9 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Might I commend this rumbly divertissment to you all?  

 

Our friend Eddie Berrisford doing his typically thoughtful, capable stuff in this great movie coverage of the Revs Institute/Collier Collection ex-Jenatzy Mors...  

 

 

Enjoy.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 26 June 2019 - 13:02.

[Sterzo]

I want one. At over 3 litres per cylinder, I'm surprised the induction of those 1908 GP cars didn't affect the weather. Having seen the 1908 Panhard and '07 and '08 Italas race at Silverstone, admittedly on smooth tarmac, the cars of that era did appear well balanced and good handling. By 1908 Mors were uncompetitive but it's still a wonderful beast.

[ensign14]

I don't know why, but I've loved the Morses I've seen at Goodwood.  Maybe it's the cute art deco badge...

[Henri Greuter]

Might I commend this rumbly divertissment to you all?  

 

Our friend Eddie Berrisford doing his typically thoughtful, capable stuff in this great movie coverage of the Revs Institute/Collier Collection ex-Jenatzy Mors...  

 

 

 

Enjoy.

 

DCN

 

 

 

I did enjoy this Doug,  thanks for pointing this one out for us.

[cpbell]

What awonderful video, and a fantastic car!

[robert dick]

... By 1908 Mors were uncompetitive but it's still a wonderful beast.

 

In July 1908, in the GP de l'ACF at Dieppe, the Mors was not 100% au point and was not as competitive as the front line cars, Mercedes, Fiat, Benz, Bayard or Brasier.
But in September 1908, the Mors was reliable and fast. In the Coppa Florio at Bologna, three Mors racers were driven Demogeot, Garcet and Landon.
The Mors lost around two seconds per kilometer against the Fiats handled by Lancia or Nazzaro.
After six laps (lap length = 52,88 km), Garcet was third (twelve minutes behind Nazzaro) before falling back because of cooling problems.
Demogeot finished fourth and Garcet sixth.
 

[robert dick]

The équipe Mors for the 1908 Grand Prix de l'ACF:

 

In the last week of May 1908, Mors entered three racers for the Grand Prix de l'ACF/Dieppe, at double fees, to be driven by Jenatzy, Jarrott and Landon.
On 1 July 1908, Mors announced that Jarrott had been replaced by a driver named Robin (first name not mentioned).
In the French press, Landon was described as "chef des essais aux usines Mors" = chief tester of the Mors factory. Landon finished fourth in the 1907 road race from Moscow to Petersburg.
Robin was described as having been active in powerboats. The Grand Prix at Dieppe was to be his first appearance at the wheel of a racing car.

William Bradley wrote in his Grand Prix report in July 1908:
"Instead of the forty-nine cars originally entered, the actual starters were forty-eight, the third Mors, originally intended for Chales Jarrott, but later turned over to a factory mechanic, being absent on account of a break-up while on a previous practice spin."

 

Two cars started, driven by Jenatzy and Landon.

 

So it is not clear if Landon or one of the riding mechanics (Jenatzy/Dayssiolles, Landon/Bache, Robin/Bauer) damaged one of the cars during practice so that Landon took over Robin's car in the race; and if Robin's exact name was Noel M. Robins who handled the Wolseley-Siddeley powerboat during the 1908 season.
 

[Charlieman]

I've seen Edwardian cars racing many times without asking an obvious question: what steps are made to mitigate the effects of total loss engine lubrication?

[Bikr7549]

A big oil tank, and keeping a good distance from the car in front if you are starters.

[robert dick]

The 1908 racing cars already had a re-circulating lubrication system, a combination of drop oiler, pump feed, centrifugal action and splash.
A sight-feed distributor/lubricator/drop oiler was used to deliver oil to the vital components of the engine. The riding mechanic had to adjust the oil quantity to engine speed, engine load and in particular to engine/piston head temperature on the long straights.
An oil pump driven by the engine was used to deliver oil from a supply tank to the sight-feed distributor and sometimes directly to the main bearings of the crankshaft.
The oil coming to the main bearings of the crankshaft was thrown out of the extremities of the bearings by centrifugal force into collecting cups/rings and then to the big ends.
The connecting rods stroke into the oil which was collected in troughs beneath them, thereby lubricating/splashing the cylinder walls, pistons and wristpins, as well as the bearings of the low mounted camshaft(s). As soon as the oil in the troughs reached a certain level, it overflew into the sump/base of the crankcase and finally flew back through filters to the supply tank.

The mechanic could always see whether the system was working properly or not.

One of the reasons for the earlier total loss systems (used in leading racing cars up to 1898) was the poor quality of the oil and the bearings, and the absence of filters. The oil quickly turned into a thick black sludge and was simply replaced continuously.