Chitty Bang Bang: Difference between revisions

Chitty 3
Chitty 3
Overview
Production	1924
Body and chassis
Body style	Open-wheel car
Layout	Front engine, RWD
Powertrain
Engine	18,825 cubic centimetres (1,148.8 cu in) Benz Bz.IV I6
Power output	180 brake horsepower (130 kW) ; 1,000 newton-metres (740 lbf⋅ft)
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Curb weight	1,555 kilograms (3,428 lb)

Chitty 2
Chitty 2
Overview
Production	1922
Designer	Bligh Brothers
Body and chassis
Body style	Open-wheel car
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Powertrain
Engine	18,825 cubic centimetres (1,148.8 cu in) Benz Bz.IV I6
Power output	228 brake horsepower (170 kW) @ 1,400 rpm ; 1,104 newton-metres (814 lbf⋅ft)
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Curb weight	1,640 kilograms (3,620 lb)

Chitty 1
Chitty 1
	Count Zborowski with Chitty 1 at Brooklands
Overview
Production	1921
Body and chassis
Body style	Open-wheel car
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Powertrain
Engine	23,096 cubic centimetres (1,409.4 cu in) Maybach Mb.IVa I6
Power output	245 brake horsepower (183 kW) @ 3,000 rpm ; 850 newton-metres (630 lbf⋅ft) @ 2,100 rpm
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Curb weight	2,200.0 kilograms (4,850.2 lb)

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Chitty Bang Bang was the informal name of a number of celebrated British racing cars, built and raced by Count Louis Zborowski and his engineer Clive Gallop in the 1920s, which inspired the book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.

The cars were built in Canterbury, Kent in the workshop of Bligh Brothers coachbuilders, and stored at Higham Park, Zborowski's country house at Bridge near Canterbury. The cars were so loud that Canterbury reportedly passed a by-law prohibiting them from entering within the city walls. The origin of the name "Chitty Bang Bang" is disputed, but may have been inspired by aeronautical engineer Letitia Chitty, the sound of an idling aeroplane engine or from a salacious World War I song.^[1]

Chitty 1

Chitty 1 was a chain-driven customised Mercedes chassis powered by a 23-litre 6-cylinder Maybach Mb.IVa aero engine.^[1]^[2] It won two races at its debut at Brooklands in 1921, coming second to another Zborowski car in a sprint race at the same event. Chitty 1 was fitted with four seats and a crude, oversized exhaust pipe, in order to mislead the handicappers and spectators. Its top speed on the day was 100.75 miles per hour (162.14 km/h).

For its next outing, Chitty 1 was refitted as a two-seater with a cowled radiator and a properly plumbed exhaust. It attained nearly 120 mph (190 km/h) on one occasion, and had its race handicap consistently reappraised. It subsequently crashed, removing three fingers from a timing official. The car was rebuilt and passed into the ownership of the sons of Arthur Conan Doyle,^[1] but was quickly retired as a racing car, and was later bought for spare parts by John Morris, the Maybach engine being offered to Bill Boddy, editor of Motor Sport magazine.

Chitty 2

Chitty 2 had a shorter wheelbase, an 18.8-litre Benz Bz.IV aero engine, and the coachwork was carried out by Bligh Brothers of Canterbury, England. It was never as successful as its predecessor, but took part in several road races, including a Sahara Desert expedition in 1922. It later became the property of the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Chitty 2 was part of Bob Bahre's private collection until his death in April 2020.

Chitty 3

Chitty 3 was based on a modified Mercedes chassis with a 160 hp (120 kW) Mercedes single-overhead-camshaft six-cylinder aero engine, tuned to produce 180 hp (130 kW). The car recorded a lap of Brooklands at 112.68 mph (181.34 km/h). Louis Zborowski later used it as his personal transport, and drove it to Stuttgart when he negotiated to join the Mercedes racing team.^[3]

Chitty 4

Chitty 4

Overview
Also called	Babs (land speed record car), Higham Special
Production	1926
Designer	J. G. Parry-Thomas, originally Clive Gallop & Count Louis Zborowski
Body and chassis
Body style	Open-wheel car
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Powertrain
Engine	27,020 cubic centimetres (1,649 cu in) Liberty L-12 V12
Power output	450 brake horsepower (340 kW) 2,000 newton-metres (1,500 lbf⋅ft)
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Curb weight	1,483 kilograms (3,269 lb)

Chitty 4, also known as the Higham Special, had the largest engine of Louis Zborowski's cars, powered by a 450 hp (340 kW) V12 Liberty aero engine of 27 litres capacity, with a gearbox and chain-drive from a pre-war Blitzen Benz. Still not fully developed by the time of Zborowski's death in November 1924, it was purchased from his estate by J. G. Parry-Thomas for the sum of £125, equal to £9,005 today.

