The E-type's engine was born from brute-force engineering — Laurence Pomeroy bored out the old Prince Henry engine and stretched its crankshaft with a steam power hammer to lengthen the stroke.
Lead trim: 30-98 E 4.5 side-valve four (90 bhp at 3,000 rpm)
Vauxhall 30-98 E30-98-E · 1913–1922
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Vauxhall 30-98 E yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe E-type's engine was born from brute-force engineering — Laurence Pomeroy bored out the old Prince Henry engine and stretched its crankshaft with a steam power hammer to lengthen the stroke.
The Vauxhall 30–98 (chassis code E, best known as the Velox 4-seater tourer) is described as one of Britain's best-known sports cars and the last of the Edwardians, the first and perhaps the best British sports car. The first was built for car dealer and competitor Joseph Higginson, who won the Shelsley Walsh hill-climb on 7 June 1913 in it; Laurence Pomeroy bored out the Prince Henry's L-head side-valve engine by 3 mm and cold-stretched the crankshaft throws 5 mm (a disputed claim) to enlarge it to 4,525 cc, with a chain-driven camshaft and high-lift cams, on the Prince Henry chassis with a flat radiator and a narrow alloy four-seater body. Only 13 were made before the war (the last in 1915 for joint managing director Percy Kidner), and actual production began in 1919 (261 to 1922, 274 E in all). The name is believed to come from an output of 30 bhp at 1,000 rpm and 98 bhp at 3,000 rpm, or an RAC rating of 30 with a 98 mm bore, or from a heavier, slower Mercedes 38/90. The manufacturer guaranteed a racing-trim car could lap Brooklands at 100 mph. The engine produced 90 bhp at 3,000 rpm; chassis wheelbase 114 in, track 54 in, a four-speed right-hand-change gearbox and a 3.08:1 straight-cut bevel rear axle, mechanical brakes with a transmission brake and front-wheel brakes only from late 1923 (Bowden cable, hydraulic from 1926). It cost £1,125 as a chassis and £1,475 with the Velox body at the 1919 launch, £1,676 in 1920 and £1,300 in 1921 after the slump.
Collectors Spotted in the Vauxhall 30-98 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Vauxhall 30-98 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-98 E 4.5 side-valve four (90 bhp at 3,000 rpm) | 1913–1922 | 4.5 L Inline-4 | 90 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Vauxhall's 30-98 OE came with a factory guarantee: it could lap Brooklands at 100mph. Some buyers refused to hand over their money until they'd watched it happen.
The E-type's engine was born from brute-force engineering — Laurence Pomeroy bored out the old Prince Henry engine and stretched its crankshaft with a steam power hammer to lengthen the stroke.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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