This new book is the culmination of forty years research into the Zborowski family which began in 1660 when a young Polish émigré, Albert Sabriskie, fled from Poland to the New World seeking a better life than that existing in Poland at that time.  He arrived in New Amsterdam (New York) almost penniless but young and strong and able to work hard to survive.  He started by obtaining title to some land in New Jersey which after a few years yielded enough profit to buy more land. He married and had four sons that grew up in their father’s mould, working hard on the land, buying more land and becoming wealthy in the process.

One son, Christian, also married and had four sons who followed the family tradition and became affluent farmers.  The next three generations continued the enlargement of the Zabriskie/Sabriskie land holdings, extending their purchases into the burgeoning Manhattan.

Martin Zabriskie was born in 1810 and proved adept as a young man at real estate business becoming exceedingly asset rich.  He also researched his background and learned that there were two old Polish families bearing the name Zborowski that had joined in the 18th century and the head of the family earned the title “Count” from the Polish king.  Martin decided that Sabriskie/Zabriskie was only a corruption of Zborowski and decreed in his will that his son Elliott should adopt the spelling Zborowski and assume the courtesy title ‘Count’.  When Martin died in 1876 the newspapers reported his fortune as “over $40,000,000” – a gross exaggeration although he was certainly a millionaire with vast properties in New Jersey, Manhattan, and France.

Elliott was 23 years old when he inherited more than one third of his father’s estates and was a wealthy young man who had no interests in his property and business, but simply sought a life of pleasure.  He loved horses and hunted in Long Island, Ireland and England before marrying the wealthy divorcée Margaret, Baroness de Stuers immediately after her acrimonious divorce from the Dutch diplomat  She was also the grand-daughter of the millionaire William Backhouse Astor and almost as well endowed as her new husband.

As the Victorian era ended so Elliott lost interest in horses and hunting and found new challenges with the embryonic motor car.  He started with a De Dion tricycle, before moving on to a Daimler Phoenix with four wheels. Prompted by Emil Jellinek the Daimler company produced an excellent motor car, the 40 hp Mercédès.  Elliott raced one in the 1902 Paris to Vienna event, arriving second at the finish in the Prater Park.  He followed this with fourth place in the 318 mile Circuit des Ardennes in Belgium in the same Mercédès. The die was caste. In April 1903 he entered the hill climb event in the South of France that involved an uphill race from Nice to La Turbie on the dangerous Corniche Road.  Despite being warned that it wasn’t a good idea, he nevertheless persisted in taking part. He was the fifth driver to be flagged away, but only a quarter of a mile from the start line he failed to make the first left hand bend and his car crashed headlong into the rock face.  Elliott was thrown forwards out of the car and died of massive head injuries after striking the rock face.  His riding mechanic, the Baron Albert de Pallange was seriously injured and the Mercédès was totally destroyed.

Elliott’s son Louis was just eight years old when his father died. He grew up in the knowledge of his father’s motoring exploits and wanted to drive a Mercédès in competition for the manufacturers, when he was old enough.  When his mother died in July 1911 the quiet, shy 16 year old became Count Zborowski and inherited his parents’ fortune.  He was soon buying motorcars and building up a circle of like-minded young men who enjoyed driving around the country to the various social events. The Great War intervened and, unable to join the armed forces, Louis threw his home open to his boyhood friends who were now commissioned officers in the Army and the Royal Flying Corps.  When hostilities ceased he married a showgirl and began building his own large cars for racing, mainly at Brooklands. The cars, of which there were four, all had very old chassis carrying large capacity aeroplane engines of around 20 litres capacity, driving through chains to the rear wheels. The first two were Chitty Bang Bang and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Driving such behemoths was no way to attract Mercédès interest so he financed the Aston Martin company which was building one and a half litre, light sport/racing cars. This, Louis believed, was the way to race and win and gain a reputation. Three years later, in 1924, his ambition was realised.  He was offered the chance to drive the fourth car in Mercédès entry for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in October. During the race he had problems with his car which he and Len Martin, his riding mechanic, worked on. Finally they got the car sorted and started off into lap 44 a long way behind the rest of the field. Louis was driving to the limit of his ability when, on the Lesmo Curve, he lost control and crashed.  Len Martin was thrown out of the car and escaped with only a sprained ankle. Louis suffered fatal head and chest injuries. His body was returned to England to be buried in the family grave at Burton Lazars, Leicestershire.  His wife later married Paris (Pat) Singer, of the sewing machine dynasty, but she never had any children. Louis was the last of his line of the Sabriskie/Zborowski family, but his home in Kent and many of his cars still survive.



Most people have seen the film “Chitty Bang Bang”, but only a few know the story behind the real car. This book is that story.
 
“The Zborowski Inheritance” is 384 pages, in A5 format, soft back, with around 30 photographs, many of which have never been published before. Its retail price is £8.95 plus p&p. To place an order please email David Paine at david.paine176@btinternet.com.