1935 Frazer Nash SS Monoposto

• Superbly constructed recreation of Frazer Nash’s first single seater racing car
• 1500cc Meadows 4ED engine with huge Maserati supercharger
• A proven competitor during the last few decades in VSCC events and at Goodwood

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Built to the exact dimensions as the first AFN single seater it is also panelled in the same contemporary fashion with riveted louvre inserts so is a fine example of a mid-thirties voiturette racing car.

Powered by a 1500cc Meadows 4ED mated to a GP Maserati ‘Roots type’ blower and running on pure methanol it develops 203 bhp from 3500 thru 4500 rpm and over 200 ft./lb torque at 5600 rpm – and a very satisfactory 190 ft./lb at 2750 rpm. Weighing only c650kg with 30l fuel it has a power to weight ratio in the region of 315 bhp/tonne.

The transmission can handle the power via a twin-plate AP racing clutch through a GKN prop-shaft to a standard looking bevel box that is cast in special military grade alloy of twice the usual strength. Duplex 3//4” pitch chains and original spec sprockets take the drive to a S99 steel 1 5/8” axle with a unique centre radius arm. 1st and 2nd gear sprockets are mounted on a special one-off Gibbs designed single three-bolt lightened, steel carrier. This is a ‘bullet-proof’ modification and no axle or keyway issues have since arisen. The whole is drilled and lightened with several features for additional strength and reliability. It is arguably the ultimate in a Frazer Nash racing transmission system. Gear ratios are: 10:1, 7:1, 4.8:1 and 3.5:1

Suspension is by original ‘Woodhead’ quarter elliptic leaf springs all round, the front mounted on outriggers as per the original cars. The front tubular radius arms are to exact works spec as are the rear Dural radius arms and damping is by Andre Hartford friction shock absorbers. Wheels are 450 x 19 Ensign three-stud, Rears 550 x 18 Dunlop race five-stud. Tyre pressures 40 psi front, 33 psi rear.

The original cable braking system has been superseded by a bespoke hydraulic system of twin master cylinders with self-locating brake shoes and discrete in-cockpit front/ rear bias control. The finned magnesium drums are cast to Maserati patterns. The drop-arm drag-link and knuckles are semi pre-war or original. Steering is by an original Adwest worm and peg, also called a ‘Marls’ box with a steering ratio of 1.2 turns lock-to-lock. The 1930s Blumels coated 17” four-spoke steering wheel has a quick-release mechanism copied from a mid-thirties ‘Silver Arrows’ Auto Union curtesy of Dick Crossthwaite.

Detailing overall reflects 1930s practice and care has been taken to incorporate all current legislation discretely within the whole. This is a unique, beautiful and highly competitive example of a pre-war racing car.

MODEL HISTORY  

In the mid-1930s three ‘proper’ Frazer Nash single seat racing cars were built, two by AFN, the first in June 1935 for Adrian Thorp, their second in May 1936 for the Honourable Peter Aitkin, and one, in July 1935, by RR Jackson, the famous Brooklands tuner and ex AFN apprentice, who converted a road-going Shelsley model for ‘Tim Davis’. 

In the 1960s Barry Peerless, a ‘chain-ganger’ and restorer began a project, using AFN ‘works’ drawings and many pre-war parts to recreate a single seater based on the TAW car. In the late 1970s Mike Gibbs took over and employed Barry to finish the project at his automotive development centre in the Midlands. The SS is dimensionally and physically exact to the Thorp SS; wheelbase, track, wheels and tyres, weight distribution 48% front 52% rear. The SS weighs circa 650kg with 30 litres fuel. Body panelling followed contemporary practice of inserted louvre panels – convex and concave as appropriate. This was carried out on a money-no-object basis.  

Completed in 1986 the SS was developing well through 1992 but put aside for other projects. The 2006 overhaul started a new stage of development and since 2010 has been characterised with 1930s GP Maserati components such as the 4/6/8CLT ‘Roots’ supercharger – a tool room copy – and the finned magnesium brake drums cast from Maserati 6CL patterns. Indeed the period 2011 thru 2014 saw an impressive increase in overall performance; perfect braking, bullet-proof transmission, reliability and fabulous engine power. Finessing these systems took time and effort, and now, since 2016 one can say development is complete. The ‘SS’ runs with the fastest cars on the track, often beating pre ’62 racers.

So here is probably the best performance Frazer Nash racing car of all time, looking like it just emerged from the ‘Works’ in 1935. Ride and handling just as it should be; induced four-wheeled drifting is easy and acceleration and braking second to none. The SS is a beautiful example of a period voiturette racing car.