Frazer Nash was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturer and engineering company founded by
Archibald Frazer-NashArchibald Goodman Frazer Nash was an early English manufacturer of light and sports cars in England. He was born in India on June 30, 1889 and died on March 10, 1965....
in 1922.
Frazer Nash should not be confused with the unrelated companies
Kaiser-FrazerThe Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser of Kaiser Company/Kaiser Industries. The company also combined the dwindling assets of the former Graham-Paige Motor Company...
and
Nash MotorsAlso see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
.
The company was founded in 1922 by
Archibald Frazer-NashArchibald Goodman Frazer Nash was an early English manufacturer of light and sports cars in England. He was born in India on June 30, 1889 and died on March 10, 1965....
who had, with Henry Ronald Godfrey founded and run the
GN Cyclecar CompanyThe GN was a British cyclecar made in Hendon, North London, between 1910 and 1920, then moving to Wandsworth, London. The name derives from its founders, H.R. Godfrey and Archibald Frazer Nash...
. The company was established in
Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in south-west London.It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross...
,
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
, moving to
IsleworthIsleworth is a small, affluent town of Saxon origin sited within the Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane....
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1929. The company entered receivership in 1927 and re-emerged as
AFN Limited.
Frazer Nash was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturer and engineering company founded by
Archibald Frazer-NashArchibald Goodman Frazer Nash was an early English manufacturer of light and sports cars in England. He was born in India on June 30, 1889 and died on March 10, 1965....
in 1922.
Frazer Nash should not be confused with the unrelated companies
Kaiser-FrazerThe Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser of Kaiser Company/Kaiser Industries. The company also combined the dwindling assets of the former Graham-Paige Motor Company...
and
Nash MotorsAlso see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
.
History
The company was founded in 1922 by
Archibald Frazer-NashArchibald Goodman Frazer Nash was an early English manufacturer of light and sports cars in England. He was born in India on June 30, 1889 and died on March 10, 1965....
who had, with Henry Ronald Godfrey founded and run the
GN Cyclecar CompanyThe GN was a British cyclecar made in Hendon, North London, between 1910 and 1920, then moving to Wandsworth, London. The name derives from its founders, H.R. Godfrey and Archibald Frazer Nash...
. The company was established in
Kingston upon ThamesKingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in south-west London.It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross...
,
SurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford...
, moving to
IsleworthIsleworth is a small, affluent town of Saxon origin sited within the Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane....
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1929. The company entered receivership in 1927 and re-emerged as
AFN Limited. The majority of AFN was acquired by H. J. ("Aldy") Aldington in 1932 and run by the three Aldington brothers, H.J., Donald A. and William H. Aldy's son, John Taylor ("JT") Aldington was the last of the family owners/directors until AFN Ltd was sold to Porsche GB.
In 1929,
Nash & ThomsonNash & Thomson was a British engineering firm that specialised in the production of hydraulically-operated gun turrets for aircraft. The company was also an important manufacturer of hydraulic powered radar scanners, used on radar systems such as H2S and AI Mark VIII.- History :Nash & Thomson was...
was formed by Frazer-Nash and Godfrey to develop the Frazer-Nash hydraulic aircraft turret
The company produced around 400 cars until the mid-1930s, notably a series of famous
chain driveChain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
models.
They became importers and assemblers of
BMW, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company. Founded in 1916, it is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. It owns and produces the MINI brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.-Company history:...
cars in 1934 and sold them as Frazer Nash-BMW. They were the official British BMW importer until the outbreak of war in 1939. In 1954 the company started to sell
PorschePorsche SE is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury high performance automobiles, which is majority-owned by the Piëch and Porsche families. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG , often shortened to Porsche AG, is responsible and manufacturer of the Porsche automobile line...
cars, becoming the official importer for Great Britain in 1956. This lasted until 1965 when Porsche Cars Great Britain was set up; Aldington family members remained on the board of this company for some time.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company was involved in armaments production. It specifically built powered turrets for use on bombers such as the
Avro LancasterThe Avro Lancaster was a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF and squadrons from other...
.
Eighty-five more cars were produced from 1948 to 1957. These cars were entirely unrelated to the chain-drive pre-war Frazer Nash, but were largely a direct evolution of the sporting BMW 328, mentioned above. In the choice of Bristol engines the cars were natural successors to the imported BMWs, the Bristol engine being a development of that of the
BMW 328The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, designed by Kurt Joachimson.It featured many advanced features for its time, such as a tubular space frame and a hemispherical combustion chamber engine....
. Models include the
Le Mans Replica, the
Mille Miglia, the
Targa Florio, the
Le Mans Coupé and the
Sebring. Competition successes included a third place at
Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France...
(1949) and a win in the
Targa FlorioThe Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it used to be the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Championship until 1973...
(1951). These post-war cars are very highly prized by collectors. The company participated in the
1952 Formula One seasonIn comparison to previous seasons, the 1952 Formula One season consisted of a relatively small number of Formula One races, following the FIA's decision to run the World Drivers' Championship to Formula Two regulations rather than Formula One....
, the cars driven by
Tony CrookAnthony Crook is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 2 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 19 July 1952. He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races...
and
Ken WhartonKen Wharton was a British racing driver from England. He began competing in the new National 500cc Formula in his own special, later acquiring a Cooper. Ken participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on May 18, 1952 and scored a total of 3 championship points...
