1904 Napier L48 - Masterpiece of Edwardian motor car racing design. A monster 15 Litre engine
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- The Napier L48 "Samson" is a superb re-creation of the 15 Litre land speed record breaking car using the original engine. The car is now for sale in Australia.
Just off my doorstep in Middlesbrough, NE 🏴 at Saltburn beach, this little beauty reached 102mph in 1907. It was a world record at the time. I have only just discovered this reading a book I found at my grandmas. I thought cars in the early 1900’s were only travelling at about 14-25mph. Blown away!
Respect the effort to build a replica. That radiator to me is its most outstanding feature..being part of the exterior and design
242 feet of copper pipe beautifully formed. An incredible piece of craftsmanship.
its a replica in as much as the running gear was reproduced - the engine is original - the chassis and running gear was built by Bob Chamberlain founder of Chamberlain tractors I suspect but do not know for sure that the work was done at the main factory (Welshpool WA) - perhaps some can confirm where the work was done
@@user-gl5kj1fm5x The car was constructed at Bob's own workshop, not at the Chamberlain factory.
Yeah! A Napier!
That is a Work of Art.
The genius of Bob Chamberlain in reconstructing the L48 around the original engine. The car is up for auction at Fernandina beach, Florida on 29 February 2024 (by Bonhams).
I can tell just by looking at it, the car has good bones...
Fantastic automobile!!
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SIX CYLINDER CAR TO WIN A MOTOR RACE?
As cars progressed from single to twin cylinders and then to four cylinder motors, increasing speed meant increasing cubic capacity. The race to win races was on.
There was, however, another competition underway for increasingly sophisticated engine designs as a way of increasing power and it was natural to add more cylinders using a shared crankshaft. The credit to the creation of the first six cylinder engine goes to the Belgian engineer, Joseph Valentin Laviolette, who designed an engine for the Spyker company run by Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker in The Netherlands.
The engine was completed in December 1903 and the car broke new ground in many ways.
While Spyker was designing its engine, the head of the British Napier company, Montagu Napier, had been at work with the engineer Arthur Rowledge at his factory outside London working on their own design for a six cylinder engine. Napier marketing supremo, Selwyn Francis (SF) Edge, announced in October 1903 that he wished to race a six cylinder engine during the 1904 season. The car and engine was completed in early 1904 and shown to the public in June 1904, well after the first six cylinder engine was created across the waters.
SF Edge, however, was not to be denied and at the Velvet Strand sands at Portmarnock in Dublin on September 6 and 7, 1904, he raced his new six cylinder 15 Litre (915 cubic inch displacement) race car, the Napier L48.
Driven by Arthur MacDonald (in the absence of SF Edge), the Napier L48 was entered at Portmarnock and won its heat, beating Maurice Egerton's Panhard in the race. Facing up against Algernon Lee Guinness driving a Darracq and Charles S Rolls driving a Mors in the final, Arthur MacDonald and the Napier L48 won the race.
History records this as the first race win by a six-cylinder racing car, and the Napier L48 went on to become a dominant car over the next four years of racing.
Five weeks later, the Spyker had its first race at the Blackpool Motor Races in England on October 14 and 15, 1904. The Spyker came third in its first race and there is only one other race recorded for the car. It won a hillclimb at Birmingham in 1906.
Arthur Macdonald was sent with the Napier L48 to the Daytona/Ormond Beach Speed Meet in Florida in 1905 and he and the car were the first pairing to crack the 100 miles per hour barrier on American soil and set a new outright world land speed record of 104.65mph.
So the Napier L48 deserves its status as the world’s first successful six cylinder racing engine, and the second six cylinder engine built. The magnificent engine has survived and powers the 1904 Napier L48 Samson which will be offered at the Bonhams Auction, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island on 29 February 2024.
Yes, the car is to be auctioned at the Amelia Island Auction conducted by Bonhams in Florida at the end of February.
I want one.
Where's the nearest dealer?
Oh dammit... I'm 120 years too late.
There is or was an original example of this car in the York Motor Museum in Western Australia.
I'm pretty sure it has a massive four cylinder engine.
