August 23, 1922 – Chitty Bang Bang takes first place
On this day in 1922 Count Louis Zborowski drove his car, Chitty Bang Bang, to victory at the Southsea Speed Carnival in England. The vehicle was built by Zborowski with help from his engineer, Clive Gallop. It and three later cars by the same name, would inspire a book, movie and musical all by the name Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
During the Carnival, Zborowski reached 73.1 MPH in the chain driven, customized Mercedes that featured a 23-litre 6-cylinder Maybach aero-engine. However, it was capable of much higher speeds. Chitty 1 debuted at Brooklands in 1921. In the first race it took second place with a top speed of 100.75 MPH with a four-seat body. It was refitted with a two-seat configuration and received an upgraded exhaust system, propelling it to more than 120 MPH. This was the...
