Railton

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Railton | Pre War British Sports Cars

One of Britain’s favourite vehicles of the flying squad was the straight-eight Railton, an anglicised version of the Hudson Terraplane. These cars were noted for their extraordinary accelera­tion and complete reliability, making them ideal for police work and high-speed touring. Even in standard form, the Railton was no mean performer in all manner of speed events and was a consistent winner at Brooklands - often pitted against blown cars. It first appeared in 1933, and created a mild sensation with its racy-looking appearance and lusty 4-litre side-valve engine. The car differed from its American parent in that the chassis frame was lowered, higher-geared steering adopted, and the sus­pension stiffened up by the use of friction-type dampers. The 4010-c.c. (55 x 114-mm.) power unit was scarcely altered except that roller-type, quick-lift cams were fitted. Over 113 b.h.p. was available at 3,850 r.p.m.

For getting off the mark it was a revelation. Standstill to 50 m.p.h. occupied a mere 7.2-secs., which could only be bettered by actual racing cars. Using top gear only, acceleration from 10 to 90 m.p.h. was under 60 seconds. As the complete touring cars weighed only 22-cwt. in full touring trim, the high b.h.p. figure gave a power/weight ratio that contributed to about the most startling performance ever known on a production, unblown motor-car. Many body styles were adopted, but the cars always main­tained a high power/weight ratio, no matter whether fitted with limousine bodies or open four-seater coachwork. They were easy to handle and held the road as if they had been race-bred. The Railton was never offered as a sports car; the manufacturers preferred to call it a high-speed tourer. Yet few cars have ever offered such a sporting performance at such a low price. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Railton started the fashion for large American-engined specials.

A big, comparatively slow-revving motor coupled with a light frame and body is the basic ideal of most people who like to travel fast for long periods without having the eternal fear of pieces of metal pushing their way through the bonnet-sides.
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