible for a grand celebration of all things motorised which came to a permanent halt with the advent of World War Two.
Prior to this, however, the First World War interrupted racing at Brooklands for six years and the circuit reopened in 1920. In the search for even greater speeds cars saw the marriage of surplus aero engines no longer in use from military aircraft. Over time, more extreme cars emerged including the famous Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang with a 23-litre aero engine from a WWI Gotha bomber in a Mercedes chassis; The Viper was a V8 Hispano-Suiza aero engine in a Napier; Mephistopheles was a FIAT fitted with a 21.7 litre aero engine. At a time when the national speed limit was 20mph these cars were attaining 120mph for long periods of time. It must have seemed other-worldly to see firsthand.

At a time when man was still pushing the frontiers the achievements at Brooklands achieved worldwide notoriety.

Our Aero Engine Car
The owner of this Vauxhall Cirrus Special is a seasoned restorer of vintage cars and has been around them for over 65 years. Inspired by the spirit of Brooklands he always wanted to scratch an itch and create an aero engine pre-war car.
He firstly sourced a Cirrus Major aero engine. These were wonderful 4-cylinder engines and were designed to power lightweight pre-war aircraft. For an aero engine they are lightweight, reliable and were designed to be maintained by the owners of the aircraft without any major engineering knowledge. Given this is Series 3 engine it was manufactured by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd and is the later in the line of Cirrus engines.
The chassis is from a 1926 Vauxhall 14/40 which given the initial dimensions and significance of the Vauxhall marque, the two made good companions.

However, the work involved in making this enterprise actually function as required is incredible and can only be lightly summarised here. The result is awe inspiring. The quality of the work and attention to detail is incredible.

The motor was disassembled and anything that required replacement or work was attended to including valves, rings, pistons etc. A bespoke oil lubrication system created which works perfectly. (originally these engines were installed inverted). It is air-cooled and now runs with a De Dion 3 speed gearbox which is huge and manages everything admirably. Hartford shock absorbers are fitted all-round and a custom clutch and differential created.

The bodywork is now a variation on a Vauxhall body and the bonnet is a work of art. The switches and gauges are from various sources including, fittingly from aircraft, all are necessary and work correctly.
The car has been built and presents with many beautifully crafted features including leather straps, a leather tool bag, exposed copper piping, brass taps and so on. All feel appropriate for the period. The famous Vauxhall Griffin sits proudly on top of the radiator a reminder of when Vauxhall made very fine motor vehicles.

The starting procedure requires the need to engage a number of switches and check pressures are correct - all part of the charm and theatre. Unlike many vintage cars the starting procedure is made easier and more reliable using a Coil rather than Magneto.
The engine erupts and you can feel the 4 cylinders pulse in front of you. At idle it barely makes 400 rpm! Engage first gear and you are off, and you cannot help but smile. This is motoring at its best.

Out on the open road it really wants to stretch its legs. In third gear it is remarkably civilised and makes for a wonderful vintage touring car. It comfortably cruises at 60mph at just 1,110 rpm whereas other vintage cars of this era would struggle to attain such speeds let alone cruise consistently at that level.
When you approach steep hills the vast amount of torque you have on tap effortlessly pulls the car up the hill again quite a revelation for a car of that period.
Of course, should you wish to push on (and demonstrate a loose approach to the concept of life itself), in theory the top speed of the car would be well over the 100kmh mark.

Fortunately, through the engineering qualities of this car the brakes are excellent and the car handles remarkably well. Whilst it is clearly not a small vehicle it is also not excessively heavy either.

On a recent trip the owner and his wife drove some 300 kms and the car was perfectly reliable, cruised happily at 60mph and returned 12 mpg from its 6.3 litre engine.
Having been with the Vauxhall for some 5 years the owner now wishes to commence his next project so its time to let this wonder be enjoyed by its next custodian. The sale price reflects just a fraction of the investment made both in terms of money and time and presents an opportunity for the next owner to acquire a wonderful vintage car without the costs associated with any restoration. It is after all not an old vintage car that has been maintained but rather a car that has been recently assembled, fully restored and engineered as new.

You are also buying a unique and wonderous machine, like no other and built in the spirit of a great period of vintage aero powered car racing.