Marlborough-Thomas

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Marlborough-Thomas | Pre War British Sports Cars

The 1.5-litre Marlborough-Thomas was designed by Parry Thomas, and may be said to have been the forerunner of the successful Thomas-Special racing cars. The power unit, built by Peter Hooker, of Walthamstow, was a four-cylinder, following closely the general layout of the famous Leyland straight-eight engine. The 1500-c.c. (70 x 97-mm.) engine had overhead valves, operated by eccentrics, and had cantilever valve springs. Like the big Leyland, the suspension was assisted by torsion bars, and a four-speed gearbox was fitted. The 1923 "200 Miles Race" cars had an additional planetary gear, giving eight forward speeds in all.

The super-sports chassis was exhibited at Olympia in 1923, and caused a considerable stir owing to its revolutionary design. The cars were necessarily expensive to produce, and there is no record of any of them finding their way into the hands of private owners.
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