More Specials

Have recently written of Hudlass and Lemon Burton Specials the law of browsing averages quickly turned up some more. Thus I was reminded that Andrew Fairclough, who favoured ACs and was the well-known secretary of the Cambridge University AC, competed at the 1932 Syston Park speed-trials with a car having a Gwynne chassis, a 2-litre Sage engine said to have once powered a “Blimp”-type airship, a Lagonda gearbox, Lancia wheels and a petrol tank from a Bristol fighter. It was allowed to run-as a sports-car, and was second in its class. And that in the 1931 Vesey Cup Trial J F Parker turned up with what was described as a “Homespun” and got a First Class Award; its engine size of 944cc may provide an identity clue. I also came upon photographs of the Special built by Charles Cooper, father of racing driver and constructor John Cooper, using an A7 underslung chassis, the engine from a Flying Flea, and a neat two-seater sports body, which was said to do 75mph, . W B