AFN Ltd., Isleworth, 1951-52

All photos courtesy of, and all rights retained by, John Fearn.  Captions courtesy of Jim Trigwell and Graham Gauld.

January 7, 2002 & 2020

(click each photo for larger image)

John Fearn, AFN-36.jpg (114770 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168, early 1952, leaving factory for the Turin Auto Show

John Fearn, AFN-28.jpg (258673 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-31.jpg (143785 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-17.jpg (87203 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-29.jpg (160960 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-35.jpg (93153 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-12.jpg (148866 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-32.jpg (156758 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

John Fearn, AFN-01.jpg (148546 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/165, originally owned by Len Potter, early 1952

John Fearn, AFN-01b.jpg (167346 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/165

John Fearn, AFN-37.jpg (123547 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/165

John Fearn, AFN-22.jpg (160613 bytes)

The first Mille Miglia, 421/100/115, originally owned by Dickie Stoop

John Fearn, AFN-20.jpg (101896 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/115

John Fearn, AFN-21.jpg (177550 bytes)

Mille Miglia 421/100/115

Graham Gauld wrote of the photo on the right: "...of the three single seaters, the first went to Ken Wharton, the second to Billy Skelly and the third to Irishman Dick Odlum...this looks like Billy Skelly sitting in the Single Seater with his back to the camera which means it is 421/200/180S." (later converted to a sports car)  

John Fearn, AFN-11.jpg (208006 bytes)

John Fearn, AFN-08.jpg (143740 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

John Fearn, AFN-10.jpg (93246 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

 

John Fearn, AFN-13.jpg (118241 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

John Fearn, AFN-16.jpg (76712 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

John Fearn, AFN-15.jpg (117028 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

John Fearn, AFN-25.jpg (120270 bytes)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

John Fearn, AFN-02.jpg (150615 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/155, originally owned by Tony Crook in 1951

John Fearn, AFN-09.jpg (198989 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/155

John Fearn, AFN-23.jpg (184267 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/155

John Fearn, AFN-24.jpg (132364 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/155

John Fearn, AFN-03.jpg (166774 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/127, raced by Roy Salvadori in 1951

John Fearn, AFN-42.jpg (179329 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/127

John Fearn, AFN-43.jpg (115228 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/127

John Fearn, AFN-07.jpg (187694 bytes)

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/156, Duff/Winterbottom car in 1951 Le Mans colours

John Fearn, AFN-14.jpg (231163 bytes)

The first Single Seater, 421/200/172, built for Ken Wharton, early 1952

John Fearn, AFN-27.jpg (161630 bytes)

Single Seater, 421/200/172

John Fearn, AFN-26.jpg (194057 bytes)

Single Seater, 421/200/172

John Fearn, AFN-30.jpg (135460 bytes)

Targa Florio 421/200/162, prototype Targa Florio, first Mark II chassis, early/mid 1952

John Fearn, AFN-33.jpg (87202 bytes)

Targa Florio 421/200/162

John Fearn, AFN-34.jpg (87202 bytes)

Targa Florio 421/200/162

John Fearn, AFN-04.jpg (145811 bytes)

Le Mans Replica 421/100/164, originally owned by O'Hara Moore, rebuilt from Spiken's car

John Fearn, AFN-40.jpg (130012 bytes)

Le Mans Replica 421/100/164

John Fearn, AFN-41.jpg (144240 bytes)

Le Mans Replica 421/100/164

John Fearn, AFN-05.jpg (176405 bytes)

Cabriolet 421/100/116, Fritz Fiedler's "Dream Car"

John Fearn, AFN-06.jpg (220756 bytes)

Cabriolet 421/100/116

John Fearn, AFN-38.jpg (125360 bytes)

Cabriolet 421/100/116

John Fearn, AFN-39.jpg (102264 bytes)

Cabriolet 421/100/116

John Fearn, AFN-19.jpg (122338 bytes)

Targa Florio 421/200/162, at Silverstone

John Fearn, AFN-18.jpg (67821 bytes)

Le Mans Replica 421/200/170, originally owned by Tony Crook, mid 1952 at Silverstone


The following photos courtesy of, and all rights retained by, Alec Rait.  Captions courtesy of Jim Trigwell.

