Complete Kit Car – September 2019

http://www.completekitcar.co.uk

READER’S CAR | PJR SPORTS SPECIAL

60 September 2019

Originally built to keep the grey matter flowing,

the PJR Sports special became a 16 year odyssey

for its builder and ended up becoming a much

loved keepsake for his family. Here’s its story.

Family

Heirloom

I

t’s not unusual for petrolheads to

remember, or be remembered by,

their family and friends by the

interesting cars they owned over the

years. But those who were close to

classic MG and Morgan enthusiast Peter

Russell can remember him best in the car

that he built instead. His PJR (Peter James

Russell) Sports is a quarter of a century tale

that hints back to his previous work, cars,

skills and, most of all, the way he liked

things done. Built initially over a period

of 15 years, but never truly finished,

the PJR Sports is very much an extension

of the man who shares its name, which

makes it a special in more ways than one

for its current custodians.

As a chartered engineer who worked in

industries that varied from aerospace to

water pump manufacture, Peter was able

to flex his design, fabrication and problem

solving skills on a near daily basis. This was

something that he sorely missed in later life

when suitable jobs began to dry up in line

with the decline of specific manufacturing

sectors at the latter half of the 20th century.

For a time in the ’80s he found work

as a storeroom manager for Healey

replica manufacturer HMC, but there

wasn’t enough development meat there to

sustain him through his mandatory semi-

retirement. What he needed was a hobby

and, while sailing and caravanning tried

to capture his attention, he really needed

to design and build something again. And

what better to build than a car or, better yet,

a sports car?

The PJR project began as a relatively

simple child’s electric tricycle but, as is

often the way with this sort of project, the

designs on the drawing board morphed into

something much more complex. It wasn’t

long before he began to entertain the idea

of designing his dream sports tourer.

Words: Jack Wood Pictures: Archive

Grunty B-series suits the style of the PJR.

060 PJR.indd 60 01/08/2019 12:45 pm