What's this, powered by what and who built it - for 1 point?:
Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!
Experts?
Is there a Cooper Monaco hiding in there somewhere ?
Professionals?
I'll 'fess up - I thought the same as Willie. I guessed it might be cut down for hillclimb or sprint purposes, like the cars of Phil Scragg and Phil Chapman.
Those look like Cooper wheels - any Cooper involvement at all?
Quote from: nicanary on March 17, 2015, 05:41:51 AM
I'll 'fess up - I thought the same as Willie. I guessed it might be cut down for hillclimb or sprint purposes, like the cars of Phil Scragg and Phil Chapman.
Those look like Cooper wheels - any Cooper involvement at all?
None that I'm aware of but since it's a self-built one-off they could have scrounged parts from wherever they could find them!
1172 Formula?
I have a fair idea of the date of the car - it might just be late enough to be BMC powered (I'm thinking Mini), but somehow I don't think so. Surely not Climax-powered?
Quote from: nicanary on March 17, 2015, 08:29:37 AM
I have a fair idea of the date of the car - it might just be late enough to be BMC powered (I'm thinking Mini), but somehow I don't think so. Surely not Climax-powered?
Neither BMC- nor Climax-powered..
I haven't asked the obvious. Is it British?
Quote from: nicanary on March 18, 2015, 08:52:51 AM
I haven't asked the obvious. Is it British?
British-built, yes.
Your turn of phrase makes me suspicious. Is the engine not British?
Quote from: nicanary on March 19, 2015, 07:29:08 AM
Your turn of phrase makes me suspicious. Is the engine not British?
Spot on! It's not..
American engine?
Japanese power plant?
Borgward motor? :)
Neither Borgward nor Japanese engine..
French engine ?
Fiat-powered?
Neither a French engine nor Fiat-powered.
German engine?
VW ?
Porsche? :-\
I thought it was unlikely. So not Borgward, not VW, not Porsche.
There weren't that many German makers in those days. DKW ?
BMW engine?
Quote from: Wendax on March 20, 2015, 01:55:29 PM
BMW engine?
No..
Quote from: nicanary on March 20, 2015, 11:25:07 AM
I thought it was unlikely. So not Borgward, not VW, not Porsche.
There weren't that many German makers in those days. DKW ?
.. but very close!
EMW engine
Auto-Union?
This is very odd - British cars powered by DKW/Auto Union engines were pretty thin on the ground. According to Georgano the only model marketed in the UK as an Auto Union was the 1000SP, so that must be the source of the motor.
There were a few FJ cars with DKW engines, and John Aley ran a Sonderklasse saloon, but I can't think of anything else. Was the builder well-known in UK club racing circles?
It wasn't John Aley. I don't know if the builder was well-known or not; I've never heard of him nor can I find any other reference to him so it seems probably not!
Quote from: nicanary on March 22, 2015, 05:51:22 PM
John Aley ran a Sonderklasse saloon
More usually in Minis, John Aley raced a DKW Junior:
(http://www.johnaley.co.uk/images/johna32.jpg)
Thanks Allan. My mistake.
I think the most prolific driver of Auto Union/DKW saloons was Nicky Byrne. Did he have a hand in this car?
Quote from: nicanary on March 24, 2015, 10:50:01 AM
Thanks Allan. My mistake.
I think the most prolific driver of Auto Union/DKW saloons was Nicky Byrne. Did he have a hand in this car?
I don't know but that's not the name of the builder I'm looking for.
Let's try a different tack. Was this first raced before 1st January 1959?
Quote from: D-type on April 01, 2015, 03:21:50 PM
Let's try a different tack. Was this first raced before 1st January 1959?
I don't know when it dates from exactly, but with its Auto-Union engine I would hazard a guess around 1957/8/9.
I have a feeling this wasn't a track car, but maybe for hillclimbs. It certainly doesn't appear anywhere in my fairly extensive collection of programmes of that era. Having said that, no doubt the puzzle-setter doesn't know, either!
I don't know what kind of competition it was built for I'm afraid, but probably not track use.
To answer D-Type's earlier question, it was not used before 1959 as I have checked my records and find it was only built in the early 1960s!
Over a year since the last response.
I think it's time t his one went to languish in the Black Hole...
Was it built in 1962 ?
Quote from: oko94 on June 01, 2016, 02:54:24 AM
Was it built in 1962 ?
I don't know the exact year it was built, sorry.
Is this the Opus-Auto Union of (?) Haynes and Erik Johnson?
It might be but I have no idea where my records from the time I posted this are...
I'll have to try to find them before I can reply; sorry.
I do remember it was called the Opus and we've already established that it was Auto-Union based so I've awarded you 2 points for this one and moving it to Solved.
Well done!
Just to add whatever information I managed to obtain, this car was entered in a Formula 3 race in August 1964 at Silverstone, but did not arrive. The driver was nominated as Robert Cowey, and the entrant was Erik Johnson. That's all the internet will reveal.
In the puzzle photo, it's fitted with mudguards. This makes me think that it was a sort of 2-seater, which could enter sports car events and then be stripped down for F3 races. Just like the 1950 HWM!
Quote from: nicanary on October 12, 2019, 08:46:39 AM
Just to add whatever information I managed to obtain, this car was entered in a Formula 3 race in August 1964 at Silverstone, but did not arrive. The driver was nominated as Robert Cowey, and the entrant was Erik Johnson. That's all the internet will reveal.
I can add:
23 March 196356th B.A.R.C. Members' Race Meeting, Goodwood
Result: Unknown
Note: "Haynes was allowed to run his ineligible Opus Auto Union, with 3-cylinder two-stroke engine at the rear coupled to a "Deek" gearbox through a chain-drive step-up. It went well, but only intermittently, being somewhat tucked up."
25 April 1964British National Silverstone Race Meeting
Car: Opus-Auto Union
Entrant: Erik Johnson
Driver: Erik Johnson
Race#: 101
Group: S
Result: Did not arrive
Note: "Not known if ran."
12 September 1964Brighton Speed Trials
Car: Opus Auto Union (908cc)
Driver: E. Johnson
Race#: 208
Class: 18 (501cc - 1100cc)
Result: Unknown