Heritage Commercials Magazine - capturing the spirit of vintage days

Comment - June 2011

Now, you’d think commercials and racing cars are worlds apart, maybe only linked by the fact that a lorry will have transported the car to the track. However, there have been times where my two interests have converged – such as above.

The picture shows Black Magic, which I first heard of many years ago. Apart from its unusual bodywork, its real claim to fame is that in 1933 it became the fastest diesel engined vehicle in the world – and better still, the engine was made by AEC.

The driver was a real ‘boys own’ hero named Captain George Eyston. He was awarded the Military Cross in the First World War for gallantry, and then took up motor racing when the war ended. He also built and drove several special cars in order to claim speed records for Britain – including those for diesel engined vehicles.

Black Magic used a Chrysler Imperial chassis and the engine chosen for the record attempt was a standard six-cylinder AEC A165 unit of 8.8-litre capacity. On 27 October 1933 Eyston succeeded in taking the record, previously held by an American, by doing the flying mile at Brooklands at a speed of 101.983mph. In June 1934 he upped this to 120.335mph.

In 1936 he raised the record again, to over 158mph. This attempt used a different car called Flying Spray with an experimental engine made by Ricardo.

It’s nice to report that the diesel speed record is still in British hands, as in 2006 the JCB Dieselmax reclaimed the record from the Americans with a speed of just over 350mph. This was driven by RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, who also holds the World Land Speed Record of over 760mph. The car he drove then, ThrustSSC, was also the first car to break the sound barrier.

There are now plans for a British car to be first to exceed 1000mph. It is to be called Bloodhound SSC, and again Andy Green will be the driver. The team is led by Richard Noble, who broke the land speed record himself in 1983. Who says Britain can’t make anything anymore? Visit bloodhoundssc.com to see how they’re getting on.

Stephen Pullen,
Editor