October 9, 2002

Alec Rait (Ontario, Canada) wrote:

"....I have recently  retired and I am taking the opportunity to look over my photo collection and get it into some sort of order.

 As a child I went to boarding school with Tim & Nick Aldington, sons of Don Aldington. As you can imagine, they were always praising the merits of the Frazer-Nash sports cars and early in 1952 they were able to arrange a school outing to the factory. I had been giver a simple Kodak Brownie Reflex
 camera the previous birthday and armed with this we toured the factory. I took very few photos as my pocket money would not stretch to much film or many flash bulbs (yes, one per indoor shot) in those days.

As far as I can remember, this is 50 years ago, the following cars were in production:

  • The first Formula 2 Chassis which was formally handed over to Ken Walton that day. (Photo below)

  • Special bodywork(?) being fitted to a chassis. (Photo below)

  • A car fitted with an Austin "A90 Atlantic" engine.

  • In the showroom there was a Mille Miglia which I noted in my photo album cost 3501 pounds and 10 shillings. (Photo below)

I also have a couple of color photos of Tony Cook racing his Le Mans at Goodwood probably in '53 as I had a slightly better camera by then (Le Mans start)

Lastly I have some photos taken in about 1982 at a vintage race meet at Shannonville near Belleville Ontario. I don't know who the car belonged to, but perhaps one of your site visitors can identify it. There are also a couple of shots of a "chain gang" car taken at the same time, also unidentified.

I think the pictures at the factory were taken early in 1952 and that the F2 chassis is the first one. The partially finished car is described in my album as a special body, but it may be a production style that was not yet named.

The race prepared car with the roll bar was completing at Shannonville, Ontario at an vintage race meeting in the early 1980s- '82 perhaps. The "chain gang" car was at the same event. Perhaps you would like to pass the "chain gang" photos on to an appropriate web site.

The colour photo of #32 leaving the line in a Le Mans start is harder to place. Silverstone or Goodwood, Crook or Brooks, 1953 or later. The race number is not shown in your competition listing, but some are missing from about that time. I have always had the impression that this was a  "lightweight" car. See if someone can positively identify the occasion."

Thanks, Alec!

The captions below are from Jim Trigwell:

FNSpecialBody.jpg (153758 bytes)

The body being fitted to a chassis has a Bristol engine and is I think the prototype parallel-tube chassis (#162). The body was eventually called the Targa Florio later in 1952. You can see someone welding a panel to the side; Nic Dyer can probably guess who that was.

FNLeMansStart.jpg (86875 bytes)

The colour picture of the Le Mans start is Goodwood on May 30, 1955. The Nash is Le Mans Replica chassis #159 registered OOE 444 and driven by Bill Bradley. It is a usual Le Mans Replica, not in any way a special lightweight car but Brooks was racing the "works" lightweight car in the same race. The blue car next to Bradley is the 4-litre Talbot which won the 1937 French GP (a sports car race that year) and on the other side an ex-F2 HWM-Alta.

 

FNFormula2Chassis.JPG (330094 bytes)

The Mille Miglia in the showroom was probably the car waiting to be shipped to the USA in March to Bill O'Brien (#163), now owned by Frank Twaits. This car had been completed on January 16, 1952.

BristolEngF2Chassis.JPG (160960 bytes)

The Wharton Formula 2 chassis (#172, also shown to left) was completed on February 25, 1952, so the photos must have been taken around that date.

FNLeMans1.jpg (287195 bytes) FNLeMans2.jpg (275853 bytes)
FNLeMans3.jpg (378030 bytes)
ChainGangFN1.jpg (317448 bytes) ChainGangFN2.jpg (394896 bytes)