AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!
Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2011 => Topic started by: woodinsight on May 10, 2011, 01:50:48 AM
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Full description of this modified race car please.
Make, model it was based on and who was it built for will earn you one point.
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No Rookie response so up it goes
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Professional help required with this one......
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A hint - well known marque......
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A hint - well known marque......
Based on a Delage?
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A hint - well known marque......
Based on a Delage?
Not a Delage - wrong nationality
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The engine and the general build of the chassis remind me of the 2-litre Aston Martin, so perhaps that's the base make/model?
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The engine and the general build of the chassis remind me of the 2-litre Aston Martin, so perhaps that's the base make/model?
That's correct.
I'll lock it for you in case you know the full answer.
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Well I think it may be the car modified post-war (1948) as a Formula B single-seater by St John Horsfall.
Inman Hunter tells us that it developed 125 b.h.p. with four Amal carbs. and dope fuel and was able to achieve 140 m.p.h.. It was later road-equipped to run in the Spa 24 hour race.
Looks like this now (and has done for half a century):
(http://www.astonmartins.com/prewar/images/am1317.jpg)
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Well I think it may be the car modified post-war (1948) as a Formula B single-seater by St John Horsfall.
Inman Hunter tells us that it developed 125 b.h.p. with four Amal carbs. and dope fuel and was able to achieve 140 m.p.h.. It was later road-equipped to run in the Spa 24 hour race.
Looks like this now (and has done for half a century):
(http://www.astonmartins.com/prewar/images/am1317.jpg)
Yes Allan that's the car.
Chassis no. J6/707/U, originally a Speed Model, had been raced by Rolt and Talbot in 1938 and 1939 prior to Jock Horsfall acquiring the car and converting it to a Formula B single seater in 1948. After a year competing in sprints the car was converted for sports car racing and was driven by Horsfall in the Spa 24 hour race. Remarkably he drove single-handed for 24 hours finishing 4th. overall behind a Ferrari.
Sadly Jock Horsfall was killed six weeks later whilst driving Peter Bell's ERA at Silverstone.
The car eventually passed into the hands of the Freeman family in 1955 who have campaigned the car with great success ever since.
Another two views from the late Inman Hunter's book on pre-war Astons -
First is a front view of the car as a Formula B in 1948 and the second after it had been converted to a sports racing car for the 1949 Spa 24-Hour Race.
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Inman Hunter has a photo that looks as if it was taken shortly before that top one which is I think at Luton Hoo Speed Trials - Inman Hunter says that it was only driven once in that form (and at Luton Hoo) before the conversion back to two-seater.
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Inman Hunter has a photo that looks as if it was taken shortly before that top one which is I think at Luton Hoo Speed Trials - Inman Hunter says that it was only driven once in that form (and at Luton Hoo) before the conversion back to two-seater.
I would agree with that Allan.
May I just add that Inman Hunter's book is the definitive book on pre-war Astons.
A huge number of books have been published on Aston history but this must be the best on this period of the marque.