--- title: Downton Abbey Backstory: Real Photos of 1920s Auto Racing description: Car culture in the U.K. was full speed ahead canonical: https://time.com/4185822/brooklands-photos/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-25T12:00:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:50:33.057Z article:section: History og:title: Downton Abbey Backstory: Real Photos of 1920s Auto Racing og:description: Car culture in the U.K. was full speed ahead og:url: https://time.com/4185822/brooklands-photos/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt173cf2bca1281325/698879a2a988ca6f376b62d2/160119-brooklands-racing-england-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Brooklands Racing 1920s og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Downton Abbey Backstory: Real Photos of 1920s Auto Racing twitter:description: Car culture in the U.K. was full speed ahead twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt173cf2bca1281325/698879a2a988ca6f376b62d2/160119-brooklands-racing-england-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See Amazing Photos of Real _Downton_\-Era Auto Racing > Sponsored content. 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Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) Jan 25, 2016 12:00 PM UTC  Motor meeting at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. Competitor Ivy Cummings and her mother in their racing car. April 1920. Motor meeting at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. Competitor Ivy Cummings and her mother in their racing car. April 1920.Topical Press Agency—Getty Images by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) Jan 25, 2016 12:00 PM UTC On Sunday night’s episode of _Downton Abbey_, former chauffeur Tom Branson revealed that one of the few groups of people of whom he’s jealous are those Royal Automobile Club drivers who got to race at Brooklands. And, looking at these photos of real 1920s Brooklands racers, it’s not hard to see why. “In no other country are motorists so admirably self-disciplined,” TIME [declared](http://time.com/vault/issue/1934-11-26/page/21/) in 1934\. “Over 5,000 neatly uniformed service men of the Automobile Association and Royal Automobile Club ceaselessly patrol the Kingdom’s roads. They informally direct traffic when necessary, supply information, carry first aid kits and minor spare parts, change tires and make small repairs for members of the A.A. or R.A.C. and salute smartly whenever a member’s car flashes by.” But not everything was law and order at the R.A.C.: as one reader [pointed out ](http://time.com/vault/issue/1934-12-10/page/6/)in a follow-up letter, that “smart salute” was not mere courtesy, but rather a pre-radar way to warn drivers about approaching speed traps.  Motor meeting at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey. Competitor Ivy Cummings and her mother in their racing car. April 1920. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Motor race, Brooklands, Surrey, 1920s. A large field closely bunched together. On the right, one of the competitors appears to have spun. National Motor Museum/Heritage Images—Getty Images  Crowds at a motor meet at the Brooklands racetrack in Weybridge, Surrey. Circa 1920. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Singer 10 at Brooklands, Surrey, circa 1921. National Motor Museum/Heritage Images—Getty Images  A racing commentator broadcasting over a public address system at Brooklands Race Track. August 1922. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Filling up a Spyker car during a record breaking run by Selwyn F Edge on the Brooklands circuit. Edge averaged 74.27 mph in his Maybach engined Spyker to beat his own previous 24 hour record set up in 1907\. July 1922. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Scouts tearing the sheets of 'laps to go' off the scoreboard for the Junior Car 250 Mile Race at Brooklands. August 1922. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Spectators at Brooklands motor-racing track, Surrey, relaxing in the sunshine. June 1922. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Louis Zborowski at the wheel of Chitty Bang Bang I, Brooklands, 1922\. With a burst tire after reaching a speed of 125mph. National Motor Museum/Heritage Images—Getty Images  Cars lined up at the starting line for the 3-lap 100 mph Long Handicap race at the Brooklands Whitsun meeting. From front to rear - a Wolseley Moth, Bertram Marshall's Type 13 Brescia Bugatti, Horstmann, GN, Wolseley 15hp. Also shown are a Nagarro, a Bentley and a Star. May 1923. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Women's fashions at a Brooklands Race meeting. January 1923. Hulton Archive—Getty Images  Miss Nicoll doing a brake test at Brooklands, Surrey, England. March 1923. Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  Members of the London Ladies Motor Club, including Sir Malcolm Campbell's wife (fifth from left), at Brooklands race track where they are competing in the first ever British motor cycling race for women. January 1925. Fox Photos—Getty Images  J G Parry Thomas in his Thomas Special winner of the Brooklands Presidents Gold Plate. August 1925. MacGregor/Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  58 light cars starting the 100 miles high speed reliability trials at Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, England. May 1925. MacGregor/Topical Press Agency—Getty Images  J G Parry Thomas testing his racing car 'Babs' at Brooklands. April 1926. E. Bacon—Getty Images  Race car drivers competing in the British Grand Prix race of 327 miles at the Brooklands race track, London, England, October 11, 1927. Underwood Archives—Getty Images  Racing drivers run to their cars as a race begins at Brooklands. June 1939. Fox Photos—Getty Images  A Bentley Speed Six takes part in the Double Twelve race at Brooklands, circa 1929. Hulton Archive—Getty Images  The British racing driver Violette Cordery on the Brooklands race track. August 1929. 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