Jowett Jupiter - The Coachbuilt Cars

[João]

One by Lionel Rawson :

[woodinsight]

Some more period photos, two by Abbott (blue one is chassis no. 32), one by Farr and one by Stabilimenti Farina.

[woodinsight]

A 1980s view of the Maurice Gomm car -

[Carnut]

Ed Nankivell is about to publish an authoritative book on this subject (hopefully published this year) which will be the culmination of 40 years of research.

See there was a book reviewed in the latest Classic & Sports Car (or was it Classic Cars?!) about the coachbuilt Jowett Jupiters.  That must be the book (there can't be 2 of them..) and it's available now priced at £25

I haven't sent off for mine yet.

I believe you can order it through the Jowett Jupiter Club website.

[Carnut]

I found a picture captioned as being a Jowett Jupiter, and the wheels seem to confirm it. Does anybody know more?

Have a look at:

www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=14515.0

There's nothing conclusive but barrett's reply #12 might be helpful.

[Allan L]

Ed Nankivell is about to publish an authoritative book on this subject (hopefully published this year) which will be the culmination of 40 years of research.

See there was a book reviewed in the latest Classic & Sports Car (or was it Classic Cars?!) about the coachbuilt Jowett Jupiters.  That must be the book (there can't be 2 of them..) and it's available now priced at £25

I haven't sent off for mine yet.

I believe you can order it through the Jowett Jupiter Club website.

It seems to have had a good review in The Automobile too.
Whilst we are not supposed to post links most of the time, I think I can say that it's here:
http://www.jowettjupiter.co.uk/buybook.htm @£25 + P/P as appropriate and even PayPal at a slight extra charge.

[barrett]

Sorry I haven't been checking in on this thread as often as I should!

I was lucky enough to get a copy of Ed Nankivell's book 'hot off the press' on the first day he got them back from the printers! I have been meaning to write a book review for this 'site, which I will get round to eventually. In the meantime I would wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone on this website. It is without a doubt the definitive work on this subject and Ed has put a LOT of time into getting it all together... Worth £25 of anyone's money I'd say.

[threespires]

Barrett, thanks for the detailed history of some of the special bodied Jupiters. A comprehensive list.

If I might add a few notes regarding the Frank Grounds' car LOL 1 that you have featured on page 1. Shown are Ken Rawlings / Frank Grounds / Jack Hay

Jowett Jupiter -  Ken Rawlings / Frank Grounds / Jack Hay 1953 Monte Carlo Rally

Ken Rawlings worked at PJ Evans [ Evans Halshaw now] in Birmingham. Agents for Rolls / Jaguar / Triumph. Ken built a trials special which he called Buttercup. Based on Standard running gear, the car is still about. A rumour that is unsubstantiated is that when Standard Triumph bosses saw the car it prompted them to design their own 2 seater which was the TR2.

Ken Rawlings - Buttercup - 05 November 1950

Jack Hay was motoring correspondent for the Birmingham Post and navigated on a number of rallies with Frank Grounds in the Jowett and also Mk V111 and XK120 Jaguars. His daughter Sally was Richard Burton's last wife and she now lives in Perth Au. Here is an article Jack Hay wrote for Austin Apprentices magazine in 1958 - Page 1 here - follow link for the rest.

Monte Carlo Rally 1958 - Austin Apprentices Magazine - 01

Here is another shot of the rear of Jupiter LOL 1 at Thimblemill Lane Aston Birmingham. This site is now Aston Manor Brewery.


Jowett Jupiter at Thimblemill Lane - 1951

As you mentioned, LOL 1 was used everyday by Lola Grounds. She was under 5ft tall, so a neat modification that was carried out involved fitting wooden extending blocks to the pedals so that she could reach.

[dzima1985]

Black Jowett Jupiter by Beutler:

[dzima1985]

... and silver by Harold Radford:

[grobmotorix]

 

[dzima1985]

Some photos by other coachbuilders:

[ednankivell]

You can read it all in the hardback book "Jowett Jupiter Special Body - from Abbott and Beutler to Rochdale and Worblaufen" by Edmund Nankivell. Available from Amazon. There is all the information on this website plus much more!

