An odd choice of a basis for a special: Though it had a tidy OHC four: This did not yet have the generator wrapped around the cam drive vertical shaft, as would become Wolseley practice for many years.
Brits messing with Hudsons is of course a long tradition. Compare for instance Railton and Brough Superior in the mid-'30s.
The History of the Spikins Hudson Special This book documents the history of the Hudson Special created by FRG Spikins in 1935 and is the aggregation of intermittent research since the author acquired the car in 1970. It covers the man, the car, its ownership and its competition history ... https://books.google.co.uk/books/ab...udson_Specia.html?id=F1DMtAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
SAHB member Neil Thorp has been working hard to bring this rare machine to perfect health for Prescott. Named after Bob Spikins, Director of Alexander Tuning Co, it is powered by a 4168cc straight-eight side-valve Hudson engine supercharged by two enormous Centric blowers. The chassis is standard Hudson, imported from Canada in period to save import duties and shortened in Hudson’s Brentford works.
1948 Benjamin sports special https://carsonline.bonhams.com/en/l...ial-1948/ba1f7a40-deb8-44f7-a852-f8001ff48ea2
Beautiful car with lots of interesting details, including the exhaust carbon smudge near the exhaust outlet.
'Austin 7 Mud trials at Lansdowne, 18 August 1957' - photos by Lynch; ACP/CP magazines; Mitchell Library and State Library of New South Wales ... 'Hound Dog' had flames painted on the bonnet ... then it caught fire
Interesting photos, not sure they are of the same car at the same event though. In the first photo the car has wider wheels at the rear, mudguards and lamps. In the second and third photos the car has no lamps or mudguards and stock wheels back and front.
The first photo is of one car; second and third photos are of a different car ('Hound Dog'). I could have made that more clear. It looks like the first car has a number plate on the front, so that one was probably registered for road use.
'Austin 7 car rally - Lansdowne near Liverpool 2 September 1956' - photos by Lynch; ACP & CP/Pix magazines; Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales - Dellow, a'factory' special; Ford wheels; identical twins?
I'm working on something Dellow-ish. I looked at one once. In 10,000 pieces. I brought home the Austin Ruby instead. They only made a few hundred Dellows. I should have packed it up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dellow Mostly 100E Anglia drivetrain. Mike
I think this was the basis of the ohc MG motor. I started collecting parts to make a Wolseley special out of one of these but couldn't find enough original parts. The German Silver radiators were a work of art.
Interesting article, thanks for posting. Looks to be quite a bit of Lotus Six inspiration for the Nota offering there.
The Jalopy Journal
