I beieve this beautiful restoration is powered by a tank version of the Liberty which has good oil-scraper piston rings which Babs never enjoyed. Also ( quite rightly) Mr Thomas's Laystall-made sharp camshafts were not installed. I would not have done so either. I think this great man would have been very proud and honoured to see his fine work so appreciated these days. I really don't like to hear him called "a dour Welshman", because I think he was, though private, a much more sociable and sporting fellow than he is ever given credit for. I bet few know that he endowed beds in a children's hospital out of his winnings of a tough race, and loved tennis even though he never excelled at that sport. RIP Mr JGP Thomas, an incalculable loss to us all.
Yep think you are correct on that, i was surprised on how small it was in the flesh, and to be honest the build quality for a car doing that speed was not great but it did work,
A beautiful comment sir. Yes people tend to conveniently forget that quite often in reality, their sporting heroes are single minded, driven self obsessed and extremely selfish individuals that they really wouldn't wish to have cross their doorstep and the type who wouldn't wish to know them either (not all, but many), that's why they often succeed where normal people fail. The little I've read of Mr Parry Thomas leads me to think of him along the same lines as yourself, but of course he wasn't flamboyant, of aristocratic playboy stock or had a rich wife to endlessly fund his lust for glory, so tends to be too often dismissed by the media as (as you say)"The Dour Welshman." It's also worth mentioning that he was also very religious, which perhaps if not then, but these days at least is often a singular career killer! Ater reading what you wrote about him endowing hospitals, I personally (but rather boringly I know) believe THAT, in the long run to be the far greater good for mankind.
Whoever owns it now I know one thing ,it would not exist only in books were it not for Owen Wyn Owen who gave a lifetime of work to get BABS back along Pendine beach again and here it is.
Beautiful and superb. . .Saw `BABS` at the lovely museum some years ago now . .remarkable to think that 170+ mph back in 1920`s. .Frightening too!!! Think Thomas was the first person to be killed attempting the Land speed record RIP. Must mention Owen Wyn Owen for Restoring and saving the car for every one to see (RIP)
I beieve this beautiful restoration is powered by a tank version of the Liberty which has good oil-scraper piston rings which Babs never enjoyed. Also ( quite rightly) Mr Thomas's Laystall-made sharp camshafts were not installed. I would not have done so either. I think this great man would have been very proud and honoured to see his fine work so appreciated these days. I really don't like to hear him called "a dour Welshman", because I think he was, though private, a much more sociable and sporting fellow than he is ever given credit for. I bet few know that he endowed beds in a children's hospital out of his winnings of a tough race, and loved tennis even though he never excelled at that sport. RIP Mr JGP Thomas, an incalculable loss to us all.
Yep think you are correct on that, i was surprised on how small it was in the flesh, and to be honest the build quality for a car doing that speed was not great but it did work,
A beautiful comment sir.
Yes people tend to conveniently forget that quite often in reality, their sporting heroes are single minded, driven self obsessed and extremely selfish individuals that they really wouldn't wish to have cross their doorstep and the type who wouldn't wish to know them either (not all, but many), that's why they often succeed where normal people fail.
The little I've read of Mr Parry Thomas leads me to think of him along the same lines as yourself, but of course he wasn't flamboyant, of aristocratic playboy stock or had a rich wife to endlessly fund his lust for glory, so tends to be too often dismissed by the media as (as you say)"The Dour Welshman."
It's also worth mentioning that he was also very religious, which perhaps if not then, but these days at least is often a singular career killer!
Ater reading what you wrote about him endowing hospitals, I personally (but rather boringly I know) believe THAT, in the long run to be the far greater good for mankind.
Whoever owns it now I know one thing ,it would not exist only in books were it not for Owen Wyn Owen who gave a lifetime of work to get BABS back along Pendine beach again and here it is.
Beautiful and superb. . .Saw `BABS` at the lovely museum some years ago now . .remarkable to think that 170+ mph back in 1920`s. .Frightening too!!! Think Thomas was the first person to be killed attempting the Land speed record RIP. Must mention Owen Wyn Owen for Restoring and saving the car for every one to see (RIP)
Saw babs run at goodwood amazing
Thanks for uploading
Owen would smile to see this.
So nice to see this.well done.
thanks it was a good day
❤
Mint