V8 specials
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Sir,
Having just seen the letter from CM Bellamy in the June issue of Motor Sport regarding the Symmons V8 Special, I thought readers would like to know the final chapter in its history. It was discovered purely by chance by my father, in the back garden of a house in Manchester where he had travelled in answer to an advertisement for a penny-farthing bicycle. It was transported to Croydon and rendered roadworthy with surprisingly little expenditure. It was some months before the true identity of the car was revealed, as it has an AC engine and gearbox, carries an AC badge and has the registration number KMB300.
As an experiment. I entered a 750 MC production car trial last year and am happy to report that even in its present modified form, (perhaps ruined would be a better word, the car still appears to he able to climb the proverbial side of a barn whilst having astounding road performance — a tribute to its designer. I intend to start a ground-up restoration this winter and have managed to obtain the correct engine and gearbox. May I, however, be permitted to use your pages to ask tor assistance in locating the following parts for the car, all of which are as fitted to a Ford Model 40 V8 of approximately 1934:
Front and rear axles, including steering, hubs, brakes and transverse springs plus a set of five (or preferably six) bolt-on wire wheels, 5.50 x 5 16 front and 7.50 X 16 rear with welded spokes. I would also he extremely interested to hear from any of the past owners of the car or those who simply remember it in competition.
Mark Brett, London SE3. [Letters can be forwarded. — Ed]