Parry-Thomas renamed the car Babs and rebuilt it with four Zenith carburettors and pistons of his own design.^[4] In April 1926, Parry-Thomas used the car to set the land speed record at 171.02 mph (273.6 km/h). He was killed in the vehicle in a later attempt on 3 March 1927.

The largest-capacity racing car ever to run at Brooklands, Babs was buried at Pendine Sands in Wales, but was recovered and restored in 1967, and remains on display at the Pendine Museum of Speed during the summer, and at Brooklands Museum during the winter.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Simanaitis, Dennis (8 August 2011). "Tech Tidbits". Road & Track. Vol. 63, no. 2. p. 107. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012.
^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 8, 2015. WFNI.
^ "Motoring History". Irish Times. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
^ Payne, Jo (2004). "Thomas, John Godfrey Parry (1884–1927)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/69166. Retrieved 9 Sep 2006. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.).

External links

Photo of Chitty 1 in its final form, UK: Higham Park, archived from the original on 2008-07-04, retrieved 2015-12-27.
Chitty Bang Bang, UK: British Motor Manufacturers, archived from the original on 2011-06-16, retrieved 2015-12-27.
Higham Special, UK: British Motor Manufacturers, archived from the original on 2012-02-07, retrieved 2015-12-27.

[r&t-1] Simanaitis, Dennis (8 August 2011). "Tech Tidbits". Road & Track. Vol. 63, no. 2. p. 107. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012.

[2] The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 8, 2015. WFNI.

[3] "Motoring History". Irish Times. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2009-03-08.

[4] Payne, Jo (2004). "Thomas, John Godfrey Parry (1884–1927)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/69166. Retrieved 9 Sep 2006. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.).

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[2]

