100 m.p.h Lea Francis

100 m.p.h. Lea Francis

I recall long ago, was it 1929 or around 1930, at the Olympia Motor Show, on the Lea Francis stand, was a car which caused me to drool more than any other at that time. It was a two-seater supercharged 11/2-litre, using I think, a Cozette blower, small cycle type mudguards and very good looking. The notice attached to the car quoted that she was guaranteed to have a top speed of 100 m.p.h., although I cannot recall for how longer under what conditions.

Some years later, I was friendly with a very pleasant young man by the name of Freddie Rapson, who owned one of these cars, and he gave me a memorable drive around Regent’s Park and Piccadilly. He lived at the time in St. John’s Wood with his father Lionel Rapson, of motor tyre fame and who also was a keen car man. He held at one time several long distance speed records at Brooklands, or was it Mondhery, of course on Rapson tyres. Llanfairpwll PAUL PYCROFT