24 replies to this topic

[theoldmotor]

The Fire-Breathing 1905 Darracq 200 HP Land Speed Record Car: This MONSTER with a 1551ci (25.42 liter) V8 was built to set speed records. See 15 images by Stefan Marjoram and read the story by Ivan Pozega on The Old Motor:

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=134988

[nicanary]

TNF has gone all "Hollywood Trailer". Thrill to the sight of a 1000 chariots ....... weep at the tender love scenes..........

 

NB - the Darracq engine isn't a fire-breather, it's a fire spitter.

[theoldmotor]

TNF has gone all "Hollywood Trailer". Thrill to the sight of a 1000 chariots ....... weep at the tender love scenes..........

NB - the Darracq engine isn't a fire-breather, it's a fire spitter.

Merriam-Webster definition of breathing: to move air into and out of your lungs : to inhale and exhale - to send (something) out from your lungs through your mouth or nose - to take (something) into your lungs through your mouth or nose

http://www.merriam-w...tionary/breathe

[ensign14]

I think William Court described this sort of thing as the most voluminous engine in the most exiguous chassis.

 

Either a serious lack of imagination or seriously ginormous balls required.  Wurf.

[Odseybod]

As seen scaring the horses and other innocents at Donington's Bob Gerard meeting a few months ago ...

[B Squared]

TNF has gone all "Hollywood Trailer". Thrill to the sight of a 1000 chariots ....... weep at the tender love scenes..........
 
NB - the Darracq engine isn't a fire-breather, it's a fire spitter.

With the lack of activity around TNF these days, it's kind of nice just to see someone interested in posting.

[garyfrogeye]

I bet that mirror is both useful and effective

[nicanary]

My post was a trifle crass. I withdraw my negative comments. I'm just not one for hyperbole, but I admit that's one magnificent motor car.

[theoldmotor]

With the lack of activity around TNF these days, it's kind of nice just to see someone interested in posting.

Thank you.

[antonvrs]

Wonderful car.
In the first photo there are 2 pipes merging into the rearmost exhaust pipes on either side. What are these pipes for?
Anton

[BRG]

I bet that mirror is both useful and effective

It's there so that the driver can see just how terrified he is looking!

[antonvrs]

Wonderful car.
In the first photo there are 2 pipes merging into the rearmost exhaust pipes on either side. What are these pipes for?
Anton

Answering my own question - must be carburettor heat.

[theoldmotor]

Answering my own question- must be carburettor heat.

I believe you are correct, and the engine is still running its two original carburetors. I am communicating with Mark Walker, the owner about this right now and will let you know if the pipes are used for a different purpose.

[arttidesco]

 

200 veteran HP and no front brakes what's not to like

[robert dick]

Algernon Lee Guinness at the wheel of his V8 Darracq, 21 October 1906, kilometre sprint at Dourdan.
Guinness covered the flying kilometre in 20 seconds flat, 180 km/h.

The first photo is part of the Jules Beau collection (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris):


= = = =
The second photo was taken by Marcel Rol for the magazine "Les Sports Modernes"/1906, and obviously used as advertisement for the anti-skids supplied by Samson:

 

[D-Type]

Early "Photoshop"?

[Lee Nicolle]

 

200 veteran HP and no front brakes what's not to like

A dragster, especially a fuel Dragster. They have thousands of horsepower, zoomies, skinny front tyres, spits flame and no front brakes either

I would back the Darracq over the dragster on the hillclimb but not on the straight line stuff.

Maybe it just needs some nitro! And some wider rear tyres

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 16 January 2020 - 03:53.

[68targa]

I believe you are correct, and the engine is still running its two original carburetors. I am communicating with Mark Walker, the owner about this right now and will let you know if the pipes are used for a different purpose.

 

Two points that I find interesting - Each CYLINDER  is 3.18 litres (194 ci) - larger than most engines today; such is progress, and how lucky we all are to have the likes of Mark Walker around.

[Tim Murray]

Each cylinder on the Fiat S76 is over 7 litres.

[elansprint72]

 

 

I've got a photo from when it grenaded itself at Mallory Park somewhere. 

[Terry Walker]

Did that really do 180 km/h????? 

 

I bet the driver needed at least half a bottle of brandy to get the colour back in his face.

[Zoe]

I once sat in the cockpit of a WWI fighter plane; remarking upon the oh so flimsy constructiuon I said to the owner "I would have sh!t myself out of fear", he just answered:

 

"don't forget, those guys were very young men. They didn't know what fear is."

[Lee Nicolle]

I once sat in the cockpit of a WWI fighter plane; remarking upon the oh so flimsy constructiuon I said to the owner "I would have sh!t myself out of fear", he just answered:

"don't forget, those guys were very young men. They didn't know what fear is."

I watch Kermit Weeks Fantasy of Flight videos on You Tube.
He has a lot of WW1 planes [some replicas] as well as some older ones. Then a variety of WW2 stuff as well as a Sunderland Flying Boat and a Super Constellation. And some very interesting restoration videos as well.
You should go have a look, just search Kermit Weeks on You Tube.
With those WW1 planes they were the height of technology of the time. Ask many modern pilots to fly a DC3 and they would think the same. Yet they are still working in many places.

[Tim Murray]

Here’s an earlier thread on the car. It includes a couple of nice video clips posted by Robert showing some of the early attempts to run the restored car in 2006:

1904 Darracq V8 compression ratio?

[Glengavel]

I once sat in the cockpit of a WWI fighter plane; remarking upon the oh so flimsy constructiuon I said to the owner "I would have sh!t myself out of fear", he just answered:

 

"don't forget, those guys were very young men. They didn't know what fear is."

 

I don't think the chap in the first picture in post #20 knows what fear is either.