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[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Racing cars}}
 {{About|the real-world racing cars|the fictional car|Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (disambiguation)}}
+{{multiple issues|
-[[Image:Count Zborowski With Chitty Bang Bang 1 At Brooklands.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Louis Zborowski|Count Zborowski]] with ''Chitty Bang Bang 1'' at [[Brooklands]]]]
+{{refimprove|date=December 2019}}
+{{more footnotes|date=December 2019}}
+}}'''Chitty Bang Bang''' was the informal name of a number of celebrated British [[Auto racing|racing]] cars, built and raced by Count [[Louis Zborowski]] and his engineer [[Clive Gallop]] in the 1920s, which inspired the book ''[[Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang]]''.
+The cars were built in [[Canterbury]], [[Kent]] in the workshop of [[Bligh Bros|Bligh Brothers coachbuilders]], and stored at [[Higham Park]], Zborowski's country house at [[Bridge, Kent|Bridge]] near Canterbury. The cars were so loud that Canterbury reportedly passed a by-law prohibiting them from entering within the city walls. The origin of the name "Chitty Bang Bang" is disputed, but may have been inspired by aeronautical engineer [[Letitia Chitty]], the sound of an idling aeroplane engine or from a salacious [[World War I]] song.<ref name=r&t/>
-'''Chitty Bang Bang''' was the informal name of a number of celebrated [[England|English]] [[Auto racing|racing]] cars, built and raced by Count [[Louis Zborowski]] and his engineer [[Clive Gallop]] in the 1920s, which inspired the book, film and stage musical ''[[Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (disambiguation)|Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang]]''.
-The Chittys were built in [[Canterbury]], [[Kent]] and stored at [[Higham Park]], Zborowski's country house at [[Bridge, Kent|Bridge]] near [[Canterbury]]. The cars were so loud that Canterbury reportedly passed a by-law prohibiting them from entering within the city walls. The origin of the name "Chitty Bang Bang" is disputed, but may have been inspired by aeronautical engineer [[Letitia Chitty]], the sound of an idling aeroplane engine or from a salacious [[World War I]] song.<ref name=r&t/>
 ==Chitty 1==
+{{Infobox car
-'''''Chitty 1''''' was a chain-driven customised [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] chassis containing a 23-litre 6-cylinder [[Maybach]] [[aircraft engine|aero-engine]].<ref name=r&t>{{cite journal|last=Simanaitis|first=Dennis|title=Tech Tidbits|journal=[[Road & Track]]|date=October 2011|volume=63|issue=2|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/column/what-would-bond-james-bond-drive|accessdate=April 4, 2012|page=107}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|serieslink=Donald Davidson (historian)|station=[[WFNI]]|airdate=May 8, 2015}}</ref> It won two races at its debut at [[Brooklands]] in 1921, coming second to another Zborowski car in a sprint race at the same event. ''Chitty 1'' was fitted with four seats and a crude, oversized exhaust pipe, in order to misguide the handicappers and spectators. Its top speed on the day was 100.75 miles per hour (162.14&nbsp;km/h).
+| name = Chitty 1
+| image = Count Zborowski With Chitty Bang Bang 1 At Brooklands.jpg
+| caption = [[Louis Zborowski|Count Zborowski]] with Chitty 1 at [[Brooklands]]
+| engine = {{convert|23096|cc}} [[Maybach Mb.IVa]] I6
+| production = 1921
+| body_style = [[Open-wheel car]]
+| layout = [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|Front Engine, RWD]]
+| powerout = {{convert|245|bhp}} @ 3,000 rpm </br> {{convert|850|N.m}} @ 2,100 rpm
+| transmission = 3-speed manual
+| weight = {{convert|2200.0|kg}}
+}}
+'''''Chitty 1''''' was a chain-driven customised [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] chassis powered by a 23-litre 6-cylinder [[Maybach]] [[Maybach Mb.IVa|Mb.IVa]] [[aero engine]].<ref name="r&t">{{cite magazine|last=Simanaitis|first=Dennis|title=Tech Tidbits|magazine=[[Road & Track]]|date=8 August 2011|volume=63|issue=2|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/column/what-would-bond-james-bond-drive|page=107|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310165425/http://www.roadandtrack.com/column/what-would-bond-james-bond-drive|archive-date=March 10, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|series=The Talk of Gasoline Alley|series-link=Donald Davidson (historian)|station=[[WFNI]]|airdate=May 8, 2015}}</ref> It won two races at its debut at [[Brooklands]] in 1921, coming second to another Zborowski car in a sprint race at the same event. ''Chitty 1'' was fitted with four seats and a crude, oversized exhaust pipe, in order to mislead the handicappers and spectators. Its top speed on the day was 100.75 miles per hour (162.14&nbsp;km/h).
