Mechanical Oddity

This motor is from 1922 Tatra T11 racecar. It had the most peculiar casting The finned cylinder heads are enclosed within it and are cooled by a huge fan attached to the flywheel - the air being forced through the various tubes in the casing. The hole at the top is for access so that the engine can be assembled.

You can see the sort of car it comes from here...

http://www.tatraworld.nl/tatra_motorsportfotogallery.htm

and wikipedia has a nice picture of a complete engine and chassis...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_11

Back to the workshop

I was back at the workshop for a few hours this afternoon. I'll be back at work soon so I won't have so much time to draw old cars any more. Here's a couple of Frazer Nashes being assembled...

I thought I'd try a bit of colour. This is a very muddy Austin Seven that's been used for trials (and to store things on)...

Inspired by Bob Freeman I thought I'd try some tricky technical pieces. This is a box of bits that sat under the Austin - it looks like the front wheel assembly...

Goodwood Revival

My first time back since 2000. What a great event - too much to see in just one day though. It seemed more people dressed up than in 2000. I'll be posting some photos on my flickr account too. I wasn't overly happy with my sketching - there were a lot of people about but I'll post them anyway. First up, Stirling Moss's 1951 Kieft Norton - a great looking machine...

Some Alfa 8C's from 1933...

A very well used Bugatti Type 59 from 1934...

Pole position for this 1929 Frazer Nash Super Sports, looking very purposeful in bare metal...

There were some excellent garage displays showing cars in a period setting. Here are some D Type Jaguars...

Quick sketches of the front of various cars...

The cockpit of a 1930 Mercedes Benz SS Rennsport...

And finally one of the Spitfires in the arifield...

How we used to drive IV

The collection of glamourous limousines has gone now but there's still plenty to draw in the workshop. There are lots of Frazer Nashes in various states of being rebuilt. It's fascinating to see the ash frames, aluminium bodywork and various mechanical parts laid bare...


Outside there was also a very nice Austin Seven...

Brasier WIP 01

I've tried to work up one of my recent sketches in colour. I don't want to do too much more to this because I like the looseness but I will define the people and generally tidy it up a little - perhaps add something to the background...

How we used to drive III

Today most of the cars left for the Bonhams auction later this week. I managed to get a few last sketches in. Luckily there's still a terrific looking vintage car garage to sketch.

Today I have a 1947 Allard (with a Bentley radiator on the floor before it)...

... a 1837 Riley (with the Delahaye behind)...

... a Berliet. Windscreen wipers have really come a long way since 1906. This had a single wiper at the very top of the screen, about 4 inches long. It is operated manually by wiggling a lever on the front pillar...

A very imposing Rolls Royce. It had some interesting repairs to the front wing involving tin snips and a rivet gun...

And finally a beautiful 1932 Delage...

How we used to drive II

Returned to sketch a bit more of the collection before it's all gone. Here's a longer study (1.5 hrs) of a Brasier Grand Prix Special from about 1908/09...
I still think the longer drawings look a bit too finished for my liking - I prefer them a bit loose and sketchy so I went back to my A5 sketchbook for a few half-hour 'quickies'. Here's a stunning 1935 Bentley with the most amazing aerodynamic coachwork by Freestone & Webb of North London...

This is a very sorry looking 1929 Daimler 35/120. It sits in a corner, partly on bricks and is surrounded by spares. On the dented front wheel arch sits a newspaper from 1984 with a headline announcing Diana is to have a child...


Lurking behind a 1906 Berliet and a 1932 Delage is a very elegant Delahaye 135M Coupe from 1947...

A few day trips to various places whilst visiting my parents in Hampshire. Firstly the new 'Mercedes Benz World' on the site of the Brooklands race track. It was very impressive with a small selection of historic cars and plenty more besides - it's free too. I'm pleased with how this W154 came out...



I did this sketch of the W196 bodywork (a fibreglass copy) first. It's a bit heavy handed...
Visited the Natural History Museum which was rather busy but still amazing. I've just finished reading 'The Dinosaur Hunters' - an excellent book covering the early days of dinosaur discovery and study. Here's an Icthyosaur - the creature Mary Anning found that started the whole thing off...

I also revisited the Weald and Downland Museum. I first went 30 years ago on a school trip. I remember I already had quite a keen interest in old buildings - a wonderful big tudor house called 'the Bayleaf' in particular. This isn't it but it's similar...

This is a wind-driven water pump...

How we used to drive

Here's a 1935 Studebaker Commander. I was looking for more old cars to draw and photograph and it turns out there's a huge collection only a mile from where I live. Unfortunately most are going to be sold at auction in a few weeks. I'm going to try to get back and do a few more before they leave.

This sketch was done at A3 instead of the usual A5. I'm not entirely happy with it. It took much longer to do and doesn't have the looseness of the smaller sketches. Perhaps I should have used an even bigger pencil...

How we used to live

These reconstructions were in the Peat Moors Centre in Westhay. They had a fire going inside and it was really quite cosy...

Camping Holiday in Dorset

We spent a few days relaxing on the south coast. Lots of very picturesque villages and beaches - but also quite a lot of people this time of year.

Here's Lulworth Cove...


Dancing Ledge...



Wareham...
and Studland Bay...

Blagdon

Went for a nice pub lunch on saturday and walked it off around Blagdon - a very picturesque town on the slopes of the Mendips. Here's a very quick one of the church...

And here's one of the beam engines at the reservoir pumping station - it's open must sunday afternoons through the summer. I'm not entirely happy with this one - I think I'll go again sometime and have another go...

VSSC Hillclimb - Prescott

Went to the VSCC 75th anniversary Hillclimb and did lots of sketches instead of the usual photos. I really enjoyed it - I'm definitely going to do some more. Highlight of the day was a brief ride on the Stanley Steam Car.

My favourite machines are the Specials - particularly the GN's. Unfeasibly large engines - sometimes from aeroplanes - bolted onto spindly cyclecars. They were the cars to have for hillclimbing in the 20's and 30's...
Thanks to Alan Cox I now know this is the Grannie Special...
The Thunderbug has a thumping great 4.3 litre V-Twin. There's a clip of it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcsoQi7C0gs

This was a beautiful machine - with stunning details and patina. Wooden chassis, V8 aero engine, offset seating, stylish lettering - everything about it is perfect...

Mike Clark's Stanley steam car - the one I was lucky enough to go for a ride in. 70mph and almost silent - the perfect vehicle to mow someone down in...

I'm hoping this is a Brescia Bugatti - I'm not so good on my Bugatti models...

As I was saying - not sure of the model that this was in - perhaps someone could help fill in the details...

Whoever built this definitely had a Meccano set when they were younger. It looked fast and frightening, all in black with a huge 6 cylinder AC engine in the front. Here's a clip too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E007fxpW3X0