Same car -six cylinder engine.
Beautiful music. Just no music would be better.
It’s not beautiful music but I agree it has ruined an interesting video as musak always does
Apologies chaps. I am a rank amateur. I will ask you to help me and suggest music next time!
@@graemecocks2621 it really doesn't matter about the music. If you change it a hundred times someone will still complain. Drop the music, and you'll still have complaints.
Details of the appearance of the Napier in Florida are coming to hand. The Napier will be offered for sale at the Bonhams Auction at Amelia Island, Florida on 29 February 2024. Link will provide details at cars.bonhams.com/auction/29261/preview-lot/5775130/1904-napier-samson-l48-15-litre-240-bhp/
Up for auction this February I believe in Florida
Yes, the car will find a new custodian at the Bonhams Auction at Fernandina Beach on 29 February 2024.
So I'm right in thinking this was the car Selwyn Edge set the 24 hour record in at Brooklands England in 1907.He was a member of Anerley B.C I'm the present club captain.The car is wonderful can you do more on it.
Hi Mark,
This is the car which was used in the trials during the week leading up to the 24 Hour Record which was set in another Napier. I think they had three cars at the time which they used for competition.
@@graemecocks2621 Thanks i have seen a photo of Selwyn sitting in that car which is why i was asking. I'm the present captain of Anerley B.C cycling club both Selwyn Edge & John stocks where members of are club both as you know drove Napiers .we do have a few cups with Selwyns name on them & we know where he lived in cystal palace at the time he drove for Napier.
@@markhancock7527 Hi Mark, the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain is the custodian of the SF Edge photograph albums. Do you have any information on Arthur Macdonald who also drove the Napier?
In the beginning of the video it is mentioned that the car's engine was the first 6 cylinder racing engine. It is wrong. Spyker of the Netherlands already had the 6 cylinder engine 2 years earlier and used it in the 1903 60hp race car. Credit where credit is due. The Spyker was also the first to have 4 wheel drive. The Napier is regardless a superb automobile.
I think he referred to "first era" 6 cylinder... not the first 6 cylinder... ?
It is fair to say that the Napier L48 engine was the world's first successful six cylinder race engine. The Spyker engine is regarded as the first six cylinder engine, but it had nowhere near the performance of the Napier engine. How do we measure success? The Napier L48 won major international race events in its homeland of the United Kingdom, in continental Europe and in the greatest outright speed meets at Ormond/Daytona beach in the USA. The Spyker is a fascinating motor car and a true pioneer vehicle. I think both should be celebrated as examples of wonderful innovation in the early years of motoring.
3 cylinder, 6 piston
Hl has the car been sold it was at a museum in wa I was hoping to see it when I could get overthrew thanks barrie edge
The car will be auctioned at the Bonhams Auction at Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida on February 29, 2024.
This is "big beautiful" as compared to the "big fat monster" 1911 Fiat S76
Maybe one day they will both be seen at Goodwood for the SF Edge Trophy!
no music is better. Just listen to the engine!
15 litre is not that big, the Fiat S76 is 28 litre, almost twice the size, it was a four cylinder at that, 7 litre per pot!
Yes Graeme Cocks it is a beautiful old car and thankfully it is Not stuck in a Stupid museum NEVER too see the light of day again like in the UK!!
LOL. When engines get that big what five or 10 litres between friends! The Fiat S76 and the Napier L48 are both historic reconstructions using the original engines. I think it is fabulous that both these cars were recreated by men of true vision in the old car world. Without people like this to recreate these cars we would never know what the heroic era of motor racing was truly like.
Hi Barry, hey, what's five or 10 litres between friends! We owe a debt of gratitude to the men who have recreated the Fiat S76 and the Napier L48 using the original engines. Without them we would not know what the heroric era of motor racing was truly like.
Music sucks!!!!!
Sorry Ronnie, I am deaf. I only put the music on to entertain people who can hear.
Interesting car. Terribly boring video. I would want to see the engine. Just driving along a road is very boring.
Sorry about that Bruce. Send me a link to one of your videos so we can see how it is done.