Selwyn Times: November 27, 2019
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34 Wednesday <strong>November</strong> <strong>27</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
MY PRIDE AND JOY<br />
SELWYN TIMES<br />
A rare British automobile marque<br />
Captain Noel Macklin was behind the Eric-Campbell<br />
and Invicta cars, both light and sporty. The 2-litre<br />
Meadows engine gave Macklin the power he sought<br />
and his sister-in-law, Violette Cordery won a number of<br />
races in the Invicta.<br />
When Macklin sold the Invicta motor vehicle<br />
company in 1933 he started the Fairmile Engineering<br />
Company producing Railton cars from 1933 to 1940.<br />
Named after Reid Railton, designer of the world speed<br />
record car, four Railton models were produced: the<br />
1933 Railton Terraplane, 1935 Railton 8, 1937 Railton<br />
Cobham, and 1938 Railton 8.<br />
John, who is a <strong>Selwyn</strong> local, bought his 1935 Railton<br />
around 50 years ago but is yet to drive it on the road<br />
with it being carted between homes, travelling more<br />
miles on a trailer than on wheels.<br />
“The car has been fully restored. It’s been well painted,<br />
every nut and bolt in the engine has been rebuilt and<br />
the engine turns over freely and runs like a watch,” says<br />
John who hopes to soon have it registered.<br />
John says the Railton basically comprises a Hudson<br />
Straight 8 engine, gearbox and chassis with an English<br />
body similar to a Bentley. Its top speed is 70mph which<br />
was very fast for its day and comparable to a Bentley on<br />
both speed and road handling. John’s car was raced on<br />
the Dunedin wharf racing circuit.<br />
The 1935 Railton is quite a light car as it is made of<br />
wood and aluminium, hence the speed. It is a fourseater<br />
and unique in look with a 5 foot 6 inch long<br />
bonnet. While spacious inside, including in the rear, it<br />
has a very small boot.<br />
John thinks his is probably the only Railton Sedan in<br />
New Zealand though there are others which have a drop<br />
head canvas roof.<br />
The car has extremely comfortable upholstered leather<br />
seats (front and rear) with a small tray fitted into the<br />
back of the front seats, which folds out to provide a shelf<br />
for drinks.<br />
Only 1460 Hudson based Railton cars were<br />
produced. They were popular with the constabulary;<br />
the Manchester police force used them for police<br />
work while Berkshire Constabulary had two 1936<br />
sports tourers. From 1937 to 1939, Scotland Yard had<br />
a number of eight-cylinder Sandown saloons in their<br />
fleet, adopting the practice of transferring bodies<br />
between chassis when vehicle engines wore out.<br />
“I paid $750 for my 1935 Railton in 1971. It was<br />
advertised in the Otago Vintage Car Club magazine<br />
and a friend told me to buy it. It’s a nice looking car,”<br />
explains John.<br />
A very small boot.<br />
Comfortable leather seats.<br />
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