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A small green one from Allan L: Cowell & Watson Lea-Francis

Started by Allan L, May 14, 2007, 04:15:37 PM

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Allan L

Now here is an interesting car:
You might not think so, but if you can name the make and the company (named after its two owners) that made this version, you may understand why I do.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

GRAYWOLF

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun."-Patrick Henry

grobmotorix

Is this the Zora Arkus Duntov Allard, based on an Allard J2X?

Allan L

Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Allan L

Quote from: grobmotorix on May 15, 2007, 01:41:38 AM
Is this the Zora Arkus Duntov Allard, based on an Allard J2X?
No it's not
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

D-type

Duncan Rollo

The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

Allan L

Quote from: D-type on May 15, 2007, 03:57:44 PM
Lea Francis ?   :)
Yes it is.
Now for the rest of the solution . . .  ;)
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

D-type

The car looks too low to be prewar and the postwar cars generally had an all enveloping body.  So I will guess that it was a one-off car rebodied as a cycle winged 'one-and-a-half seater'  sports/racer
Duncan Rollo

The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

Allan L

Quote from: D-type on May 16, 2007, 05:24:06 PM
The car looks too low to be prewar and the postwar cars generally had an all enveloping body.  So I will guess that it was a one-off car rebodied as a cycle winged 'one-and-a-half seater'  sports/racer
Your analysis of pre-war vs. post-war is correct so far as it goes.
This was offered by a specialist company and although limited in numbers at least one other survives. The builders and the car were written up in The Autocar at the time.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

D-type

Duncan Rollo

The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

Allan L

Opinionated but sometimes wrong

GRAYWOLF

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun."-Patrick Henry

Allan L

Quote from: GRAYWOLF on May 18, 2007, 12:12:05 AM
is it a rebodied 12.9?
not a 12.9 and rather more than just rebodied
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Allan L

Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Allan L

One of the partners in the firm that made it raced an Alta when he was young and wrote a biography when she was a bit older.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Otto Puzzell

Lea Francis - Spécial Sport, circa 1946. More than that, I do not know.
You wanna be the man, you gotta Name That Car!

D-type

Quote from: Allan L on July 14, 2007, 07:22:19 AM
One of the partners in the firm that made it raced an Alta when he was young and wrote a biography when she was a bit older.
Sounds like Robert/Roberta Cowell,  but I'm no nearer with the car
Duncan Rollo

The more you learn, the more you realise how little you know.

SeaLion

Lea-Francis 14HP i.f.s with torsion bar suspension, late 1949?

Or is it a Connaught L1, which was a Lea-Francis 14HP with body by Leacroft?

Allan L

I think we'll call that solved: the car is a Lea-Francis special sports made by (Bob) Cowell and (Gordon) Watson in 1946 or 1947 on a shortened chassis which was of the beam front axle type then current for the saloons. The story is that the body shape was designed by Denis Jenkinson.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Paul Jaray

If you are wondering where is this car today, I do not know, but yesterday was in Padova:

Allemano


Paul Jaray

It was a nice one, but I drove 500km to get there and 400 to get back in the same day and it wasn't Geneve or Essen....
I'll post some pics shortly...

Allan L

Thanks for the photos: it once had hubcaps and mudguards, so was it pretending to be a racing car?
Also, is the colour really like the photos now - it was a really green version of British racing Green when I last saw it (around 25 years ago).
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Paul Jaray

Quote from: Allan L on October 27, 2009, 04:53:03 PM
Thanks for the photos: it once had hubcaps and mudguards, so was it pretending to be a racing car?
Also, is the colour really like the photos now - it was a really green version of British racing Green when I last was it (around 25 years ago).
The colour is still the same, but the lights were not the best for my camera (as usual!)

Allan L

Quote from: Paul Jaray on October 29, 2009, 07:11:47 PM
Quote from: Allan L on October 27, 2009, 04:53:03 PM
Thanks for the photos: it once had hubcaps and mudguards, so was it pretending to be a racing car?
Also, is the colour really like the photos now - it was a really green version of British racing Green when I last saw it (around 25 years ago).
The colour is still the same, but the lights were not the best for my camera (as usual!)
Oh, good, but it would still look better with its mudguards and hubcaps on!
Opinionated but sometimes wrong