1903 Gordon Bennett Cup Elimination Trial, Great Britain

Posted July 19, 2025

After S.F.Edge won the 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup in his Napier, the duty of hosting the 1903 Cup fell to Great Britain. It was decided that out of three local contenders, two will be nominated by Napier while the third will be decided at an Elimination Trial. As racing on public roads was forbidden, the Duke of Portland stepped up again and offered Welbeck Park as a location to host the trial.

The Clipsone Gate entrance to the course. Mark Mayhew is waiting for the word “Go”.

The Trial took place on Saturday, 25 April, when “perfect weather” was experienced. In addition to plenty of Napier cars and a sole Wolseley, a newcomer also appeared: Star from Birmingham.

Napier

A new, 7.7-litre 45-hp Napier was built for the 1903 season. At the Trial J.W. Stocks, Mark Mayhew and the Hon. Charles Rolls raced against each other.

Star

Star Motor Co. grew out of Edward Lisle’s bicycle manufacturing company in Birmingham in 1896. First they offered licence built Benz cars, and then developed their own model line. Boosted by the news of the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup being held in Great Britain, John Lisle, Edward’s son who ran the car company decided to build the first Star racing car. The two-seater had a 80hp. four-cylinder engine, with overhead inlet valves and side chain drive.

John Lisle jr. and his mechanic during the Trial

Wolseley

A Wolseley showed up driven by Lieut. Mansfield Smith-Cunning. However he was not able to participate in the Trials.

The Trial

There were two legs of the Trial: a speed run at the Welbeck estate on Clipstone road and a hill-climb at the Dashwood Hill on Monday, 27 April.

At Clipstone each car had to run three times over the flying kilometre downward and three times upward, the same arragement being subsequently followed by the standing mile. Apparently the Star was “over-geared” and the 3000 or so spectators saw that the Napiers were much faster, with Stocks driving most consistently.
On Monday at Dashwood Hill tests commenced at 4 AM. By 7.30 AM “High Wycombe main street was as peaceful again as though nothing more than a four-horse coach had ever stirred its placid calm.

Eventually Stocks was chosen to be the third driver.