Topic: Tojeiro Experts? British License Plate Experts?

[Avalanche]

Hi Gents. Hoping for some input here...

This car...

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052438

...is available.

It would be a nice companion to the Tojeiro Sports Racer and a quartet of AC Aces. After doing some research we find no evidence of its early existence in the information we have access to. It seems strange as the seller has a bunch of period photos of the car at a variety of racing venues. Can someone tell me about LOW 77? When was it issued and to what? Any information would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Dale

[Carnut]

LOW 77 was issued by Southampton County Borough Council in September 1953, but it's only possible to find out what car it was issued to by accessing their records.  All UK registration records were transferred to the centralised DVLA in Swansea in 1974, and whilst some local issuing offices kept records most destroyed their records dating back to 1903 when it was no longer their responsibility to issue numbers, an act of pure vandalism akin to destroying a work of art because a copy now existed at another gallery...

For your interest, this registration number is currently For Sale at a number dealer in the UK, signifying that either it has already been taken off the Tojeiro, the owner is willing to take it off (another act of vandalism if he's prepared to do that and lose originality replacing it with a crappy age-related plate that would look all wrong) or else the car has been exported.  If the plate is sold the car could never get it back even if it returned to the UK, if it's been exported.

And incidentally LOY is a London registration, so I don't know why this particular Tojeiro might be Southampton-registered..

[Avalanche]

Great information. Thanks very much! The car has been in the US for some time now so it is no surprise the number plate is available. How does one access the centralized records, or is that information they will not release?

We can find no mention of this car in the book "Toj", which one would expect to be about the most accurate historical document available on cars Tojeiro built. The VIN quoted doesn't make sense either. From what we can tell, all Tojeiros had a TADx/xx format. The seller isn't exactly knowledgeable on anything, unfortunately, although he seems to have a thick binder documenting the history of the car. This is fine except it doesn't prove Tojeiro built the car, which might just be the most critical part...

[Carnut]

The DVLA won't tell you anything.
It's a gigantic organisation and all you'd get is some jobsworth telling you they don't have the information available (which is probably true anyway).
If the original issuing authority doesn't have its historical records then the information is lost (that's what I meant when I charged them with vandalism..)
You could try Southampton Council, which might be who inherited the Southampton County Borough Council records, or else Hampshire County Council who might also have inherited them.
If they have kept their records (and I think about one-third of councils did) then for a fee (£10 or so) they will photocopy the original page with this registration recorded, which will show the make of car and who registered it, and mail it to you.
Good luck with that one; I've done that so it is possible - as long as the Council was one of the few with a sense of history..

[Allan L]

As is often the way, the auctioneer's puff doesn't let historical accuracy get in the way.
Tojeiros had transverse leaf-spring independent suspension at both ends, a feature which was carried forward into the AC Ace/Aceca and even into the first series of Cobras. This one is said to have coil/wishbone i.f.s. and, quite astonishing for something claimed to be a Tojeiro, a live rear axle.
I remember the Ace/Aceca had Bishop cam steering, and can only assume that the Tojeiro had had the same: the photo shows that this special has rack and pinion.
Someone stumped up $143,000 for it in January and you say it's available so has the buyer worked out what he really bought?
I wouldn't put money on there being any evidence that John Tojeiro ever even saw this car - sadly we can't ask him now.

[woodinsight]

According to a reliable source in my library, the car was raced at Goodwood in 1955 by John C. Stocks.
It lists the car as a Tojeiro-MG and also lists the registration no. as LOW 77.
No photos unfortunately.

[Avalanche]

Thanks for all the responses. I do appreciate the insight and information. The current seller is possibly the guy that bought it at RM. He doesn't seem to know much about the car but claims to have binders full of information to document the history on the car.

I need to check the Sports Racer (TAD2/55) and see what the suspension setup is. I've worked on the car and truthfully don't recall seeing transverse leaf springs on it...