"Talking With Ernest Siddeley"

“Talking With Ernest Siddeley”

Sit . One rather good point I did not mention to you during the interview is really of considerable interest and is as follows: In about 1927 1 was home to London after a visit to Vl’inchelsea to see some old friends and was driving my 30 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Sociable oo that well-known hill out of Sevenoaks when I came alongside an open 2-seater Aston Martin ‘ and was just about to overtake him when I noticed he quickly slipped into a lower gear and shot away from me. I was very impressed and a few days later I came across the same Aston Martin at Brooklands and found that it was driven by

Lionel Martin himself. He too remembered the incident and told me he had a four speed gearbox and slipped into third from top.

A little later I told my father about him and the advantages of a four speed gearbox. Of course the 30 h.p. at that time only had a three speed box and this is the reason why a year later my father decided to adopt the Wilson four speed gearbox. amongst other reasons such as easier gear changirig.

Iris of interest to look backon developments of this nature and the old 30 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley was a particularly good performer. And I also remember a Sidrkley Special being entered in the One Hour High Speed Race at Brooklands. Douglas Scott drove his car and it completed his hour’s run at iust over 80 m.p.h.,

not too had in those days. But his plugs got robot at the end that his engine went on running after it was all over for nearly another hour after switching off, not a little! but Inca very long time. Bloxham, Oxon. ERNEST S1DDEL EY