The Other Four-and-a-Half

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Bentley, Vauxhall and Invicta all have one thing in common: Vintage 4½-litre sporting cars. The Le Mans success of Bentley is known by all and sundry, and there are plenty of people who will proclaim the 30-98 Vauxhall to be the finest car of the Vintage era. But what about the Invicta?

The ‘High Chassis’ 4½ Litre Invicta was not without its motorsport glories, as Donald Healey won two trophies for the small Cobham marque by completing the 1930 Austrian Alpine Trial and Alföld-Alpenfahrt without loss of marks. However, it was in the less glamorous realm of endurance driving that Invicta really shone. Under the ægis of Violette Cordery, Brooklands racer and sister-in-law of Invicta founder Noel Macklin, Invicta claimed dozens of endurance world records which twice earned it the Dewar Trophy. These feats included a round-the-world drive in just five months and being the first car to drive 30,000 miles in less than 30,000 minutes.

Reliability was one of the 4½ Litre’s great qualities; a really torquey engine was another. Macklin wanted to build cars for the discerning enthusiast, and reviews from the motoring press at the time gushed with praise. Zack Stiling makes the case for this overlooked masterpiece in the January issue of The Automobile, available now.

Photographs by James Lynch

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