Solved - NEH 2608: 1935 Alvis Firefly "Bonstard Special" AKA "Routledge Special"

[Carnut]

What's this and from when does it date - for 1 point?:

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS OBTAINED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

[Carnut]

Experts?

[nicanary]

Gordano ?

[Carnut]

Gordano ?

No!

[targhediferro]

MG based?

[Carnut]

MG based?

Despite my best efforts to find out what this car is based on I haven't been able to.
I know only its name and from when it dates.
It's possible it is MG-based.

[Carnut]

Professionals?

[nicanary]

It's RHD, but is it British ?

[Carnut]

It's RHD, but is it British ?

Yes it is.

[Carnut]

Black Hole-bound...

[nicanary]

I have found this image at last on the internet - there is only one available, and it accompanies a newspaper article in the Northern Echo about the Beamish Run for classic cars and motorcycles. The photo is ,alas, not captioned, and I have had to revert to trawling the list of runners to find a likely candidate.

The only likely car is a 1951 Alvis Special driven by William Wiggins. Does this ring a bell?

(I have checked DVLA records - the registration shows a grey-coloured car from 1957 with a 2.5-litre engine. As they say on WW2 US Navy films - "That is all")

[Carnut]

Crikey, I'd forgotten this one; seems I forgot to move it to the Black Hole too!

You've done a terrific detective job to find the source.  I did everything I could at the time I was posting this to find out more info, including contacting the newspaper in which it was featured and the organisers but needless to say no-one replied..

I did manage to find out the name of the car and from when it dated, but that was all;  not who built it or what it was based on.

Sorry to say it's not that Alvis but I'll give you a clue: it's much older than 1951!

Locked for you to have a good hunt around!

[nicanary]

You've told me everything I need to know - after posting I re-checked the entry list and saw another possibility, although TBH the bodystyle seems very advanced for a "special" of that date.

1935 Bonstard Special ?

[Carnut]

You've told me everything I need to know - after posting I re-checked the entry list and saw another possibility, although TBH the bodystyle seems very advanced for a "special" of that date.

1935 Bonstard Special ?

Well done!  That is indeed the car.

Strange that there's so little out there about it; I'd love to know more and maybe sooner or later more will appear on the 'Net.

I'll tell you what, I'll give you 2 points for this one as it's so old and was difficult; I had intended to move it to the BH where you would have earned 2 points anyway so we'll pretend I did!

[nicanary]

You are an officer and a gentleman. (I stumbled on it whilst looking for something else, as is so often the way)

[Carnut]

There's still nothing more about this car on the 'Net.
It was apparently driven by Jack Smithers and below is an unmodified photo of it.
I have no idea why the registration number is so much newer than 1935; the DVLA are reluctant to dish out new numbers just for modified cars, so the modifications must have been very substantial to warrant a new one.

[SACO]

What's this , for 1 point ! 

[SACO]

Experts !

[D-type]

Is this the E-Type ERA at the time it had been converted into a sports car?

[SACO]

Not the E-Type ERA !

[SACO]

Pros !

[Wendax]

Delahaye?

[nicanary]

That looks remarkably like the Bonstard Special, which we've had before. It's either that, or the Routledge Alvis Speed 20-based special.

[SACO]

Yes !I have Alvis Firefly Crested Eagle Special !
But 1 point for nicanary !
It's a repost ! Please merge with NEH 2608

[nicanary]

Thanks for the point - it has the same registration plate so it's certainly the same car. Your puzzle means we now know more about the car, in that it's a special based on an Alvis Firefly.

I have found another photo of the car on a specialst Alvis site, and the caption reads Alvis Firefly/Speed 20 Special - Routledge. This surname could be the builder of the car, although it was called the Bonstard Special elsewhere.