3 replies to this topic

[acute angle]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post on the forum so please be gentle with me as I need your help.

I am trying to trace the history of my Ford Anglia 105E which was built in the early to mid sixties for circuit racing. The little bit of history that came with the car, and what the previous owner told me is that it was taken from Ford as a new shell to a race team and prepared for the circuits and has never been road registered.

The front end forward of a reduced bulkhead was replaced by a box section spaceframe chassis that was brazed together and joined to the shell by weld and rivetted plates, all very strong with superb craftsmanship.

It was fitted with a huge gearbox tunnel.

The front suspension is similar ( I think ) to the early Lotus suspension with wishbones and adjustable coilover shocks, shortened rack and disc brakes with alloy hubs and calipers.

The back axle is four-linked with twin watts linkage and turretted coilovers, the back brakes are standard drums.

Now for the interesting bit; the chassis appears to have been built specifically for a Fiat 1600 twin cam engine running on motorcycle carbs which produced 175bhp.. The gearbox is a modified 2000E with internals from Edmonton Tool and Engineering complete with an alloy bellhousing.

The car has a one piece fibreglass front, F/G doors and boot lid and an alloy petrol tank in the boot and only weighs 700kg. wet.

My brother-in-law has been helping me recently with my research and has been told that possibley this is 1 of 3 cars built but the only one with a Fiat engine, the others have Ford motors installed. It may be a possibility that the Progress Chassis Company put the car together as they were based near Edmonton at this time, and Williams and Pritchard were bodywork specialists nearby.

I have been told that these two companies were involved in the production of the early Lotus cars which would seem to fit bearing in mind the suspension set up.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Acute Angle.

[bradbury west]

[i]Originally posted by acute angle
Now for the interesting bit; the chassis appears to have been built specifically for a Fiat 1600 twin cam engine running on motorcycle carbs which produced 175bhp.. The gearbox is a modified 2000E with internals from Edmonton Tool and Engineering complete with an alloy bellhousing.
Acute Angle. [/B]

I am sure someone, HLR people etc, will be able to put you in touch with Ron Welch who used to own Edmonton Tool, IIRC. He has retired to an old farm in Suffolk, I believe, but still does the specialist Lotus stuff for which he was always renowned. Ron may recall somethimng of such a car. Then again, I may be wrong about the whole thing as they may just have been proprietary parts.
Roger Lund

[Mistron]

I would also recomend sending a request to the HLR magazine. I know Sid Marler of the Progress chassis company is a regular contributor -he got in touch with me about a car I used to own which he had, (and crashed!) in the mid '60s

it's got to be your best chance (other than posting pics here on TNF of course!

[PeterTRoss]

Acute Angle e-mailed me separately and I have given him the addresses of Sid Marler, John Teychenne and David Kelsey.

Ron Welsh still does some machining work, and his address is
Lower Rays Farm
Molehill Green Road
Willows Green
Great Leigh
CHELMSFORD
Essex CM3 1QD Tel. 01245-361429 e-mail ann.m.welsh@btinternet.com

It would be nice to see a photo of the space frame front end.

Editor HLR Magazine "Historic Lotus"