Author Topic: A small green one from Allan L: Cowell & Watson Lea-Francis (Read 4298 times)

Allan L · « **on:** May 14, 2007, 04:15:37 PM »

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.

GRAYWOLF · « **Reply #1 on:** May 14, 2007, 10:40:46 PM »

British green?

grobmotorix · « **Reply #2 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:41:38 AM »

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

Allan L · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2007, 02:57:12 AM »

Quote from: GRAYWOLF on May 14, 2007, 10:40:46 PM

British green?

Yes

Allan L · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2007, 02:58:32 AM »

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

D-type · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2007, 03:57:44 PM »

Lea Francis ?

Allan L · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2007, 04:02:52 PM »

Quote from: D-type on May 15, 2007, 03:57:44 PM

Lea Francis ?

Yes it is.
Now for the rest of the solution . . .

D-type · « **Reply #7 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

Allan L · « **Reply #8 on:** May 17, 2007, 03:05:35 AM »

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.

D-type · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2007, 05:16:13 PM »

Body by Williams and Pritchard?

Allan L · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2007, 06:37:42 PM »

Quote from: D-type on May 17, 2007, 05:16:13 PM

Body by Williams and Pritchard?

W&P were rather later I think

GRAYWOLF · « **Reply #11 on:** May 18, 2007, 12:12:05 AM »

is it a rebodied 12.9?

Allan L · « **Reply #12 on:** May 18, 2007, 03:59:42 AM »

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

Allan L · « **Reply #13 on:** July 03, 2007, 03:14:53 PM »

Someone solve it!

Allan L · « **Reply #14 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.

Otto Puzzell · « **Reply #15 on:** July 29, 2007, 09:37:46 AM »

Lea Francis - Spécial Sport, circa 1946. More than that, I do not know.

D-type · « **Reply #16 on:** July 29, 2007, 02:38:38 PM »

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

SeaLion · « **Reply #17 on:** July 29, 2007, 05:15:51 PM »

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 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2007, 09:57:33 AM »

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.

Paul Jaray · « **Reply #19 on:** October 26, 2009, 08:55:34 AM »

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

Allemano · « **Reply #20 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:00:56 AM »

Must have been a nice event!

Paul Jaray · « **Reply #21 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:08:45 AM »

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 · « **Reply #22 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).

Paul Jaray · « **Reply #23 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 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 · « **Reply #24 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:12:10 AM »

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!

News:

Author Topic: A small green one from Allan L: Cowell & Watson Lea-Francis (Read 4298 times)