-For its next outing, ''Chitty 1'' was refitted, as a two-seater with a cowled radiator and a properly plumbed exhaust. It attained nearly {{convert|120|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} on one occasion, and had its race handicap consistently reappraised. It subsequently crashed, removing three fingers from a timing official. The car was rebuilt, and passed into the ownership of the sons of [[Arthur Conan Doyle]],<ref name=r&t/> but was quickly retired as a racing car, and was later bought for spare parts by John Morris, the Maybach engine being offered to [[Bill Boddy]], editor of ''[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport]]'' magazine.
+For its next outing, ''Chitty 1'' was refitted as a two-seater with a cowled radiator and a properly plumbed exhaust. It attained nearly {{convert|120|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} on one occasion, and had its race handicap consistently reappraised. It subsequently crashed, removing three fingers from a timing official. The car was rebuilt and passed into the ownership of the sons of [[Arthur Conan Doyle]],<ref name=r&t/> but was quickly retired as a racing car, and was later bought for spare parts by John Morris, the Maybach engine being offered to [[Bill Boddy]], editor of ''[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport]]'' magazine.
 ==Chitty 2==
+{{Infobox car
-'''''Chitty 2''''' had a shorter wheelbase, an 18.8-litre [[Benz Bz.IV]] aero-engine and the coachwork was carried out by Bligh Brothers of [[Canterbury, England]]. It was never as successful as its predecessor, but took part in several road races, including a [[Sahara Desert]] expedition in 1922. It later became the property of the [[Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. It is now part of the private collection of Bob Bahre at his home in [[Paris Hill, Maine]] (the former mansion of [[Hannibal Hamlin]], Lincoln's first Vice-President).
+| name = Chitty 2
+| production = 1922
+| designer = [[Bligh Bros|Bligh Brothers]]
+| body_style = [[Open-wheel car]]
+| layout = [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|Front Engine, RWD]]
+| engine = {{convert|18825|cc}} [[Benz Bz.IV]] I6
+| transmission = 3-speed manual
+| powerout = {{convert|228|bhp}} @ 1,400 rpm </br> {{convert|1104|N.m}}
+| weight = {{convert|1640|kg}}
+}}
+'''''Chitty 2''''' had a shorter wheelbase, an 18.8-litre [[Benz Bz.IV]] aero engine, and the coachwork was carried out by Bligh Brothers of [[Canterbury, England]]. It was never as successful as its predecessor, but took part in several road races, including a [[Sahara Desert]] expedition in 1922. It later became the property of the [[Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. Chitty 2 was part of Bob Bahre's private collection until his death in April 2020.
 ==Chitty 3==
+{{Infobox car
-'''''Chitty 3''''' was based on a modified Mercedes chassis with a {{convert|160|hp|abbr=on}} Mercedes single-overhead-camshaft six-cylinder aero engine, tuned to produce {{convert|180|hp|abbr=on}}. The car recorded a lap of Brooklands at {{convert |112.68|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}. Louis Zborowski later used it as his personal transport, and drove it to [[Stuttgart]] when he negotiated to join the Mercedes racing team.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motoring/2005/1130/2211000105MOT30HISTORY.html | publisher = Irish Times | title = Motoring History | date = 2005-11-30}}</ref>
+| name = Chitty 3
+| engine = {{convert|18825|cc}} [[Benz Bz.IV]] I6
+| powerout = {{convert|180|bhp}} </br> {{convert|1000|N.m}}
+| weight = {{convert|1555|kg}}
+| production = 1924
+| body_style = [[Open-wheel car]]
+| layout = [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|Front engine, RWD]]
+| transmission = 3-speed manual
+}}
+'''''Chitty 3''''' was based on a modified Mercedes chassis with a {{convert|160|hp|abbr=on}} Mercedes single-overhead-camshaft six-cylinder aero engine, tuned to produce {{convert|180|hp|abbr=on}}. The car recorded a lap of Brooklands at {{convert |112.68|mi/h|km/h|2|abbr=on}}. Louis Zborowski later used it as his personal transport, and drove it to [[Stuttgart]] when he negotiated to join the Mercedes racing team.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motoring/2005/1130/2211000105MOT30HISTORY.html |work=Irish Times |title=Motoring History |date=2005-11-30 |access-date=2009-03-08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126103204/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motoring/2005/1130/2211000105MOT30HISTORY.html |archive-date=2013-01-26 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
 ==Chitty 4==
+{{Main| Babs (land speed record car)}}{{Infobox automobile
-[[File:Babs.jpg|thumb|right|''Higham Special'', aka "Chitty 4" "Babs"]]
+| image = Parry Thomas and Babs, Pendine, April 1926 (Our Generation, 1938).jpg
-'''''Chitty 4''''' (also known as the '''Higham Special''') was Louis Zborowski's largest car yet. Using a {{convert |450|hp|abbr=on}} V12 [[Liberty L-12|Liberty]] aero engine of 27 litres capacity, with a gearbox and chain-drive from a pre-war [[Blitzen Benz]], it was the largest capacity racing car ever to run at Brooklands. Still not fully developed by the time of Zborowski's death in November 1924, it was purchased from his estate by [[J.G. Parry-Thomas]] for the sum of £125, equal to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|125|1925}}}} today.
