Tethered car and hydro photo album

Unlike the previous Album, which was from a UK collection where much of what was on offer had been imported from the USA and Europe many years ago, this edition from a collection in the States shows a one way traffic in the opposite direction, but during a much later era. In the late 80s, through the 90s and well into the 2,000s the UK was being plundered of tethered cars, boats and engines. High profile collectors were coming over and purchasing anything that was available, whilst others who preferred to remain (and still do) relatively anonymous engaged English agents to root out anything and everything that they could find. Their success was due entirely to one factor, their purchasing power. The sums being offered were way beyond what any British enthusiast would consider appropriate or affordable. Most sellers justified the items going abroad because they 'couldn't afford not to' as the figures on offer were way beyond what they could expect. There were just a few who hung on doggedly as they considered keeping the items in their country of origin with associated providence was more important than the money. Only these items and what had avoided discovery or was incomplete remained to filter into the domestic market more recently.

The first car is an upmarket version of the published and serialised MCN 750cc Stubbs Austin. Oddly, the original car built by Capt Stubbs remained in the UK and was found at a car boot sale, complete and original for just £16. Occasionally cars with accompany carrying case or pitbox will turn up, which adds further interest, especially where there is a spare set of ZN wheels and tyres lurking. The blue car we do know the history of as it was the first car built by R G Cameron up in Scotland. Very basic with a somewhat rare GHQ engine that comprised most of its value. Cameron went on to make much more sophisticated cars and his own 10cc racing engine.

Once considered to be rare and commensurately valuable, many more E&M Maseratis have come to light, but few as nicely turned out as this one. The keen eyed will see that the tether brackets are on the same side as the ignition knock off and that the tyres are not original items. The second is a real rarity as it was the only other GRP car built by Ron Thrower in the 1950s. It is believed to have been built for Bill Bennett of the Maidstone club and has a very short bridle. The original was given a run at Buckminster, but unlike most of the cars in this Album, the Thrower car is one of the few that has made the return trip across the Atlantic.

The Bugatti came from France and is one of Joseph Krasznai's superb scale models, still highly sought after. He did actually made a much larger working cycle car model. The odd looking car owes nothing to any published design or existing car being built by Harry Lindupp of the Handley Page Society. One might deduct from this that it owes something to the availability of aircraft quality aluminium? Unfortunately most of the internals were stripped out many years ago and the rebuild never happened.

A rare example of the MCN Grand Prix Special design by G W Arthur Brand, serialised in MCN from Nov 49. Intended for the home builder as a a competitor to the 1066 Conquest. This example was built by Paul Zere of ZN Motors to accompany the article and looks as if it has never turned a wheel in anger? The MG represents one of the most amazing stories of a lucky find as it was the famous car built by Jack Gascoigne and Jack Morgan for Lucy Gascoigne. What makes it even more remarkable as it was one of the cars where the owner had resisted all the ever increasing offers to part with it. With his death, the family member who inherited it had no such scruples, so it joined the exodus, but its discovery is a fascinating story in itself.

The only other non British car in the Album is this Padda designed by Bertil Beckman and built by Arne Zetterstrom with a much modified ED Racer motor. The M&E Austin is a real rarity as it is the only complete and original version of just three that have been discovered so far. It also holds the dubious record of being the most expensive British tethered car ever to change hands.

One of the leading British tethered car racers was Ken Procter from the Sunderland Club. European Champion and regular competitor at International meetings with a series of cars built by himself. After experiments with Oliver twinshafts he joined most others by moving to the single ended aero version on spur mounts for his various cars. He also published the designs for his cars and the engine mounts, hence there are a number of copies. The Oliver 'Bottoms Up' does have a US connection as it was run over here by US serviceman Joe Shelton. Seen here with its original Oliver Tiger MkI RV. It later received what to us was unwarranted attention as the MkI was removed and sold on as it was of significant value and replaced with a later MkII that has the entirely wrong conformation for this car Urgh!

An example of the most successful British 5cc car of the 50s, the ZN 5cc From Paul Zere. First 5cc car in the UK to break 100mph with Tom Prest and available as a complete and ready to run car or a kit of parts for home assembly. Dooling 29s or ETA 29s were standard fitting and a couple of these still run at Buckminster. The final car is a real blast from the past as it one of the original 10cc Red Arrow cars designed and built by Jack Gascoigne in the early days of UK tethered car racing. Two examples have come to light, both with Westbury Ensign 10cc engines a little commercially was available at the time.

Inevitably, all of these cars are now spread around the globe, although we do know the locations of a few of them and two that have found their way back home (at a not insignificant cost).