The legendary ERA R9B
Raymond Mays, Prince Bira, Peter Whitehead, Earl Howe and especially Richard Seaman made the ERA brand famous in the 1930s with many victories at famous European circuits, including the Masaryk Circuit in Brno. One of the 13 manufactured ERA type B racing cars will compete at the Brno Grand Prix Revival on July 4-6.
English Racing Automobiles Limited was founded on 6 November 1933. Its aim was to produce and operate a team of single-seater racing cars capable of maintaining Britain's prestige on European racing tracks. From today's point of view, such a reason seems a little far-fetched, but in the early 1930s, a combination of extreme patriotism and disillusionment with the results achieved so far made such an impression. The patrons of the new company became rich British motoring enthusiasts who could not buy a competitive British racing car with which they could succeed in international races.
In April 1934, the first rolling chassis was completed. The six-cylinder Riley engine, for which Murray Jamieson produced a 100mm Roots-type blower, was tested at the Riley factory in Coventry before being fitted. Mays first famous victory with the R1 was on 6 October 1934 at the Donington circuit in the Lord Nuffield 100 mile race. ERA proved its qualities - the reliability and speed that its creators expected.
The magazine 'The Light Car' then published information in the November 2nd issue that "a limited number of ERA cars will be produced for customers who know how to handle and race a car of this type". Prices were set at £1500 for the 1100cc engine, £1700 for the 1500cc and £1850 for the two-litre. The first buyer was the South African Pat Fairfield and shortly after him Richard John Beattie-Seaman - the legendary Dick Seaman - who became the best British driver of the time and won with ERA cars until he became a Mercedes-Benz factory driver.
In 1935, a new car designated as type B was also produced for Richard Seaman, with which the famous driver, among other things, won on September 29 at the Masaryk circuit. A further 13 ERA Type B cars were successively produced with production numbers R1B to R14B, with the number thirteen not being used out of superstition.
In 1936, the ERA R9B car was built. Its first owner was Denis Scribbans, a stockbroker by profession, but an avid amateur racer in his spare time. Its best finish was eighth in the Mountain Championship at Brooklands in October 1936. The car did not experience notable success until owned by another racing gentleman, RE Ansell, who finished thirteenth overall in the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix with the era. His brother Geoffrey E. Ansell crashed this car in the 1948 British Grand Prix.
The ERA R9B raced regularly until 1999, when the then owner crashed it in Imola and the car was badly damaged. After a demanding repair at Hawker Restorations, the ERA R9B is back on the racetrack. Already in 2000, John Ure won with it in Monaco, a year later the Goodwood Trophy, the Nuffield Trophy at the Cadwell Park circuit and the Hawthorne trophy at Silverstone. The next year followed a victory in the Patrick Lindsay Race at Silverstone, the British Empire trophy at Donnington…. and on July 4 to 6, this excellent racing car will start at the Brno Grand Prix Revival.
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