+| name = Chitty 4
+| aka = [[Babs (land speed record car)]], <br>Higham Special
+| production = 1926
+| body_style = [[Open-wheel car]]
+| engine = {{convert|27020|cc}} [[Liberty L-12]] [[V12 engine|V12]]
+| transmission = 3-speed manual
+| designer = [[J. G. Parry-Thomas]], <br>originally [[Clive Gallop]] <br>& [[Louis Zborowski|Count Louis Zborowski]]
+| layout = [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|Front Engine, RWD]]
+| weight = {{convert|1483|kg}}
+| powerout = {{convert|450|bhp}} </br> {{convert|2000|N.m}}
+}}'''''Chitty 4''''', also known as the '''Higham Special''', had the largest engine of Louis Zborowski's cars, powered by a {{convert |450|hp|abbr=on}} V12 [[Liberty L-12|Liberty]] aero engine of 27 litres capacity, with a gearbox and chain-drive from a pre-war [[Blitzen Benz]]. Still not fully developed by the time of Zborowski's death in November 1924, it was purchased from his estate by [[J. G. Parry-Thomas]] for the sum of £125, equal to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|125|1925}}}} today.
+Parry-Thomas renamed the car ''[[Babs (land speed record car)|Babs]]'' and rebuilt it with four Zenith carburettors and pistons of his own design.<ref>{{cite ODNB|first=Jo |last=Payne |contribution=Thomas, John Godfrey Parry (1884–1927) |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/69166 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69166 |access-date=9 Sep 2006}}.</ref> In April 1926, Parry-Thomas used the car to set the [[land speed record]] at 171.02&nbsp;mph (273.6&nbsp;km/h). He was killed in the vehicle in a later attempt on 3 March 1927.
-Parry-Thomas rechristened the car '''''[[Babs (Land speed record car)|Babs]]''''' and rebuilt it with four Zenith carburettors and his own design of pistons.<ref>{{Citation | first = Jo | last = Payne | contribution = Thomas, John Godfrey Parry (1884–1927) | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2004 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69166 | accessdate = 9 Sep 2006}}.</ref> In April 1926, Parry-Thomas used the car to win the [[Land speed record]] at 171.02&nbsp;mph (273.6&nbsp;km/h). However, he was killed in the vehicle in a later attempt on 3 March 1927.  ''Babs'' was buried at [[Pendine Sands]] in [[Wales]], but was later recovered and restored and is now on display at the [[Pendine Museum of Speed]] during the Summer and Brooklands Museum during the winter.
+The largest-capacity racing car ever to run at Brooklands, ''Babs'' was buried at [[Pendine Sands]] in Wales, but was recovered and restored in 1967, and remains on display at the [[Pendine Museum of Speed]] during the summer, and at Brooklands Museum during the winter.
 ==References==
@@ Line 27: / Line 75: @@
 ==External links==
-* {{Citation | url = http://www.higham-park.co.uk/fx010010.htm | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704111925/http://www.higham-park.co.uk/fx010010.htm |archivedate=2008-07-04|accessdate=2015-12-27|deadurl=yes | title = Photo of Chitty 1 in its final form | publisher = Higham Park | place = UK}}.
+* {{Citation|url=http://www.higham-park.co.uk/fx010010.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704111925/http://www.higham-park.co.uk/fx010010.htm |archive-date=2008-07-04|access-date=2015-12-27|url-status=dead |title=Photo of Chitty 1 in its final form |publisher=Higham Park |place=UK}}.
-* {{Citation | url = http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=221 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616190745/http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=221 |archivedate=2011-06-16|accessdate=2015-12-27|deadurl=yes | publisher = British Motor Manufacturers | title = Chitty Bang Bang | place = UK}}.
+* {{Citation|url=http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=221 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616190745/http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=221 |archive-date=2011-06-16|access-date=2015-12-27|url-status=dead |publisher=British Motor Manufacturers |title=Chitty Bang Bang |place=UK}}.
-* {{Citation | url = http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=442 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207160821/http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=442 |archivedate=2012-02-07|accessdate=2015-12-27|deadurl=yes | publisher = British Motor Manufacturers | title = Higham Special | place = UK}}.
+* {{Citation|url=http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=442 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207160821/http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=442 |archive-date=2012-02-07|access-date=2015-12-27|url-status=dead |publisher=British Motor Manufacturers |title=Higham Special |place=UK}}.
 [[Category:Racing cars]]