Author Topic: Solved - MJW #333 - HG Sports 1959  (Read 1527 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Solved - MJW #333 - HG Sports 1959
« on: March 14, 2011, 09:19:13 AM »
My apologies for the poor quality of the photo but it is the only known image of this small sports car.
I only know the name of the builder and the year therefore a point for that and any additional information/images would be very welcome.

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2011, 05:50:21 AM »
Expertise needed

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2011, 08:04:48 AM »
Pros?

Offline Carnut

  • Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 40954
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 423
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2011, 11:05:50 AM »
British?
Interests in life:  Cars, cars, cars - oh and ..er..cars

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2011, 11:57:40 AM »
It is indeed from the UK

Offline Carnut

  • Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 40954
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 423
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2011, 12:09:06 PM »
Anything to do with Cooper?
Interests in life:  Cars, cars, cars - oh and ..er..cars

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2011, 12:19:00 PM »
Nothing to do with Cooper AFAIK.
The car was offered as a 'sports car kit' and the company was based in Wales.
This is the only known photo of the car and possibly the only one built.

Offline Carnut

  • Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 40954
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 423
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2011, 02:40:56 PM »
Nothing to do with Cooper AFAIK.
The car was offered as a 'sports car kit' and the company was based in Wales.
This is the only known photo of the car and possibly the only one built.

Gilbern related?
Interests in life:  Cars, cars, cars - oh and ..er..cars

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2011, 03:26:43 PM »
Not Gilbern
I think it was another Ford based car of that early era of kitcars.

Offline Allan L

  • Feature Writer
  • *
  • Posts: 4822
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 414
  • Forum Host in Vintage!
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2011, 04:41:06 PM »
Davrian moved to Wales but built nothing looking like this normally. Who can say if they made just one like this?
However they used GRP, whereas this body looks metallic to me.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2011, 12:33:25 AM »
Davrian moved to Wales but built nothing looking like this normally. Who can say if they made just one like this?
However they used GRP, whereas this body looks metallic to me.
Not Davrian and I don't know whether it was alloy or GRP.

As an additional clue the car/company comprised simply two letters......

Offline faksta

  • Feature Writer
  • *
  • Posts: 4613
  • Country: ru
  • Puzzle Points 409
  • Russian Racer
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2011, 12:51:10 PM »
AB Special is the only thing that comes to mind.

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2011, 01:06:37 PM »
AB Special is the only thing that comes to mind.
Not that one.
Really very obscure I think.

Offline faksta

  • Feature Writer
  • *
  • Posts: 4613
  • Country: ru
  • Puzzle Points 409
  • Russian Racer
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2011, 01:25:00 PM »
VS Riley? Or was the engine Ford as well?

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2011, 02:09:12 PM »
VS Riley? Or was the engine Ford as well?
Not that either.
I doubt if this car was ever used in competition but I could be wrong there.
I believe it is Ford-engined but I can't confirm that.

The company was named xx Sports Car Developments, Dinas Powis, Glamorgan, Wales, UK

Offline Allan L

  • Feature Writer
  • *
  • Posts: 4822
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 414
  • Forum Host in Vintage!
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2011, 05:07:53 AM »
Well as there was a company called HG Sports Car Developments which made a Ford 1172 engined car AFAIK, that is perhaps the one.
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Offline woodinsight

  • Professional
  • *
  • Posts: 13671
  • Country: fr
  • Puzzle Points 557
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: MJW #333
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2011, 01:48:14 PM »
Well as there was a company called HG Sports Car Developments which made a Ford 1172 engined car AFAIK, that is perhaps the one.
That's the car!
Your second point of the evening...
The very brief source of the puzzle car -

Offline Carnut

  • Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 40954
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 423
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Solved - MJW #333 - HG Sports 1959
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2011, 07:08:06 PM »
Brilliant!
Quite how Allan L found that is a total mystery.
I have several reference books which include most British rarities but none of them mention this car at all!
Must be worth at least 10 points!!
Interests in life:  Cars, cars, cars - oh and ..er..cars

Offline Allan L

  • Feature Writer
  • *
  • Posts: 4822
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 414
  • Forum Host in Vintage!
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Solved - MJW #333 - HG Sports 1959
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2011, 04:56:28 AM »
Brilliant!
Quite how Allan L found that is a total mystery.
I have several reference books which include most British rarities but none of them mention this car at all!
Must be worth at least 10 points!!
I wouldn't normally admit it, but this was the result of an internet search once the location clue had been given. As there is a large proportion of total bo*****s posted on the net (mainly from ignorance, rather than deliberatly misleading rewiting of history) I would normally check anything I found elsewhere - to an extent offering HG as the answer was that checking process. ;D
Opinionated but sometimes wrong

Offline Carnut

  • Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 40954
  • Country: gb
  • Puzzle Points 423
  • YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Solved - MJW #333 - HG Sports 1959
« Reply #19 on: October 25, 2017, 01:01:01 PM »
Here is the ad that's mentioned in woodinsights reply #16, which provides a better picture of the car:

Interests in life:  Cars, cars, cars - oh and ..er..cars