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The true story of
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Story by Bob Hollingsbee

EWS that Highland Court, off the A2

between Dover and Canterbury, is

up for sale recalls a remarkable story

>f four amazing cars and their equally
emarkable builder and driver.

Highland Court — originally Higham Court — was

he home for many years of the wealthy and ~-‘

xtrovert Count Louis Zborowski who inherited a
:10 million plus fortune when he was 16, his mother

eing a member of the wealthy American Astor :

amily.

The brave count developed a taste for excitement
— and powerful cars and railway engines.

Eventually he owned about 30 cars. became a
:under of the Aston Martin Motor Company and
egan building a 15 inch gauge miniature railway on
is estate at Bridge.

in the twenties he thought nothing of inviting
uests to choose one of his sports cars — a Benz,
iispano-Suiza. Mercedes or Chitty-Bang-Bang —
nd go for a road race to Dover.

There were no fewer than three of the huge
eroplane engined Chitty-Bang-Bangs — a replica

 

Chitty-Ba

WHEELS

s ..

of which, named Chi'lty. Chitry, Bang, Bang, earned
film fame — and a fourth if you count the last built car
which was christened Higham Special, with a mas-
sive 27-litre V12 Liberty aircraft engine.

Chittylwas built in 1921, with a 23-litre Maybach
engine; it lapped Britain's Brooklands banked racing
track at 113mph. Chitty // had an 18,882cc Benz
engine believed to be out of an airship.

Chitfy /// sported a modest 14.7 litre Mercedes
power unit and the count and his friends took this
and Chitty llon a trip across France to Africa.

Captain, later Lt-Colonel. Clive Gallop did most of
the building work for the count and with Chifty II
mounted the engine back to front in the chassis and
converted her to dry sump lubrication to get enough
ground clearance. the propeller shaft being con-
nected to a Mercedes clutch.

The count acquired an interest in the Canterbury
carriage building firm of Bligh Bros, in St. Radi-
gund's Street. They built the bodywork for Chitt_v-
Bang-Bang and maintained the counts racing cars.

Sadly the count's exploits came to an abrupt stop
when he was killed racing a Mercedes at the Italian
Grand Prix at Monza in 1924.

But work on the Higham Special went on in an

'-K‘ .
‘.3 -,$.

  

Chitty I, with Count Louis Zborowski in the driving seat, pictured in the paddock at Brooklands.

attempt to beat the world land speed record. The car
was bought by Parry Thomas. He modified and
renamed the car Babs but was killed making the
record bid on the sands at Pendine.

Captain John Howey, a millionaire and fellow
Brooklands racer who became a close friend of the
count, bought Chitry / after the count's death. He
built the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch miniature
railway in the mid 1920s.

Chirty/changed hands a number of times before,
sadly. being broken up after plans by John Morris to
use the gearbox in his 200hp Benz. Chilty I/I
disappeared in the 19305 but Chitry II, which was
bought by C Merrick Fowler for £825 with a spare
engine, survives.

She was later owned by Dover garage owner Billy
Hollis, from the early 1930s to the Second World
War, but was left tying derelict in a field for about ten
years after breaking a half-shaft in 1935.

Rescued by Peter Harris-Mayes, Chitty /I was
extensively restored over a ten year period and once
more took to the Canterbury road. Eventually she
was sold at auction in 1969, for £16,500. to Harry
Ftesnick, of Ellensville, New York. and became one
of the centrepieces of an American motor museum.

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