ERA [English Racing Automobiles]

[CDK]

Has any one ever seen these at a show or on the track. Just got asked about them and found a site and did some reading they seem to be rare so was curios if they are out there.
CDK

 

[CDK]

Thanks for the replys so far.It sounded like there were not to many out there from what I had read.
Jim,Thanks for remembering the area, even if it is my home, which could make me bias, I will have to agree that it is very pretty and with different views during each season change.My mom worked for the commander at Stewart during the late 50s early 60s at the NORAD block building.I do not know if you recall but Newburgh is in Orange County. It seems in some ways your still in the same place.
On a final note this area has some grate sports car roads to go for a drive on.
CDK

 

[aeronca65t]

Dave:

The bottom car in this series of photos is an ERA that ran at Lime Rock Vintage last Fall. It’s an “R6” (which I guess means “Riley 6”, based on Alec’s comment). I saw the car up close and spoke to the owner. A real beauty!

More excellent photos from the event here:

https://www.september8th.com/lrp_vscca_finale_03_p1.htm

 

[William]

Very few ERAs were built, of any model. Most were built to comply with the pre-war 1500cc regulations, and most were supercharged sixes. Dick Seaman's famous "White Riley" is largely believed to be the "first" ERA. Interestingly, ERA's were still racing, and pretty competitively, in the immediate post-war years. The list of ERA pilots reads like a whos-who of prewar racing drivers.
-William
PS-if anyone has a copy, the British edition of Nick Mason's book "Into The Red" features a mighty nice sound clip of R10B.

 

[Jim Weatherford]

CDK;

I served at the Stewart AFB base photo lab for a year in '67 - '68 then off to Vietnam. Yes, you have magnificent roads for fun driving, I remember them well. The back roads going to Waldon are among my all time favorites as is the road cross to West Point. Those roads are built for driving.

 

[Jim Weatherford]

CDK;

I'm not sure I understand the question or maybe the context. Please help me out.

P.S. You live in a very nice part of the world. The Mid-Hudson Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Bloody cold in the winter though.

I spent a year at Stewart AFB, now Stewart Field I belive, or Stewart Airport. I lived in Waldon and assisted in the medivacs from the Woodstock Festival #1. Boy those were the days!

 

[Sherlock]

My understanding from what I've read, is that ERA only built their race cars in the 1930's until the advent of WWII, and they never built street cars at all.

Also my understanding is that the group of individuals who ran ERA were involved in starting up the BRM racing team after WWII.

I believe ERA's are quite rare today because they are a 1930's car, one factor would be that many cars didn't survive WWII, many of them (even rare, valuable cars) were crushed as part of a "scrap" drive to provide enough steel for the war effort.

 

[piman]

Hello CDK,
there are a handful that regularly race in the UK.
The ones I have watched are single seater racing cars, running a Riley 6 cylinder engine, supercharged. Quite spectacular to watch.
I seem to think that they were built by Raymond Mays who later got involved with BRM.

Alec

 

[CDK]

Thanks Nial,
I go back to that site all the time to look at stuff. I would not have been able to pick it out by myself though.
CDK

 

[waltesefalcon]

Nial,

Great pictures. Beautiful cars. Thanks for the post.

Cheers,

Walter