STD Celebrates One Hour at 100 MPH, 100 Years Ago

At about the same time, the Clement (from the parent company, the French Clement-Bayard firm) Talbot Motor Company was also planning an attempt on the record. Talbot was becoming more British than French, and their weapon of choice for the record was not to be a vast 15 liter monster, but a streamlined version of the 4.5 liter side valve 25hp tourer. The driver would be English-bred and born.

Percy E. Lambert was born in 1881, the son of Charles and Sarah Lambert. Percy and his brother Harold were in the motor trade in Westminster, London selling Austin and Singer cars. Percy started racing at Brooklands in 1910 at age 29. His nickname was Pearley, as was his streamlined Austin, Pearley 3. He also successfully raced Singer, Talbot and Vauxhall cars. He and his brother had also started the Lambert Light Car Company just prior to the record attempt.

So it was on that misty day exactly 100 years ago, that a large crowd of press and public alike gathered to witness the latest attempt. The surface of the banked Brooklands track is made from concrete and was notoriously bumpy, a legacy of the circuit being used for racing much too quickly after construction had finished. To be able to handle the car for an hour at speeds in excess of 100 mph required great courage as well as strength of body and character. The main threat to Percy’s life was the possibility of a puncture during the attempt. Percy broke the record with a distance of 103 miles 1407 yards (103.84 miles) in the hour. He said after the run that he had spent half of the time bounced out of his seat.

The feat was a great publicity coup for Clement Talbot, proving without a shadow of a doubt the reliability of their product as the car was basically made from a standard chassis and engine.

100 years later

So it was that on Saturday the 16th of February 2013 members (and their cars) of the Sunbeam Talbot and Darracq register met at Brooklands to celebrate the centenary of the record run. The weather was much better than in 1913, with partly cloudy skies and even a bit of early spring sunshine to warm their backs.

Since the end of World War II, Brooklands has not been a complete circuit, so the possibility for a car to run non-stop at speeds in excess of 100 mph on the banking no longer exists. But thanks to Mercedes-Benz and their Mercedes World facility, it is still possible to race around a circuit within the Brooklands site.

The circuit is small and tight so even using a current Mercedes SLS it would not be possible to average 100 mph. Therefore, to commemorate the record, STD Register members came up with the ingenious plan of running a relay race made up of various members’ cars running laps of the track at the same time with the total amount of track miles being covered by the cars matching the record distance of 103.84 miles exactly. Not an easy task to accomplish and even more complex than the old Brooklands Handicapping system!

At 12.43pm, the exact time that Percy had commenced his record run, the cars were flagged off from the old railway straight. By studying photographs and film of the record run, it was determined that this was the original point of Lambert’s departure.

Then, the cars joined the Mercedes test track to commence the run. During the next 60 minutes various groups of Sunbeams, Talbots and even a 1903 Darracq circulated the track with the slowest groups staring the hour and the fastest group finishing the hour run. The cars in the fastest group included the Brooklands Racing Team Talbots which had competed in last year’s Le Mans Classic, and John Cobb’s 24 liter Napier Railton, an invited guest. The car holds the Brooklands outer circuit lap record in perpetuity at 143.44 mph, so it was very fitting that the fastest-ever Brooklands car was able to participate in the commemoration.

Exactly one hour later it was announced that the cars had indeed managed to cover 103.84 miles within the 60 minutes. At this point the cars were lined up and then driven to form up on the Banking just in front of the member’s bridge to commemorate the event. (See top photo).

The teams paused to honor Percy Lambert, who was killed at that spot on the 31st October 1913 trying to regain his record which had been taken by a Peugeot. Percy’s car had suffered a dreaded puncture whilst running at speeds of approximately 120 mph on the banking. Percy Lambert was buried in a streamlined coffin in the Brompton cemetery. His epitaph reads “…a modest friend, a fine gentleman and a thorough sportsman.” His ghost has been reported as appearing in various locations within the Brooklands site.

Group photos were taken on the banking including a shot to replicate a photograph that was taken in the pre -WWI period of a group of about 50 Talbot staff who had been involved in the record run standing behind the record breaking car. For this photo recreation, Mr. Ian Polson brought along his ongoing project to recreate the streamlined record car, still about a year away from completion.

The Talbot “staff” was made up of STD Register members. The Register was also pleased to be joined by the current Earl of Shrewsbury, the Grandson of the company’s founder, Charles Chetwynd Talbot the 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, in their commemoration.

Following the day’s events at Brooklands, the members of the STD Register adjourned to the Ship Hotel for their centenary banquet. Alas, time did not allow me to raise a glass to Percy at the Percy Lambert public House in Weybridge High street.

More Brooklands color below