Vintage Mystery Sports Car

What is it?

I've got an alloy body with no known history before 1970.  The story has it the (unknown) chassis was scraped in the early 60's. It is styled very close to a Frazer Nash Mille Miglia with an oval (ala Jag C-type) grille.  This body has very nicely constructed hinges and latches as well as nice alloy door frames, not simple skins.

A wheelbase of 96" is right for this body, however it is also right for any Jag C specials. I have a book showing a FN with a C type styled grill, the pic is from the late 50's.  The interior of the door has a kind of a frame for the skin and the 'frame' has round punchings evenly spaced around the door. All in all, the metal work is very nice.  I have located the hood with a restorer who had stored the body a long time ago and the 2 were separated.  While I have high hopes for seeing the hood form, I fear it may not be original as the body was run on a CA class dragster in the late 60's and was butchered a bit, mostly for clearance of the roll cage and removal and re-welding of the rockers to clear side pipes.

When we got this body it was completely skim coated with bondo, its been a struggle to remove it without getting in to the metal.  Makes me crazy there is no marking anywhere.  I'm going to try to contact the gent we purchased it from, a Maser dealer in northern NJ.  I hear he's still around, but he had no info before. I may try to find history of its drag-racing days just to see if I can find the guy who butchered it.  Any lead helps!

BTW, I have no interest in selling - I am a true vintage car nut, using an E-type and a TR-4 for my daily drivers. I have tons of time to pursue to find this car's ID. I just don't want to start anything on the body till I have more info!

Thanks guys,

(Please contact) Kerry Stagmer or Roland Wommack at racecar@baltimoreknife.com

410-366-2800        www.baltimoreknife.com

November 14, 2000

Just a few days later, we heard from Frazer Nash Mille Miglia owner Frank Twaits:

"I think the body is the remains of the Tobin BMW (328) Special, built in the late 40's or early 50's and raced in under 2 liter Modified.

I met a man in the late 80's who owned it at one time. He sold it to a German buyer who had the body removed and shipped the chassis to Germany. All this happened in the Long Island, NY area.

I remember seeing an article, with picture, in a book back in the 50's. The  book, more like a thick magazine, was titled, "Sports Car Specials" - or something close to that. Maybe published by Fawcett (Mechanix Illustrated)

This may be a false start, but at least a possible lead."