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"Sure, I know what
kind of car that is..."
But almost no one ever really
does know.
It's not a Frazer, as in Kaiser-Frazer or Kaiser Darrin. It's not a Nash,
as in Nash, Hudson, or Nash-Healey.
It's a Frazer Nash, originally built by Archibald Frazer-Nash and later by
the Aldington brothers in Isleworth, London, England.
Famous for the "chain-drive"
Frazer Nash built in the hundreds between the wars and later for the
85 post-war cars which had great success in racing and rallying in the
'50's, the Frazer Nash certainly deserves a place on the Internet!
The company Archie later started, Frazer-Nash Research Limited, is now a successful
engineering firm in England, but this company has had no connection to the
Frazer Nash cars since the late '20's. Frazer Nash Communications Ltd and
Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd are other UK companies with great names but no
relation to the former automobile manufacturer.
The manufacturer of the Frazer Nash, AFN Limited, ceased building these
cars in 1956, but became very successful as the importer of Porsche to
Great Britain.
Nearly all the post-war cars still exist and have a well known and
interesting history. This site describes the Le Mans Replica, Mille
Miglia, Targa Florio, Le Mans Coupe and Sebring models. For more
information on the chain-drive and other pre-WWII Frazer Nash cars, please
visit the web site of the Frazer
Nash Car Club. The Club also
supports the postwar cars and publishes the excellent "Chain Gang
Gazette". If you have any information on the postwar cars (any
project of AFN after 1946), contact James
Trigwell directly. He is the registrar of the postwar Frazer
Nash cars and a trustee of the Frazer
Nash Archives.
News - 2010 Scheduled
for July will be 1000 Miles in 24 Hours - Saturday and Sunday, 10th &
11th July, with great participation by GN and Frazer Nash cars! See
the "News" page of the Frazer
Nash Car Club web site for
details. Although
there are regular Frazer Nash email exchanges and research on nearly a
daily basis, my highlight of May was meeting Frazer Nash owner Robert
Yung twice while vacationing in Honolulu. Mr. Yung was the original
owner of Mille Miglia 421/100/124, which was built to his specifications
in 1951. After several years of extensive east coast racing and use,
he sold the car and (probably) instantly regretted the sale. This
was remedied in 2001 when he found the Mille Miglia at an auction in
England and bought it back. Mr. Yung has great stories of his east
coast and European automotive adventures, so check again in a few weeks
for a few stories and rare photos.
Michael Elsom sent a status report on the "Ring project" in May,
see it here. And
a few
interesting bits of news items from January and February... First,
Michael Elsom is looking gauge interest for the "Eifel Raid 2010",
as announced on the Frazer Nash Car Club website
news:
"... the plot is to spend
approximately a week in the area - including the weekend at the Ring.
Plans include taking a tour of the circuit at Spa - the original version
not the modern one and viewing the area generally which would needless
to say take in a vineyard or two on the Mosel. Travel to and from the
region is easy - a day's drive from a Channel or North Sea port. The
arrangement whereby everyone found their own way to Reims seemed to work
well and I would think that should be the aim here as well. ...The
international Vintage Nürburgring will take place on either October 2-3
or 9-10. You will be heartily welcome with your troop. We have added
your address to our distribution list and will keep you up to date. As
soon as entry details and timetable are in place we will send you these.
News can be found also on the internet under www.vintage-nuerburgring.de"
Contact Michael Elsom by e-mail
at michael.elsom "at" btopenworld.com Next,
we heard from Matteo Bosisio, director of the Historical department of
Ruote Borrani in Milan,
Italy www.ruoteborrani.com
"I’m approaching you
because we are evaluating the manufacturing of special wheels for the
BMW 328. Recently, we received several requests from Frazer-Nash and BMW
owners, that are experiencing some difficulties in finding replacement
wheels for those vehicles.
In the past, we used to
manufacture wire wheels for BMW 328 as aftermarket options to the
original steel disc wheels, but always keeping the original studs-drive
and not our traditional spline-drive. The reason why I’m
contacting you is to understand if there is a real need for this item,
and I’m not talking about wire wheels (that we still are offering to
the market), but for a bi-metal wheel.
To be more clear about it, we
are studying a replacement wheel with a little improvement,
consisting in adding a light alloy in the place of the traditional steel
one.
So, the project will consist
of re-manufacture the original centre-disc in steel with the addition of
our traditional “Record Rim” in alloy 6082 - this will improve the
quality of the wheel by less rotating mass and adding a more elegant
look given by the Hi-polished alloy.
