AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!
Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2019 => Topic started by: barrett on September 26, 2011, 10:52:32 AM
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Sorry for the bad image. For a point please tell me what this car is and what it was based on.
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Up
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Pros?
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Based on a 1930s British chassis?
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There are bits if a British chassis in there, yes!
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I've misplaced this in my archives so only have a little bit of info to work with at the moment, but I just checked that and it seems most of the parts, including the chassis, date back a little further than the 1930s. The car was only built in 1935.
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Presuming this is a one-off, is the engine European?
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yes indeed
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I'm still trying to pin this one down.
Just to recap - it was completed in 1935 using pre-1930 parts including a partly British chassis and a European engine.
However what I need to establish is the car's nationality - presumably European but not British?
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I have to apologise for this one (I've just managed to find it again after an hour of looking..). It seems it actually has an America power plant! All other parts as far as I know are British and it was assembled in the UK.
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Looks rather like a Brough Superior in which case it would be Hudson Terraplane underneath, possibly with a body by Kevill-Davies & March who were also London distributors for BS.
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Is it anything to do with the Godsal, an Anglo-American hybrid built in 1935?
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Neither of those I'm afraid, and the engine is from a much more popular make than Hudson
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American Ford engine?
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American Ford engine?
Yes!
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It just could be a Jensen although they normally had less spartan bodies than this.
Did have Ford motors though . . .
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It just could be a Jensen although they normally had less spartan bodies than this.
Did have Ford motors though . . .
No, this is a one off special named after it's owner. The Engine is Ford, the chassis is from a British make and the body was built by a well known (-ish) coachbuilder
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A bit of a wild guess but is it the F.M. designed by Mr. Fensum for Sebag Montefiore in 1935?
It used an Invicta chassis, was originally fitted with a Lagonda engine that was later replaced by a Ford V8.
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It's not that but it certainly fits the answer!
The chassis isn't from an Invicta, but a better known British make
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Batten V8?
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Not that!
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Presumably nothing to do with Leidart?
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Not that either
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I don't have any other suggestions at the moment but I'll continue searching....... :)
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I'll be more forthcoming with the clues if it doesn't get any more attention soon ;)
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It looks as though it could be based on a Marendaz.
Aileen Moss, mother of Stirling Moss, had a four-seater tourer specially built for her in the mid-1930s, I wonder if this is the car?
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Not a Marendaz, it's based on a much better known marque. As far as I know the owner of this wasn't known for anything in particular like having a famous son!
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Alvis-based?
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No!
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Bentley-based?
Changed my mind - based on a Talbot?
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Are you really sure you want to change your mind? ;)
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Difficult to believe that a Ford engine would be inserted in a Bentley.....
Okay, is it Bentley based?
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yes!
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I'm a bit stumped with this one at the moment as I've had to put all my archives in store for a few months (including my book on Bentley specials).
Can I ask you if the body was by a UK coachbuilder?
I might find it this way.....
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It was indeed. I believe the chassis originally wore a body by the same firm who built the new bodywork when the car was turned into this special.
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A bump before this goes into the Hole.
This car started life as an XXXX-bodied* Bentley but in the mid-30s was rebuilt with an American Ford engine and rebodied by the same coachbuilder. The car was named the XXXX Special* after the man who commissioned/owned it in 1935. As far as I know, the car (or at least the chassis) still exists today.
Just looking for the coachbuilder and the name now.
*the numbers of Xs is NOT the same as the number of letters!
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Adams?
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No Adams here
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Clue time: The builder of this special shares his name with a well-known naval officer....
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Hardy?
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Even more well-known!
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Nelson?
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Chris Thomas Special?
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Nelson?
Correct! The Nelson special is the car.... can you work out who the coachwork was by?
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Nelson?
Correct! The Nelson special is the car.... can you work out who the coachwork was by?
I'll have a go at the coachbuilder tonight/tomorrow and hopefully come up with a few possibles...
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Well, there's quite a few possibilities but I'll try to narrow it down by asking pertinent questions.
In the meantime is it by Adams?
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Not Adams, nor does it begin with the letter 'A'
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One coachbuilder I came across that re-bodied a Bentley tourer in the 1930s was Carville......?
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Nope, better known and further down the alphabet
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Based in/around London?
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Yes
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Although it's been narrowed down somewhat I still have quite a number of possibilities....
Let's try Gill All-Weather.....
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Not that
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Gurney Nutting?
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less well-known than Gurney Nutting I'd say
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Surbico?
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Alphabetically that's the closest guess so far, but it's not them
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Saunders (Cecil)?
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Not that, better known I think (I'm not familiar with Cecil Saunders, anyway)
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Windovers?
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nope. A little further back in the alphabet!
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I'll get there in the end.......hopefully!
Vincent?
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Nope! (a bit further back still...)
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Vanden Plas?
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Thrupp & Maberly?
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Neither VdP or T&M!
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Taylor?
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Offord?
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It doesn't start with an O, V, T, or W!
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Southern Motor Co.?
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Swallow?
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or an S.... :D
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Urquhart?
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R.E.A.L.?
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R.E.A.L.?
No, but it is R_______
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Robinson?
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Ranalah?
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Ranalah?
And we have a winner!
I think that's everything all solved now, so one point goes to woodinsight for getting the various bits of the puzzle connected. I'll try and fill in a bit more detail tomorrow.
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Okay. the car was built by a Commander Tom Nelson in 1935. Basis was a Daimler chassis frame turned back to front(!!) and bodied by Ranalah.
Here's the unmodified puzzle pic.
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This car was auctioned at Brightwells recently, where it achieved £32480.
There was no mention in the blurb about Daimler, only that it was based around an HE car built in Reading in the 1920s/early 30s, with Cdr Nelson fitting the Ford flathead V8 in the mid-1930s when he commissioned Ranalah to build this body for him.
Here are a couple more pictures:
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Fellow Autopuzzlers, for a point please tell me the make, model and year of this car.
Don't be naughty! Stay away from Google Search by Image, kids.
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Up to the Experts.
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British?
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It's the Nelson Special from 1935. Built by Thomas Nelson on an HE chassis with a Ford Flathead V8 and body by Ranalah
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That's right!