Beschreibung:

1,971cc DOHC Bristol Inline 6-Cylinder Engine 150bhp at 5,750rpm 4-Speed Manual Transmission 4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes *One of the most original Le Mans Replicas in existence *1952 Earls Court Motor Show feature car *1953 Sebring 12 Hour participant *Ex-Stuart "Duke" Donaldson and George Waltman *Two owners from new—in present ownership since 1959 The Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica MkII Introduced as the High Speed Competition Model in 1948, a handful of examples were produced until TMX 545 powered to a 3rd place overall finish in the running of Le Mans 24 Hours the following year. Henceforth, the subsequent examples produced were named "Le Mans Replicas" to honor the strong performance in '49. 21 of these Le Mans Replicas were built but advancements in competition required further upgrading. In 1952, an entirely new chassis frame composed of two parallel four inch diameter tubes with similarly sized cross members replaced the old BMW 328-based architecture. While the new setup was lighter, thanks to the greater simplicity of its construction, there was some debate as to whether it was better than the old chassis. The newly christened Mark II rounded out the production run with a further eight cars. Production of the Le Mans Replica series ceased in 1954. The Motorcar Offered This unrestored and completely original Le Mans Replica Mark II has had only two owners from new and an incredible history both on and off the track. Cars do not survive 61 years in such pristine nick without careful attention and care, both of which the Frazer-Nash has received in spades. The second MkII produced, serial number 174 was promptly debuted at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show in October of that year, and was featured extensively in Frazer-Nash's own brochure for the new MkII. Clothed in white paint and red leather, the car was first purchased by American Frazer-Nash agent Stuart "Duke" Donaldson and delivered in December, 1952. Donaldson, a New Yorker and accomplished racer in his own right, had entered a Le Mans Replica, serial number 421/100/160, in the premier running of the Sebring 12 Hours in 1952 (the first Sebring race, in 1950, had a duration of six hours). With Larry Kulok and Harry Grey at the wheel, Duke's Nash swept the field of Ferraris, Porsches, and Cunninghams to come in first place overall. Looking for a repeat of his performance the following year, Duke hoped his new MkII would be his ticket to back-to-back victories. Showing just as it had on the podium at Earls Court, Duke's MkII entered the race with a red number '1' gracing its sides and with Tony Bonadies and George Rice—both accomplished circle track racers who had found success in the Midwest and Northeast—at the wheel . Unfortunately, another victory was not to be had, as ten laps in the clutch failed and could not be fully repaired. In the mid-50s while the car was still actively competing, it was painted red—to match the '52 Sebring winning car—and the engine was moved back six inches to improve the handling characteristics, a change that would prove to be effective. Reports that a De Dion rear axle was also fitted at this time are spurious as the original live axle remains installed on the car with no records of this change ever being made. In 1959, George Waltman, who had been racing for some time and was becoming a well known figure on the racing scene, purchased 174 and a wealth of spares from Duke for $1500. Waltman later remarked that he had, "bought it in favor of a Ferrari that Luigi Chinetti had offered me at the time. I've never been sorry of the choice..." A true gentleman racer, he was known to bring a no-nonsense attitude to the sport while at the same time driving with a keen eye on having a good time. His fame would grow greatly with his solo endurance racing exploits. At the 1961 Sebring 12 Hours, his completion of the race in his Triumph TR3 would earn him the headline "Iron Man of Queens" in The New York Times with a race review that mostly talked