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Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2019 => Topic started by: nicanary on April 26, 2019, 06:04:15 AM

Title: Solved NIC#1058 - Mercury Special by Leslie Onslow-Bartlett
Post by: nicanary on April 26, 2019, 06:04:15 AM
What is this car and who built it?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 19, 2019, 06:23:27 AM
Experts?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: FrontMan on May 19, 2019, 10:30:56 AM
Sydney Allard's "Candidi Provocatores" J1?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 19, 2019, 11:01:50 AM
Quote from: FrontMan on May 19, 2019, 10:30:56 AM
Sydney Allard's "Candidi Provocatores" J1?

Not that.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 19, 2019, 03:53:08 PM
Its not the Fairley Mercury v8 is it?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: D-type on May 19, 2019, 04:04:21 PM
An early incarnation of the AJB?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 19, 2019, 05:02:35 PM
Neither Fairley nor AJB.

Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 19, 2019, 07:55:37 PM
Is it Ford v8 powered?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 20, 2019, 04:59:14 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 19, 2019, 07:55:37 PM
Is it Ford v8 powered?

More or less...........
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 20, 2019, 08:17:00 PM
Does that mean it is Mercury V8 powered?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: Fёdor on May 20, 2019, 11:43:48 PM
Dellow
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 21, 2019, 03:46:31 AM
Quote from: Fёdor on May 20, 2019, 11:43:48 PM
Dellow

Not a Dellow, but it is indeed Mercury powered.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 21, 2019, 07:38:44 PM
At first glance it looked like a UK photo  ....  so is it Australian?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 22, 2019, 04:04:28 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 21, 2019, 07:38:44 PM
At first glance it looked like a UK photo  ....  so is it Australian?

Not Australia - it's in the UK.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 22, 2019, 06:59:47 AM
Is it a trials car?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 22, 2019, 08:17:16 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 22, 2019, 06:59:47 AM
Is it a trials car?

I don't know what types of event the car entered - in this photo it's taking part in a hillclimb.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 22, 2019, 08:32:14 PM
It's not the '49 Baldwin- Mercury is it?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 23, 2019, 03:53:30 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 22, 2019, 08:32:14 PM
It's not the '49 Baldwin- Mercury is it?

Not that. I don't have any title for the car, just the builder's name.

(I will admit at this stage that I know next to nothing about this car. The person driving it is, I am fairly sure, the builder. He was responsible for several "specials" at this time and the name could well be familiar to you.)

Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: Allan L on May 23, 2019, 04:06:48 AM
I'm away from my books for a couple of days so can't look it up but is it Reg Farley? Have I even got that name right?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 23, 2019, 04:39:06 AM
Quote from: Allan L on May 23, 2019, 04:06:48 AM
I'm away from my books for a couple of days so can't look it up but is it Reg Farley? Have I even got that name right?

Sorry Allan, it wasn't built by him. You may be thinking of Reg Fairley, who built a very similar car to my puzzle subject. In fact, I was worried that they may be one and the same car, but this photo was taken in 1947, and the Fairley wasn't built until 1953.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: Allan L on May 23, 2019, 08:48:40 AM
Quote from: nicanary on May 23, 2019, 04:39:06 AM
You may be thinking of Reg Fairley, who built a very similar car to my puzzle subject.
Most likely that's it and confused by knowing a John Farley (test pilot).
Sorry.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 23, 2019, 03:31:47 PM
Cannot find a trace of this car so I am going to throw out four random names .... Ken Hutchison, Guy Warburton, David Price, Len Potter ... who all had some connection with V8 cars.Hopefully one of them is behind the wheel!
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 23, 2019, 04:47:26 PM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 23, 2019, 03:31:47 PM
Cannot find a trace of this car so I am going to throw out four random names .... Ken Hutchison, Guy Warburton, David Price, Len Potter ... who all had some connection with V8 cars.Hopefully one of them is behind the wheel!

As the best referendum forms say - none of the above............
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 07:50:08 AM
Will it help if we can identify the hillclimb?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 24, 2019, 08:13:11 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 07:50:08 AM
Will it help if we can identify the hillclimb?

It would, but even this is obscure  ;D
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 12:46:53 PM
Is it in England ? Bodiam?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 24, 2019, 02:16:18 PM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 12:46:53 PM
Is it in England ? Bodiam?

This is earlier than the first event at Bodiam. The venue is in England though.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 08:35:41 PM
Northern or Southern England   ......  this could take some time?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 25, 2019, 04:00:06 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 24, 2019, 08:35:41 PM
Northern or Southern England   ......  this could take some time?

