Equipment
RHD.1,496cc Meadows OHV 4-cylinder, dual Amal carburetors, 4-speed chain transmission, Lucas headlights, 4-wheel brakes, rear-mounted spare, folding windshield.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
One of approximately 350 “chain-drive” Frazer-Nashes built, exploiting the efficiency of chain drive and a locked rear axle to maximize performance from a variety of modest-sized engines. In the same collection for four decades. The coachbuilder is based upon inference not evidence. A highly original car with older attention to paint, body fabric and upholstery.
Market commentary
One of the pleasures of viewing an out of the ordinary old car at a Bonhams auction is listening to Bonhams specialist Evan Ide explain its operation and extol its virtues. Such was the case with this “chain gang” ‘Nash as he talked about its driving dynamics, “You don’t steer it through a corner. With the locked rear axle you start the corner with the steering, then let the rear tires catch up and find yourself going in a different direction.” Hidden away within a few miles of the Newport, RI auction site for years, it is a marvelous find, greasy and oily but entirely presentable and ready to return to the road. And if the term “gearbox” is strangely British consider the F-N “chain gang” where the sprockets, chains and copious amounts of grease are, in fact, contained within a wooden box in front of the axle, a box that is still as-built in Britain in 1931. It is a wonderful contraption and it brought a moderate price that ignores its history, originality, rarity and performance.