Ernest Eldridge

The early part of his 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.[3]

In 1922 Eldridge startled the Brooklands crowd by appearing with a 240 horsepower (180 kW) 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 101 mph (163 km/h) 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."[4] and taking the World Land Speed Record on 12 July 1924 at Arpajon, France, at an average of 146,013 mph (234,985 km/h) 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."[5]

In 1925 he 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.[6]

While in the United States, he tried a Miller 122, and was so impressed he ran it at Salem-Rockingham, Atlantic City and Altoona before returning to Europe to break records at Montlhéry. Whilst attempting speed records over the Christmas Holidays the front axle disintegrated, the car somersaulted, and Ernest was left with serious head injuries and the loss of an eye.

Once recovered, he continued to take records with other cars, including a Chrysler at Montlhéry, and then became the "Record Attempt Manager" for Capt Eyston.

In 1929, they meant to co-operate in a joint assault on the 750cc world records with a French-built Ratier. When it was ready for testing at Montlhéry, with Eyston away racing, Eldridge took the wheel. As Eyston recalled in his book Flat Out,[7] "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 87 mph (140 km/h). 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 40 years old.

Ernest 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.

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  Driver Ernest Eldridge and riding mechanic, John Ames, after breaking the record at Arpajon in 1924
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  Eldridge and the Mephistopheles at the start of the record attempt.
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  The Mephistopheles posed for a promotional photo many years later (and after some major modifications to its bodywork. )