1926 Frazer Nash 1½ litre Super Sports

This delightful Frazer Nash 1½ litre Super Sports was first registered in February 1926 with the registration number ‘CGC 458’. We believe it was then re-registered in September 1935 as ‘PE 8865’, while the HPI report suggests this was later changed to ‘BS 8528’ and it now wears the registration number ‘OI 4027’.

Confused? You are not alone and circumstances sadly mean we cannot confirm any of this with the Fraser Nash’s owner.

Raced at Brooklands in-period, the seller bought it in 1955, and it appears to have been the subject of a rebuild/rebody in the early part of this century. Clearly done to a very high standard – admire the meticulous nature of the handwritten calculations that pepper the history file, for example – sadly, we don’t know any more than that, and nor do we know if this unfinished project is complete.

But we doubt it’s possible to have more fun on four wheels than this: as a friend of the firm once said, “Vintage cars are amazing. My Austin Seven has changed my life in a way that owning Caterhams, TVRs, and Porsches didn't.”

And it’s being offered with no reserve, so will be going to a new home no matter what.

The history file includes photos that suggest it was dismantled in 1958 and then rebuilt over a wooden frame in 1967-69. There is also an invoice from 2010 for aluminium panels, plus earlier images that show it in action with a completely different body.

It is, therefore, something of a mystery as well as a lifelong passion; the owner is obviously a man who relished the challenges a project like this throws up – and reveled in overcoming them in the most elegant way possible.

And this is a very elegant car. Its ‘boat tail’ design has been left in unpainted alloy, and it reeks of vintage charm with just a hint of the rake thrown in; we haven’t tested the Klaxon Klaxet horn but suspect it’s loud enough to scare horses in the neighbouring county.

All the main vintage styling cues are present including a Boyce Motometer on top of the commanding radiator, upside-down front leaf springs, positive-camber front wheels, a starting handle, a wooden toolbox on the running boards, an external handbrake and gearchange, and a rudimentary windscreen.

And we aren’t finished yet because the minimalist hood is supported by a varnished wooden frame; the huge headlamps, whose cases are hinged to allow easy changing of the bulbs, have their own serial number; the bonnet pivots on brass hinges that are held in place with copper rivets; and the sidelights on top of the cycle wings are Toby Baxter’s iconic ‘Bulls Eye’ design.

It’s all in great shape too, even if some bits like the wings and lights have only been temporarily screwed into place for the photos.

Because yes, this is a bit of a project and comes with a pallet loaded with (possibly) all the bits you’ll need to finish it.

The 19-inch wire wheels, which have been painted black, are pukka Rudge-Whitworth jobbies and they appear to be in good order. Of course, the spare is mounted on the nearside wing, and the spares package includes matching wheels by the same firm.

The tyres fitted – including the wing-mounted spare – are 4.00-19 by Mabor, and y’all know how we feel about matching tyres by now.

It also comes with a tonneau cover, and if ever a car was designed to be driven in the snow with your upper half protected by a WWII sheepskin flying jacket and your nether regions protected by a tonneau, it is this.

Finally, it has also been fitted with rear lights, including indicators, in the interests of safety.

As for flaws, there are a few scratches and dinks across the coachwork, and the roof is torn where it meets the nearside windscreen pillar. That’s all we spotted but we must remind you that this is a project, and the need for fettling and finishing is to be expected.

The brown leather interior is every bit as wonderful as the exterior. With room for four full-sized adults, the seats and matching door cards are very smart indeed and shouldn’t require anything more than routine cleaning and feeding.

The alloy dashboard might be minimal but that doesn’t mean it’s sparsely populated because it’s fitted with a suite of black-on-white Smiths instruments comprising a speedometer, odometer, tachometer, clock, ammeter, and oil pressure gauge. The ammeter mount also incorporates three chromed switches and a fuse.

Other appointments include a brass fire extinguisher, sill plates showing the car’s original body was built by J.H. Cole & Son of Harrow, a four-spoke steering wheel, a metal-framed rearview mirror, brass door hinges, and a huge Lucas wiper motor on top of the dashboard that drives the solitary wiper arm.

The floor is made of wood, which has been reinforced under the driver’s heels by metal plates. Copper pipes come through the bulkhead, so maintaining the Fraser Nash will improve both your woodworking and plumbing skills.

It would be worth setting aside some time to browse the paperwork on file, if only to appreciate the attention to detail that’s gone into it so far.

Like the engine sump and crankcases, which were machined in 1987 by the wonderfully-named Piers Blakeney-Edwards of Cheddar in Somerset at a cost of £1,101.80 – or around £3,300 today.

There’re also invoices for a replica Cozette No.9 supercharger, a stainless-steel exhaust system, and a huge amount of machining and fabrication as well as a vast quantity of off-the-shelf bits and bobs.

We haven’t attempted to start it, so cannot comment on how the engine runs or the car drives. We have noticed a list to starboard and what seems to be a coolant leak from the rear of the engine, but the quality of workmanship otherwise looks good; feast your eyes on the underbonnet presentation with its braided HT leads, brass and copper plumbing, knurled Zenith carburettor, and multitude of intricate pivots and linkages.

Lifting the floorboards uncovers the chain drive mechanisms, and peering underneath reveals the sort of engineering that Brunel would have considered sufficiently sturdy.

As you can see, it’s also very, very clean and the workmanship, even in areas you wouldn’t normally see, is to the same high standard as everywhere else.

It also comes with a lot of spares, including two engines. Please see the photos for details.

Notes on file claims the following (edited by us) history, which we haven’t been able to verify:

“This car was first registered on the 8th of February 1926 with engine no. SB 4676 and chassis no. 1092 as a Boulogne Grand Prix 2/3 Seater, it was sold to a Mr Bagshawe by Langton Garages of Oxford for £335.15s.

“At Brooklands in 1926 Mr Bagshawe won his class (1500cc) in the J.C.C. 500 mile production car race, coming second overall. A picture of the car appears in the Light Car & Cyclecar on the 23rd of June 1926.

“PE 8865 was re-registered on the 16th of September 1935 as CGC 458, Engine No 4915 (this belonged to a 1931 Interceptor), Chassis No VS 4142 (stamped on the front axle beam). Most Anzani engines were lettered SA but from July 1925 Boulogne models were lettered SB. It is thought that the sparking plus hole was moved to a different position in the cylinder head.

“Possibly at the time of re-registering a new two seater steel body with rounded tail was put on the car. Also the car now has a crab track which did not come in until 1928.

“The car bought for £140 in 1955 by the present owner. It was then stored for two years between 1956 and 1958 when he did his National Service. It was rebuilt back to its original specifications, starting in 1958.”

The history file extends to no fewer than 149 pages and includes the original logbook, contemporary photographs, various handwritten mathematical calculations and specifications, technical bulletins and memos, a considerable number of blueprints from the early seventies and eighties, receipts stretching back 20 years further than that, and magazine articles from the 1920s.

He has clearly poured an awful lot of love into his project.

Being sold on behalf of an elderly enthusiast who cannot finish the project, this Frazer Nash 1½ litre Super Sports project needs another special person to complete the work its devoted owner started.

You aren’t going to be able to jump in and enjoy it straight away – and we cannot even give you a rough timescale other than to point out that part of the joy of owning a car like this is in building it; just take it one step at a time and one day you’ll be finished.

Well, maybe not completely finished because there will always be some little jobs to do but certainly finished enough to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

So why not pop in a cheeky bid and see what happens? Our estimate is for somewhere between £30,000 and £50,000 but as the market for one-hundred-year-old vintage projects is small and it is being offered with no reserve, you might strike lucky.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.