Summary

A very rare example of an actual, certified, speed record holder and as such a piece of automotive history. It set various records in the U.S. before going to Australia where it broke the Brisbane to Adelaide record by over 14 hours.

Details

This is one of the really rare ones. Not because it is old, or because it is fast, or even because it is unique, although it is all those things. This car is rare because it is a survivor of that most fragile of species in the high performance world. This car has been a record breaker and record breakers do not usually survive for very long. They are built for fame and seldom outlive it. This is a 1920 Paige, a one off car built on a standard Paige 6/66 luxury car chassis - all 131 inch wheelbase of it - which set new stock-chassis speed records in the U.S. in 1921 and 1922. It then went to Australia in 1925 and set a new record for the drive from Brisbane to Adelaide. On 23 January 1921, driven by Ralph Mulford, this actual car set the new class B record for the mile at 102.83 mph - the first stock chassis vehicle of any kind to break 100 mph at Daytona. Other class B records were also broken that year. Using the banked board track at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, records for distances from 5 to 100 miles were broken and the car covered better than 89 miles in one hour and averaged 89.6 mph for 100 miles. Having served its purpose, the record breaking car rested in the corner of the Paige workshops. However, an enterprising Australian, Walter Whitburn, the Melbourne Paige dealer, bought the car and sent it to Australia. It was then sold to Mr P.R.A. Irons who, with J.H. Barney as co-driver, set off on the 1,600 mile run from Brisbane to Adelaide to break the inter city record. In a classic run and overcoming all sorts of obstacles which would provide a story in itself, the car arrived in 54 hours and 28 minutes, breaking the record by more than 14 hours. The car subsequently has been extensively rallied in Australia and has changed hands several times. It has been the subject of a painstaking restoration by the present owner which has left all departments in an excellent order. The German silver coachwork and its wooden frame are substantially original and the present condition is testimony to the high quality of the work carried out. Current presentation of the car has left it in original track-going kit, without road wings or headlamps. A comprehensive history evidenced by many documents accompany the sale of this car. The album containing most of this history is of historical interest in itself, for it shows records of transactions and correspondence from the twenties, many photographs of the car and a number of registration receipts. Many original and copies of photographs are available to the purchaser.