This is another masterful work by Karl Ludvigsen, in the manner of Excellence Was Expected, the definitive Porsche book, and Corvette – America’s Star Spangled Sports Car.
While Porsche and Corvette have massive fan bases, Reid Railton has to be the least well known famous designer in the world. His many accomplishments barely fix into this substantial tome (848 PAGES). Retailing at around $220 dollars, that’s a little over 3 cents per page. Heck of a deal.
When England was having a hard time fielding a winning Le Mans car due to a lack of testing facilities on the home island, where the national speed limit was 20 M.P.H., Hugh Lock King carved out a piece of his family estate in 1907 to establish Brooklands. The 2.75 mile motor racing circuit that was and is the world’s first purpose built racetrack.
Reid Railton, born in 1895 got his start as an engineer and designer with Leyland in 1916, and established his own manufactory at Brooklands in shortly thereafter.
Scores of companies established their homes in the Brooklands infield in what would now be known as a “technology hub.” Cross pollination between aircraft, automobiles and water craft was rampant. Racing results immediately improved and victories soon followed.
The E.R.A. (English Racing Assn.) one liter and 1 ½ liter open-wheel cars benefited from his expertise, as did the Riley sedans and sports cars, and of course Leland. By special arrangement with the U.S. manufacturer Hudson, Reid produced the Railton brand automobile, a rebodied and improved Hudson that sold well for a time in Europe.
By 1938 the Railton Special (later the Railton Mobile Special) held several records on the Utah salt flats in the neighborhood of 400 miles per hour. Contributing to speed records on the water and in the air, everywhere you look Mr. Railton’s name seems to pop up.
When the War came, Railton applied his knowledge and intuition to the aircraft that defeated Hitler’s Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. One could make the case that there wouldn’t be much of an English racing heritage, or maybe even an England at all, without the ministrations of Reid Railton, the most famous designer that most people have never heard of.
Reid Railton died in 1977 in Berkeley California.
