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Mar 23, 2014 11:24 am
Mar 23, 2014 11:24 am
Subject: Re: Rare 1939 V12 Coupe, Hooper Bodywork for sale at NEC 12/13th April
I remember seeing this car at the Ellard auction. I thought at that time, the first owner had been Dick Watney.
Interesting to see that this has the standard air silencer, but with 4 stubs for suit the carburettor set-up. I wonder if that silencer was a modification by Ellard, or as built by the factory. Also note twin Scintilla Vertex magnetos instead of the usual Delco Remy coil & distributor ignition.
Strange to see bonnet side louvres, in addition to the standard grille...wonder if it suffered from overheating. It does have the aluminium exhaust cowls, which I understand were expensive to produce, so only retro-fitted by the factory if the owner complained about overheating.
But...what's the story here? Someone buys this car in 2001 for presumably a relatively large sum...then leaves (encourages even) it to rot?
Perhaps a new development...invest in a perfectly good car, deliberately encourage its decay, then sell it at auction as a "barn find" in a cynical attempt to profit from the daft propopensity of some to pay more for a restorable wreck than a top condition car.
Laurence
I remember seeing this car at the Ellard auction. I thought at that time, the first owner had been Dick Watney.
Interesting to see that this has the standard air silencer, but with 4 stubs for suit the carburettor set-up. I wonder if that silencer was a modification by Ellard, or as built by the factory. Also note twin Scintilla Vertex magnetos instead of the usual Delco Remy coil & distributor ignition.
Strange to see bonnet side louvres, in addition to the standard grille...wonder if it suffered from overheating. It does have the aluminium exhaust cowls, which I understand were expensive to produce, so only retro-fitted by the factory if the owner complained about overheating.
But...what's the story here? Someone buys this car in 2001 for presumably a relatively large sum...then leaves (encourages even) it to rot?
Perhaps a new development...invest in a perfectly good car, deliberately encourage its decay, then sell it at auction as a "barn find" in a cynical attempt to profit from the daft propopensity of some to pay more for a restorable wreck than a top condition car.
Laurence