Some of the most extraordinary cars ever built came from the early 20th Century, when talented engineers such as J G Parry-Thomas devised entirely original solutions to create remarkable vehicles. One notable car was the Leyland Eight, which was designed by Parry-Thomas to supersede Rolls-Royce’s Silver Ghost for luxury and power. Equipped with one of the earliest straight-eight engines with 7.2-litre capacity and an innovative chassis incorporating anti-roll bars, the Leyland Eight was extremely advanced.

Parry-Thomas amicably departed Leyland in 1922 to concentrate on building cars to compete at Brooklands and to break records. He took with him engines, parts, and chassis that were built into the Leyland-Thomas No.1, with a similar sister car No.2 completed later. Registered “TB 9025”, Parry-Thomas’s Leyland Eight was stripped of touring equipment in preparation for its first race appearance on 21 May 1922 at Brooklands. The following two years would involve several competitive outings, all aiding further development, resulting in the debut of the renamed Leyland-Thomas No.1 in 1924. The most obvious change was the bodywork—the radiator was lowered and tilted while the rest of the body was formed by aerodynamic understanding of the time, dramatically reducing drag.

During the 1924 and 1925 seasons, No.1 with Parry-Thomas proved to be virtually unbeatable. It set new Outer Circuit records at Brooklands, very nearly breaking the 130 mph barrier with a lap at 129.36 mph in 1925. Other successes arrived at venues including the Boulogne hillclimb, where it recorded the fastest climb for a car in 1924. Parry-Thomas continued to develop his special until his untimely passing while attempting to retake the Land Speed Record at the wheel of “Babs”. No.1 was then sold and raced successfully by John Cobb at Brooklands in 1927. It was then transformed into a road car before returning to Brooklands competition with Harry Mundy during the mid-1930s. Sadly, it suffered bomb damage during World War II and subsequently disappeared.

In the early 1990s, the current owner agreed a deal to acquire an original engine for the Leyland-Thomas No.1. This was still mounted to a numbered front crossmember—both items have been identified by Leyland and the Leyland Society as being used by Parry-Thomas. From what started as an awareness of the car became a 25-year obsession to accurately recreate the No.1 Special. An original Leyland Eight rear axle, coincidently fitted with a record-breaking ratio, so very likely a Parry-Thomas item, was acquired and later an original exhaust manifold, both of which were incorporated. Prints from the original drawings were made, allowing the majority of the chassis to be recreated by Julian Ghosh, while the body was produced by Western Coachworks of Mickleover.

During the last few years, this wonderful recreation has been proudly displayed at the Brooklands Museum. Not just a static exhibit, this car was demonstrated at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed, made multiple appearances at the Vintage Revival Montlhéry, Chateau Impney, and at Kop Hillclimb, where it competed in period. Importantly, it is accompanied by a number of spares including twin 42-mm Zenith carburettors, a set of wheels, and the original points, as it has been converted to electronic ignition.

Widely admired in the vintage car community, this incredible recreation of the Leyland-Thomas No.1 Special will be viewed in awe at any of the events it is eligible for and represents a remarkable car from a bygone era.