DAR 33: Tojeiro-MG 1955

[Carnut]

1955?

[fromwien]

Blimey, I should know this.  Is it the first car of someone who would become a well-known designer ?

It's not his first car.  He is fairly well known as he designed and built several cars, normally under his own name but on at least one occasion for someone else (or he sold a design to them)

I thought to know, in which direction 'nicanary' has been thinking, so my next question has been following his thoughts.
Your answer (...It's not his first car), led me (and him, I think) in a completely different direction.
Is this car really NOT the first built Tojeiro?
Please be so kind and let me know about. Find informations, I have, attached. Thank you in advance

[Carnut]

Thanks fromwien.
I was just waiting for the puzzle to be solved before I posted that.
It seems it might indeed be the first Tojeiro ever built, in 1952, chassis #001, but with a later Ashley Laminates body.

[fromwien]

Dear 'carnut',
now I am not feeling absolutely sure, that the puzzled car is a Tojeiro or the first Tojeiro. Was first guess, after 'nicanary's' first question, and second part of 'D-Type's' answer (..he sold a design to them.).
Registration and driver, I think, will bring more light in the puzzle..

[fromwien]

I have no picture of the Tojeiro #001 with wire wheels on it.

[nicanary]

I was just about to post that same photo! I agree with Carnut that this red car appears to have a GRP body but IMO the puzzle photo shows an alloy body. The Turner wheels were on the original car and on this barnfind but in the puzzle there are wire wheels fitted. Then there's the intake and bulge for carburetters of the puzzle car which are now missing.

Could this red body be a GRP mould taken from the old alloy bodywork ?

[fromwien]

What do you think about this one? With wire wheels and aluminium bodywork... Should have been one of my next puzzle cars. No contemporary photo, but from today

[nicanary]

I think that's one of the 1957/58 Climax-engined cars. I offer my apologies to D-type - we seem to be discussing this puzzle without allowing him to have the final say!

[Allan L]

I should keep out of this as, although John Tojeiro was local to me and I did meet him in the 1960s to buy a de Dion axle I thought I needed, I have no memory of his early cars. The cars I do remember were all metal-bodied and wire-wheeled like the puzzle car.

[fromwien]

I think that's one of the 1957/58 Climax-engined cars. I offer my apologies to D-type - we seem to be discussing this puzzle without allowing him to have the final say!

Not from 1957/1958
Yes, apologies to D-type, waiting for the puzzle-setters final solution now.
Out of interest, the puzzle has developed a certain momentum of its own

[fromwien]

As it isn't questioned by the puzzle-setter, it should be allowed to ask for the driver, although the puzzle is LOCKED:

Was the driver's name K. D. Evans?

[D-type]

1955?

Yes that's the date I have.  A point is winging its way to you.
So, the answer, according to my source, is: Tojeiro-MG, 1955, Castle Combe
KD Evans was the driver at Castle Combe, as I found out after posting the puzzle.
The design that I described as "sold" was the Tojeiro-Bristol that became the AC Ace.
I do not think this is the first Tojeiro.  It had cycle wings.  The registration of this car is 112 TT which is different from the first Tojeiro , which I believe was KVE 304.

[Carnut]

Thanks Duncan.
Claims about these cars' provenance are always difficult to prove one way or another as there's no definitive history that can really prove anything; just lots of people's memories!

It does say in Bring-a-Trailer's advertisement:

QUOTE
Shortly after the build of the Tojeiro, Chris Threlfall purchased it from John Tojeiro and he later sold it to James Fiander in 1954. James Fiander raced #001 in 54 season including Brands Hatch International. Under ownership of James Fiander #001 was rebodied to a full bodied car in 1954 and converted at some time to an MG XPAG 1446 cc motor due to the results of a crash.
UNQUOTE

So the car said to be chassis #001 didn't stay a cycle-wing car for long but gained a fully enveloping body by the time of your puzzle picture. But that alone isn't evidence of anything, including any claim that your puzzle car is #001 just because it has that body.  Few cars from that era have the registration number issued to them on first registration, so that doesn't prove anything either!
So your puzzle might or might not be chassis #001...

[Carnut]

Here's a picture of chassis #001 after its 1954 rebody with a fully-enclosed body.
It doesn't look like the same car as the puzzle car to me!

[fromwien]

 

Here is another picture of the puzzle-car out of the Tojeiro-book! It is NOT chassis number #001! But the correct year is 1954!

Great puzzle! Thank you

[Carnut]

The year D-Type was referring to was when the picture was taken at Castle Combe...

[Tifosisportscars]

What a great site. Sorry I am late to the party, but I can add some further details to the mystery car.
The car was built in Totnes (Devon) from parts supplied by John Tojeiro. Kenneth Douglas Evans built and drove the car, it was entered as an E&C Tojeiro (E&C stood for Evans & Cutler, Kenneths company - which still exists now). It is a Tojeiro MG using an MG XPAG engine. As far as I know the car was unique in being the only Tojeiro MG of this design to be run on wire wheels.
The reason I know all this is that I actually own the car and have done for over 20 years (though it is in a very poor state currently, but Restoration is now fairly imminent).
I have been in contact with the Evans who confirmed the authenticity if the car.

[Carnut]

You're a lucky guy to own it and very pleased to see it surviving!
Welcome to the site.