1934 Wolseley Hornet Eustace Watkins Special

Registration No: AXR 875
Chassis No: 209114
MOT: Exempt

• Eustace Watkins bodied Hornet Special
• Desirable, six-cylinder post-Vintage sportscar
• Completely restored over the last twenty years by the vendor with over £25,000 in parts and specialist services alone!
• Freshly finished restoration and very nicely presented

Introduced in April 1932, the Special was a more performance-orientated version of Wolseley’s existing Hornet model. Available in bare chassis guise only, the newcomer was powered by a 1271cc OHC straight-six engine allied to a four-speed manual transmission. Clothed by the likes of Avon, Abbey, Swallow, Cunard, and London Wolseley dealer Eustace Watkins, the Hornet Special could be had with a variety of open and closed coachwork. A team of three Hornet Specials driven by F.S. Hutchens, B. Wickens, and E. Erith won the 1932 LCC Relay Race at Brooklands (averaging 77.5mph for 270 miles). Progressively developed, the sporting Wolseley gained a stronger chassis, crossflow cylinder head, and part synchromesh before production ceased in 1935 after some 2,300 had been sold.

Chassis number ‘209114’ was manufactured in 1934 and was supplied new to the United Kingdom being first registered on the 14^th February that year. A Eustace Watkins bodied Hornet Special, the Wolseley was discovered by the vendor in 2002 as a full restoration project, describing the condition as “just a rolling chassis and boxes of bits”, with the Hornet having been dismantled for restoration by the previous owner. Lavished with an extensive restoration over the subsequent twenty-three years, the Wolseley has been very recently completed and has not been run in yet. The restoration expenditure is understood to have amassed to over £25,000 in parts and specialist services alone!

The chassis was completely refreshed, with the engine and gearbox fully overhauled. Fortunately, the original ash frame was found to be in remarkably good condition, so new panelwork was fabricated as required by Ray Pettit of Compound Curvatures in Nottingham, before the coachwork was entrusted to Unity Coachworks who tracked down the original colour match for the car, and then painstakingly prepared the original bonnet such that it looks as good as the new panels once painted. Once painted, the Wolseley was fully reconstructed with new or renovated parts throughout, with the vendor mentioning the wiring loom from Wiring Harness Company who took a copy of the car’s wiring diagram and reproduced a fabric covered harness colour coded as per wiring the diagram using ancient machinery, and Aldridge Trimming Ltd (Wolverhampton) who crafted the tonneau cover, as notable signs of the restorations attention to detail.

Now presenting very well, the Wolseley started readily and ran well during the recent photography session with good oil pressure. A highly desirable, six-cylinder post-vintage sportscar, which is freshly restored and is now looking for a new custodian to rack up the miles!

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452