The Brighton Speed Trials return to the seafront at Madeira Drive on September 6.
The event had been under threat since 2013 but won a reprieve earlier this year after a concerted campaign by the event organiser, the Brighton and Hove Motor Club. In one month alone, 12,400 people signed an online petition to save the event, which has been running since 1905 and is one of the highlights of the seafront entertainment calendar, with more than 200 cars and motorcycles sprinting along Madeira Drive against the clock.
For spectators, tickets cost £12 for adults with under-14s admitted free. Practice runs start at 9am with the first timed run at 11.30am. http://www.brightonandhovemotorclub.co.uk/
John Cooper and Alec Issigonis also became friends after competing against each other in the Brighton Speed Trials ...
The first complete car that Issigonis designed, rather than components for someone else's project was the Lightweight Special. He and a friend constructed it in his home garage using only hand tools. As John Bolster wrote in his book, "Specials", "The Lightweight Special is one of the most amazing specials ever constructed". The chassis was a monocoque made using aluminium/plywood sandwich panels. It was strong but lightweight. Th wishbone front suspension and swing axle rear suspension were unique to the car and had rubber springs. Ultra lightweight Electron wheels and hubs were another unique feature. A supercharged 750cc Austin Seven Ulster engine, was fitted at first and used in competitions with great success. This was replaced after the war with an experimental O.H.C engine made by one of the Nuffield companies (the owners of Morris). This engine is in the car today and the car is still used for hill-climb competitions. http://www.lightauto.com/issigonis.html
