Railton Mobil Special

The Railton Mobil Special smashed the world land speed record in 1938, 1939 and again in 1947 - when driver John Cobb became the first man to break the 400 mph barrier on land. In all, it held the world record for 25 years.

MANUFACTURER: Thomson & Taylor, Brooklands, Britain  INVENTOR/DESIGNER: Reid A. Railton (1895-1977), British  BUILD DATE: 1937  MATERIAL: Steel, duraluminium, copper alloy, white metal  alloy,  rubber, paint, transfer, textile, plastic, foam.  DIMENSIONS: 2400x10700x1280  PROVENANCE: 1937-1953:In possession of John Cobb's  family;  1953-1955: Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd; 1955: Gift  from Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd.

Reid Railton designed the car in 1938. It was smaller and half the weight of its nearest competitor. Its aerodynamic aluminium body weighed only 180 kilogrammes and completely enclosed the chassis beneath, where two Napier Lion aero engines provided 2,500 horsepower, one each for the front and rear wheels.

It was the first completely aerodynamic Land Speed Record Car. Even the wheels were enclosed within the aluminium body. Ice was used to cool the engines instead of bulky radiators that would spoil the shape.

The car's ultra smooth tyres were produced specially by Dunlop Tyres Ltd in Birmingham with a tread thickness of just 0.5mm - no thicker than the lead in many propelling pencils - and were designed to withstand speeds of up to 500 mph.

In 1938 this revolutionary car took Cobb to a new world land speed record of 350mph - and the following year they went faster still, averaging 369 mph over the course at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.

The Second World War put paid to further record attempts until 1947 when Cobb, determined to be the first man to reach 400mph on land, returned to Bonneville Salt Flats with the Railton Mobil Special. On 16 September the car's tanks were filled with oil, fuel and ice, Cobb climbed in and the mechanics lifted the streamlined body into place.

Railton described what happened next: ‘I well remember the very first time we ever ran the car. I was in the cab of this truck, and we were pushing the racer to get it started. As you can understand one always have a slight niggling in the stomach on these occasions.

I remember we started to push the car off with Cobb inside. As the engine started, a great blast of black smoke came out and obliterated the car from view for a moment. It took just a few seconds for the smoke to clear, but in that brief time the car had simply disappeared. As you can imagine, it gave me a bit of a shock, until I realised that it had disappeared over the horizon.’

The car had six miles to get up to speed before entering the carefully measured one mile record course. Cobb's first run covered the mile in an average speed of 385 mph.

His mechanics changed the wheels, refilled the tanks and turned the car round for the crucial return run. This time Cobb broke the 400 mph barrier, reaching 403 mph, and setting a new world record average speed of 394 mph.

This record was not beaten until 1964 when Donald Campbell in Bluebird, a car twice as powerful and 50 times more expensive, averaged 403 mph.

John Cobb died in 1952 while attempting to break the world water speed record. Dunlop bought the Railton Mobil Special from his executors and presented it to Birmingham Museums in 1955.

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Reid Anthony Railton (1895-1977)

Reid Railton was one of Britain’s most famous motor sport engineers. He began his career as an assistant to J G Parry Thomas who set two Land Speed Records. After Thomas died in a record attempt in 1927 Railton joined Thompson & Taylor. In their workshops Railton modified Malcolm Campbell’s car ‘Bluebird’ in which he set five Land Speed Records.

Railton started working for John Cobb on racing cars in 1932. Thomson & Taylor built Cobb’s Land Speed Record car to Railton’s design in 1937. Railton also designed a jet hydroplane in which Cobb was killed attempting the Water Speed Record. Shocked by the death of his friend Railton retired in 1952.