Author Topic: SAC#673 :"little jimmy " 1949 by Craig Miller of Rootes with a VW rear engine  (Read 10091 times)

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Offline Carnut

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2014, 06:20:27 AM »
Singer?
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Offline sixtee5cuda

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #26 on: April 04, 2014, 10:18:51 AM »
Built before 1950?

Offline WayneB

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2014, 11:47:56 AM »
I remember reading that after WWII ended Volkswagen was run by the British for a period.

Is this design proposal some sort of British version of a VW Beetle by Austin?

Offline Djetset

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #28 on: April 04, 2014, 12:48:57 PM »
Is it a Nuffield Group prototype (i.e. Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley)?
A car is for life, not just for Christmas.

Offline SACO

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #29 on: April 04, 2014, 02:35:20 PM »
Locked for Carnut , for more details !

Offline Carnut

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Re: SAC#673
« Reply #30 on: April 05, 2014, 01:04:48 PM »
Locked for Carnut , for more details !

Thanks, so it's a Singer..
Can you leave it with me for a couple of days as I'm not going to get time to research this over the weekend?
Thanks!
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Offline SACO

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Re: SAC#673 : Locked
« Reply #31 on: April 05, 2014, 04:40:25 PM »
Not really a Singer ; just a Rootes !
OK for the weekend !  :)

Offline SACO

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Re: SAC#673 : Locked
« Reply #32 on: April 07, 2014, 08:58:50 AM »
Unlocked !

Offline Carnut

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Re: SAC#673 : Locked
« Reply #33 on: April 07, 2014, 09:09:36 AM »
Unlocked !

OK; I have in fact spent hours scouring the history sites for Singer (before you said it wasn't one...), Hillman, Humber and Sunbeam, but none them even mention such a prototype, never mind picture one..

I'll keep looking but I'm sure one of the ace detectives on this site will just Google the right words to go straight to it..
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Offline Wendax

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Re: SAC#673 :
« Reply #34 on: April 07, 2014, 09:18:42 AM »
Is it the rear engined version of "Little Jim", designed by Craig Miller after WW2 and powered by a VW-derived flat twin?

Offline nicanary

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Re: SAC#673 :
« Reply #35 on: April 07, 2014, 03:20:25 PM »
Those wheels are 1948/49 Humber Super Snipe. I still can't find the answer though!
I must be right - that's what it says on Wikipedia

Offline SACO

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Re: SAC#673 :
« Reply #36 on: April 07, 2014, 04:05:42 PM »
Yes ! "little jimmy " 1949 by Craig Miller of Rootes with a VW rear engine !
Another point for Wendax ! :applause:

Offline Carnut

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Interesting, as I Googled for "Little Jimmy" before and just got a picture of a front-engined FWD 2-door car, I believe from 1939.
Even Googling with the answer (in any combination of the words) shows up precisely nothing at all...

Would you mind PMing me the link to the answer please SACO?

Many thanks
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Offline nicanary

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I eventually found the website where the car was mentioned, although there was no photo. I knew of the pre-war Little Jim, and I knew that the series of cars leading up to the Imp were often affectionately known as Little Jim even though they were the Apex/Slug prototypes.

So this puzzle car was a new one to me - never heard of it before, which is what is so great about AP. I'm not surprised it was not taken up as an idea - just look at the size of the thing, powered by half a VW in flat-twin format. I doubt if it would get up ANY hill.
I must be right - that's what it says on Wikipedia

Offline Carnut

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I eventually found the website where the car was mentioned, although there was no photo. I knew of the pre-war Little Jim, and I knew that the series of cars leading up to the Imp were often affectionately known as Little Jim even though they were the Apex/Slug prototypes.

So this puzzle car was a new one to me - never heard of it before, which is what is so great about AP. I'm not surprised it was not taken up as an idea - just look at the size of the thing, powered by half a VW in flat-twin format. I doubt if it would get up ANY hill.

Ditto
I don't know how I missed it before, although it was a slightly obscure mention - but it had to be the right answer.
Well done Wendax!
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Offline grobmotorix

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I bought two nice photos of this nice car recently:

Offline richard cuyler

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I think it's really rather nice - you can see why D-Type thought it may have been a Standard Vanguard prototype. Pity it wasn't, it would have avoided us having to look at Walter Belgrove's ungainly blob  :o ;D, with its squashed-up front and rear doors (it may have looked better in two-door form) and its bulky-looking oversized wheels and tyres.

My aunt had one when I was about nine and I do remember, though, it was a full six-seater inside and that the engine had bags of torque. I also recall how slowly it had to be cornered to prevent everyone sliding from side to side on the bench seats and also to avoid hellish tyre-scrubbing noises.

Yes, folks, I was a Fully Fledged Petrol Head even at that tender age and not much got past my observations.....  :D :D ;D ;D

Offline grobmotorix

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 ;D

Thank you so much for those personal meories... Love it! :thumbsup:

Offline Engine Punk

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;D

Thank you so much for those personal meories... Love it! :thumbsup:

Would it be okay to feature these pics on my Engine Punk blog, Grobmotorix?

I did some research into Little Jim before and wrote them up here on Engine Punk.

https://anarchadia.blogspot.com/2009/12/vintage-thing-no57-little-jim.html

I have never seen these photos before and am curious to know what else you know about them, just to complete the story of Little Jim. I have been into Hillman Imps for years so the genesis of Slug and Apex prototypes is fairly familiar to me.

At some stage I hope to get to the Rootes archives and see what material that holds on Little Jim or Little Jimmy.


Offline grobmotorix

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Quote
Would it be okay to feature these pics on my Engine Punk blog, Grobmotorix?
Sure - feel free.
Quote
I did some research into Little Jim before and wrote them up here on Engine Punk.

https://anarchadia.blogspot.com/2009/12/vintage-thing-no57-little-jim.html
How could I say no after I have seen you really are deeper into this topic.

Quote
I have never seen these photos before and am curious to know what else you know about them, just to complete the story of Little Jim. I have been into Hillman Imps for years so the genesis of Slug and Apex prototypes is fairly familiar to me.

At some stage I hope to get to the Rootes archives and see what material that holds on Little Jim or Little Jimmy.

I am also quite curious if there might be some additional information out there.
I found and bought thes photos some years ago at a vintage car fair, probably at the Techno Classica in Essen/Germany at an automobilia dealerīs stand from the UK.

Thatīs all...

Offline Engine Punk

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Thank you. If I uncover any more, I will certainly let you know.