We just achieved a success
with the re-edition of our historical bi-metal wheel for the Lancia
Aurelia, this project was coordinate with the Lancia clubs world wide.
We would like to repeat this wonderful experience with the BMW clubs to
see if working together with enthusiasm, we will be able to offer a
service that could help to keep safely on the road those beautiful
vehicles. Looking for your kind answer."
Contact Mr.
Bosisio directly by email.
Finally, the postwar Frazer Nash is again honored
by "New
Zealand Classic Car" magazine with a great photo of 1952 Mille Miglia 421/100/168
as the June 2010 entry on their calendar and its engine is on the entire back cover. The
calendar is a free inclusion with the February 2010 issue which can be ordered
through the magazine website. "New
Zealand Classic Car" has extremely high production values -
high-gloss, heavy stock and equally high-quality photographs. If you
don't read further on this webpage, this is my car.
News - 2009
Frazer Nash on Magazine
Cover! "New
Zealand Classic Car" magazine has 1952 Mille Miglia 421/100/168 on
the cover of the September 2009 issue. This issue can be ordered
through the magazine website. "New
Zealand Classic Car" has extremely high production values -
high-gloss, heavy stock and equally high-quality photographs. The
story is very good and accurately describes this car and its
history. Many thanks to writer Mark Wright, photographer Sean Craig
and editor Allan Walton. "New
Zealand Classic Car" also is offering "wallpaper" of this
Frazer Nash, a
high-resolution photographic collage - highly recommended for a download!
New Frazer Nash Book!
Announcement in mid-August from
James Trigwell:
...for the last few
years I have been working on a book on the post-war Frazer Nashes. It is
now completed and will be published in November. Apart from covering the
development of the cars and their racing history, half the book is
dedicated to the Register of Cars, where each of the 86 chassis produced
from 1948 to 1957 has a 2-page spread giving the individual history and 2
or 3 photos.
The publishers, Palawan Press,
are well known for their high quality, limited edition productions on
Aston Martins and other cars. Unfortunately the price reflects the high
quality and limited quantity and all their books are similarly
‘exclusive’. The price is £300 for the clothbound edition, £700 for
the leather-bound number. A saving of £50 can be made if the book is
ordered and paid for before October 15, 2009.
A
description from the publisher's website is here. If you are interested in buying a copy, please contact Palawan Press
via www.palawan.co.uk
Another book includes the Frazer Nash
British Sports Cars, by Rainer W. Schlegemilch and
Hartmut Lehbrink includes a 4-page segment on the post-war Frazer Nash,
with Mille Miglia YMC 81 as the example. Excellent photographs and a
good short summary of this marque. The book is a great summary of
British cars and a good value in the high-quality paperback edition, 440
pages. (ISBN978-0-8416-0276-2)
Arnolt-Bristol Racing Tips
Bill Watkins, who owned and raced four different
Arnolt-Bristols, assembled a collection of recommendations, primarily for
the Bristol engine. Either click directly on "Preparing
and Racing Arnolt Bristols" or look for this in the index under
"Frazer
Nash Technical Data - items with tuning and technical
specifications." These tips are applicable to any car with a
Bristol engine (all the post-war Frazer Nash cars except one!) Thanks,
Bill!
Archibald Frazer Nash - his
120th Birthday If my
sources are reliable, Archibald Frazer Nash was born in India on June 30,
1889. A toast to the man who made all these wonderful cars possible,
if not in deed, certainly in spirit!
Errol Flynn's 100th Birthday
June 20, 1909 was the date when
former Frazer Nash owner Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania.
Here's a great tribute from Wayne Chambliss at coilhouse.net
"We all know the tales of
Errol Flynn’s excesses (the man had his own chapter in "Hollywood
Babylon", after all). We all know how he wound up: flabby, dissolute,
and dead of a heart attack at fifty. But for his hundredth birthday,
let’s choose to remember him at his acme: swinging from ship to ship
with a sabre in his fist, England on his lips, and a sparkle in his eye.
There has never been a worthier object of matinee idolatry."
His
car, a Targa Florio, is missing and we miss his heroic style!
Bolzano Raid
As reported by the Frazer Nash
Car Club on their website:
"On 17th June, eighty-five
Nashes and one GN will be on their way to Bolzano, in the centre of the
Dolomites. The first great Raid took place in 1969, organised by David
Thirlby in commemoration of Frazer Nash achievements before the war in the
Alpine Trials, and was such a success that it has been repeated every ten
years ever since. Oldest participant will be Dorothy Geoghegan, tackling
the Stelvio and other great passes at the age of 93; youngest will be
Patrick Teague, aged five. Many passes will be stormed, much rubber will
be burned, and a good deal of wine will be drunk. Regular reports on the
Raid will be on the Frazer Nash website."
