It Took Long Enough~ Any Guesses-

still a work in progress...
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

That's cheating.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks Guys. (Hey Waxola- see Jim periodically since we are in the same metropolis-nice to see your avatar )

 

Don't Laff. In 1929, this car company was first choice for Fox and Nicholl, who instead went with Talbot for their racing car program. The older Vauxhalls have a racing history that antedates W.O.Bentley. Of course, the fact that the company was bought by GM as it teetered toward bankruptcy (Vauxhall, not GM, at that time), took some of the luster off. This thing was sort of the last gasp of Vauxhall before it turned into a much more pedestrian car company, making mass production cars for the great unwashed. Even so, it has some number of UK Delco/GM parts. The mechanic/restorer, Wil de Groot, managed to find a NOS ignition kit for the car at a hotrod shop in Colorado- British Delco. Needless to say, this car has been quite a project. At some point, I will ask Wil to do a photo montage of the work he had to undertake. It is quite impressive, as was the sourcing of original parts, which ain't exactly common.

 

Thanks, guys. Car is a Vauxhall Hurlingham Speedster, listed as a 1928, but more likely built in 1929. Prior to, and immediately after WWI, Vauxhall built a number of relatively expensive cars, some of which were competitive in the day. I'm not sure if there were many coachbuilt Vauxhalls with third party bodies; by the time this car was built, the bodies were being made by Vauxhall itself. The company had reached a low point by the mid-twenties and could not compete effectively in the marketplace. GM bought the company in about 1925 to establish a foothold in the British market. The intention was to turn Vauxhall into the Chevrolet of the UK.
This particular model was a sporting version of the 20/60, with a boat-tailed, sporting body of aluminum over a wood frame; the mechanical specifications were allegedly higher than the standard 20/60, with a higher compression motor, slightly different gearing and suspension parts. There is a paucity of information about the car, due in part to the fact that the factory records were lost at some point due to a fire. I am informed that there are about 20 of the cars left on the planet. It was considered to be a transitional car for Vauxhall, which although still built using mostly British parts, had the stigma of GM ownership; apparently advertisements from the period stressed its still British origins. The Hurlingham was more of a teaser for the other cars in the line; I'm not sure that it was ever intended to be a big seller. There is a Chevy Moonlight Speedster which closely resembles this Vauxhall, but there is considerable dispute about its origins. (Some critics suggest that the Vauxhall was cloned from the Chevy, but I don't know enough to weigh in). The car does have some GM/Delco parts. It has four wheel brakes which are cable operated; the motor has an additional SU carburetor which I am informed is not a factory set-up. The car, which I purchased at auction, was allegedly in the collection of Abba Kogan, a noted collector. It was in horrendous condition underneath the shiny paint and new leather seats. Wil de Groot has spent the better part of 18 months disassembling, repairing, restoring and reassembling the car. We have had enormous help from a couple of Brits- one is considered the leading authority on these cars and was a priceless resource on originality issues and the sourcing of parts (He graciously provided an original hood ornament for the car); the other, a fellow whose father bought one in the early 30's and who still has the car in his family today. It is largely original, and was a benchmark for Wil's work in bringing the car back to life. I will try to post more pictures when I can. I am hoping to drive the car in vintage events. It was supposed to be a cheaper substitute for a W.O. Bentley car, but I don't want to tell you what model vintage Bentley I could have bought instead, after the costs of reviving this thing.

 

A few from last week's road test:
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login