Brakes? What brakes? 1903 Napier is alarmingly brisk - HubNut Goes Veteran! 

What an exciting motor car! In 1903 it must have seemed like a spaceship.

Mr Toad’s love of driving furiously springs to mind.

I remember reading an 'Autocar' magazine report in this car in the early 1970s, when it was merely 70 years old. They were equally impressed by it. They commented on its ability to spin the tyres, leaving wierdly narrow rubber marks.

Very good Ian. Just one correction; the red flag was abolished with the introduction of the Locomotives on Highways Act 1896, which came into force on 14th November 1896. The requirement to have a chap walking ahead waving a red flag was abolished, along with the 4mph speed limit, with a new 14mph speed limit in place for vehicles under 3 tons. The speed limit was increased to 20mph in the Motor Car Act 1903.

Napier of course who went on to produce all manner of remarkable engines, the W12 Lion, H24 Sabre, and the 18 cylinder two stroke opposed piston Deltic. They always loved a big complicated engine

119 years old and can still get a fair old trot on!

Somewhere in the UK there is a 1905 Fiat Isotta-Fraschini with a 16.5L engine out of a WW1 Airship and the owner doesn't get very long out of the tyres. That is very fast and has so much torque as well. Hopefully you get to drive it one day.

Wonderful to see this Ian, and glad you got the opportunity! Fantastic to see the Napier in action, and some wonderful memories too. Those are two familiar faces I knew at the museum back in 2000 when I did my school "work experience" there. Mike, the chap with the stick, was a keen motorcyclist and rode in on a BMW sidecar outfit year-round, and the Engineer who drove you in the Napier kindly took me for a brisk spin around the grounds in the Blower Bentley 4 1/2, which was a heck of an experience and was in lieu of a ride in their BMW Isetta which was due to go out, but thwarted by mechanical problems!

Doing the London to Brighton in a 1903 Oldsmobile this year... can't wait for this to blast past us 😅

Wow! Incredible - 7.7 litres, 4 cylinders and 50hp! It looks absolutely beautiful and what amazing engineering, and all done 119 years ago!! It also shifts!

Wow, I'm very jealous! That must have been a fantastic experience. Had a surprising turn of speed too 😲

The drivers who raced these cars were brave souls. Napier however went on to make my favourite sounding engine ever fitted in a diesel locomotive, the Deltic.

Your visit to Beaulieu continues to treat us. Thanks so much to the staff for allowing this to happen for our enjoyment. It had me LOL at times and amazed at others.

*What a cracking bit of kit, the many stitch repairs to the block brought back a few (unpleasant) memories for me, thanks for featuring a real oldie*

The sound of those huge early engines was a masterpiece in and of itself

No wonder motorcars costed a fortune in those days. Looking at the way they were built. Absolute top quality materials and engineering.

Marvellous! Amazing that it still runs despite the block being stitched up. (@ 1:15)

Absolutely fascinating video! What I find interesting is it had the same amount of gears as my 1st car but there's 75 years between them.

I love the old school repairs to the cracks in the engine block

Wow what an experience👍 "Gordon Bennett! it was brisk" The men who raced it really were Boys Own annual hero's.

What a brutalo machine. And everything around in British Green. Thanks to you Ian and the Museum guys for showing us this wonderful piece of technic.

Fantastic! Great to see this kind of content. I am on the London to Brighton this year and looking forward to seeing the Napiers, or most likely, the cloud of dust in their wake!

50hp in 1903 - wow. And now we all know where ISO took the idea for the powerdome on the Grifo...😎

...and I thought TWC was terrifying, this is a whole other level of scary - I love it!

Wow, I feel your nervous excitement. What a drive, what a car. Completely bonkers and yet utterly brilliant.

Although mechanically unrelated, this wonderful car sounds remarkably like a Napier Deltic locomotive when passing the camera. A real thumper.

A lot of torque at low revs, a modern engine can learn from that. The riders of the past were very brave, although they didn't realize it at the time.

Definitely not a hubnut car though...no wipers! Seriously, what an experience. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Can't underestimate the work they done to pave the way for modern cars.

what a delightful cacophony of sounds

Quite lovely 🌹. Makes my '24 Ford(1924 👀😂) look quite 'modern!' 🇬🇧🇬🇧 🚗🚗.

Top of your game again! Thank you.

Literally a one of the magnificent men and their Flying machine .

Loving this mini series of road-tests from Beaulieu, thanks 👍

Gordon Bennett! It’s the birth of British Racing Green! A fabulous treat, and some fascinating views of the workings too. Poop Poop!

What a beauty. At that rate, she should do London to Brighton in about 90 minutes!

Watching that start procedure, then all the mechanicals in full flow........ it was almost hypnotic!

You could easily commute in such motor car every day in the summertime. Imagine when you go with 80 mph on the M1

Another great video - thank you!

Well done getting a ride in this piece of motoring history ⭐️

Fantastic video!!! Thanks so much!

Great new content Ian, you are definitely onto something with these veteran car videos!

Brilliant car and video, thanks!

Thanks for sharing Ian 😊👍

Amazing video! Historic cars really don't get enough exposure to current generations

Driver + on-board mechanic ! Good idea . Must have been a great one-time experience riding in it.

Fantastic content Ian! Well done.

What a Lucky Chap you are. My Face is as Green as that Beautiful Beastie, Green with Envy..!! You can see why the Cap and Goggles were worn in or on a Car like that. A true Wonder of Early transportation..!! Great Video thanks for Taking us along. Cheers All. Kim in Oz. 😎

Fantastic! So British. So Heath-Robinson. Love it!!

