What's this, what is it known as, who built it and when - for 1 point?:
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Experts?
British MG related?
Wolseley related?
It is British isn't it?
Is it perhaps a Singer?
Is it a special and one-off car?
Quote from: serra on May 01, 2014, 02:24:00 AM
Is it a special and one-off car?
It was the only one built, but it's not a home-built effort.
Do you mean that it is a protoype from a know manufacturer? BSA for example
Quote from: serra on May 01, 2014, 05:17:57 AM
Do you mean that it is a protoype from a know manufacturer? BSA for example
That's what I mean, yes.
Not a BSA though ... ;) ?
HRG?
Does the manufacturer still exist?
Quote from: D-type on May 04, 2014, 12:12:56 PM
Does the manufacturer still exist?
No, neither the chassis nor the body builder exist any more.
Professionals?
I thought it was a Batten Special when I first saw the puzzle, but I guess not. On reflection it's smaller than that - is it a proposed "junior" Jensen ?
Quote from: nicanary on May 13, 2014, 05:53:29 AM
I thought it was a Batten Special when I first saw the puzzle, but I guess not. On reflection it's smaller than that - is it a proposed "junior" Jensen ?
No, but Jensen
were involved..
Is it the Star "McEvoy Special" bodied by the Jensen brothers?
Can I change my answer, please? It's smaller than that, so I reckon it could be a Morris McEvoy Special. Probably based on a Family 8.
Quote from: nicanary on May 13, 2014, 07:08:19 AM
Is it the Star "McEvoy Special" bodied by the Jensen brothers?
No, nothing to do with McEvoy, but you're right that it was bodied by Jensen.
Quote from: Carnut on May 13, 2014, 07:24:14 AM
Quote from: nicanary on May 13, 2014, 07:08:19 AM
Is it the Star "McEvoy Special" bodied by the Jensen brothers?
No, nothing to do with McEvoy, but you're right that it was bodied by Jensen.
You'll see above that I had amended the answer and opted for a different marque, but clearly I was heading in the wrong direction. So many small sporting cars of that era had a generic appearance, that it's difficult to tell without being able to see the radiator grille.
Is it an early Standard Avon ?
It's neither a Morris nor a Standard...
Is the car from what was then a major manufacturer? You have already confirmed that the maker is now defunct.
Quote from: nicanary on May 13, 2014, 08:24:20 AM
Is the car from what was then a major manufacturer? You have already confirmed that the maker is now defunct.
They were never a major car manufacturer, no.
OOhh I'm all beside myself with this one! It was built as a prototype by the Jensen Bros. for a maker who was not a major player. I'm guessing it was based on an existing chassis, and those wheels indicate something fairly mundane.
I've made a shortlist of possible names, but there's nothing that stands out and screams at me. A proposal for a mini-Railton?
Quote from: nicanary on May 13, 2014, 12:13:48 PM
OOhh I'm all beside myself with this one! It was built as a prototype by the Jensen Bros. for a maker who was not a major player. I'm guessing it was based on an existing chassis, and those wheels indicate something fairly mundane.
I've made a shortlist of possible names, but there's nothing that stands out and screams at me. A proposal for a mini-Railton?
No, not a Railton.
Might this be a Jensen prototype for a Batten from about 1935?
Quote from: 4popoid on May 13, 2014, 12:50:37 PM
Might this be a Jensen prototype for a Batten from about 1935?
No, it's not a Batten and you're a few years out with the date..
You say I'm a few years out. Since Jensen started in 1934, is this car from the 1940's?
Armstrong-Siddeley 12/6 sport prototype?
Star Little Comet Sports by Jensen 1932?
I've already tried the Star, Malcolm.
I'm going to try a different approach - it's a 0ne-off built on the chassis of a not-well-known marque, so I'm going to assume that this marque produced cars using proprietary engines. Ford engine?
Quote from: targhediferro on May 13, 2014, 05:31:55 PM
Armstrong-Siddeley 12/6 sport prototype?
Not an Armstrong-Siddeley
Quote from: 4popoid on May 13, 2014, 03:03:19 PM
You say I'm a few years out. Since Jensen started in 1934, is this car from the 1940's?
Although Jensen Motors was only founded in 1934 the Jensen brothers were very small-scale coachbuilders before that date..
Quote from: woodinsight on May 14, 2014, 03:34:15 AM
Star Little Comet Sports by Jensen 1932?
Quote from: nicanary on May 14, 2014, 04:41:17 AM
I've already tried the Star, Malcolm.
I'm going to try a different approach - it's a 0ne-off built on the chassis of a not-well-known marque, so I'm going to assume that this marque produced cars using proprietary engines. Ford engine?
As nicanary says we've already discounted Star, but you
are right with the date - 1932!
And yes, you're right nicanary in that the marque used proprietary engines; not Ford though.
And I didn't say that the chassis was a not-well known marque, but that it was not a major car manufacturer. The name is well enough known!
1932 Triumph Southern Cross prototype? Coventry-Climax engine.......
Quote from: nicanary on May 14, 2014, 05:04:06 AM
1932 Triumph Southern Cross prototype? Coventry-Climax engine.......
Nothing to do with Triumph.
But it
does have a Coventry-Climax engine!
British-Salmson?
Swift Cadet ?
Some kind of prototype Crossley?
Quote from: nicanary on May 14, 2014, 06:30:10 AM
Some kind of prototype Crossley?
No, it's not a Crossley.
AJS?
Quote from: woodinsight on May 14, 2014, 07:16:00 AM
AJS?
