Southport’s remarkable motoring heritage celebrated with new Classic and Speed event

Southport’s remarkable motoring history will be celebrated when the first ever Southport Classic and Speed takes place this October! 

The event, presented by Cataclean, takes place at Victoria Park in Southport between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, 10th October, followed by a grand parade of classic cars through Southport starting at 5.30pm. 

Admission to the event is free. Added attractions will include marque and car club displays, local crafts, food and drink stalls and a shopping village.

The stunning showcase is being organised by Aintree Circuit Club, which already runs the very successful Ormskirk Motorfest in Lancashire. 

The eye-catching event celebrates Southport’s incredible motoring heritage, with some tales well-known, and others lost in the mists of time. 

Did you know for example that Southport was once the location for the setting of the world land speed record? 

Sir Henry Segrave, who broke the land speed record on Ainsdale Beach in Southport

Sir Henry Segrave achieved that incredible feat when he reached 152mph in his Sunbeam Tiger on Ainsdale Beach in 1926. 

2021 marks the 95th anniversary and the 125th anniversary of Segrave’s birth.

Sir Henry Segrave is remembered by the presence of the Sir Henry Segrace Wetherspoon pub on Lord Street in Southport. The pub features a range of old photos and history about his record-breaking feat. 

Sir Henry Segrave is one of the legendary figures from the heroic age of speed; fighter pilot, racing driver, Land Speed Record holder and power boat racer. Two of his Land Speed Record cars, the 1927 1,000hp Sunbeam and the 1929 Irving Napier Special ‘Golden Arrow’ are on display in the National Motor Museum. 

By 1926 Major Henry Segrave was already a well-known public figure with a string of international motor racing victories for Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq to his name. On 9th January that year he competed in the Southport Speed trials in a 2-litre Sunbeam, walking away with four wins from the four events that he entered. Clearly, the Lancashire sands suited Segrave. Two months later he returned with another Sunbeam for an attempt on the outright Land Speed Record.

Captain Malcolm Campbell had set the record at Pendine Sands with a speed of 150.76mph.

For the 1926 record attempt in Southport, Sunbeam had created a new 4-Litre, V12 powered contender, Ladybird, that, with the addition of a supercharger, was capable of producing 296bhp.

The car’s great advantage was the Roots supercharger but this was also its Achilles heel. Fine sand blowing around the beach got into the blower very easily, but worse still the unit’s aluminium casing constantly distorted and cracked during practice runs. The chief engineer, Captain J.S. ‘Jack’ Irving, had to oversee the replacement of five casings during three weeks of preparations and was on the verge of postponing the attempt in order to return to Wolverhampton to design an alternative set-up.

Segrave urged Irving to look again at the supercharger and, rather than have to reorganise the attempt for a later date, “fix it up to last for three minutes” so that they could at least attack the flying kilometre and mile records. A sceptical Irving agreed to the suggestion and two days later, on 16th March, the car was towed to the start line and the radiator was filled with hot water to avoid the need to run the engine for longer than was absolutely necessary.

Segrave’s first run was completed at three-quarter throttle in order to avoid stressing the supercharger. On the return run, he gave the car more throttle, hoping that the supercharger casing would remain intact. Just as he passed the kilometre mark the car hit a bump in the sand and became airborne for a few yards, causing the engine, free of load, to over rev and the casing to crack yet again. All was not lost, they had done enough and the Sunbeam’s average speed over the two runs was 152.33mph, only a little faster than Campbell’s year-old record but sufficient to secure the record for Segrave.

Dorothy Levitt driving her Gladiator car

Also being celebrated in Southport will be Dorothy Levitt, “The fastest girl on Earth”, who achieved huge acclaim with her sensational performances in the Southport Speed trials in 1903. 

Dorothy Levitt was a true motor racing pioneer. 

She was one of the first British ladies ever to take part in a competitive speed event and she won her class… right here in Southport!

Selwyn Edge, Director of the Napier Car Company and a famous racing driver, spotted Miss Dorothy Levitt, a secretary, amongst his staff.

In a bid to promote his cars, Edge decided that she should take part in a race, though first he had to teach her to drive.

She surpassed his expectations by winning her class in the 1903 Southport Speed Trials, and proved such a good driver that she was taken on by De Dion for a major publicity stunt.

In May 1903, Dorothy Levitt took part in the Glasgow to London Motor Trial in a Gladiator. 

Dorothy Levitt

To celebrate her achievement, a Gladiator car – together with a Dorothy Levitt lookalike – will be at Southport Classic and Speed. 

On July 4 1903 Dorothy Levitt won her class at the Southport Speed Trials driving an S.F.Edge’s 12 h.p. Gladiator, wowing British society as is believed to have been the first woman, a working secretary, to compete in a ‘motor race’. She became noted for racing in a dust coat (a loose coverall coat reaching down to the ankles), matching hat and veil.

