1927 Leyland Straight Eight

This car is on Mount Street, Manchester having just left Albert Square at the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in April 1965.

It's a 1927 Leyland Straight Eight entered for the Run by Leyland Motors and the programme of the event says that it was driven by A.Bennison. The programme gives this information about the car:

164. Leyland Straight Eight

The Leyland Eight was produced by Leyland Motors under the direction of J.G. Parry Thomas, Leyland’s Chief Engineer. This model was first exhibited as a limousine in 1920 at the Olympia Motor Show and created a sensation. Amongst its many features was a straight eight engine, single overhead cam shaft operated by triple eccentrics, hemispherical cylinder head, aluminium pistons and tubular connecting rods, leaf valve springs, torsion bar-assisted suspension, servo-assisted brakes, anti-roll bars front and rear, automatic chassis lubrication, adjustable steering column, starter motor built into the gearbox operating through the gear lever. The chassis alone cost £2,500 in those days.

The car taking part in the Manchester to Blackpool Rally was built from Leyland parts by Thomson and Taylor in 1928 based on a speed model short chassis with a 7.2 litre engine, 4 Zenith carburetters and gave 200 b.h.p. at 2,800 r.p.m. This vehicle lapped Brooklands at over 124 m.p.h.

This car is now at the British Heritage Motoring Centre at Gaydon.