Sunbeam Nautilus and Toodles II Racing Cars
Racing Cars from the Pioneering Age of Motoring
Dec 31, 2008
In the years preceding the First World War racing car design was still very much in its infancy. The opening of the impressive Brooklands circuit in England gave designers the chance to experiment with their cars in race conditions. It was the first closed course racing circuit in the world. Many car companies produced outlandish designs in the quest for improvement, and Sunbeam was no different. Their early attempts at building racing cars were not entirely successful but, in time, the company went on to produce some classic machines.
The Sunbeam company was just a decade old when Louis Hervé Coatelen joined in 1909. Coatelen had trained as an engineer in France before working for Panhard, Clement, De Dion Bouton and Humber. He then became a partner in the Hillman-Coatelen car company, before selling his shares and joining Sunbeam.
Coatelen Unveils the “Nautilus” Racing Car
Coatelen realised that success on the racetrack could convert into success in the showroom. In March 1910 his racing car “Nautilus” appeared for the first time, at the Brooklands circuit in Surrey. The car was dramatically styled, in an early attempt at streamlining. Its pointed nose was made of brass, as was the tail section.
“Nautilus” was powered by a 4.2 litre four cylinder engine, with four valves per cylinder. Although the car was fast it suffered constant overheating, due to the only air intake being a very small hole in the nose. The car featured two radiators, one in the nose and the other behind the driver’s seat, which received no cooling at all.
An Improved Racing Car Design
Despite its shortcomings Coatelen learned valuable lessons from “Nautilus” and, in 1911, unveiled its replacement, the more conventionally styled “Toodles II.” The car owed its curious name to Coatelen’s wife, Olive. “Toodles” was a pet name he called her.
“Toodles II” featured a smaller, lighter 3.2 litre engine and was a vast improvement over Nautilus. The engine produced 63 hp at 2,600 rpm.During 1911 Coatelen won 22 prizes while driving the car at Brooklands. On one occasion he managed to average just under 80 mph over 10 laps of the steeply banked circuit. Coatelen paid great attention to detail, taking care to balance the wheels before a race, an unusual practise for the time.
Coatelen’s contribution to Sunbeam was recognised in 1912, when he was given a seat on the company’s Board of Directors. He had laid the foundations for the great racing success which Sunbeam enjoyed in the following years.
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