Frazer Nash Namir?
Always great to see Frazer
Nash in the news - especially on the April 20, 2009 cover of Autoweek!
It is the "Frazer Nash" Namir, an electric hybrid claiming
incredible performance, styled by Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro.
But the link between the current Frazer-Nash and the car made by AFN Ltd
(both pre and post-war) is not clear, though the sidebar to that article
helps a bit.
It states the Frazer Nash
"brand" came about because Frazer Nash Research Limited is owned by
KamKorp
(not spelled "Kamcorp" and
probably not "Group").
The Frazer Nash Research
Limited website states the company was "Founded in the 1920s by
Archie Frazer-Nash, a renowned engineer and innovator..."
It would be surprising if
either company started by Archie Frazer Nash after he sold AFN, Ltd. to
the Aldingtons retained the right to make cars under the Frazer Nash
brand. Here's a photo from Luc
Blokhuis, taken
at the Auto RAI 2009 in Amsterdam.
News - 2008
In November we received some
very nice photos of the "ex Dickie Stoop" Sebring and the unique
Austin-engined Targa Florio from owner Jonathan
Procter. These photos were added to "The
Postwar Frazer Nash Models" site page as great
examples. Thanks Jonathan!
We also updated ownership of Le
Mans Replica replica WOK 8 to Rob van Wegen.
James Trigwell, postwar registrar of the Frazer Nash Car Club, reported that he's organized 20 - 25 postwar FN cars to be on display at the
Silverstone Classic, July 25-27. This was mark the
60th anniversary of the 1948, first appearance of the postwar Frazer Nash car at
Geneva and the London Motor Show. An early report from James:
" ...we had 27 post-war 'Nashes and 3
chain-drive cars on display at the Silverstone Classic meeting,
celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Bristol-engined 'Nash. The
(formerly) Robert Richer Le Mans Replica was there of course and it was the debut of my
(formerly Frank Twait’s) Mille
Miglia. Frank Allocca from New Jersey
was there with his Targa Florio. It was a very good gathering."
Photos from James and Andrew Hall from both 2008 and 2009 are on this
album.
Although
it is news not normally within the "charter" of this website, in
July we heard from Dan Rose that he is selling his GN, the famous "Akela". Probably not best suited to US interstates, but
just the car for club events on single-track roads in Scotland or New
Zealand.
Also in July we learned of a
"barn-find" 1936 Frazer Nash-BMW 319/55 for sale in the Seattle
area. Send an email if you are interested. Andrew
Blow has a Le Mans Replica "replica", one of the Werner Oswald
cars, for sale at his business in Marlborough (UK) - a very
attractive car for an entry to the "Frazer Nash experience".
See other photos on the "replicas"
page and one for this car. The
Frazer Nash Car Club published "Chain Gang Gazette" issue #144
in April - always a great selection of stories, history and technical
advice. There
was an early February bulletin from the Frazer Nash Car Club postwar
registrar:
"This year is the 60th anniversary of
the Post-War Frazer Nashes, as built by the Aldingtons and designed by
Fritz Fiedler. The first public showing was at the Geneva Show in March
1948 and then at Earls Court in October 1948. It would be fun to
celebrate this milestone and an obvious opportunity to do this would be
at the Silverstone Classic weekend of July 25-27th where the
BMW 328s had such an impressive gathering two years ago for their 70th
anniversary. If you have not been to Classic Silverstone before, it is a
huge race meeting, mainly for Classic cars of the 50s and 60s, but also
for pre-war cars and 80s Group C cars.
Motion-Works has been contacted (organisers of the club
sites for Silverstone) to reserve parking for 15-25 cars. Tickets booked
before March 31 are £5-10 less expensive than after that date and £15
cheaper than on-the-day prices. Also, if booked in advance,
"buy-one-ticket-get-one-free" tickets are available for those
bringing a friend or family member."
Contact me or
the Frazer Nash Club if this is of interest to you! Click
for a Silverstone 2008 advertisement.
News - 2007
In mid-September, we learned that
the first post-war Frazer Nash, a High Speed (forerunner of the Le Mans
Replica) is for sale at Hall &
Hall. We also received photos from Robert van Wegen, racing his Le
Mans Replica "replica" at Speed on the Tweed in Australia.
