1902 Bexhill Trials
Note: This is a sub-section of the Bexhill Trials
1902 May 19th. Trials held at Whitsun. Possibly the first British motor race.
Serpollet had fastest speed over the flying kilometre in his 120 h.p. steam car (the Easter Egg) taking 41.2 seconds equating to 54.5 mph (well below the speed of 76 mph he recently obtained)
Second best speed was 53.5 mph by Charles Stewart Rolls in a 20 h.p. Darracq driven by the French driver Baras
Charles Jarrott also reached 53.5 mph in his 40 h.p. Panhard
Also in the heavier racing class Rolls entered his 28 h.p. and 40 h.p. Mors and both reached about 50 mph.
The 40 hp. Daimler-Mercedes of Alfred Harmsworth only reached 46 mph.
The light racing 20 h.p. Darracq car of Sir James Pender attained 40 mph in the Country Gentlemen cup.
The best electric car reached 34 mph
In motor-bicycles a 4.5 h.p. Sancin reached 41 mph
In the Tourist section the best was the 6 h.p. Gardner-Serpollet of Mr Petty driven by A. J. Dew. The second best was the 40 h.p. Napier of W. G. Bramson that attained 50 mph.
For cars having the best appearance there were 36 entries with the 16 h.p. Napier of Selwyn Edge winning the 40 Guinea House of Commons Challenge Cup and 12 h.p. Daimler of W. J. Peall winning the 30 Guinea Bexhill Cup.
1902 July. Legal action taken in the courts to prevent the trials using the Marina again.[8]
1902 August 4th. Second set of trials planned to be held but stopped by an injunction.[9]
See Also
Sources of Information
- The Times, Wednesday, May 21, 1902