Solved NIC#455 - 1946 Lenkin of Desire Boudart

[nicanary]

This one is really obscure. Year , name of car, and name of builder, please.

[nicanary]

Straight to the Pros . I hope this one lasts longer than most of my puzzles.

[Paul Jaray]

Scandinavian?

[nicanary]

Scandinavian?

No.

[Paul Jaray]

From Europe?

[nicanary]

From Europe?

Yes.

[Paul Jaray]

Germany?

[nicanary]

Germany?

It was not built in Germany.

[Paul Jaray]

Austria?

[nicanary]

Austria?

It was not built in Austria.

(No clues from me at this level!)

[Paul Jaray]

France or nearby?

[nicanary]

France or nearby?

Yes, built in France.

PJ - Very,very sorry - made in BELGIUM.  I just double-checked. Many apologies......

[oko94]

Built between 1930 and 1935 ?

[franck.kegelart]

It is the Lenkin, a one-off race car built by a belgian garagist named Désiré Boudart... can't remember from when it dates...

[Paul Jaray]

France or nearby?

Yes, built in France.

PJ - Very,very sorry - made in BELGIUM.  I just double-checked. Many apologies......

No problem at all

[nicanary]

It is the Lenkin, a one-off race car built by a belgian garagist named Désiré Boudart... can't remember from when it dates...

It took a Belgian puzzler to know it! I don't know for sure when it was built, but I know the date it took part in the only race that has a record of it as an entry. I'll LOCK it for franck to find out - it's there somewhere on the net.

[nicanary]

Still locked - I'll open it at 10am British Time tomorrow.

[franck.kegelart]

I think Ifound it. This car took part at the "Grand Prix des Frontières" ( it happened to Chimay, a small town near the french border... ) in 1946. The car has been specially made - I believe - for this race, so I suppose the car is from 1946 too.

[nicanary]

I think Ifound it. This car took part at the "Grand Prix des Frontières" ( it happened to Chimay, a small town near the french border... ) in 1946. The car has been specially made - I believe - for this race, so I suppose the car is from 1946 too.

Yes. One point to you.

It appears that the car was built during the later years of WW2, and was thus ready for the 1946 season. It was constructed using all sorts of parts, but the chassis was Ford, and the engine was a 2.3-litre 6 cylinder Steyr. (Sorry PJ - I know you asked about Austria, so when I replied I said the car was not built there. Life is tough in the Pros!).

I cannot find any reference to the car taking part in any other races, although maybe it raced in lesser Belgian or French events which are not on record. The car still exists, and has had the front modified to look more  modern. (My Pro puzzles never last long, even when I think I've found a good one!)

[Djetset]

Here's another photo of the Lenkin Steyr 1938 Grand Prix racer, which I took in Brussels at the end of last year.

[Allan L]

I find slightly smaller helpful

[nicanary]

Thanks for the up-to-date photo.