The ERA E-type was the last design English Racing Automobiles completed before the Second World War. It was the most modern of the Bourne voiturettes, but it was never fully developed: only one of the two cars built, GP1, actually raced before the war stopped motor sport in Europe.
ERA E-type at a glance
| Maker | English Racing Automobiles, Bourne, Lincolnshire |
|---|---|
| Type | single-seater voiturette racing car |
| Built | two cars, GP1 and GP2, in 1939 |
| Raced before the war | GP1 only |
| GP2 supercharger | Zoller, fitted after 1945 |
| GP1 supercharger | Roots-type, designed by Murray Jamieson |
| Post-war owner | Leslie Johnson, who bought ERA in 1947 |
| Best result | fifth, 1948 British Empire Trophy (GP2) |
| Notable | fastest lap in practice, 1948 British Grand Prix |
The E-type has no article of its own; this page is based on the E-type sections of the English Wikipedia article on English Racing Automobiles.
History of the ERA E-type
The last pre-war design
The E-type appeared just before the Second World War as the successor to the C and D-types. It was more modern than the earlier ERAs, but the war arrived before the design could be developed, and only one car, GP1, actually raced. Two E-types were built in 1939: GP1 and GP2.
GP2 after the war
Racing in Europe stopped during the war, and the ERA works at Bourne were sold; the original building later served the bus operator Delaine as an office block. ERA restarted at Dunstable under new ownership in 1947, when Leslie Johnson bought the company together with the second E-type, GP2, which had been raced before the war by Reg Parnell and Leslie Brooke. GP2 was refitted with a Zoller supercharger and campaigned by Johnson himself, while GP1 was upgraded by the works with Murray Jamieson-designed Roots-type supercharging and driven by Reg Parnell’s mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson, who had supervised the modification of the E-types.
Racing record
In the 1948 British Empire Trophy, Johnson in GP2 tied for fastest lap with Parnell’s Maserati 4CLT and finished fifth, while GP1 retired with a broken connecting rod. At the 1948 British Grand Prix Johnson posted the fastest time in the opening practice session, then retired GP2 from third place on the first lap when a driveshaft universal joint failed. In practice for the Coupe du Salon at Montlhery he broke the lap record, but retired from the race after three laps with a fractured fuel tank. At Goodwood in 1949 GP2 broke a back axle universal joint in practice.
Design and features
- Modern for its maker: the most advanced ERA design of the 1930s, replacing the C and D-types.
- Two cars only: GP1 and GP2, built in 1939, with the war cutting development short.
- Supercharged six: GP2 ran a Zoller supercharger after the war; GP1 used a Roots-type blower by Murray Jamieson.
- Works support: ERA engineers modified both cars for the 1948 season.
- Genuine racing history: fastest practice time at the 1948 British Grand Prix and a lap record at Montlhery.
ERA E-type versions
- GP1: the only E-type to race before the war; later upgraded by the works with Roots-type supercharging.
- GP2: raced by Reg Parnell and Leslie Brooke in 1939, bought with the company by Leslie Johnson in 1947 and fitted with a Zoller supercharger.
The earlier cars of the marque are described in the ERA HSS article, and more racing cars are in the ERA collection.
Sources
- English Racing Automobiles, English Wikipedia: E-type design, the two cars, post-war racing record