.
There are several successor companies still (as of 2009) active in engineering consultancy (Frazer-Nash Consultancy) and electric vehicle design (Frazer-Nash Research).
Car models
Considering the small number of cars made, the model range is vast and the following is not entirely comprehensive. Cars were all built to order and virtually any combination was possible. Some were rebuilt at the factory as different versions.
| Type |
Engine |
Approx Production |
Year |
Notes |
| Frazer Nash Fast Tourer/Super Sports |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
165 in the 1920s |
1925-1930 |
Anzani Anzani was an engine manufacturer founded by the Italian Alessandro Anzani , which produced proprietary engines for aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles in factories in Britain, France and Italy.-Overview:...
and MeadowsHenry Meadows of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines and transmissions, to the smaller companies in the British motor industry....
. Super Sports (from 1928) had no running boards. wheelbase chassis on Fast Tourer and Super Sports with short option on Super Sport. |
| Frazer Nash Interceptor/Sportop/Falcon |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
5 |
1930-1932 |
Anzani or Meadows engine. Sportop version was fabric bodied. Falcon had a better equipped body. Long and short chassis options. |
| Frazer Nash Boulogne |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
16 |
1926-1932 |
Anzani or Meadows engine. Supercharger A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine. The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally-aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be provided and more work to be done per cycle,...
optional. Long and short chassis options |
| Frazer Nash Ulster |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
5 |
1929-1931 |
Competition version of the road cars. Long and short chassis options. |
| Frazer Nash Nūrburg |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
3 |
1932-1933 |
Competition model. Tuned Meadows engine. No doors. Short chassis only. |
| Frazer Nash Exeter |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
4 |
1932 |
Single carburettor Meadows engine. Short chassis only. |
| Frazer Nash Colmore |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder or 1660 cc in line 6 cylinder |
19 |
1932-1939 |
Blackburne Blackburne was a trade name of Burney and Blackburne Limited a British manufacturer of motorcycles from 1913 to 1922 at Tongham near Farnham, Surrey...
. Three or Four speed transmission. |
| Frazer Nash TT Replica |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder or 1660 cc in line 6 cylinder |
83 |
1932-1938 |
|
| Frazer Nash Shelsley |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder or 1660 cc in line 6 cylinder |
8 |
1934-1936 |
|
| Frazer Nash Ulster 100 |
1.5 L in line 4 cylinder |
1 |
1936-1937 |
Originally Anzani powered, later replaced by Gough engine and then a Meadows. Long rounded tail to body. |
| Frazer Nash Falcon |
1.9 L in line 6 cylinder |
1 |
1936 |
|
| Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica |
Bristol engine (2 L in line 6 cylinder) |
34 |
1948-1953 |
|
| Frazer Nash Fast Tourer/Mille Miglia |
Bristol engine (2 L in line 6 cylinder) |
12 |
1948-1952 |
Full width body. |
| Frazer Nash Targa Florio |
Bristol engine (2 L in line 6 cylinder) |
14 |
1952-1954 |
AustinThe Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles.-History:-1905 - 1918: Formation...
Atlantic engine. |
| Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupé |
Bristol engine (2 L in line 6 cylinder) |
9 |
1953-1956 |
|
| Frazer Nash Sebring |
Bristol engine (2 L in line 6 cylinder) |
3 |
1954 |
Open version of Le Mans Coupé. |
| Frazer Nash Continental |
3.2 L V-8 |
2 |
1957 |
BMW engine. Listed at £3751 at the London Motor Show. |
Grand Prix
Frazer Nash cars participated in 4 World Championship
Grands PrixGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
. Drivers of Frazer Nash cars scored 3 World Championship points.
(key)
| Year |
Chassis |
Engine |
Tyres |
Driver |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| |
Frazer-Nash FN48
Fraser-Nash 421 |
BristolBristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars, based at Filton, near Bristol, England. Bristol Cars has no distributors or dealers and deals directly with customers; they have a showroom in Kensington in London. They claim to be the last wholly British-owned luxury car builder. The...
Straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
|
|
|
SUI The 1952 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on May 18, 1952 at Bremgarten Circuit. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used....
|
500 The 1952 Indianapolis 500 was held on Friday, May 30, 1952 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :...
|
BEL The 1952 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on June 22, 1952 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole...
|
FRA The 1952 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on July 6, 1952 at Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used....
|
GBRThe 1952 British Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on July 19, 1952 at Silverstone Circuit. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used....
|
GER The 1952 German Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on August 3, 1952 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Race report :Sadly this turned...
|
NED The 1952 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on August 17, 1952 at the Circuit Zandvoort. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used....
|
ITA The 1952 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on September 7, 1952 at Monza. It was part of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used....
|
| Ken Wharton Ken Wharton was a British racing driver from England. He began competing in the new National 500cc Formula in his own special, later acquiring a Cooper. Ken participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on May 18, 1952 and scored a total of 3 championship points...
|
4 |
|
Ret |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
| Tony Crook Anthony Crook is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 2 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 19 July 1952. He scored no championship points. He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races...
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
|
|
External links