Excellent 👍 thanks Ian. I'm a repeat visitor, fantastic collection. That ignition system looks like I could recreate it from parts I sweep up from my garage floor. Proper heroes back then!

Wow, another great video - I felt the same - vulnerable sitting so high up when I had a go in a mates model t recently - it’s so nice to see these museum pieces actually driving. Can’t imagine doing 70 in it! Jeepers!! Love the details you give - the ignition is fascinating as well as the suction inlet valves - what a great idea. Enjoyed this - thanks Ian

Look quite sprightly. Marvellous little machine.

Fascinating and lovely machine, thanks for sharing.

Well this video is simply stunning. So few moments here and there to see those early 1900's cars moving.

Great video sir

Astounding!

Wow what an amazing experience!

Amazing, proper hubnut

Rather scary looking thing given it picks up that quick, but pretty impressive at the same time, amazing old beast... :D I presume that this Napier was the same that created the Napier deltic engines too?

Absolutely brilliant video Ian 👍Absolutely beautiful car I'm amazed with the speech of it I'd be terrified of driving that on the road uncase it was hit brilliant

Incredible & how technology has advanced. My KA+ is a quarter the size yet produces 20 more BHP. Really enjoyable thanks Ian.

This is what I love to see. Great video. The description 'analogue' is too modern to describe that car. The 'back in the room' outro was amusing as well.

I am Napier Green with envy!

Pure Gold.

Good to see you the other day And good to see you enjoyed your drive Michael

Most enjoyable Ian what a great machine.

Great video. What a car and what a time. You hear of southern softies but I think this car deserves everyone, everywhere, ever softies!

A *Throttle* is the speed regulator on: a) motor-bikes, b) steam locomotive engines, c diesel locomotive engines, d) electric locomotive engines. An automobile's speed regulator is an *Accelerator Pedal!*

Incredible motor!

What magnificent condition! It runs extremely well!

That car was amazing and thrilling to watch.

Great car more like this please

Quite possibly the only Hubnut video with no mention of windscreen wipers!

I have seen cars dating as Far as 1926, However this is on another Level, Even though you where not allowed to Drive it. To just Get a Ride in it must of been an Experience you will not forget anytime soon. Fantastic!

Here's hoping the weather plays ball for this years VCC run, I can't think of much worse than 52 mile to Brighton sea front (measured from the former site of the Charing Cross, now on Trafalgar Square as all distances from London are, not the start in Hyde Park) in near sub zero temperatures or pouring rain in an open vehicle.

Fascinating video thank you 👍

Real car lovers enjoy all eras of vehicles. Thank you Ian for these videos.

Excellent video Ian. I really enjoyed this. I didn't used to like veteran cars but now I'm a little older, they're really starting to appeal. Please see if you can get a ride in a steam car sometime. Keep up the good work.

Fantastic fun!

More veteran and veteran car reviews please.

Really enjoyed this one Ian.......what a fabulous car, i think it looks relatively 'modern' for a 1903 car - a very pretty thing, and seems to have plenty of power too. Fantastc.

Excellent drive .

Looks like some stitching on the block of the number 4 cylinder, probably a repair from long, long ago

That is one amazing car

Fantastic machine, thanks for sharing this experience. It seems the poor old girl has suffered quite some frost damage but as always cold metal stitching only adds to the beauty, I've had a few blocks done in this way and like to leave the artwork exposed.

another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

My word, what a wonderful video Ian. I think you are more daring than I being a passenger at speed possibly with harsh language required to assist the brakes. And that's from someone who taught themselves to ride motorcycles four decades ago although it may well have been said in those times I just might have been a tad bonkers, probably still am.

what a beauty.

Amazing !

That's about as naked as a car can get. Very fast for 1903 and has so much torque.

That’s impressive for its year.

What a car! Yikes! I've been on the bus though, many years ago when we vivited the museum. Lovely place. We also had a chat with Lady Montagu, lovely lady.

I would imagine that with such long updraft intake runners, priming cups were indeed indispensable. Here I was, thinking Yamaha had pioneered 5 valve heads with the 1984 FZ750 and Cadillac pioneered the modern pedal layout in 1916... So, what are the chances of HubNut hitching a ride in the London to Brighton run ?

It´s a F1 csr from 1903.. What a beast. Great content.

These veterans are just terrifyingly exciting be in.

You lucky lucky man I'd love to have a go in that.

Terrific video of an amazing machine. I have long heard about the museum at Beaulieu, but have yet to get there. I have wanted to see the London to Brighton run since I was a kid and saw Genevieve for the first time. The first of many, to be honest. The oldest cars I have personally seen driving are a 1909 Viking which was a picture car on Murdoch Mysteries, and a 1912 bright red Ford Model T that is used as a grocery getter here in Barrie in decent weather. The T is an open Tourer, and is still owned by the family of the man who bought her new. The bright red is the original colour. The car was built in the Ford factory at what is now the Shopper's World Plaza in Scarborough, Ontario. The factory was late getting an assembly line so colours were available a lot longer than examples in the US

Ive been lucky enough to drove a Ford T....but seriously this Napier look even more vicious to drive. Brave man and they're crazy machines. 😎

What a amazing vehicle the Napier is to think how far we have come with the car 7.7 litres producing 50bhp to say a 1.0 producing 140bhp.

WhAt a beautiful engine.