Photo of the rare ERA E Type entered by Leslie Johnson for the 1950 British GP at Silverstone - the very first world championship points scoring race. The E Type was a 1939 car developed by the Bourne-based team as their final effort to dominate the Voiturette class (the F2/GP2 of it's day). Sadly the car appeared just as the teams finances were about to implode and there was never enough money to develope it properly.
Post-war the two cars built were raced in what had become the new Formula 1 class and despite showing ocassinal potential against their pre-war rivals, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, they were never reliable and seldom driven by top line drivers. Results were few and far between.
Leslie Johnson was the force behind the team in the 40s and 50s but he suffered ill health and was said to carry a box a pills with him when racing in case his inherent heart condition flared up! He famously suffered a heart attack while driving in the Monte Carlo Rally a few years later and persueded his co-driver to take over the wheel and keep on driving to Monte, and the finish, rather than to the nearest hosipital....which he did and the car was part of the team prize winners squad.
In the British GP of 1950 the car was mid-grid but retired on lap two when the supercharger burst into flames...which it often did!.The sister car opf Walker & Rolt (sharing the drive) was out on lap 5...
10x7 inch (254x178mm)
