Lot Ended
Description
Ex-Boland Collection; fully restored in the early 1970s and only two
further owners since; used regularly on VCC events; recent engine rebuild; an
exceedingly rare example of this powerful Veteran machine
Scottish
engineer David Napier founded D Napier & Son in London’s Soho district in
1808 to manufacture precision machinery for printing banknotes and making coins.
His grandson Montague Napier inherited the business in 1895 and took on the job
of improving a Panhard race car owned by his friend Selwyn F Edge, a senior
manager at Dunlop Rubber.
A shrewd businessman, Edge was sufficiently
impressed to encourage Napier to make his own car which competed with
distinction in the 1,000 Miles Trial of 1900. Napiers went on to win the Gordon
Bennett Race in 1902 and to set a speed record at Brooklands in 1907 in the
world’s first commercially viable six-cylinder car, by which time they were
making 100 cars per year. Napier also acquired the Cunard Carriage Company to be
their in-house coachbuilder, a relationship which lasted until
1924.
Prized by royalty and nobility the world
over, Napier became synonymous with quality and performance, sales being spurred
on by a sporting reputation cemented on the competition circuit and
ably exploited by the marketing genius of share-holder SF Edge.
During the First World War production switched
to aero engines, including the magnificent 12-cylinder Lion which later won the
World Land Speed Record in Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird, Henry Segrave's Golden
Arrow and John Cobb’s Napier-Railton. In 1919 civilian car production
re-commenced with a six-litre six-cylinder car, the mighty T75, which cost as
much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The last cars were made in 1924 after which
Napier concentrated on marine and aero engines.
This Napier T46 comes with a Veteran Car Club Dating Certificate
which confirms that it was built in 1912. Nothing is known of the car’s early
history, but the story picks up in 1968 when RJ Evans, Curator of the Manx Motor
Museum, met noted Irish car collector James Boland who revealed that he had a
Napier in a dismantled state. Evans was on the lookout for an Edwardian car to
join his collection and a deal was struck to swap the Napier for a Lagonda
3-Litre.
The Napier parts were duly transported
to the Isle of Man in a heavily laden 1924 Rolls-Royce hearse and a meticulous
restoration then commenced, the whole process detailed in lengthy articles in
three issues of the VCC Gazette from Winter 1971 to Summer 1972 (copies on
file).
The engine number (18385) revealed that it
was a 1912 Napier T46 15hp model and much time and effort was expended in
locating numerous missing parts, including a sound chassis of the correct type
(number 9411) which was sourced from Veteran car dealer, Cecil Bendall. All
mechanical aspects were rebuilt as required, including axles, brakes, steering
and suspension. The 2.8-litre four-cylinder engine was fully rebuilt along with
the 3-speed gearbox which is in unit with the engine.
Evans
wanted a Coupe body so he carefully measured the coachwork on a Napier DH Coupe
owned by John Campbell-Lambert and made a replica in 20-gauge steel,
incorporating a few subtle upgrades in the interests of durability and taking
great car to eliminate any squeaks or rattles on rough road surfaces. The
floorboards are solid oak and the roof is three-ply covered in black
leathercloth with a small central skylight framed in brass.
Much effort also went into ensuring that the rear-hinged doors fitted
perfectly, with elegant brass surrounds for the door windows and for the
windscreen with its distinctive curved corner sections, the glass being
specially made by Triplex. It also proved necessary to reduce the height of the
cab by a couple of inches so the car would be able to fit on the Steam Packet
ferry connecting the Isle of Man to mainland UK.
The tail of the car was also modified somewhat as Evans wanted a
luggage rack rather than the dicky seat of the DH Coupe, and he wanted it to
slope downwards slightly for a more elegant look. The finished body was painted
in Empire Green with black wings, gold pinstripes and painted aluminium beading
with ‘swan’s neck’ curves which lend a pleasing 3D effect, as per the original
DH Coupe.
The upholstery was trimmed in Bridge
of Weir leather with horsehair stuffing, great care being taken to get the
diamond-pattern buttoning right. Polished mahogany was used to trim the door
surrounds and the dash. The electrics were all renewed and a more modern
Dynostart was fitted to save the effort of cranking over by hand, along with a
more effective charging system and an electric fuel pump.
Evans eventually sold the car to Veteran car collector Bill
Sykes of St Neots in 2008, our vendor’s father acquiring the Napier from him in
2015 to join his collection of interesting cars. It was then used extensively on
VCC events, including a tour of Ireland and a return visit to the Boland
Collection from where it had originated 50 years before. Old MOTs imply that it
has covered some 4,600 miles since 2008.
After
the last event, some mechanical problems were detected so in Feb/March 2022
the engine was stripped and rebuilt, as detailed in copious notes on file.
Since then the car has not been driven at all and will require a careful
running-in period.
As you can see in the photos,
this impressive Veteran machine looks most imposing with a full set of brass
electric lamps and a comprehensive array of dash instruments including a Stewart
speedo, oil pressure gauge, water temperature gauge, fuel gauge, 8-day clock and
CAV lighting system.
Documentation includes a
V5C, an older V5C and V5; four old MOTs; VCC Dating Certificate; magazine
features; notes on starting and driving and some useful technical literature
including a copy of a 52-page Napier maintenance manual.
On offer here from a deceased estate, once recommissioned this
exceedingly rare Napier will make an ideal mount for VCC events, especially
when it's wet, and we are told that it has proved a capable long-distance
tourer which can lope along at up to 50mph.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com