The Frazer Nash Club's
publication, the "Chain Gang
Gazette", issue No. 142 arrived in mid-August. In addition to a great centerfold
photo of Archie Frazer-Nash in "Akela" (a GN) for the Centenary
of Brooklands, the "Post War Patter" column reported that 75 of
the 84 post-war cars are accounted for. 46 are owned by members of
the FNCC, so if you are one of the 29 holdouts, please join up! The
June issue of "Thoroughbred and Classic Cars" (UK) had a great
article on Mille Miglia S/N 421/100/166 in which author Glen Waddington
states: "The Frazer Nash is fantastic fun
to drive from the word go". I agree strongly and highly
recommend this article! In
February and March, we received great information on Frazer Nash cars and
owners from Tom Householder, James Harrington (a former Isleworth
resident) and William HP Meredith, a former AFN employee. Look for
their stories in April on the website pages about the AFN
"factory" and the Frazer Nash owners and drivers.
Mille Miglia 421/100/163 has been restored to its original glossy black
glory by owner James Trigwell and is expected to be fully licensed during
March. Here is an early
photo on a scenic lane.
Mr. Trigwell also sent me a short product of his
research on Mille Miglia 421/100/168 from Autosport, July 11, 1952 edition
("...no doubt written as a press release by Bill Aldington..."):
“J.Stuart Donaldson, owner of the Sebring 12 Hours
Race-winning “Replica” Frazer-Nash, has ordered a Mille Miglia model
as well. Car left these shores on 8th July on the Queen Mary.”
New
Zealand's "Classic Car" magazine gave a fifth place award
to this same car in their "2006 Classic Car of
the Year" feature. See all ten cars on pages 28-29 of the
January 2007 issue. Total points awarded were 487.4, which was .4
points shy of fourth place. The
car below is this Frazer Nash Mille Miglia, at Arthur's Pass, New Zealand, February
20, 2005. Our trip with the "Frazer Nash Raid to New Zealand" included 1200 miles of driving on the South Island. Many thanks to
Barry Leitch, Leitch
Motorsports and Restoration, and the the Raid organizers. Here is the story, with
photos, and many more Raid
photos are posted here. Although there is no competition history for
this car, it is well-traveled, from England on the Queen Mary to New York,
later to Florida, then Hawaii. Much later to California, then
Arizona and finally back through California to New Zealand! We believe
it's been further south than any Frazer Nash when it went to Slope
Point in November 2005, the southernmost point of New Zealand South
Island.
For older news of Frazer Nash
cars and a history of this website, visit the "Frazer
Nash News" page.
The data on the ninety Frazer Nash
postwar projects show that all have a known location or
disposition except the following four cars:
Spyder (421/E2, engine 1056), body by Touring of Milan,
show car at Geneva in 1948, first owner was the Shah of Iran. May
still be in Iran.
Le Mans Replica (421/100/109, engine FNS 1/11), first
owned by Count "Johnny" Lurani, raced extensively by
Franco Cortese, won Targa Florio in 1951. Rebodied with Fiat 8V
type coupe body by Riva.
Le Mans Replica (421/100/160, engine FNS 1/37), 1952 Sebring
winner when owned by "Duke" Donaldson. Second owner
traded it to a Boca Raton sports car repair shop owner for Mille
Miglia 421/100/168; no status since mid '50s.
Targa Florio (421/200/169, engine FNS 1/41), original owner was Errol Flynn.
Likely lost as part of his personal property seized by an Italian
court when Flynn was sued for unpaid wages by Bruce Cabot in 1953-54
as the producer of unfinished movie "William Tell".
No status since that time.
Today!
Send me anything you may know about the remaining "missing"
cars and I'll put you in touch with the Frazer Nash
Archives or send an email to James
Trigwell directly. Your help is
appreciated!
Thanks for visiting and your patience with the development of this site
- web page updates compete with projects in semi-retirement: a
consulting business, other car hobbies,
and typical activities in (mostly) sunny Southern California!
If you're interested in the Frazer Nash, please send me a message!
Bob Schmitt
Burbank, California
(The authors and
owners of all material on this web site retain all their rights to their
material.)
Please
click on the link below for a Table of Contents to this web site.
It lists the other pages about the Frazer Nash cars and publications.
Click on the link to send me e-mail or send mail directly to bsbrbank@pacbell.net
The
Frazer Nash - USA Table of Contents
This page was last updated on
August 4, 2010
We're now using the new URL and
are hosted by DTE.Net.
(Note:
Segments of this Frazer Nash site were originally split between
different subdirectories and ISPs. Unification to this URL was
completed in March, 2001.)
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