Topic: Solved NIC#1209 - Rabelro Special as built in 1937

[nicanary]

This car has featured before on these pages. This is a different stage in its history, What is it?

[nicanary]

Experts?

[nicanary]

Pros?

[gte4289]

European?

[nicanary]

European?

Yes.

[gte4289]

UK?

[nicanary]

UK?

Yes.

[gte4289]

White Rabbit?

[nicanary]

White Rabbit?

Not that. A little bit larger (but not much).

[Allan L]

Look a bit like George Eyston so perhaps it's one of the many versions of Magic Midget or Magic Magnette. Nowt to do with rabbits so must be wrong!

[nicanary]

Look a bit like George Eyston so perhaps it's one of the many versions of Magic Midget or Magic Magnette. Nowt to do with rabbits so must be wrong!

Not an MG or associated with Eyston.

[gte4289]

Is this a version Tooley's Monoposto Sprint Special?

[nicanary]

Is this a version Tooley's Monoposto Sprint Special?

Nothing to do with that car.

[gte4289]

This doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but the man behind the wheel's resemblance to Sydney Allard forces me to ask: Allard?

[nicanary]

You have found the car, but it's nothing to do with Allard.

[gte4289]

You have found the car, but it's nothing to do with Allard.

I'm afraid I have not, as this cannot be the car.

[gte4289]

Did the car compete at either Shelsley Walsh or Prescott during the period 1948-1952?

[nicanary]

Did the car compete at either Shelsley Walsh or Prescott during the period 1948-1952?

Almost certainly. The car first competed in this form in 1937 and was sold in 1948, but has been raced on and off right up to this day.

(PS sorry. I didn't realise you had simply re-posted ny puzzle photo. I thought you had found another image!)

[gte4289]

The Victor Gillow-built Bugatti-Riley Special?

[nicanary]

The Victor Gillow-built Bugatti-Riley Special?

Not that.

[Allan L]

I can't find a photo of him but is that Nigel Orlebar in his GN/AC special Rabelro?

[nicanary]

I can't find a photo of him but is that Nigel Orlebar in his GN/AC special Rabelro?

I was expecting you to know. Yes it is that car, and the point is yours. The car has already been a puzzle, but when I did a search it didn't appear for some reason. It does now! As you say, an old GN chassis with an AC 6-cylinder engine.

My next clue was going to be the Monty Python "Norwegian Blue parrot" sketch because it contains the words " the palindrome of Bolton is Notlob". The car's name Rabelro being the reverse of Orlebar - by all accoiunts he was the leader of Britain's Schneider Trophy air race team, hence the name of the Orlebar Schneider Ford 10hp based car which has been a previous puzzle.

[Allan L]

Sorry but not quite right as the Schneider Trophy man was Air Vice Marshal Augustus Henry Orlebar, CBE, AFC & Bar (17 February 1897 – 4 August 1943) (known as Harry) and our Special builder was Nigel who died in September 2003 aged 87.

[nicanary]

Oops! I must have read an online article a bit too quickly. Thanks for the update and correction.

[gte4289]

Here's the previous puzzle, with the car looking considerably different: https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2011-39/solved-allemano's-8470-641-rabelro-special/msg333206/#msg333206

Interesting to note how the brake drums have grown over the years.