Southport, with its ‘seven miles of golden sands’, was the perfect location for motor racing and motorbike racing over the years. 

Sand racing took place on Southport Beach throughout the 1920s and 1930s and again in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Twenty four motor car manufacturers were based in and around the town in the early years of the 20th century. 

A Vulcan motor car. Photo couttesy of The Atkinson in Southport

They included the iconic Vulcan Factory on Rufford Road in Crossens, which manufactured motor cars, buses, and even aeroplanes. 

The Vulcan Motor and Engineering Company Limited made cars from 1902 until 1928 and commercial vehicles between 1914 and 1953.

Brothers Thomas and Joseph Hampson had built an experimental car in Bolton in 1899. In 1902 they moved to Southport trading as Vulcan Motor Manufacturing and Trading and built the first Vulcan car which was a 4hp single-cylinder.

The company moved from Yellow House Lane to Hawesside Street, both in Southport, before moving to even larger premises at Rufford Road in Crossens in Southport, with a change of company name to Vulcan Motor and Engineering.

The historic factory was demolished last year to make way for 157 new homes. 

The DPI building in Crossens in Southport pictured after demolition. The Vulcan factory was once among factories which stood on this site. Photo by Andrew Carapanagiotu

Southport is truly a trail-blazing pioneer in world motoring and motor sporting history. 

The Classic and Speed event will celebrate that history, in the spirit of record breaking Sir Henry Segrave and the amazing Dorothy Levitt.

With around 250 historic vehicles on display, you can admire some of the greatest cars and other vehicles ever made. 

Event organiser Mike Ashcroft said: “Southport Classic and Speed is a brand new event! It is free admission for the public to attend. 

“We have got a Gladiator, the same type of car that was driven by Dorothy Levitt, the first British lady ever to take part in a competitive speed event, in Southport in 1903. 

“There will be a number of pre First World War cars on display. 

A 1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost will be among cars on display at the Southport Classic and Speed event in Southport

“We have got some really good, unique cars, from right through the decades. 

“We estimate that around 10,000 people will turn up to enjoy the Southport Classic and Speed event at Victoria Park and to see the parade of cars in town, similar numbers to our first Motorfest which was held in Ormskirk.

“The event has huge potential. We are hoping next year to introduce competitive elements, such as trying to get some beach racing back, or to utilise Marine Drive. It will be slightly earlier in the calendar next year. We want to really build on the great motoring history that Southport has. 

“There were 24 car manufacturers in Southport at one point. Southport was very affluent, and this really reflected that. 

A 1928 Bentley 4.5-litre with Victor Broom drophead coachwork. Shown at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2019 and at Hampton Court Palace, London. This will be among cars on display at the Southport Classic and Speed event at Victoria Park in Southport

“Southport has a great motorsport heritage, going back to 1903 when the Speed Trials took place. This was a really prestigious event, on a national scale. Then you had the land speed record on Southport Beach, and sand racing. It has all been a little forgotten in time.” 

The centrepiece of Southport Classic and Speed will be a fabulous, themed display of veteran, vintage, classic and modern cars from all periods, followed by a grand parade along Lord Street and the promenade, the location of the original 1903 Speed Trial course.

The 60th anniversary of Jaguar E-type and Mini-Cooper will be among the attractions. 

Two young drivers from the Preston and District Vintage Car Club in their Austin 7s. Left: Harriet Turley, a teacher in Lancaster, who is following in the footsteps of her mum, dad and grandad, who have all been active members in the club. Right: Lucy Bickerstaffe, agede 15, who competes in gymkhanas on private land in her Austin 7

Mike Ashcroft said: “We have a fabulous entry of cars and other vehicles spanning three centuries of automotive innovation, following in the wheel tracks of pioneers such as Charles Rolls, Dorothy Levitt, Sir Henry Segrave and Wilf Blundell, who helped put Southport at the top of the Motor Sport and Motoring tree. 

“Southport Classic and Speed will celebrate this superlative heritage in style, for everybody of all ages and interests to enjoy and also the opportunity to experience Southport’s other attractions as a Classic Seaside Town and Resort, especially as the event is a free public event.

“We are hoping for fine weather on the day and a very busy Victoria Park and Grande Parade Route!”

Southport Class and Speed is brought to you by Aintree Circuit Club, and is presented by Cataclean www.Cataclean.com and is supported by Porsche Centre Preston www.porschepreston.co.uk The event is also supported by Sefton Council, Southport BID and Victoria Park Events. 

• For more details please visit: www.southportclassicandspeed.com or visit the Southport Classic and Speed page on Facebook. 

• Southport Class and Speed is seeking Marshals for the Parade. Marshals will be required along the Parade Route in Southport from 5.15pm until approx 6.30pm but to be required on site at Victoria Park for their briefing in the afternoon. Anybody interested should email: contact@southportclassicandspeed.com and will be sent a link to register online.

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