Registration No: MG 5013
Chassis No: 644877
MOT: Exempt

• Understood to be 1 of just 35 survivors from the 178 Railton Eights that Coachcraft bodied as Fairmile Drophead Coupes
• The subject of an extensive, chassis up, photographically documented restoration by the vendor and his late father in the 1990s
• Awarded various rosettes thereafter and enjoyed on numerous rallies
• Supplied new by University Motors of London (or so its 'MG' number plate would imply)
• Desirable second series car with the more powerful 4.2 litre straight-eight engine
  
  

Having sold Invicta to the Earl Fitzwilliam in 1933, Noel Macklin and his Works manager Leon Cushman cast around for another automotive project. Impressed by the number of speed records that Hudson’s fledgling Essex-Terraplane subsidiary was setting, Macklin duly secured a supply of rolling chassis from the parent company. Enlisting the help of Reid Railton whose name was well-known to the motoring public as the designer of various Land Speed Record cars, Macklin also commissioned coachbuilders such as Ranalah, REAL, Carbodies and Coachcraft to body his Anglo-American hybrid. Featuring a 4010cc Terraplane 8 engine and three-speed manual gearbox plus revised damping, the first series Railtons boasted a better power-to-weight ratio than a Derby Bentley or Lagonda M45. With its imposing radiator designed by motoring artist F. Gordon Crosby and its bonnet adorned with external Invicta-style rivets, the new marque soon became synonymous with acceleration and top gear flexibility. Adopting the Hudson Eight rolling chassis in 1934, the second series Railtons benefited from a two-inch longer wheelbase and more potent 4168cc engine. Well proportioned with a swooping tail, full flowing wings and distinctive quad-hinged ‘suicide doors’, Coachcraft clothed some 178 Railton Eights as Fairmile Drophead Coupes of which just thirty-five are thought to have survived to the current day.

A notably early Fairmile II Drophead Coupe with a side- rather than rear-mounted spare wheel, chassis 644877 was reputedly supplied new by University Motors of London and thus wears one of the ‘MG’ number plates that they effectively monopolised during the 1930s. Off the road for many years before being re-registered with the DVLA in 1983, the Railton was still very much a restoration project when acquired by the vendor’s father later that decade. A pattern maker by trade, he undertook a photographically documented body off, chassis up renovation which tested his considerable skill set to the full. Completed three decades ago with assistance from various family members, the work has stood the test of time well. The doors have begun to scuff the bottom of their apertures and there are a few cosmetic imperfections but overall you can see why the four-seater completed so many rallies and won numerous awards. Driven some thirty miles to our offices in June 2021 and starting readily for our recent photography session, ‘MG 5013’ pleasingly retains its original body plaque, Hudson ‘Power Dome’ alloy cylinder head and height adjustable front seats. A decidedly rare Post-Vintage Thoroughbred that is capable of keeping up with modern traffic. Offered for sale with V5C Registration Document and restoration photographs.

For more information, please contact:
Damian Jones
damian.jones@handh.co.uk
07855 493737