Southern England. It could indeed take some time - the UK was very active just after WW2 in the motor sport department, as you know. Lots of minor events that sprang up and then disappeared after a few years. You need to know where to look!
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 27, 2019, 09:29:53 AM
Lets try narrowing it down alphabetically. Is its name between A-K?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 27, 2019, 10:30:29 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 27, 2019, 09:29:53 AM
Lets try narrowing it down alphabetically. Is its name between A-K?

Ah! The oko94 approach  ;D.

Yes, the venue has a name beginning within that bracket.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 27, 2019, 07:07:24 PM
A-F ???
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 28, 2019, 05:01:53 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 27, 2019, 07:07:24 PM
A-F ???

Yes.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 03:29:43 PM
A-C?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 28, 2019, 03:40:42 PM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 03:29:43 PM
A-C?

Yes.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: D-type on May 28, 2019, 03:53:25 PM
Is the venue Blandford Camp?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 28, 2019, 04:34:00 PM
Quote from: D-type on May 28, 2019, 03:53:25 PM
Is the venue Blandford Camp?

No.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 05:13:33 PM
I have ploughed through the Bs and found nothing, there are loads of Cs so is it a hillclimb beginning with C?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 28, 2019, 05:31:21 PM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 05:13:33 PM
I have ploughed through the Bs and found nothing, there are loads of Cs so is it a hillclimb beginning with C?

Yes.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 06:24:43 PM
Chalfont St Peter?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 29, 2019, 04:01:07 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 28, 2019, 06:24:43 PM
Chalfont St Peter?

No.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 30, 2019, 03:58:39 PM
Oh dear, there are rather less hillclimbs beginning with C once have ruled out those in Ireland and Wales - Chatcombe Pitch?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: D-type on May 30, 2019, 04:24:12 PM
Cockley Hill?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 30, 2019, 04:34:37 PM
Quote from: D-type on May 30, 2019, 04:24:12 PM
Cockley Hill?

Not Chatcombe, because the event was indeed at Cockley Hill.

This knowledge may or may not help anyone to solve the identity of the car and driver.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 30, 2019, 06:48:52 PM
Just finding a Cockley Hill in southern England is bad enough. Is it the one in Hampshire?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 31, 2019, 03:50:49 AM
Quote from: tobytwirl on May 30, 2019, 06:48:52 PM
Just finding a Cockley Hill in southern England is bad enough. Is it the one in Hampshire?

Yes  ;D. My source is clearly a stranger to your bookshelf !
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 31, 2019, 08:46:45 AM
You are right, I do not have that book ... is it a prerequisite?
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: D-type on May 31, 2019, 09:16:34 AM
The book (Julian Hunt's one) says that Cockley Hill is near Fordingbridge, Hampshire.  Two hillclimbs were held there in 1946 and 1947. 
I only looked at the index and not at the pictures!  ;)
All yours, Tobytwirl
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 31, 2019, 12:17:42 PM
Quote from: D-type on May 31, 2019, 09:16:34 AM
The book (Julian Hunt's one) says that Cockley Hill is near Fordingbridge, Hampshire.  Two hillclimbs were held there in 1946 and 1947. 
I only looked at the index and not at the pictures!  ;)
All yours, Tobytwirl

That's very decent of you D-type. Maintaining standards at AP and all that.

Unfortunately Tobytwirl, it is I believe a prerequisite to have that book. I have never seen the image anywhere else although I think it is within the rules of AP for me to advise you that it is from the Guy Griffiths Collection.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: tobytwirl on May 31, 2019, 02:17:25 PM
 Thank you both, but  I do not have the book and as I understand it I will not identify the car without it. D-type please put me out of my misery.
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: D-type on May 31, 2019, 02:41:52 PM
OK.  The picture caption says "Leslie Onslow-Bartlett unleashes his fearsome Mercury Special at Cockley Hill"  As the hillclimb had a loose gravel surface it must have been a hairy ride
Title: Re: NIC#1058
Post by: nicanary on May 31, 2019, 02:51:45 PM
The point is awarded to D-type. I'm afraid I know nothing more about the car, although the builder is well-known enough for the various cars he built in the immediate post-war years. There was a Riley-engined single-seater, at least 2 trials specials and I wonder if there were more.

The book's a good one Tobytwirl. The author forgot to provide a proper index but I understand these are now available in retrospect.
Title: Re: Solved NIC#1058 - Mercury Special by Leslie Onslow-Bartlett
Post by: tobytwirl on May 31, 2019, 05:27:07 PM
Guess what I just found in one of my old Autocars .......
Title: Re: Solved NIC#1058 - Mercury Special by Leslie Onslow-Bartlett
Post by: nicanary on June 01, 2019, 03:58:14 AM
 ;D Too late I fear!

Looks like it's taking part in a trial. He definitely built a Ford 1172 sidevalve trials car as well (unless the engine was fitted into this chassis which seems unlikely) plus the weird JAP-engined car I have used as a previous puzzle.