Topic: Solved - NEH 4118: The 500 special by Les Redmond - 1948

[oko94]

Is the builder known for other cars ?

[Carnut]

Is the builder known for other cars ?

Yes.

[oko94]

2-stroke engine ?

[Carnut]

2-stroke engine ?

I don't think so but I don't know for certain.

[nicanary]

I have to ask - is this photo available on the internet? (I have my doubts now as to whether I've seen it before!)

[Carnut]

I have to ask - is this photo available on the internet? (I have my doubts now as to whether I've seen it before!)

Yes it is!
That's where I got it from..

[nicanary]

......... and that's where I found it. It was built in 1948 by none other than Les Redmond. There's a longish thread on a well-known site about a "mystery" engine and some discussion about how it was built, where everyone agreed to disagree. It could well have used aero-engine cylinder heads, possibly from a radial design, and the gearbox is almost certainly from a BMC A30/Minor.

Redmond was only 19 years old when he built it, so we can forgive him some naivety.

[Carnut]

Right, so you can put that spade away now and pour yourself a beer!

This was his first attempt at building a car; it says on the site there are no pictures in existence of it with a body, so maybe it never got one.
It was powered by a 500cc flat twin and as you say there is some conjecture over were it came from, suggesting he might have built it himself.
The car had no name so is generally known just as the "Les Special" or the "Les 500 Special" .

Very interesting article and well found!

[nicanary]

Having solved the puzzle, I looked further and found your original source. So there are at least 2 websites which feature information about this car.

Your source suggests that the car may have been intended for the 500cc F3 races, but I'm sure Redmond would have realised immediately that the car would not have been competitive. By 1948 John Cooper had shown the way, and the crude early specials for the formula were sidelined.