Collectors\' Motor Cars and Automobilia

MOTOR CARS | 39

Denis Jenkinson - 'Motor Sport' magazine's legendarily well-informed and
hugely experienced Continental Correspondent (who navigated Stirling
Moss in their 1955 Mille Miglia-winning factory Mercedes-Benz 300SLR)

• was a lifelong Frazer Nash fan and he wrote as follows: "In 1949 one
  of (their new cars) finished third at Le Mans. This prompted Frazer Nash
  to name the model the Le Mans Replica, and it was in production for
  four years, about fifty being built. 0n its day it was a good yardstick for
  performance, for it would do well over 120mph and cover a standing-
  start quarter-mile in 1 seconds. 0t handled well and apart from being a
  good road car it was a very successful racing car in its day, being sold
  ready to race in anything from the Targa Florio to a Goodwood Club
  meeting" - which the discerning original owners of Frazer Nash Le Mans
  Replicas did in their droves, and which standard modus operandi has been
  enthusiastically pursued by subsequent owners to this day.

Testament to their driving capabilities, the Le Mans Replica is one of a
handful of iconic sports racing cars which have from time to time been
copied by aspiring enthusiasts wishing to sample a particular legend.
For this model, two of the most noted people to clone them have been
Werner Oswald and famed restorer Richard Crosthwaite of Buxted in the
<K. The latter business founded by Crosthwaite and business partner
John Gardiner has become synonymous with the quality of restoration,
recreation of parts necessary to ensure that owners of historic cars can
continue to use and enjoy them, and to at the ultimate extreme in building
long lost machines such as Mercedes-Benz and Auto <nion Grand
Prix cars from scratch and most recently for their construction of the
Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion.

This is one of six Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Replicas built by

Crosthwaite and Gardiner. As there so often is, there is a tale behind the

car's creation, and in this case the story goes back to the 1970s: Richard

had needed to rebuild a chassis for a car that had an accident and, while

remaking one, decided to build six further identical chassis and then build

them up as authentic clones of the real car.

This particular example was sold by Crosthwaite to an owner in Australia,

and later returned to the <K where it was campaigned in the 1990s. 0t

arrived in the <.S. care of a noted collector in New York State before passing

through TVs Wayne Carini to the present owner some eight years ago.

In the care and custody of its enthusiastic current owner it has been

routinely campaigned in VSCCA Hill Climb Events, quite literally reaching

the top when last year it was listed on the trophy of the Mount Equinox

Hill Climb. Having achieved this, its owner decided to retire it from historic

competition and to focus on other cars in his collection.

Resplendent in British Racing Green livery and fastidiously maintained, this

super sports car is ready for the road, for fast road tours or alternatively

it has the additional option of a roll cage if its next owner should wish to

continue its competitive hill climb career or to take it circuit racing.

Please note this vehicle will be subject to the reduced 5% import tax if

remaining in the E<.

£150,000 - 175,000

€180,000 - 200,000

No Reserve