Vintage Postbag - Identification, March 1975
In Veteran Edwardian Vintage, January 1975, you ask for identification of two veteran cars. The one on page 29, carrying a large family party, is a Dennis of about 1902…
Question our owners ; watch their achievements at Brooklands, in hillclimbs, speed trials, and the Alpine Trial ; note our claims in any Frazer Nash advertisement and then, having these in mind, read ” The A utocar ” road-test of the Frazer Nash. There is a striking similarity which Cannot fail to convince that Frazer Nash
cars are built to give the same high performance and that they must, of necessity, conform to an exceptionally high standard of production.
In contrast, mark the discrepancy between the extravagant performance claims for the average Sports car and the cold facts when these cars are tested by the technical press.
Judged on engine capacity and price the FRAZER NASH HAS THE FINEST ALLROUND PERFORMANCE OF ALL CARS road rested by ” The Antocar ” during 1934.
OFFICIAL ” AUTOCAR ” FIGURES.
*10 to 30 seconds.
*0 to 50 m.p.h.-10 seconds. to 60 m.p.h.-14 seconds. * These acceleration figures were only equalled by a 41-litre car (costing considerably more than the Frazer Nash) while the figure of 14 seconds for to 60 m.p.h. was the BEST figure recorded of ALL English cars tested. •
Speed up the Test Hill—-24.02 m.p.h.
The BEST figure recorded of the 65 English and Continental cars tested.
Braking-25 feet from 30 m.p.h. (only one of the 65 English and Continental makes tested improved on this figure).
THE ACTUAL CAR WAS LOANED FOR TEST BY A PRIVATE OWNER, and enquiries would probably justify the assumption that the Frazer Nash is the only privately owned car to figure in these tests. “Whichever Frazer Nash model one may take, the ‘ feel ‘ is similar as regards rock-steadiness on IFIQAZFIL • NASII-1 • CAL% Faicon Works, London Road,
Isleworth. Hounslow 0011 & 0012
the road, extraordinary cornering capabilities and instant response to all the controls.
“it is doubtful if a safer car exists as regards control and stability. The 300-mile test was made Chiefly in the wet, but one has complete confidence in the car under such conditions. The average possible over short distances, as well as on a long, naturally fast journey, is amazing. A faster point-to-point car would be difficult to find. . . . One of the firmest principles of Frazer Nash practice is to employ high gear ratios. On these, first (11.6) gives a very useful maximum of 35 m.p.h., second (7 to 1) at least 60 m.p.h., as much as 65 if one cares to rev, the very willing engine still further . . . On Brooklands the limit speedometer reading on top (3.8) with the windscreen lowered, was 87, on third gear (4.8) a reading
of 89 was attained The timed speed (84.50 m.p.h.) is a mean of several runs ; the best of them, with the main screen lowered and two people on board was at 86.53 m.p.h. It should be mentioned that the full Brooklands lap was not available. Had it been the car would almost certainly have worked up to a greater speed on the high top gear.
“A full and very satisfactory 70 m.p.h. is held at a little over 3,000 r.p.m. on the 3.8 to 1 gear . . . yet the engine can be taken up to well over 5,000, as was frequently done during the tests at the Track, so clearly there is a considerable margin of safety.
“The brakes are pre-eminently of the type that Can be put on hard, irrespective of whether the road is wet or dry.”
Extracts from ” The Autocar” Road Test of the 1,657 c.c. six-cylinder Sports tourer 314 seater Frazer Nash. December 14th, 1934.