Solved NIC #65 - 1948 Jennings Special

[nicanary]

Please give me the name of the car, the make of chassis, and the type of engine,

[nicanary]

Experts?

[richard cuyler]

Japanese?

[nicanary]

Japanese?

Not from the East.

[WayneB]

It looks like it may have been based on a Formula 3/500 chassis.

Don't recognise the engine though, definitely not an air cooled V twin.

[nicanary]

It looks like it may have been based on a Formula 3/500 chassis.

Don't recognise the engine though, definitely not an air cooled V twin.

You're right. There is no connection to F3/500cc racing.

[WayneB]

The wheels look like Fiat 500 (Topolino) ones.

[nicanary]

The wheels look like Fiat 500 (Topolino) ones.

Good spot. There is much of the Topolino in the base of this car.

[WayneB]

Is it one of the 2 "Hell Spezial's" built from 1954 (the one with the SRM engine?)

[nicanary]

Is it one of the 2 "Hell Spezial's" built from 1954 (the one with the SRM engine?)

Sorry. Not remotely close.

[WayneB]

European?

[nicanary]

European?

No. Much further south.

[richard cuyler]

Blimey! Looks as if the Mafia are running the show. "You driva the car Luigi, or you swim wit da fishes!" No one looks very happy, do they? 

[D-type]

A long way from Europe - New Zealand?

[nicanary]

A long way from Europe - New Zealand?

No. But in the southern hemisphere.

[D-type]

Australia?

[nicanary]

Australia?

Not the Antipodes. Further west, and a country much in the public eye in recent weeks.

[D-type]

Head west from Australia and you could hit three, or possibly four, countries.  I'll plump for South Africa.

[nicanary]

Head west from Australia and you could hit three, or possibly four, countries.  I'll plump for South Africa.

Bull's eye!

[richard cuyler]

Sounds a bit odd to me - I can't imagine South Africans ever dressing like this, having these facial features or ever looking as miserable as this. The CAR may have originated from there, but the scene seems to me unlikely to be anywhere in that country. Prove me wrong, though, someone!

[nicanary]

Sorry, Richard. The puzzle car has nothing to do with the photo posted by WayneB. Look at the car at the beginning of the thread.

[WayneB]

Bill Jennings 1933 to 1948 Riley 9 1100cc Special, built by Bill Jennings with body by Hoffie Le-Roux.

It seems he built a couple of Riley engined specials in the same time period, he modeled this one on the German pre-war Auto Union Grand Prix Car.

[nicanary]

Bill Jennings 1933 to 1948 Riley 9 1100cc Special, built by Bill Jennings with body by Hoffie Le-Roux.

It seems he built a couple of Riley engined specials in the same time period, he modeled this one on the German pre-war Auto Union Grand Prix Car.

Yes. I'll award the point for that. The chassis was in fact based on a Fiat 500 Topolino, the Riley engine dating from 1933. It used a Harley-Davidson 'bike gearbox. (The driver must have been really small, or really uncomfortable - look how close the engine is to his back!)