Ernest Eldridge

Ernest Arthur Douglas Eldridge (18 July 1897 – 27 October 1935) was a British racing driver who broke the world land speed record in 1924. His was the last land speed record set on an open road.

Early life

Eldridge was born on 18 July 1897 at Willesden in Middlesex to a wealthy family. His father was a successful bill discounter. Educated at Harrow School he quit while in the 6th form to go to the Western Front, in the First World War. Eldridge joined the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem, possibly as an ambulance driver. He may have also served in the French Artillery.

Eldridge married Majorie M. Tooth in 1915 at Brentford in Middlesex; she died before the Second World War. A bigamist, he married a second time in 1925 to a French woman named Marie, whom he eloped with while still married to Marjorie.

Not much is known about the years between 1918 and 1921 when Eldridge reappeared at Brooklands. There are unconfirmed myths about him flying with Louis Zborowski. He was a pilot, surviving a crash in a B.E.2e at Brooklands in September 1922. He learned to fly in a Sopwith Grasshopper at Brooklands and finally received his pilot's licence (Number 7944) on 21 August 1923 at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware. His licence lists his profession as Automobile Engineer.

Racing career

The early part of Eldridge's racing career is littered with failures of large, often aero engined, racing cars. His first racing appearance was in 1921 with a rare chain-driven Isotta Fraschini which was lapping at more than 90 mph.

In 1922, Eldridge startled the Brooklands crowd by appearing with a Maybach aero engine in his 1907 Isotta Fraschini chassis, which had been stretched to accommodate the giant power plant. This 20-litre racer had a tiny two-seater body made by Jarvis of Wimbledon and caused something of a sensation, even when monstrosities were not uncommon in motor racing circles. It won its first race at more than but over all was not terribly successful. He sold it to another British racing driver, L C G M Le Champion.

Eldridge then turned to a 10-litre Fiat, which he drove with some success. With the proceeds he bought Mephistopheles, and embarked on his famous escapades. In October 1923 at Brooklands: "E. A. D. Eldridge set up new figures for the half-mile (standing start) world's record by covering the distance in 23.17secs. (77.68 miles an hour) on his giant 350 horse-power F.I.A.T." and taking the World Land Speed Record on 12 July 1924 at Arpajon, France, at an average of over the flying kilometre. In October 1924, at Montlhéry: "Mr. Eldridge covered 210 kilometres 230 metres in the hour, and at one time attained 218 kilometres (over 136 miles) an hour. This is claimed to be a world's record."

In 1925, Eldridge sold Mephistopheles to Le Champion and decided to enter the world of Grand Prix motor racing with cars of his own design, the Eldridge Specials. Based on Amilcar chassis with Anzani engines, these cars were entered at many races for the 1925 and 1926 seasons including the Brooklands 200, The San Sebastian, the L'ACF and the Italian GPs. He also entered two cars in the 1926 Indy 500, no doubt tempted by the prize money. He drove one car with Douglas Hawkes in the other.

While in the United States, Eldridge tried a Miller 122, and was so impressed he entered it into AAA-sanctioned Indy car races at Rockingham Park, Atlantic City Speedway and the Altoona Speedway – qualifying only for the latter "I heard afterwards what a comic sight this had been. Ernest is by no means slim, and here he was sitting in a little bucket seat on the bare chassis, the wind ballooning his trousers and coat. He, I was told, looked like a true 'Bibendum' as he manipulated the chassis round Montlhéry."

The Ratier project was scrapped, though, as the two friends became involved with the first-ever MG record car EX120. With Eyston at the wheel, it was the first 750cc car in the world to set records at more than 100 mph. Eldridge played an important part in the development of the pioneering EX120. He designed a counterbalanced crankshaft as part of the tuning work on the engine, before EX120's first visit to Montlhéry in December 1930. It took several records at speeds up to . Eldridge told Cecil Kimber of MG that the car would have to be supercharged, if it were to have any chance of heading off a rival 100 mph attempt by Malcolm Campbell in a blown Austin Seven.

Kimber agreed, and Eldridge supervised the work as the engine was fitted with one of Eyston's Powerplus superchargers. And he was there at Montlhéry as Eyston's signaller, "Uncle Ernest stood out in the middle of the straight opposite the timekeepers' box with a little flag in his hand. He would raise or lower it in accordance with the lap speed I was putting up."

Eyston had also been successful attacking records over longer distances with Hotchkiss and Panhard machinery, as well as the Rolls-Royce-engined, Speed of the Wind record breaker, that Eldridge helped design and went to Bonneville to manage the record attempt. It was whilst returning from a trip to Bonneville to supervise the record attempts that Eldridge contracted the pneumonia that he subsequently died from in Kensington. He was 38 years old.

Eldridge was considered a colourful character. He spent the family fortune on gambling, racing and flying. He once lost £60,000 playing "chemmy", in Monte Carlo in 1922, on the turn of one card.

World Land Speed Record 1924

Speed over 1 km −146.01 mph 234.98 km/h Speed over 1 mile −145.89 mph 234.79 km/h Driver – Ernest A. D. Eldridge. Car – FIAT Special Mephistopheles II (Mefistofele) Date – 12 July 1924. Place – Arpajon, France. Engine – Fiat A.12 This was the last land speed record set on a public road.

Motorsports career results

Indianapolis 500 results