AFN Factory photos, Isleworth, 1951-52 from John Fearn and Alec Rait

Photos at AFN Ltd., Isleworth, 1951-52

June 23, 2020

John Fearn sent an email on December 19, 2001:

"As a former (albeit brief) employee of Frazer Nash Cars at Isleworth, I had occasion recently, spurred on by a chance meeting with a FN Club outing in my vicinity, to carry out a web search for the marque which had such an influence on my early life, and I came across your website, with all its fascinating information about the whereabouts of FN cars today.

I have some 40 plus photographs of various cars taken during my time at Isleworth - (I must admit, I find it hard now to accept that I took so much time off taking so many photos!) My apprenticeship was a 'year out-of-college' - Faraday House Electrical Engineering College in Holborn - on work experience. I was so fortunate to be accepted by Frazer Nash - I have never lost my love of 'real' motor cars, and the knowledge of motor engineering acquired during those months have stood me in good stead ever since.

I have now scanned all my photographs (some 40 or so JPEG images) - I must, however point out that the originals are mostly 3BD" x 5BD" simple camera black and whites prints, though a few are enlargements I made myself at the time.

If you were interested in any of these photos, which show many of the post war cars either in production, or at the firm for servicing and repairs, I would be only too pleased to send them as an attachment to a future e-mail.

Yours sincerely,

Revd. John Fearn (now retired from full time ministry)"

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

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

Mille Miglia 421/100/168

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

Mille Miglia 421/100/165

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

Mille Miglia 421/100/115

Graham Gauld wrote of the photo above: "...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)

Single-seater 421/200/180S

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

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/155

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

Le Mans Replica, 421/100/127

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

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

Single Seater, 421/200/172

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

Targa Florio 421/200/162

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

Le Mans Replica 421/100/164

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

Cabriolet 421/100/116

Targa Florio 421/200/162, at Silverstone

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

Alec Rait (Ontario, Canada) sent an email on October 9, 2002:

"....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 following photos courtesy of, and all rights retained by, Alec Rait. Captions courtesy of Jim Trigwell on January 7, 2002.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Webpage originally created January 7, 2002