Brooklands 7th International 500 mile race program, 1935

 

Monday Mystery, Multitool?

I think I see a hammer, some sort of pry hook, a point and a slidey thing in a track. Any guesses?

found on ebay (and lost again)... thanks, Ski!

 

Bianchi supercharged four 1939

 Almost looks modern! Bianchi was successfully competing with single cylinder motorcycles, but Gilera's 500 Rondine of 1935 prompted them to develop their own supercharged DOHC inline 4. This bike was presented at the 1939 November Milan show but the onset of war meant the end of the program. The engine reputedly produced 75 hp at 9000 rpm. Strange exhaust pipe routing.

"The most beautiful vehicle for hire in the world"

 So went the advertising for this Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, part of William Hurlock's car hire business in the 20s. 

Business was good and when AC cars went out of business in 1930, he bought the company. Yes, that AC company... Six years later they released the company's first sports car, the AC Ace 1666.

Sidecar Sunday

 

Victrola 45

I don't know about these newfangled slow-speed records, everyone knows you need to spin a record at 78 rpm to get proper hi-fidelity sound...
 

Adler Stromform

 This caption claims the only streamlined car in volume production. It was the last car model built by Adler, introduced in January 1937, it was put into production in November. Despite the positive reaction at the introduction, this did not translate into sales, only about 5000 were built before production ended in 1940.

 Chrysler Airflow sold 6300 airflows in 1934, 8000 in 1935, 6300 in 1936 and 4600 in 1937, before they gave up the model as a disaster.

Polarine multi tool

Presumably a promotional handout by the Polarine Oil company, This multi tool could have a lot of good uses, an alligator-type wrench, a ruler, saw, nail puller/ flat screwdriver? and a 1/4" square hole for those all too common small square drain plugs. Also, as any good multi tool should- it provides the successful user a way to open a bottle of beer when the work is done! thanks, Ski!

I haven't tried to use this tool but this casual appraisal would put it low on the yet-to-be-calibrated Progress-is-Fine multi tool rating scale (even with the bottle opener).

ebay 334320211489

 

Cookie bomb

In September 1940 the John Lewis store on Oxford St. in London was hits by bombs during a air raid. This photo was taken 5 years later at the same location, at a display: "Britain's Aircraft Exhibition". A Mosquito is front and center with a Spitfire propped up vertically in the background.

 

The caption explained the large cylinder by the left engine nacelle was a 4000 lb. Cookie bomb. More looking brought the view below, a view of one such bomb being loaded into the bomb bay of a Mosquito. Bottom image is a British propaganda photo of a selection of bombs available to the RAF, the types hand lettered in afterwards.

 

Know lots about taps and dies

Tools and their uses, Prepared by the US Navy (Bureau of Naval Personnel) 1971

As usual it's all about the illustrations...