[ednankivell]

I can confirm that the coupe Jupiter wearing 138 is the Jupiter that Jean Latune had built for himself, and he rallied it several times.
This event as depicted by you wearing 138 is the 1953 Lyon to Charboniere rally, the "Charbo" with the car crewed by messieurs Gay and Trollinet.
I am pleased to see this photo, new to me, showing the rear of the car, all I have are front and front/side! Well done!

Could you mention that my book is already published and available from Amazon and oters. It is called
"Jowett Jupiter Special Body - from Abbott and Beutler to Rochdale and Worblaufen". It is a big hardback book weighing a full kilogram!

[Allan L]

Good to see you here, Ed!
Back up this thread you'll have seen (in post 30) that I put a link to your site about your book and, knowing the sort of people we get here, I'd expect some of them/us bought a copy.
I see Barrie Pook has a signed copy at more than a 50% mark-up!

[Al the Gregg]

Greetings one and all.

If you are interested in Jupiters then two things I would reccomend. Firstly there is no man on the planet who knows more about them than Ed Nankivell. His book(s) are meticulously researched and interestingly written. The book Barrett refers to is available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jowett-Jupiter-Special-Body-Worblaufen/dp/0954114418 but there are several others also well worth investing in. Secondly if you want to view a Jupiter restoration then http://www.thegreggsplace.co.uk/HKYHistoricaldata.htm could be worth whiling away a few minutes at.

Thanks for your interest

Al the Gregg

[Simon Ambrose]

A Buckler was commissioned by Doug Allen of Crowthorne England
This was a Buckler 90 modified to take the Jowett engine. the 90 originally was designed to use the ford e93a side valve and torque-tube
so to make it fit...either a modification was made to the Jowett box or the Jowett engine was mated to the ford three speed box(unlikely?)
or the 90 chassis was modified to use Jowett running gear
Anyone know any more about this ?
it could have been a very quick car!
thanks
Simon Ambrose

[galrot]

I found a picture captioned as being a Jowett Jupiter, and the wheels seem to confirm it. Does anybody know more?

This must be the same car.

[damienbove]

Hello Barrett

I read with interest your article on the Jowet Jupiter, I am re-building a Jupiter and we have decided that we are going to bring it back to life as a FHC on the Sommer model, do you happen to have contact details of the current keeper of the car, we woudl like to visit Denmark and photograph the original car

The Sommer Car

Danish coachbuilder Ole Sommer had, at one point, attempted to kick-start the Danish car industry by building a couple of ugly but imposing saloon cars based on Jowett running gear, therefore it was logical that he would build a special-bodied Jupiter when that car became available. Although now a totally forgotten name in the history of motoring, Sommer should be remembered for designing and building one of the most beautiful bodies to ever grace a Jupiter chassis. The car was a wonderfully simple fastback coupe design, a mix between XK120 and Bentley Continental. It featured a standard Jupiter bonnet which was ordered from the factory along with the chassis, which itself is notable for being the only left-hand drive chassis that Jowett sent to an outside coachbuilder.
The car exists today in perfectly restored condition, and is still in Denmark.

[Carnut]

Hi damienbove and welcome to AutoPuzzles.
Barrett doesn't log on very often (often months apart) and even when he does he rarely answers questions in any of his puzzle threads.

You might be able to make better progress by emailing him on:

teamartfag@yahoo.co.uk

Good luck.

[Wendax]

Unless you have already done so you can certainly ask the Sommer Automobile Museum: lone.solberg@e-sommer.dk.
Maybe they know the whereabouts of their car.

[galrot]

Does anyone have a picture of the othre Maurice Gomm car?

[Johno]

Bringing this back up to date. 70's Car Restoration in Yorkshire England are currently re-building a Jowett Jupiter from 1953. A websearch will find you more info and images but here's one for starters.