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Even before the war, an MG drove over 320 km/h - speed records in Dessau

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Created on July 5, 2020

Reading time 13min

Written by:

Karl Ludvigsen (Übersetzung Bruno von Rotz)

Photos:

Archiv Karl Ludvigsen

21

Archiv Karl Ludvigsen

21

MG EX 135 (1934) - Blick aus einem Begleitfahrzeug

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Goldie Gardner prüfte die neue Rekordstrecke sofort nach seiner Ankunft - aus seiner Sicht war die Strecke perfekt

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MG K3 (1933) - 1937 fuhr Gardner an der Rekordwoche auf der Autobahn Frankfurt-Darmstadt in einem aerodynamisch verbesserten K3 148,7 mph

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Durchsichtszeichnung von S. E. Porter durch den Rekordwagen EX 135 - man beachte die entfernten Voderradbremsen

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Durchsichtzeichnung von Max Millar für Autocar - EX 135 als Aerodnyamikwiunder

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Cecil Kimber, Lord Nuffield, Goldie Gardner und Reid Railton hinter dem MG-Rekordwagen EX135

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Reid Railton am Steuer des Rekordwagens - für Ein- und Ausstieg musste das Lenkrad entfernt werden

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Lord Nuffield neben dem Rekordwagen, Goldie Gardner hinter dem Lenkrad ist kaum sichtbar

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Syd Enever und Jacko Jackson standen Goldie Gardner zur Seite bei einem privaten Testversuch in Brooklands

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MG EX 135 (1934) - am 9. November 1938 erreichte Goldie Garnder 187,616 und 194,386 mph auf der Autobahn Frankfurt-Darmstadt

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Werbung nach dem Rekordversuch - mit diesen hohen Geschwindigkeiten hatte - ausser Railton - kaum jemand gerechnet

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Strecken-Layout der Dessau-Rekordstrecke - ideal für Rekordversuche

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MG EX 135 (1934) - angekommen auf der Rekordstrecke und begleitet von einem Lagonda, mit dem Gartner und Autocar-Journalist John Dugdale anreisten, wartete der Rekord-MG auf seinen Einsatz in Deutschland

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MG EX 135 (1934) - seltene Farbaufnahme auf 35 mm-Film von John Dugdale anlässlich der Rekordversuche in Dessau im Mai 1939

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Goldie Gardner am Lenkrad des Rekord-MGs am Morgen des 31. Mai 1939

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MG EX 135 (1934) - für einen nächsten Versuch wird das Kühlwasser nachgefüllt

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Kompressor-Hersteller Chris Shorrock lehnt sich über den Rekord-MG, im Vordergrund ist Sid Enever zu sehen

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MG EX 135 (1934) - ein Rekordfahrzeug, das auch ästhetisch überzeugte in Dessau

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MG EX 135 (1934) - genügend Platz für Rekordversuche und eine eindrückliche Perspektive für den Fahrer

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MG EX 135 (1934) - Blick von der Brücke - die Mittelleitplanken waren entfernt worden für die Rekordversuche

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MG EX 135 (1934) - unter dieser Brücke hindurch fuhr Goldie Gardner zwei Weltrekorde

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Summary

Shortly before the outbreak of war In the summer of 1939, speed records were once again set. In Dessau, Germany, the British, driven by the passion and skills of Goldie Gardner, the creative drive of Reid Railton and the technical capabilities of MG in Abingdon, but not least thanks to the support of Lord Nuffield, set new records for the 1.1 and 1.5 liter displacement classes. This article looks back to the 1930s and shows the record drivers and their supporters in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Inspiration from Germany
Complete conversion
Back to Germany
Record speeds on the very first attempt
And another successful attempt the following year
On-site conversion to a larger displacement class
An engineering feat

Estimated reading time: 13min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The future looked ominous when the Nuffield Group took over MG in 1935, a small company with impressive racing successes. Leonard Lord was now in overall charge. His enthusiasm for motorsport, whether on two, three or four wheels, was limited. On an early visit to MG, he is even reported to have said after a visit to the racing department: "Well, we can probably make this stuff disappear first". In the Group, only Lord Nuffield, the former William Morris, was more important; after all, he had brought together the Morris, Wolseley, Riley and now MG brands. So it was to this man that Major Arthur Thomas Goldie Gardner turned in 1937 when he smelled an opportunity to take a step forward in his career. And this career was dedicated to exactly one thing: breaking speed records.

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