Nota was founded by Guy Buckingham, an Englishman by birth. Guy's first introduction to things mechanical was at a much smaller level. The family business was in jewellery with a special emphasis of timepieces and clocks. To this day Guy Buckingham remains a member of the Royal Horological Society. Guy was suitably trained in the family business and went to work maintaining customers' clocks. World War Two intervened, which saw him in the Royal Air Force working in aircraft maintenance.
The RAF recognised Guy's talents and he was sent to study aeronautical engineering, a knowledge that he was to be put to very good use in the years to come.
War's end saw Guy back in the family business, but like so many ex-servicemen he had developed a liking for motoring. With England in such austere circumstance after the war and cars in short supply Guy became involved in the construction of a couple of cars during the 1940s.
However, Guy was determined to make his mark in the automotive industry and by early 1952 he had completed his very first car, christened the Arnold (our mystery car). Like many such post WW2 cars it was Austin 7 based and styled very much on the mud-plugger type of vehicle favoured for the English style trials so popular during the era.
Guy's determination to make his life in the automotive industry caused the inevitable friction in the family. So to achieve his chosen path in life he moved to Australia. Luckily there was already an uncle living in Sydney who worked as a specialist repairer of Jaguar and Rover vehicles and so the young Guy found ready employment in his new abode. The uncle also had a Shell outlet in the Sydney suburb of Summer Hill with a large workshop attached. So it didn't take long for Guy to set up shop and the first Australian built Nota rolled out the door in 1955.
What’s in a Name? We often reflect on the origins of names and the Nota name is no different. However, while it would be nice to say that the name has its roots in some tale of derring-do, it’s all rather simple. By this time Guy’s son, Christopher, had arrived on the scene and having a father rather involved in the automotive world the term ‘motor car’ was often used around the home. Young Chris, who features rather heavily in later years, had trouble getting his tongue around the word ‘motor’ and it kept coming out as ‘noter’. Guy liked what he heard and shortened it a little to Nota, and so the name was launched.
Much more information here:
http://www.notasportscars.com/Quin_Article.html