Bingo! It was based on the AJS 9 and was the only one bodied by Jensen as a prototype for a production model that never came to fruition, and was shown at the London Show in 1932.
Now there's just one of the remaining questions left; it has a name that it seems to have been known by, though it's unclear why.
Locked for you to see if you can find it.
Quote from: Carnut on May 14, 2014, 07:54:30 AM
Quote from: woodinsight on May 14, 2014, 07:16:00 AM
AJS?
Bingo! It was based on the AJS 9 and was the only one bodied by Jensen as a prototype for a production model that never came to fruition, and was shown at the London Show in 1932.
Now there's just one of the remaining questions left; it has a name that it seems to have been known by, though it's unclear why.
Locked for you to see if you can find it.
I can't find much information on this particular prototype except that it was shown on the Willys-Overland Crossley stand at the 1932 Olympia Show. It was listed as a 1,5 litre model.
I guess you're looking for a model name but I can't find it at the moment.
Please unlock it for others to have a guess........
OK, but I've given you a point for getting the fact that it's a 1932 AJS-Jensen.
The name I'm looking for is not a model name as it didn't have a specific one; it's the ******** Special (and don't count the stars!), so there's another point available for whoever comes up with that.
From what I can gather the model was to be called the AJS Twelve.
No, it wasn't connected to the AJS 12.
It was based on the AJS 9 but as said it was the ******* Special, and that's the name I'm looking for.
Is the missing word a surname or a generic word?
Quote from: nicanary on May 15, 2014, 05:38:46 AM
Is the missing word a surname or a generic word?
It's a surname.
I can't believe the name you're looking for is Jensen, or you would have said so. Maybe it's the name of the staff member at AJS who came up with the idea, but I can't find a thing.
Is it as simple as "Stevens Special" ?
Quote from: nicanary on May 15, 2014, 08:15:42 AM
I can't believe the name you're looking for is Jensen, or you would have said so. Maybe it's the name of the staff member at AJS who came up with the idea, but I can't find a thing.
Is it as simple as "Stevens Special" ?
It is as simple as that, yes (though not, of course, Jensen - or Stevens!).
I have no idea what the person with that name's connection is with the car but it's mentioned in 2 sources I have so I believe it is right.
The info is out there on the 'Net!
Quote from: Carnut on May 15, 2014, 09:19:39 AM
Quote from: nicanary on May 15, 2014, 08:15:42 AM
I can't believe the name you're looking for is Jensen, or you would have said so. Maybe it's the name of the staff member at AJS who came up with the idea, but I can't find a thing.
Is it as simple as "Stevens Special" ?
It is as simple as that, yes (though not, of course, Jensen - or Stevens!).
I have no idea what the person with that name's connection is with the car but it's mentioned in 2 sources I have so I believe it is right.
The info is out there on the 'Net!
Easy for you to say! I can't find it. :(
Smiths Special?
The designer of the AJS 9hp was A.G.Booth. Anything to do with him , like the Booth Special ?
Quote from: nicanary on May 16, 2014, 10:26:35 AM
The designer of the AJS 9hp was A.G.Booth. Anything to do with him , like the Booth Special ?
Not Booth, no.
Patrick Special?
Bournbrook Special?
Edgbaston Special?
Quote from: 4popoid on May 17, 2014, 12:51:49 PM
Edgbaston Special?
No! I've heard of anyone called Edgbaston, although I have been there!
Lucas Special?
I've actually found a website with your puzzle photo on it, together with other period images. I can tell you the registration of the car - OJ59, and I can tell you who is presently restoring the car - Peter Hubbard, who has devoted a Facebook site to the car. However, much to my frustration, nowhere on his comments does he mention the car other than as an AJS 9hp built for the 1932 London Motor Show.
I know that AJS were made bankrupt in 1931, and after that production of the cars limped on under the new "owners" Willys-Overland-Crossley, who tried to relaunch the marque with Crossley Torquay bodies. Is the car named after any of these marques?
Vernon Special?
Sorry 4popoid, it's not the Vernon Special either.
Well found nicanary, but that site is about the restoration rather than the car's history and as you say it doesn't mention any other name for it.
But the car also appears on another website with more about its history as well as the restoration, and I believe the name is mentioned there.
I say I believe because I'm sure I saw it there, but my picture didn't come off the 'Net; it came from a magazine and there is a write-up about the car's history and this name is very clearly mentioned there. I seem to recall I was pleased to see it on the 'Net as well because that meant it was mentioned in 2 sources and was therefore more likely to be right.
So, keep looking!
Enquiries are under way.... watch this space. I see that it was fitted with a 1500cc Anzani engine in 1934, which would have increased performance no end, but quite rightly the restorer is refitting the correct period motor.
Those small cars bodied by the Jensen brothers all look the same - they weren't very imaginative, were they?
My patience paid off, I hope. I've finally heard from my source, and according to them, it's the Chamberlain Special. I have no idea why.
(Carnut, they've provided 4 sources of information if you want them.)
Quote from: nicanary on June 07, 2014, 06:50:30 PM
My patience paid off, I hope. I've finally heard from my source, and according to them, it's the Chamberlain Special. I have no idea why.
Indeed it did! I can't imagine why it's called that either; can't any of your sources say?
Quote from: nicanary on June 07, 2014, 06:50:30 PM
(Carnut, they've provided 4 sources of information if you want them.)
Yes, I'd be interested to see them; could you PM me with them please?
So your patience is rewarded with a whole point! Well done.
PM sent.
Here's the original article I found about this car: