The Vincent.
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| What else could this be but British? |
The Vincent was the World's fastest motorcycle during it's production run. It's all alloy construction and novel frame design kept the total weight of the motorcycle down. There were two carburetors fitted, and with the superior porting it allowed breathing at high rpm. The use of an advanced cam and follower design allowed the motor to achieve much higher operating speeds than it's contemporaries.
It is also the look of the engine which makes it so appealing to me. So very "busy" in appearance, with so many bits and pieces bolted on here and there. So very very British in it's visual complexity.
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| 1936 Harley Davidson EL Looks a bit cleaner than the English V twin. |
Compare that with the Harley Davidson EL of 1936. In 1936 it set the World speed record for motorcycles at 130 mph. Real world performance was over 90 mph, this was at the time when your average Ford Model A would be hard pressed to hit 60 mph. With a single carburetor it was designed for reliability and longevity. The alloy valve covers identify this as the legendary "knucklehead." It is a feast for the eyes.
Bentley Pre War Six.
This is the motor that powered the racing machines of the legendary "Bentley Boys." The Twenties and early Thirties were the glory days of the marque that achieved it's greatest success before being bought by Rolls Royce.
The straight six configuration was the favorite design of the premium British marques. An overhead cam design was employed with a novel cam drive tower located at the back of the engine. Multiple carb set ups were determined by the state of tune and expected use of the vehicle. One of my favorite features, (shared with both of my six cylinder Jaguars) ts the use of a dual exhaust manifold. Straight sixes were never treated like the poor relation here, unlike in the U.S.
Even before the era of American V8s, inline engines never received highly developed manifolding or multiple carburetor set ups. Most inlines were flathead designs that were developed to provide low end torque as well as run on the low octane fuel available at the time. There were a few exceptions. The Buick OHV inline eight of the late 1940's showcased a progressive dual carb "compound carburetor " set up that pre staged the use of four barrel carbs on V8s. The "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" sported "Twin H" twin carb set up and was NASCAR champ for a couple of years, owning to their competitive power and superior handling.
Aston Martin.
David Brown, a British industrialist purchased the faltering company for 30,000 dollars after the war, also picking up the ailing Lagonda concern. David Brown manufactured tractors, so he knew how to run a successful production company. Aston Martin enjoyed their finest era of racing success and produced some of their most memorable car designs during the David Brown years. "Shaken not Stirred" Right?
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| This engine was designed by W.O. Bentley, and was the reason that David Brown bought Lagonda. |
The all alloy engines were powerful and like the Vincent, and are known for their eccentricities of construction. It is British, after all. One interesting feature is the presence of "weep holes" in the block to drain the area around the cylinder liners. Aston Martin did not produce a V8 engine until the 1970s.
The Jaguar XK Six.
The story of how Jaguar engineers developed this motor while on fire watch at the factory during WWII is a modern legend. They discussed the new motor that they would hope to build after the end of the hostilities.
William Lyons tasked his engineering crew with developing not only a technologically superior motor but he wanted it to look good also. Mission accomplished.
The engine enjoyed a notable run of success in multiple types of competition during the 50s and early 60s. Notably five wins at Le Mans. The XK powered Mark VII sedan finished second in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1952 and overall winner in 1956. (This could be the reason that I bought one!)
Jaguar V12
This was the most successful passenger car 12 cylinder ever, well over 150,000 units were produced. It was the sole powerplant of the Series Three E-Type, and of the XJS during fifteen years of it's run. The 12 was also used in three series of the XJ12 sedan. The 12 cylinder XJS was the fastest four passenger vehicle on the market for many years with a top speed of almost 160 mph.
It is a very large engine and it was a tight fit in every model car that it was installed in. The above picture, though a bit dirty illustrates the size and density of the unit.
The motor was renowned for it's smooth turbine like delivery of power.
Buick Nailhead
This is the motor that replaced the straight eight. It is quite narrow and compact. The story is that it had to fit in the existing inline engine designed frame. The design features horizontal valve design which results in the valve covers lying flat an unusual design for an American V8. I love this engine because it is not only a good performer, it is quite attractive. The intake manifold sits above a sheetmetal valley cover with an attractive thermostat housing water manifold. The stock rocker covers are nicely shaped and it also features an alloy water pump. This motor was used in the Early '60s Buick Riviera where it reached it's final displacement of 425 cubic inches. The motor in the photo is dressed out with finned aluminium items; valley cover, rocker arm covers, and spark plugs covers. There is even a finned aluminum air cleaner set up available.
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| You can get all those cool finned accessories from O ' Brien's Trucking |
Harley Davidson Sportster.
The 883 cc Sportster motor was the development of the KH flathead unit construction V twin. While the OHC XL motor was used on street bikes the flathead was developed into a racing motor that was most seen on flat tracks, but even raced at Daytona. AMA rules limited OHV engines to 500 cc displacements but they allowed 750 cc displacements for flatheads. This gave H.D. and exploitable advantage over Triumph. The left side four speed shift mimicked set ups used by the European vertical twins and it is clear that they were it's main competition in the market.
The Sportster was successful in competition, mostly drag racing where it created it's own classes. It was most successful on the street as the first Superbike. It was the quickest generally available bike, as those Vincents were rarely ever seen.
It was all image, and it had a magical name but it fell from grace as the 1970s dawned. While it is still in production it lost it's performance cachet many years ago,
Datsun 240Z OHC six.
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| This is the basis of the first great Japanese performance legend. |
European marques had stuck with the six long after the American V8 had become the norm on the domestic scene. They did develop it's design to a high level. Mercedes, BMW, as well as Rolls Royce. The Japanese manufacturers started out with various four cylinder designs before moving up to the six. Datsun developed an single OHC design that developed a surprising amount of power considering the fact that it wasn't even a cross flow design. There is a story that Nissan supplied Pete Brock's racing team with a prototype DOHC design that failed to out perform the standard design. Straight six Datsun Z cars remained competitive in amateur road racing well into the 2000's.
My Son had been attracted to the early Z ever since he was a little kid. It was his interest in that car that led to my first foray into the sports car world. Until then I had insisted that "I would never own a small car!" I became, and still remain a Z fan. There's just something about that straight six. I just don't get that same feeling about the later V6. Toyota designed a DOHC six that should have out performed this older design as it boasted a higher technical specfication but it initially produced only equal performance to the Datsun. Over time Toyota gradually updated this engine into the legendary Supra twin turbo design
There are other motors that I have owned, along with the cars. The Cadillac Northstar was the most advanced American auto engine of it's era. With 295 hp. and 300 lbs/ft. of torque it brought muscle car performance to the domestic luxury sedan scene. It was a real revelation. The car it was installed in also pointed in a new direction for a venerable American marque.
I owned several early Buick Rivieras that featured the classic Nailhead. I was quite the Riviera fan and these early models were such great combination of performance and elegance.
Currently I am lucky to own both an example of the first XK motor powering my old Mark VII and the 5.3 liter V12 in my XJS. The motor in my XJ6 is the final edition of the straight six concept that gave Jaguar such a heritage of racing success. I must admit that I find the view under my cars' hood to be most satisfying!
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