Ladbrook Engineering keeps historic car rolling

Built in 1899, the car in question is an early Panhard 8hp, believed to have been commissioned and built for Charles Rolls, who later went on to establish Rolls Royce. Over the past two years, the Panhard Team has been working to replace the complex radiator system that is required to cool the 2.5 litre engine. Determined to replicate the original design, the team had to create new engineering drawings and then find the necessary expertise to manufacture the parts. Ladbrook's role was to develop and manufacture the press tools for the gills - circular cooling elements that cover the entire length of the winding radiator pipe work. Gerry Turner, senior development engineer at Ladbrook Engineering, said: "The Victorians were great engineers and this particular part has a very complex geometry. In many ways, this was a very challenging design that absorbed us in many man-hours of engineering time. We are very pleased that the press tools work so well and are now available for future generations, should they need to rebuild the radiator in another 100 years or so." In addition to Ladbrook's contribution, the Panhard Team recruited support from Newmarket-based Beehive Coils for the manufacture of the main cooling pipework. In its day, the Panhard was at the leading edge of automotive design and one of the first cars to have its engine at the front. The car can be seen on display at the Gressenhall Museum of Norfolk Life.