Kieft’s anti-Climax
Going against the tide, this is another unique car
Polson Motor Co
Until recently, the pretty Classic Performance Engineering stable housed a third example of Britain’s pioneers that circumstances conspired against: the Kieft-Climax.
Like the Aston Martin it wasn’t external but internal forces that kept it off race tracks in the 1950s. Like the Ferguson, it was pushing the envelope. The special ‘Godiva’ quad-cam V8 was created by the great Harry Mundy and ‘Wally’ Hassan when Climax owner Leonard Lee caved to pressure from British race car manufacturers lacking a suitably competitive engine. Climax had the engineers, but not the confidence. Ready to race, Lee pulled the plug fearing the Italians would blow them away. In fact the Godiva had the horses to more than compete.
Had Climax been braver the Godiva-engined Kieft could have starred
Polson Motor Co
Whether the carmakers, the likes of Cooper and HWM, would have tamed the power to keep up with Ferrari and Maserati in 1954 is another question left to history. Only in 2002 did a Godiva power a Kieft on track: “It is believed to be the only Godiva engine running in the world,” says Martin Greaves. “It took a lot to get running well.” More so, it seems, in period. The Kieft-Climax is on sale at Polson Motor Co, £POA. polsonmotorco.com