Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE LANDSPEED COLLECTION: RECALLING A FORGOTTEN HERO
Thu Jun 24 14:00:00 CEST 2021 Press Release
The Rolls-Royce Landspeed Collection draws inspiration from George Eyston’s remarkable life and record-breaking feats. It also has strong aesthetic links to the unique, otherworldly landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats where Thunderbolt made him, albeit briefly, the fastest man on Earth.
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This article in other PressClubs
- New Rolls-Royce Collection of Wraith and Dawn Black Badge
- Landspeed Collection celebrates the records set by British engineer Captain George Eyston in Thunderbolt, powered by two Rolls-Royce R V12 aero engines
- Interior details recall the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where Eyston pursued his record-breaking endeavours in 1937-38
- Salt Flats’ fissured texture is perfectly reproduced in the engraved fascia; steering-wheel detail mimics the dark track-line marked on the surface during record runs
- Starlight Headliner precisely depicts the night sky on 16 September 1938, when Eyston set his third and final land-speed record of 357.497 mph
- Silhouettes of the long-lost Thunderbolt, and its three record-breaking speeds, are laser-engraved on the front tunnel
- Subtle detail in driver’s-side door reproduces ribbon colours of the honours awarded to Eyston during his lifetime
- Production limited to just 35 examples of Wraith Black Badge, and 25 of Dawn Black Badge
“It’s human nature to want to go further, do more, be greater than
ourselves. The innate desire to extend horizons and define new limits
is an instinct we’ve always understood at Rolls-Royce; and we have
acted upon it once again with our new Landspeed Collection.
“The Collection, which includes both Wraith and Dawn Black
Badge, celebrates someone with exactly that dauntless, fearless,
pioneering spirit. His name was Captain George Eyston, a Cambridge
University graduate, racing driver, gifted inventor and engineering
genius. In the late 1930s, he broke the world land-speed record three
times with his car Thunderbolt, powered by two Rolls-Royce R V12 aero
engines. He was a true hero from an age of epic endeavours; yet both
he and Thunderbolt have been all-but forgotten for more than 80 years.
“With this Collection, we have revived Eyston’s memory and
retold his remarkable story. Throughout Wraith and Dawn Landspeed,
clients will find numerous subtle design elements and narrative
details that recall and commemorate his amazing achievements, grand
vision and exceptional courage.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce has been associated with world speed
records on both land and water for more than a century. But while the
exploits of Sir Malcolm Campbell are well documented and widely known,
another British hero who set three land-speed records using
Rolls-Royce engines has been largely overlooked by history.
Now, after more than 80 years, Rolls-Royce recalls this hero’s
inspiring exploits. With the new Wraith and Dawn Black Badge
Landspeed Collection, the marque uncovers and retells the remarkable
story of the redoubtable Captain George Eyston, and his extraordinary
car, Thunderbolt.
Born in 1897, George Eyston was fascinated with motorsport from
childhood, racing both cars and (under an assumed name) motorcycles
while still at school. His degree in engineering at Trinity College,
Cambridge, was interrupted by the Great War, in which he served with
distinction, rising to the rank of captain and winning the Military
Cross. He spent the 1920s and 30s developing and driving racing cars;
a talented inventor, he also held a number of patents, particularly in
the field of supercharging.
In 1935, Eyston was among the first British racers to travel to
the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where he set new 24-hour and
48-hour endurance speed records. He subsequently received the Segrave
Trophy, awarded to ‘the British national who demonstrates Outstanding
Skill, Courage and Initiative on Land, Water and in the Air’.
In 1937, he returned to the Flats and went on to set three world
land-speed records with Thunderbolt. This extraordinary machine had
three axles, eight wheels and weighed seven tonnes, earning it
monikers such as ‘behemoth’ and ‘leviathan’ in contemporary reports.
The body was made from aluminium and, in its original form, had a
blunt, heavyset profile topped with a large triangular tailfin.
CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT, INNOVATION AND COURAGE
The Rolls-Royce Landspeed Collection draws
inspiration from George Eyston’s remarkable life and record-breaking
feats. It also has strong aesthetic links to the unique, otherworldly
landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats where Thunderbolt made him,
albeit briefly, the fastest man on Earth. The Collection Car duo is
presented in a specially created two-tone finish, which marries Black
Diamond Metallic with a new Bespoke colour, Bonneville Blue. This
specially developed hue bears particular significance to the
Collection, with a colour that transitions under sunlight from light
blue to silver, illustrating the reflections of both the vast sky over
Bonneville and the crisp salt flats on Thunderbolt’s aluminium body.
Thunderbolt was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce R supercharged
37-litre, V-12 aero engines, each producing well over 2,000
horsepower. Around only 19 of these engines were ever made: indeed,
they were so rare that Thunderbolt’s engines had a previous career in
the Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine S6.B seaplane that would lay
the foundations for the legendary Spitfire.
Today, Thunderbolt’s two R engines are preserved at the Royal
Air Force Museum, Hendon and the Science Museum in London. The car
itself, however, has been lost. After being exhibited at the 1940
Centennial Exhibition in New Zealand, it was placed in storage, but
was sadly destroyed in 1946 when 27,000 bales of wool, housed in the
same building, caught fire.
