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Danny Lee

Heavy security will be in force as classic car fans get to see one of the most iconic - and valuable - vehicles in motoring history next month when the Napier-Railton makes its first visit to Asia.
The 24-litre endurance racing car, which dates to 1933 and is considered a national treasure in Britain, will be the star attraction at the Hong Kong Classic motoring festival.
The event will feature more than 100 heritage cars and motorcycles, but the highlight is expected to be a chance to see the Napier-Railton, which racked up 50 world records in its first five years, roar to life around the Central harbourfront.
David Riach, founder and managing director of the Hong Kong Classic, described the arrival as a coup for Hong Kong.
"It's going to be a raw experience, something that's not been in Hong Kong before," he said.
"When the car starts, there is going to be a sweet kind of petrol smell in the air, and the car is going to snap, crackle and pop a little bit when it is first started up.
"The sound and smell will be quite different to a modern car wafting past you," he continued. "It will definitely grab your attention - the sight, sound and smell.
"We want everybody to get the opportunity to hear it and see it."
The car has its own security detail 24 hours a day, and will be secured overnight at an undisclosed location.
According to Britain's Goodwood racetrack website, "This rare breed is a car so staggering it's impossible to reconcile yourself to the fact that it's more than 80 years old, such is its engineering effectiveness, not to mention physical presence, power output and soundtrack."
Valued at some HK$100 million, the car is owned by the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, England. Among the car's many achievements is a world 24-hour speed record of 143.44 miles per hour (231km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States in 1936. A track record at the Brooklands Outer Circuit, set by British racing driver and fighter pilot John Cobb, stood until the circuit's closure in 1939.
The Hong Kong Classic is open to invited guests on October 9 and to the public for the following two days at the Central harbourfront events space.


Roaring to life: Britain's famous Napier-Railton racing car to make its Asian debut at Hong Kong Classic

The iconic 24-litre racing car is a British treasure. Photo: SMP Pictures

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