New tyres, surprised...

[johnl]

Great backstory John.

Don't encourage me...

Another Nota story; after a day watching the 'historic' racing at Amaroo Park, which included a certain Sir Stirling Moss doing 'demonstration laps' in a light green C Type Jag, I was motoring along the Galston Gorge road at an 'entertaining' speed, when I came up on the rear of a certain light green C Type Jag. There were two people on board, though I very much doubt that Sir Stirling was one of them. Anyway, it's not every day you get to drive through the Galston Gorge road in convoy with a C Type that has at least been driven by Stirling Moss...

This may not have been my only encounter with cars once driven by Moss. When I was a young child my parents (and me) attended a few Sydney Jazz Club parties held at a mouldering old mansion called 'The Abbey' (in Annandale Sydney). At one of these events I found myself exploring what at one time had been a fairly large horse stable, but then was used as storage for all sorts of 'junk'. There I discovered two old sports cars under thick layers of dust and bird shit, one was an XK120 Jag, the other a red Ferarri. I spent maybe half an hour sitting in that Ferrari, turning the steering wheel, pushing the pedals, changing the gears. It was just me, my imagination, and a lot of dusty dirt.

Many years later (though still many years ago...) I was reading a copy of Australian Sports Car World Quarterly (remember that?), in which there was an article that referenced a certain Ferrari Monza that had at some stage been raced by Stirling Moss, and which had also been owned for many years by a certain Geoffrey Davis, who was also the owner of The Abbey...

Regards,
John.

[johnl]

Well, PB - maybe I can sell you the go-fast bits to build a Special out of a Ford 10 chassis?

The only Prefect / 10 part in the Nota was the modified front axle. The chassis itself was a purpose built tubular spaceframe.

Regards,
John.

[Citroënbender]

There have to be some Tens around with a body rusted beyond salivation, but a workable chassis...

[johnl]

My Nota was fairly similar to the 'Sportsman' in that photo, but somewhat less 'shmick'...

The Nota in the midle of the photo is a 'Fang', their best known model. These had a space frame chassis with the entire Mini (usually Cooper S) engine, gearbox, front suspension, all still attached to the BMC subframe but transposed to the rear of the car. Front suspension was usually Hillman Imp swing axles (i.e. the Imp front suspension), though a few had a bespoke double wishbone design. There is a nicely restored example that lives not far from me (in Taree, though I've never seen it on the road, just sitting up the back of the owners business workshop).

I've never personally driven any car that was genuinely 'vintage', but have been a passenger in a mid 1920s 12/50 Alvis (on a drive through the Galston Gorge road, again), a 1908 Napier, and a Bugatti Type 37 (mid 1920s). The owner of the Napier and Bugatti was a driver with far more enthusiasm than actual skill, which made these rides equally frightening as enjoyable...

Thinking about it, the Nota may well be the oldest car I've ever driven, circa 1959. Of course I have driven other oldish cars, i.e. a very early Porsche 911 (fitted with a VW engine...), Ford Anglia, early Cortina, Morris Minor 1000, early Minis etc. It's somewhat strange that the Nota eclipsed all other much more modern vehicles I have ever driven in acceleration, handling, braking and steering. The only vehicle I've ever driven that accelerated harder than the Nota would be a 125cc 'gearbox' kart. With nearly 50hp, almost zero weight and low gearing it was seriously accelerative, but really it was the braking performance that was the most impressive...

Regards,
John.