The Lea-Francis Hyper, also known as the S-type, was the car that gave the Coventry firm its sporting reputation. It was the first British production car with a supercharged engine, a 1.5 litre unit from Meadows, and in 1928 one of them won the Ulster TT on the Ards circuit in Northern Ireland, driven by Kaye Don.
Lea-Francis Hyper at a glance
| Maker | Lea-Francis, Coventry |
|---|---|
| Model | Hyper, also called the S-type |
| Introduced | from about 1925, with the sporting Lea-Francis models |
| Engine | 1.5 litre Meadows, supercharged |
| Claim to fame | the first British supercharged production car |
| Race win | 1928 Ulster TT, Ards circuit, Northern Ireland |
| Race distance | 30 laps of the 13.5-mile (21.7 km) road circuit |
| Driver | Kaye Don |
| Spectators | a record 250,000 |
| Stablemate | Ace of Spades |
There is no separate Wikipedia article on the Hyper. This page uses the paragraph on the sporting models and the Ulster TT in the English article on Lea-Francis, so the account rests on one source.
History of the Lea-Francis Hyper
A sporting image began to appear at Lea-Francis from about 1925, and it produced models such as the Hyper and the Ace of Spades. The Hyper, also called the S-type, was the first British supercharged production car; its engine was a 1.5 litre unit from Meadows, fitted with a supercharger.
The model’s best-known result came in 1928, when a Lea-Francis Hyper won the Ulster TT. The race ran for 30 laps of the 13.5-mile (21.7 km) Ards circuit, laid out on public roads in Northern Ireland, and was driven by Kaye Don. A record 250,000 spectators watched the race, and the victory placed Lea-Francis firmly on the map.
The Hyper belongs to the years when Lea-Francis was also selling the Vulcan-built 14/40 and 16/60 and when the company was building a reputation for fast, light cars rather than large ones.
Design and features
- Supercharged engine: a 1.5 litre Meadows unit, the first such engine in a British production car.
- Racing success: victory in the 1928 Ulster TT on the Ards road circuit.
- Sporting image: the Hyper and the Ace of Spades established Lea-Francis as a maker of quick cars.
- Road-circuit racer: the TT was run over 30 laps of a 13.5-mile course on public roads.
Lea-Francis Hyper versions
- Hyper (S-type): the supercharged 1.5 litre model described here.
- Ace of Spades: the other sporting model that appeared from about 1925.
The sober side of the range in the same years is the Lea-Francis 14/40, and the later four-cylinder cars are covered by the Lea-Francis 14 hp. More cars are in the Lea-Francis collection.
Video: The Meadows 4ED and the Lea-Francis Hyper
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Lea-Francis, English Wikipedia: Hyper, S-type, Meadows engine, Ulster TT, Kaye Don
