Percy E. Lambert

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Percy Lambert with co-driver at the 1912 French Grand Prix

Percy Edgar Lambert (* 1881 ; † October 31, 1913 in Weybridge ), known as "Pearly Lambert" , was a British automobile pioneer and racing driver . He is considered to be the first person to cover a distance of 100 miles (around 160 kilometers ) in an automobile in under an hour, thereby setting a speed record.

Life

Percy E. Lambert was born in 1881 to Charles and Sarah Lambert. He attended Westminster City School from 1892 and lived in the Westminster area between 1893 and 1898 . He later worked in the automobile trade with his older brother Harold Charles Lambert. They sold Austin and later Singer cars at Westminster .

Percy began car racing and record driving on the Brooklands Circuit in 1910 at the age of 29 . He first drove a streamlined Austin named "Pearly III", which is rumored to be the basis for his nickname "Pearly Lambert". However, this is unlikely, since Lambert was already called this when he was at school because of his pearly white teeth .

In his short career he became a popular driver: Lambert participated in numerous national and international car races. He also used the Brooklands racetrack for various record attempts. Lambert moved a number of vehicles including the Austin, Singer, Talbot, and Vauxhall . In addition to car races, Lambert was also active in winter sports .

Motivated by their success in motorsport, the brothers Percy and Harold decided to start manufacturing vehicles and founded the Lambert-Herbert Light Car company together in 1913 . Their first, and possibly only, model was a 10HP 4 cylinder, which sold for £ 225.

Car races and records

Percy Lambert (standing left with flat cap ) preparing for the 1912 French Grand Prix

Lambert took part in numerous national and international competitions and was able to win a total of seven races. In six other races he achieved top positions.

Lambert was the first person to travel 100 miles in an automobile in less than an hour. The record was set on February 15, 1913 with a Talbot on the Brooklands Circuit ( Weybridge , Surrey ). Lambert completed 38 laps of the Brooklands oval course in one hour , a total of 103 miles and 1,470 yards .

Extensive precautions were taken for the record run. Among other things, large wooden boards were used for the first time to provide the driver with information while driving.

After the record drive, Lambert stated that he spent half of the drive avoiding being thrown from the driver's seat.

Percy Lambert's record from 1913 was a sensation and a large public coup for the company Talbot: While previous record runs in special vehicles with huge engines of 10 liters capacity and were more accomplished was the Talbot Lambert with a common chassis and a relatively small engine only 4.5 liters of displacement. The light construction and the streamlined body made the high speeds possible.

A film shot on the day the record was attempted is preserved in the Brooklands Museum and is now considered to be one of the oldest moving images of the circuit.

death

"Members Banking" steep curve with bridge

Not long after Lambert's success, the French automobile pioneer and racing driver Jules Goux broke the Talbot record on a 7.5-liter Peugeot .

Percy was aware of the dangers of the record runs and promised his fiancée that he would give up his racing career after "one last attempt". As always, he was supported by his brother Harold in the record run. The last record attempt was made on October 31, 1913, two weeks before the planned wedding.

Initially, Lambert achieved an average speed of over 110 miles per hour with his Talbot, which would have been a new record. On the 21st lap, however, one of the rear tires burst , which is why Lambert lost control of the vehicle in the steep curve of the "Members Banking" section. The car overturned, the driver was thrown out.

Lambert sustained severe head injuries and died on the way to Weybridge Cottage Hospital.

Funeral and afterlife

Gravestone, Brompton Cemetery, London

The tragic death of Lambert, who had made it very well known through his record drives, caused a worldwide sensation. Large numbers of people attended the memorial service in St Peters, Eaton Square. The burial took place in Brompton Cemetery on Old Brompton Road in London .

Lambert was buried in a streamlined coffin based on his record-breaking car .

The inscription on the tombstone reads:

" " A modest friend, a fine gentleman and a thorough sportsman. The first man to cover 100 miles in one hour. Killed by accident at Brooklands Motor Racing Track whilst attempting further records. " "

" " A humble friend, a fine gentleman and a thorough sportsman. The first man to do 100 miles in an hour. Died in an accident on the Brooklands circuit while trying to set other records. " "

According to legend, the ghost of Percy Lambert haunts the now disused Brooklands circuit to this day. A ghostly figure in an old racing suit is said to show up regularly with other ghosts around the clubhouse, which is located near the scene of the accident.

The ghost stories inspired the British author Mark Richardson to write the novel "The Ghost at Brooklands Museum", which was published in 2016.

Web links

Commons : Percy Lambert  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Memorable OWCs Page 2 . Old Westminster Citizens Association. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  2. ^ A b Tom Donelly: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Lambert, Percy Edgar (1880-1913)
  3. ↑ a b STD Celebrates One Hour at 100 MPH, 100 Years Ago . Veloce Today. 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  4. ↑ Throwback Thursday - 100 miles in one hour . Autocar. 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  5. ^ Robert Dick: Auto racing comes of age . London 2013, ISBN 0-7864-6670-7
  6. ↑ Percy E. Lambert 1881-1913 . Andy Lambert. 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Brooklands - our history . Brooklands Museum. 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. ↑ Brooklands - Britain's Most Haunted Race Track? . Classic Cars for sale. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ A Ghostly Adventure: First Ever Novel Set at Surrey's Brooklands Museum Released . Brooklands Museum. 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Lambert, Percy E.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lambert, Percy Edgar (full name); Lambert, Pearly
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English automobile pioneer and racing driver
DATE OF BIRTH 1881
DATE OF DEATH October 31, 1913
Place of death Weybridge