Coincidentally http://theoldmotor.com/ just posted about the 1904 Gordon Bennett Napier racecar at http://theoldmotor.com/?p=26434
and also filled us in on the background of the GB Cup Race: James Gordon Bennett, the wealthy owner of the New York Herald newspaper in 1900 organized a race between teams, each representing their national automobile club. This for several years was the most important race of the year. The race was driven on public roads in the country of the previous winner. In 1902 the Gordon Bennett Trophy won by a British Napier. Auto Racing was not allowed on public roads in Great Britain, and the 1903 race was held in Ireland. Napier’s cars were painted green for this race, the national color of Ireland, in honor of the host country. Napier was as a result the first car that was painted in what we now refer to as “British Racing Green”.
found on http://books.google.com/books?id=zHnVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA544&dq=belgian++pipe&hl=en&ei=PchGTpqyGMapsAKPnrSSCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=belgian%20%20pipe&f=false
and also filled us in on the background of the GB Cup Race: James Gordon Bennett, the wealthy owner of the New York Herald newspaper in 1900 organized a race between teams, each representing their national automobile club. This for several years was the most important race of the year. The race was driven on public roads in the country of the previous winner. In 1902 the Gordon Bennett Trophy won by a British Napier. Auto Racing was not allowed on public roads in Great Britain, and the 1903 race was held in Ireland. Napier’s cars were painted green for this race, the national color of Ireland, in honor of the host country. Napier was as a result the first car that was painted in what we now refer to as “British Racing Green”.
found on http://books.google.com/books?id=zHnVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA544&dq=belgian++pipe&hl=en&ei=PchGTpqyGMapsAKPnrSSCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=belgian%20%20pipe&f=false
