Railton
Railton was a marque of British automobiles made by Fairmile Engineering Company in Cobham, Surrey between 1933 and 1940. There was an attempt to revive it by a new company between 1989 and 1994 in Alcester, Warwickshire.
The company was started by Noel Macklin who was looking for a new car making venture after he sold his Invicta company in 1933. The name came from Reid Railton, the world speed record car designer, but his input was probably small although he did receive a royalty on each car sold.
The first car was made by fitting a British body made by coachbuilder John Charles Ranalah to a 4010 cc, 100 bhp, 8-cylinder Hudson Terraplane chassis. Described as a pre-warShelby Cobra, the resulting machine was at first available as a two-door tourer. Being lighter than the original, it had for the time exceptional performance, with a 0–60 mph time of 13 seconds. A saloon-bodied version was soon added to the range, and the cars were priced at £499.
In 1935 the original Terraplane chassis was replaced by the one from the Hudson Eight, the engine grew to 4168 cc producing 113 bhp, and a wider range of bodies from severalcoachbuilders were on offer from at least seven different vehicle coachbuilders including; Ranalah, R.E.A.L, Carbodies and Coachcraft Ltd. Two special lightweight models were made in 1935 and, with a 0–60 time of 8.8 seconds, were claimed to be the fastest production cars in the world. Altogether 1379 of the Railton 8s were made.
A smaller six-cylinder car, the 16.9 was added in 1937 using a 2723 cc Hudson 6-cylinder engine and chassis, but only 81 were made in saloon or drophead coupé form and priced at £399.
An even smaller Railton, the 10 hp, joined the range in 1938 built on a Standard Flying Nine chassis and with either saloon or drophead coupé bodywork was claimed to be "A famous name in miniature". 51 were made selling at £299. In 1938 Motor Sport tested a 28.8 h.p. Railton Cobham saloon, FPH 970, offered for sale at £698.
Noel Macklin turned his attention to powerboats in 1939, and he sold the company to Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, who transferred production to their Chiswick, London works. However, the outbreak of war in 1939 stopped production.
After World War II a few cars were completed using pre-war parts, and a new model was built and shown at the 1949 London Motor Show. However, at nearly £5000 the car was incredibly expensive, and it never went into production.
Reid Antony Railton: A Pioneering Automotive Engineer
Early Life and Education
Reid Antony Railton was born on June 24, 1895, in Chorley, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, and was christened on August 13, 1895, at the local parish church. He was the son of a Manchester stockbroker. Railton received his education at Rugby School and later at Manchester University.
Career at Leyland Motors
In 1917, Railton joined Leyland Motors, where he worked under the guidance of J.G. Parry-Thomas on the design of the Leyland Eight, a luxury car. This experience involved extensive high-speed testing at the Brooklands track, which would later influence Parry-Thomas's passion for land speed records.
Arab Motor Company
In 1922, Railton left Leyland Motors to establish the Arab Motor Company in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. As the chief designer, he developed a high-performance English automobile known as the Arab. However, the company produced only about twelve cars, with two low-chassis models surviving to this day. One of these is located in the Isle of Man, and the other, with chassis number 6 and engine number 10 (registration UW 2), is now in Austria after being rebuilt and rebodied by David Barker in the early 1990s.
Thomson & Taylor and Brooklands
Following the death of his friend Parry-Thomas in 1927, Railton closed the Arab factory and moved to Brooklands to work for Thomson & Taylor. Here, he became the Technical Director and was responsible for designing several iconic vehicles. Notably, he worked on John Cobb's 1933 Napier Railton car, which set the Outer Circuit record at Brooklands with a speed of 143.44 mph. He also designed Sir Malcolm Campbell's Blue Bird land speed record cars, which achieved speeds of 242 mph in 1931 and 272 mph in 1933.
Land and Water Speed Records
Railton's greatest achievements include designing the Railton Mobil Special car, with which John Cobb set the land speed record at 394.7 mph (635.2 km/h) in 1947. He also played a crucial role in designing the ERA (English Racing Automobiles) racing cars built between 1933 and 1934 at Thomson & Taylor's facilities at Brooklands. Additionally, he tuned the Hudson chassis used in the Railton Terraplane, a luxury sports car known for its speed and agility.
Work with Hudson and Hall-Scott
In 1939, Railton moved to California to work for the Hall-Scott Motor Company. During World War II, he was involved in sourcing suitable engines for Fairmile Marine's scouting and submarine-chasing ships. His expertise was highly valued, given his involvement in setting both land and water speed records.
Later Life and Legacy
Reid Railton continued to work as an engineering consultant in California, contributing to various projects until his death on March 8, 1977, in Berkeley, California, at the age of 82. His legacy is marked by his innovative designs and contributions to the world of speed records. Railton's work continues to inspire and influence automotive engineering to this day.
Recognition
Railton's achievements are celebrated for his contributions to land and water speed records, as well as his work on ERA racing cars and other notable projects. His career is a testament to his ingenuity and dedication to automotive engineering.
The 1989 RAILTON revival
The name was revived by a new company called Railton Motor Company, founded in 1989 in Wixford, Warwickshire. Two convertible models, the F28 Fairmile and the F29 Claremont were announced. Both were styled by William Towns and were based on Jaguar XJS running gear with new original aluminium bodywork. Production seems to have stopped in about 1994.
British motoring journalist Paul Walton has written about the Railton F28 Fairmile.
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