One of England’s first racetracks was built here in 1907, the first runway for airplanes in 1908, the first flying machine built in 1909 – the last in the 1980s. Later, the production halls became a venue for low volume car production. Today, it’s all history.
When the Bentleys ruled
Brooklands Museum, Surrey, is on the remains of the long disused Brooklands Racecourse. Several buildings and halls in the museum belonged to the facility. The track surface was laid in 1907 and back in the 1920s no one could beat the big Bentleys that roared around the heavily dosed curves. Today, only a small remnant of the outer race track remains. It was the highest point of the course, called The Member’s Banking . The concrete is now partially covered with moss. Last Sunday, the Summer Classic Gathering and Auto Jumble was organized for members and visitors. Inside among the old passenger planes were the most prestigious cars – Bentley and Rolls Royce. The company Vickers owned Bentley before it was sold to Volkswagen. One of Bentley’s models is actually called Brooklands.
The aircraft assembly
Vickers is better known as an aircraft manufacturer. Vickers-Armstrong assembled passenger aircraft in Weybridge – close to Brooklands. VC10 is one of my favorites. It is a long and narrow four-engine aircraft about the size of the Boeing 707 and DC-8. The placement of the four engines is very special – two on each side, at the rear of the fuselage. The VC10 in the museum is actually assembled here in Weybridge and is now open to the public. The lights in the instruments and the voice of air traffic controllers at Heathrow create a very special atmosphere. The voices are taped – not live, although Heathrow is not far away. The interior of the plane is unfortunately a composition of “bad taste” after having served as a private plane for the Sultan of Oman.
Not my cup of tea.
While we’re on the subject of airplanes, the Concord plane from British Airways is one of the biggest attraction. The engineers at Weybridge played an important role during the development of the Concord. Also worth mentioning is a BAC 1-11 (One-Eleven) which was built after Vickers-Armstrong was merged with two other aircraft manufacturers into British Aerospace. The aircraft is similar to the DC-9, but slightly smaller. The BAC 1-11 was a workhorse for short distances, although not so common in Scandinavia. One aircraft is said to have been leased to SAS, and some machines were chartered.
BAC 1-11 (One-Eleven) 475AM
Bentley Brooklands
For the rich
In the 1920s, car racing was a rich man’s sport. The racing car drivers owned the cars themselves, and some owned a plane as well so they could easily get to the race track. Brooklands got its own runway in 1908, where now only a remaining part is protected. Some of the aircrafts on display made their final landing there.
The combination of airplanes and cars has fascinated many from early times, and advertising posters often show stately cars parked in front of an airplane. On Sunday, the finest cars were lined up at the Concord. Imagine being transported in a Rolls Royce to a waiting Concord flight heading across the Atlantic! I also liked the stylish Ford Zodiac parked by the flight stairs of VC10. They formed a nice 60s time frame.
Perhaps one of the old engineers from Vickers-Armstrong had stopped by? 🙂
The Member’s Banking is located in the outer loop. Picture today and from the 1920s inset.
How to get there
I have been here several times and recommend trains from Vauxhall station, London to Weybridge station – possibly with a change at Wimbledon. Follow the road up to the main road system and keep right until you have passed the railway bridge. Then turn right across a car park and continue on the footpath that runs parallel to the train tracks – with the train on your right. Follow the road in the same direction (about 10 minutes) all the way to the first bridge where you can turn right on a small bridge across the railway. 50 meters after passing the bridge, take a footpath down to the left through the forest. Follow the road until you have passed the river. Then take the first walkway on the left under the railway. The road is signposted. The trip takes 15-20 minutes and is shorter and more pleasant than other roads Google Maps might recommend.
Also worth a visit
Brooklands Museum also contains a bus museum . Admission £22 for adults and £8 extra to see the Concord from inside. I recommend combining your visit with special events advertised on brooklandsmuseum.com
Mercedes-Benz World is right next to the museum. They have a nice display of historic and new models. Free admission. Kid friendly. Simple and good cafeteria with plenty of seating. mercedes-benzworld.co.uk
Honest about Cars 