Makes › Irving-Napier › "Golden Arrow" · Historically significant · 1929
Irving-Napier
"Golden Arrow"
Henry Segrave's land speed record car, 231.36 mph at Daytona, March 1929
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Hugh Llewelyn · CC BY-SA 2.0
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Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1929
- Engine
- 24,000 cc / 24 LFactory: 24 L
- Power
- 694 kW / 943 PSFactory: 930 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 372.47 km/hFactory: 231.44 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- J S Irving
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Golden Arrow was the Irving-designed, Napier Lion-powered car in which Sir Henry Segrave set a land speed record in March 1929. It showed that an aero engine in a tightly shaped body was the way to chase the record. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful record cars, and its underbody worked as an inverted aircraft wing for downforce, an idea not widely used in racing cars until the 1970s.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionthe single car, displayed at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu | 12 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionIndividual Land Speed Record car (Irving-Napier Special 'Golden Arrow'), built at the KLG works and owned by the National Motor Museum Trust | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The car was conceived by J S Irving, who had earlier created Segrave's Sunbeam racing cars, and completed at the KLG works. Segrave drove it at Daytona Beach in March 1929, breaking the record on a single practice run at an average of 231.44 mph. The car itself covered little more than about 50 miles under its own power. By the account, it cost £11,559 15s 4d to build in 1929.
Castrol donated Golden Arrow to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu in the 1960s, where it became a star exhibit. The article describes a planned restoration: the Napier Lion had not run since 1929, dummy wheels had been fitted, and the transmission and propeller shafts were missing.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard "Golden Arrow".
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Napier2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 24,000 cc / 24 LFactory: 24 L2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 694 kW / 943 PSFactory: 930 hp · converted2 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Servo-assisted disc brakes, 18 in2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Materials | Body shaped around engine and driver; frontal area about 11 sq ft2 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | 8.43 mFactory: 8.43 m3 Independently researched |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 372.47 km/hFactory: 231.44 mph · converted2 Independently researchedRecord run average at Daytona Beach; the article gives 250 mph as the theoretical capability. |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
National Motor Museum, Beaulieu – Irving-Napier Special 'Golden Arrow' Level B
- 1 Individual Land Speed Record car (Irving-Napier Special 'Golden Arrow'), built at the KLG works and owned by the National Motor Museum Trust
-
2
Robert Horne's Golden Dream (Golden Arrow restoration plans), extract from the Sunday Times Supplement Level C Eric Dymock / racingcampbells.com (archived) · 2011-09-29
- one of the star exhibits ever since
- 24-litre, Napier Lion aeroengine
- 930-horsepower, 24-litre, Napier Lion aeroengine
- 18-inch servo-assisted disc brakes
- frontal area was a mere 11 square feet
- average speed of 231.44mph in March 1929
-
3
Golden Arrow Restoration Level C The Racing Campbells (Campbell archives)
- Length: 8.43 metres
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