SAC#901 : Iota Jap Special 1958

oko94 · January 29, 2015, 03:36:47 AM

Was it actually raced or was it just a prototype ?

SACO · January 29, 2015, 05:14:05 AM

I think it's a prototype !

nicanary · January 30, 2015, 10:49:43 AM

Bit of a long shot - is this car Jeremy Webster's Waco? He had a self-built racer which he converted for road use.

SACO · January 31, 2015, 03:04:27 AM

Not Jeremy Webster Waco !

Willie McCrum · February 10, 2015, 07:26:49 AM

Staride ?

SACO · February 10, 2015, 08:11:42 AM

Not Staride !

Willie McCrum · February 10, 2015, 08:19:10 AM

Erskine Staride ?

SACO · February 10, 2015, 10:47:05 AM

Not Erskine Staride !

nicanary · February 11, 2015, 06:31:47 AM

Most F3 cars were one-offs, and very few were factory-made. We know it's not a Cooper or Kieft, and there are not many marques left that comply with your clues.
Arnott?

SACO · February 11, 2015, 12:14:48 PM

Not Arnott !

nicanary · February 13, 2015, 06:56:35 AM

Built by Ray Martin?

SACO · February 13, 2015, 05:37:08 PM

Not built by Ray Martin !

nicanary · February 15, 2015, 11:12:31 AM

Marwyn?

SACO · February 15, 2015, 12:27:19 PM

Not Marwyn !

nicanary · February 15, 2015, 05:21:09 PM

JBS ?

SACO · February 15, 2015, 05:59:19 PM

Not JBS !

nicanary · February 16, 2015, 06:42:17 AM

Mackson?

SACO · February 16, 2015, 07:12:14 AM

Not Mackson !

nicanary · February 16, 2015, 07:00:07 PM

You said it was built by a company. Did they build several cars, or just one or two?

SACO · February 17, 2015, 01:48:05 AM

Several cars !

nicanary · February 17, 2015, 05:46:14 AM

There are virtually no production F3 cars we haven't mentioned! It's not an Iota, that's for sure.

Creamer?

SACO · February 17, 2015, 12:20:41 PM

A Iota Jap Special 1958 !
1 point for nicanary !

nicanary · February 17, 2015, 07:04:19 PM

Thank you for the point, but I'm rather embarrassed, because in my last post I said it was not an Iota! The Iota, in its early form and even in the later series of cars, was a very basic car indeed. It could not hope to compete with the Coopers and Kiefts since it was a very unsophisticated design.

All I know is that just before they ceased building cars, they made 2 sports cars, which I should imagine were based on an F3 chassis, and maybe this is one of those. I cannot find any images of these cars. Iota often sold just the chassis, and buyers supplied their own bodywork, so it is possible that someone has adapted the body of another F3 car to create this puzzle car. It's a mystery to me.

I've checked the 2 sports cars, and they are nothing like this. Indeed they have both been previous puzzles on AP. This car is a mystery.

HiRich · September 27, 2015, 01:02:50 PM

There's a mystery behind this car, if anyone can add more information.

It is an Iota, apparently, although if that's a JAP in the back, it's no JAP i've seen. But closer inspection suggests it isn't a Norton either (the rocker covers are too small). What I do know is that this car was built up by Don Parker - more commonly associated with Kiefts and (by this stage) Coopers. It could well be outside his Clapham workshop, although cobbled streets and stable doors were much more common back then. I believe it was a road car rather than a racer (note the kick start under the engine cover, but where are all the lights?), but have nothing else. The car is clearly some way from completion, but I have nothing on file to indicate how it finished. In fact, the one person who really should know about this car got really interested when I contacted him - he has almost nothing on the car either, and it disappeared without a trace.

If anyone knows any more about this car or has more images, I'd be grateful if you would post it here, or more discreetly perhaps drop me a PM

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SAC#901 : Iota Jap Special 1958