Vehicle Description
1933 was a bleak year for automobile manufacturers around the
world. The global depression had affected virtually every economy
and there were a great number of manufacturers who could not
weather the storm. In Britain, it was no different. Bentley had
been run out of resources and was acquired by Rolls Royce in 1931,
and others such as Alvis and Lagonda were struggling mightily to
survive. Invicta, builder of low-slung sporting automobiles, were
facing the end of the road as well. Invicta's founder, Noel
Macklin, had been with the company since 1925 but in seeing the
troubles ahead, he sold his shares and Invicta moved from Cobham,
Surrey to Chelsea, London in 1933, eventually folding in 1938.
Rather than resign to failure, Macklin teamed up with Reid Railton
later in 1933 to form the Fairmile Engineering Company. Rather
cleverly, Macklin brought Railton on board mainly to use his famous
name for their new marque. Reid Railton had designed several land
and water speed-record vehicles during the period when the World
Speed Record had achieved massive global popularity. Railton had
designed the iconic Campbell-Napier-Railton Bluebird vehicles with
Sir Malcolm Campbell, the famous aero-engine Napier-Railton and
many other significant watercraft and land-based vehicles. Rather
than start with a clean sheet, Macklin took advantage of the
budding popularity of American cars in England. Their straight line
performance was superior to that of most home-market offerings,
though American build quality and questionable handling left quite
a bit to be desired. Using Hudson's innovative and high-performance
8-cylinder Terraplane as a base, Macklin's new machine combined the
performance and robust drivetrain of the Terraplane but with a
lighter, higher-quality body and sophisticated chassis. Railton's
involvement - beyond lending his name to the project - was to tune
the chassis to suit British roads and buyer's needs, centered on
high-tech Andre Telecontrol shock absorbers. The resulting
automobiles were an instant hit, particularly with the
traditionally fickle British motoring press - with Autocar
declaring it "ten years ahead of its time". The Railton was faster,
smoother and more powerful than virtually any other car in its
class. We are very pleased to offer this gorgeous 1937 Railton
Stratton Saloon, a beautifully restored CCCA Senior Award-winning
example. Wearing a wonderful four-door saloon body by Coachcraft,
it presents in outstanding condition in black over a tan leather
interior. The coachwork is understated yet elegant with plenty of
fine detailing. It wears a single side mount spare wheel with a
full painted cover, a vinyl covered roof, and the integrated trunk
features an interesting split lid design. The bonnet lid is held in
place with exposed piano hinge detailed with exposed, polished
rivets along the bonnet line. A beautifully crafted radiator shell
is plated in high quality chrome and flanked with lovely headlamps
and frame-mounted driving lamps. Jet-black paintwork is gorgeous,
laid down over very straight and properly fitted bodywork. Subtle
cream coach stripes highlight the body lines and the black vinyl
roof is trimmed in polished alloy moldings for a wonderfully subtle
look - particularly with the car riding on black disc wheels with
blackwall tires. A highlight of this restoration is the fabulous
interior trimmed in tan leather with chocolate brown piping and
carpets. A large sunroof makes for an airy feel for driver and
front passenger, while rear passengers enjoy a laid-back seating in
a cozy cabin. The headlining is properly trimmed in tan broadcloth
and the leather remains in very good condition since the
restoration. Beautifully restored wood trim features on the door
caps, window surrounds, sunroof opening and gorgeous dash. Original
instruments are featured in the center cluster, all beautifully
restored. Of course, the robust Hudson drivetrain has also been
restored to a high level along with the rest of this fine car. The
engine was fully rebuilt as part of the restoration and remains in
very strong running order. It presents in excellent condition with
correct red paint on the engine and black ancillaries. Polished
alloy features on the firewall as well as the "faux" rocker cover;
a clever bit of original decoration designed to make the flathead
Hudson engine appear as a more sophisticated overhead-valve unit.
The engine is mated to a manual transmission, also rebuilt during
the resto. Combined with the lighter weight and advanced chassis,
this Railton makes for a surprisingly sprightly driver's car. Rare,
handsome and desirable, this Railton Stratton combines a reliable,
high-performance Hudson drivetrain with a sophisticated European
chassis and handsome coachbuilt bodywork. The full nut-and-bolt
restoration cost in excess of $135,000 and has been well documented
with photos and records. This CCCA award-winning example is one of
the best we've encountered. By its very nature it is a fine driving
car, exceptionally well-suited for touring or rallies and certainly
beautiful enough for show.