HOLDING THE LINE
Eyston set his records on the International Speedway, a
specially compacted section of the Bonneville Salt Flats 10 miles
(16km) long and 80 feet (24m) wide. The terrain is perfectly level in
all directions and shines brilliant white in the sunlight: the absence
of landmarks and ferocious glare combines to make holding course and
judging distance extremely difficult at high speed.
George Eyston himself, commented, “On the salt bed, which has to
be carefully prepared by dragging, we paint one or more black lines
along the whole length. These lines act as guides and prevent the
driver straying; for errors of a few feet in steering might culminate
in disastrous results. You see, you might drive a few feet away from
the absolute line, something else might happen and you get a few feet
more and, believe me, you will never get back”.
As he recognised, deviating from the speedway would have been
extremely hazardous, particularly given Thunderbolt’s enormous weight.
In response, Eyston’s team painted darkened track lines on the salt
surface for Eyston to follow – effectively his sole means of keeping
Thunderbolt straight at over 350 mph.
This simple yet ingenious idea is recalled in the Landspeed
Collection by a subtly perforated dark detail in the upper-centre of
the steering wheel, which continues through the centre-line of the
driver’s seat, accentuating both Wraith and Dawn’s driver focused appeal.
The Bonneville Salt Flats may appear smooth; but in fact,
they’re seamed with tiny fissures. This distinctive texture is
perfectly reproduced, digitally retraced from the surface itself, in
the wooden veneer of Landspeed Collection’s fascia and console lids.
The interior references continue with Thunderbolt’s unique silhouette,
and the records it achieved, depicted on the polished, anodised
aluminium surface of the Landspeed Collection’s front tunnel. Dawn
Landspeed additionally celebrates George Eyston’s vision with the
outline of the Silver Island mountains, which dominate the Bonneville
horizon, engraved on the upper ‘waterfall’ between the rear seats.
According to the history books, Eyston’s third and final
land-speed record of 357.497 mph stood for 341 days. In the new
Collection Cars, it is commemorated for all time, engraved into the
housing of the dashboard clock alongside the name ‘Bonneville’, in
homage to where the record was set.
Thunderbolt was originally left unpainted, which caused an
unexpected problem. During the first record attempts, the
photo-electric timing equipment was unable to detect the polished
aluminium body against the searing white of the Salt Flats’ surface,
making accurate timing impossible. Eyston’s brilliantly simple
solution was to paint a large black arrow with a yellow circle on the
side, to heighten visibility when travelling at great speed. Bright
yellow accents throughout the Landspeed Collection, including two-tone
yellow and black bumper inserts, pay tribute to this vision.
The clock’s design recounts this theme. Based on the instrument
dials from Thunderbolt, with yellow and black details, black-tipped
hands are inspired by the arrows painted on the original car’s exterior.
The allure of the Bonneville Salt Flats draws not only
record-breakers, but astronomers, too. Stargazers prize this vast,
unpopulated wilderness for its exceptionally dark night skies, which
create perfect conditions unspoiled by artificial light.
In Wraith Landspeed, the Starlight Headliner perfectly recreates
the heavens as they appeared over the Flats on 16 September 1938, the
date on which Eyston and Thunderbolt set their third and final world
land-speed record. The constellations are precisely marked using 2,117
individually placed fibre-optic ‘stars’, the largest number of stars
in a Rolls-Royce Wraith Starlight Headliner ever featured.
During his lifetime, George Eyston received three significant
honours. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) while serving in the
Great War; in 1938, after his record-breaking runs with Thunderbolt he
was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur, France’s highest
civilian decoration; and in 1948, he received the Order of the British
Empire (OBE).
These honours are marked in both Wraith and Dawn Landspeed with
a subtle detail in the driver’s door, made in the same Grosgrain weave
silk and colours to match the original medal ribbons. The armrests on
both the passenger side and below the ribbon detail are specially
padded to give them the comfortable ‘club armchair’ quality that
Eyston favoured in his driving seats, much to the amusement of his
fellow racers.
Production of Landspeed Collection cars is strictly limited to
just 25 examples of Dawn and 35 of Wraith, all of which have already
been allocated to customers.
In closing, Mr Müller-Ötvös said, “Rolls-Royce has been
synonymous with adventure, daring and pushing boundaries throughout
its history. We are delighted that with the Landspeed Collection, we
can add another hitherto unsung hero to the illustrious roll call of
pioneers associated with our great marque. With his vision, boldness,
determination and genius for innovation and invention, George Eyston
embodies so much of what makes Rolls-Royce unique. These cars are a
fitting and long overdue tribute to a truly inspiring character.”
CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.
Wraith Black Badge:
NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 367 g/km;
Fuel consumption: 17.5 mpg / 16.1 l/100km; WLTP (combined) CO2
emission: 370-365 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.2-17.4 mpg / 16.4-16.2 l/100km
Dawn Black Badge:
NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 371
g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.3 mpg / 16.3 l/100km; WLTP (combined) CO2
emission: 382-380 g/km; Fuel consumption: 16.7-16.9 mpg / 16.9-16.8 l/100km.
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