1938 Ford Special Sports

Lot details
Registration No: EYL 520
Chassis No: KENT381
Mot Expiry: July 2012

The sophisticated cars of today do not lend themselves to home-brew conversions, but scroll back a few decades and there were specials under construction in garages across the nation. Austin, Ford, Bentley - they and other manufacturers provided the basis from which thousands of sporty new cars were produced by amateur and professional enthusiasts alike. Indeed, such creations spawned the careers of such motor racing icons as Colin Chapman and Eric Broadley. Where there's a demand, businesses will evolve to meet it, and a whole industry of chassis and body fabricators, tuners etc emerged to service the special builders' requirements. Among them was Super Accessories of Bromley, Kent, founded by furniture manufacturer Les Montgomery, who quickly progressed from making replacement bodyshells for Austin Sevens to supplying all manner of parts and accessories for reborn Austin Sevens and Ford Eights and Tens. Montgmery's main competitor was Sid Hamblin and it wasn't long before Super Sports struck a deal to market Hamblin's Cadet bodyshell. This relationship progressed and in the '60s Super Sports persuaded Hamblin to build an enlarged Cadet body for its so-called 'Super Two' model. This was based on a 7ft 6in wheelbase, square tube chassis designed by Keith Bowden to accept Ford Ten mechanicals. Some 200 examples of the Super Two were sold all told, the unit cost of which would have been £99.

'EYL 520' is a Super Two. Its date of manufacture is unknown, but its accompanying green (continuation) log book dates from 1964 and somewhat confusingly describes the model type as a Kent 381. What is clear, is that the car's mechanicals were supplied by a 1938 Ford E93A (Prefect) and that its sidevalve engine is equipped with a go-faster Aquaplane cylinder head of the type beloved by tuners of the period. Extensively restored in recent years, the Super Two these days sports Red coachwork, an engine-turned facia and Black trim. It is felt by the vendor to have "good" bodywork, paintwork, trim, engine and gearbox and comes complete with roll over hoop, photographic record of the restoration, the aforementioned log book and an MOT valid into July 2012. This delightful special is being sold at no reserve.