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• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia
• Sale Date:
  30 Apr 2017 ~ 2.30pm
• Lot #:
  29
• Lot Description:
  1948 HRG BRISTOL PROTOTYPEHISTORIC 2-LITRE SPORTS RACING CAR
  Chassis no: WB 50Engine no: 400/75 No: 1065. This vehicle will be sold unregistered.
• Notes:
  The characteristics of the HRG have been described as handsome, reliable and gutsy but the acronym was actually derived from three men who sat in a pub in 1932 talking about building their own sports car. E. A. Halford, G. H. Robins and H. R. Godfrey. Of these three men Godfrey was the most well-known in the motoring world as he was the G of GN who, with Archie Frazer-Nash, had built sporting cyclecars from 1919 to 1923. Work on the first HRG began in February 1935 in a rented workshop in Norbiton and the prototype was shown that October. With a positive response from the public a limited company was formed in 1936. Godfrey bought some land on the Kingston Bypass; Halford contributed part of a legacy and the recluse shipping magnate, Sir John Ellerman, put up a debenture with the HRG works relying on sub-contracted engineering. The new manufacturer’s initial production was quite slow as the company found its feet in the pre-war era. The total pre-War production was less than 40 cars, but none the less they were soon making an impact in club motor sport. Their cars were beautifully built and the headquarters became a hub for an unofficial club of owners, a tradition which continued throughout the company’s life. HRG was an ambitious company and with the appointment of Antony Curtis as sales manager in 1937, tooled up to increase production to 200 cars a year by 1940. Between 1935 and 1955 this small British engineering company actually built a mere 241 cars and chassis mostly powered by Meadows or Singer engines of 1100 and 1500cc capacity. HRG competed four times at The Le Mans 24 hour, finishing 8th overall and 1st in class in 1949 as well as enjoying success in most forms of motor sport. This exceptional and rare Bristol powered HRG prototype was an experimental chassis apparently built in 1948/49 specifically for the 2-litre engine. It has the 3.75:1 axle ratio of HRG’s Le Mans contenders. HRG believed they had a winning design but despite recognising the potential of the engine, decided not to complete this Bristol engine car. This very same experimental chassis WB50 eventually found its way to a farm shed in NSW where it rested for 40 years. The chassis has been well written about over the years for its historical significance. Courtesy of Motorsport Archive: “A Bristol engined prototype chassis was built, the rear semielliptical springs being cantilevered in the Rolls-Royce fashion so they effectively became quarter-elliptics, but the company felt that too many others were going the Bristol route and so decided against further development, the car never even being bodied by the works. It is now in Australia.” Comprehensive records show that ‘WB50’ (W for wide and B for experimental) was one of two experimental prototype chassis, the other being for a Maserati engine. During its development, a motor was borrowed from Bristol and installed to enable photographs to be taken but the decision was made not to proceed with the car as there were so many Bristol powered cars being developed successfully at the time. HRGs company secretary later remarked, “There were far too many people going down the same route and there wasn’t room for everyone”. The chassis and axles, springs, brakes and some front suspension parts were subsequently sold to an Australian grazier named Allen Gray in about the mid 1950’s as the factory ceased production in 1955. He later sold these items to Mr. Ted Lobb of Grenfell, NSW, where it lay dormant until it was purchased by Mr Lewis Luxton in November, 1998. Luxton bought the chassis with a few suspension spares, but no engine. The engine that now powers this interesting prototype was bought from a doyen of Australian historic motorsport, Mr Graham Lowe and it was built by Colin Young. The body was fabricated by Bill Peach of West Preston in Melbourne. The body is described as transitional, a combination of the square rigger of the 1930’s and the all-enveloping bodies typical in the 1950’s. The body has no doors with hatched boot and bonnet panels. The car can utilise a tonneau cover but it was never intended or possible to fit a hood. According to a Mr. Greg Laming, who had been a body builder at Head Bros of Melbourne, this body is remarkably similar to the Woodside HRG racing car bodies built by Head Bros for some of the HRG chassis imported by Brown and Dureau around 1949, including the car of Tony Gaze. The HRG Association are unclear as to this car’s date of inception or exactly when the factory started building it. Only 2 photographs of the rolling chassis remain as evidence. Responsible for the general engineering and assembly of the car Mr Rod Warriner chose 1948 as the year of registration to avoid technical problems with headlight heights etc. The car was completed in 2005 with engine number 400/75/1065 and 4-speed manual gearbox as rebuilt by Colin Young. It contains quality parts and fittings and features its original Alfin 11” brake drums. Accompanying the sale is an extensive file of information covering the restoration with the BOCA archival entry; a set of 5 wheels; 3 leaf suspension springs; 3 brake drums and a spare windscreen and tonneau cover. The car and its ownership history is thoroughly recorded with the Bristol Owners Club of Australia including the synopsis from the Bristol archives. Resplendent in Honda Blue with blue leather upholstery and quality carpet this highly collectable Bristol powered HRG presents an opportunity to acquire a unique prototype chassis being only 1 of 2 produced by the factory together with a fascinating Australian provenance.
• Estimate:
  A$95,000 - 125,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.