Record holder Golden Arrow in The Hague

The Louwman Museum in The Hague is displaying the 1929 Golden Arrow until October 27.

Of all the cars that have set world speed records, the Golden Arrow of the British driver Henry Segrave is the one that captures the imagination the most. On 11 March 1929, in front of 120,000 spectators at Daytona Beach, Henry Segrave set a new world land speed record with the Golden Arrow. He reached an average speed of 372.46 km/h.

Irving-Napier Special

The official name of the car is Irving-Napier Special, but it is better known as the Golden Arrow. The concept was devised by Captain J.S. Irving. The engine used for the project is a W12 Napier Lion aircraft engine of the same type that was fitted in the Supermarine Schneider Trophy seaplanes. With an output of 925 hp at 3,300 revolutions per minute, combined with the car's small frontal area, Irving hoped that the Golden Arrow would be able to reach a top speed of 240 mph (386 km/h).

Daytona

The Golden Arrow was shipped to Daytona (US) in February 1929, where Segrave made a couple of test runs up to 180 miles per hour. The team then had to wait two weeks for good weather before Segrave was finally able to make his record attempt on 11 March 1929.

A huge crowd had gathered on Daytona Beach to witness the new record attempt. The 23.9 liter car made its two timed runs over the closed 1 mile course: 15.55 seconds for the first run, 15.57 for the second. The speed of 231.446mph (372.476 km/h) was no less than 24mph (38.62 km/h) faster than the previous record!

The next day, an attempt to set the record for the US ended in tragedy. The 'Triplex Special', driven by Lee Bible, skidded, and both the driver and a cameraman were killed.

Tragedy

Segrave returned to England as a hero and was knighted, but he was deeply affected by the death of Lee Bible. He then turned his attention to water speed records, in Lord Wakefields new boat, the Miss England II. On 13 June 1930 Sir Henry lost his life when his boat struck an object floating on Lake Windermere, after he had successfully set a record of 98.76 mph (158.94 km/h).

After the record run, the Golden Arrow was brought back to England and put into storage. Since 1958, the car has been part of the collection of the British National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

Specifications

Manufacturer: KLG, Robin Hood Works, Putney Vale, London, designed by Captain J.S. Irving.

Engine: Napier Lion W12 (3 rows of 4 cylinders).

Capacity: 23.9 liters.

Power: 925 hp at 3,300 revolutions per minute

Top speed: 231.446 mph (372.476 km/h)

Louwman Museum

The museum's permanent collection is accessible during the exhibition. The collection shows the history of the automobile in all its forms and from every era. Over 250 cars from more than 100 manufacturers provide an overview of the different body styles and technological innovations, particularly from the last century. The history is further illustrated by the extensive art collection, consisting among other things of posters, sculptures, trophies and paintings.