Competition cars had plied their ton-up wares at tracks such as Brooklands since the Edwardian era, but they were pared-down beasts making no concessions to road use. Replicating such high speeds in a car wearing number plates and full bodywork would be quite another thing.
Vauxhall was a company at the forefront of performance engineering, its C-10 Prince Henry model of 1911 already acknowledged as the first true production sports car. And it was because of that reputation that businessman Joseph Higginson approached company seniors in late 1912, asking them to build an unbeatable roadgoing car to compete in hill climbs. Using a development of the A10 engine, famed Vauxhall technical director Laurence Pomeroy created a car with the lightest-possible running gear and bodywork. Known as the 30-98 E-type and rated at 85mph - an extraordinary speed, pre-WW1 - the car was delivered to Higginson in 1913, and soon afterwards he set a 55.2 secs time at Shelsley Walsh, a record that stood for eight years.
The potential for still more performance was evident, though. Pomeroy's post-war successor at Vauxhall, CE King, was soon to develop an overhead-valve pushrod engine for the 30-98, reducing its capacity by 301cc to 4224cc, but increasing power from 98 to 115bhp. The origins of the model's name are always debated, with both its initial output and bore size being 98bhp and 98mm respectively. However, the Vauxhall-published book Vauxhall 1857-1946 suggests 30' was for the projected bhp at 1000rpm, and '98' for the original output, the name retained even after it increased.
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RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison