Topic: Solved: GTE 279 - Reliant 750 'Yellow Peril' of Trevor Hegarty

[gte4289]

Additional pics showing Bill Cowley's open-top 'Cowley MkIV' and a yellow car (my gift to you ), which is also identified online as Bill Cowley's car:

[nicanary]

Thanks for the lock. I had rather naively assumed that Bill Cowley's present car (bottom image) was the same car with the roof removed - I've no idea if this is correct.

[gte4289]

Thanks for the lock. I had rather naively assumed that Bill Cowley's present car (bottom image) was the same car with the roof removed - I've no idea if this is correct.

I believe you are correct. The yellow #48 car I posted above is the puzzle car, but with a slightly modified nose. The black 750 Racer cover car looks to be the same car again, but with a new color scheme and a few more modifications. I've since looked into Bill Cowley's car and multiple sources confirm that it was passed down from his father. Based on this, and the evolutionary steps that can be seen from the puzzle car, to the modified yellow car, and then to the 750 Racer cover car, I believe you've correctly connected the puzzle car to the open-top racer now owned by Bill Cowley (hence the thread lock). However, you still need to answer the questions regarding the car's original name, builders and engine.

Evolution of an old racer:

[nicanary]

I approached Giles Groombridge who is Competitions Manager at the 750MC and he was surprised to find the car had ever been anywhere other than in the Cowley family. I have contacted Bill Cowley himself and this is his reply. Are any of the names what you are looking for or indeed is it the wrong car?

[gte4289]

I approached Giles Groombridge who is Competitions Manager at the 750MC and he was surprised to find the car had ever been anywhere other than in the Cowley family. I have contacted Bill Cowley himself and this is his reply. Are any of the names what you are looking for or indeed is it the wrong car?

This is great stuff! The note from Bill Cowley Jr mentions two of the people noted in my source article and identifies the engine manufacturer. You're still missing several pieces of the puzzle, but you've added enough new and significant information that I think you've earned the point.

According to Bill Jr's note, Cowley began building the car in 1969, but never got it running. The unfinished car was stored in a barn and eventually sold to Trevor Hegarty.

According to the (1975) article, the car was:

• built by Trevor Hegarty and Tony Shaw with the help of Reliant dealer V. S. Bentley Limited;
• co-designed by Trevor Hegarty;
• powered by Reliant 600 cc OHV engine, bored to 642 cc; and
• driven by Trevor Hegarty and Martin Reed

It seems Hegarty bought the unfinished project from Cowley and then used it as the base of the 'Yellow Peril' Reliant-powered racer featured in the article.

[nicanary]

Thanks for the point, which is generous of you since I hadn't actually answered your questions (!) However, I don't think anyone else had got near to solving the puzzle and IMO you've done the right thing in calling it solved.

The magazine article does the Cowley family a bit of a disservice in attributing the complete design to Hegarty but that won't be the first time a journalist had muddied the waters.

[Allemano]

BTW:  The yellow car has been a puzzle before. (Not quite sure whether it was @re's or djetset's)

[Allan L]

Another case where I can say that I remember a related car and driver! In 750MC racing in the 1980s we had the Cowley Mk 4 driven by Nigel Cowley. His father (Bill (1)) had built it and Nigel had restored it using some quite interesting modifications to the (Original) Austin 7 engine and it went well. When I've more time I'll look out exactly when and how fast. . .

[gte4289]

BTW:  The yellow car has been a puzzle before. (Not quite sure whether it was @re's or djetset's)

You were actually the first one to post it. Here are the related threads:

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2011-39/solved-postcards-collectors-cards

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2013-42/solved-neh-2522-cowley-mkiv

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2017-47/nic869

[Djetset]

So are we now in agreement that this device is called the Cowley MK IV ahead of all of the puzzles being merged?

[nicanary]

So are we now in agreement that this device is called the Cowley MK IV ahead of all of the puzzles being merged?

The way I read Bill Cowley's message to me is that it always was a Cowley but Trevor Hegarty simply finished the build and renamed the car. The article posted by the OP failed to mention that they had taken over an existing project, the sort of misinformation which would have infuriated Denis Jenkinson.

It's always been a Cowley as fas as I'm concerned.

[Allemano]

BTW:  The yellow car has been a puzzle before. (Not quite sure whether it was @re's or djetset's)

You were actually the first one to post it. Here are the related threads:

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2011-39/solved-postcards-collectors-cards

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2013-42/solved-neh-2522-cowley-mkiv

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2017-47/nic869

Not for the first time that I couldn't remember my own puzzles.. 

[gte4289]

So are we now in agreement that this device is called the Cowley MK IV ahead of all of the puzzles being merged?

The way I read Bill Cowley's message to me is that it always was a Cowley but Trevor Hegarty simply finished the build and renamed the car. The article posted by the OP failed to mention that they had taken over an existing project, the sort of misinformation which would have infuriated Denis Jenkinson.

Cowley began building a car, but his project wasn't even running when he stored it away in a barn. We have no way of knowing how much car Hegarty and the others had to work with or how much design, engineering and construction went into creating the final car. I see no reason for anyone to be infuriated.

As for the name, the Hegarty car existed and was raced before the Cowleys purchased it and named it "Cowley Mk IV."

That said, these are all versions of the same car, regardless of who deserves credit for its build or by which name it's called. I have no problem with merging the threads.