Pycroft SS100

[alexhaba]

I have only one photo and no any info about this car.

[João]

I think that´s the same car

" Paul Pycroft and wife at the Brighton Speed Trials" From July 2009's C&SC

[neuilly]

The Pycroft SS100 was raced quite successfully by Paul Pycroft in early post-war years but sadly has been re-bodied in same-as-all-the-others style by a Dutch "enthusiast". The same fate of uniformity was suffered by one of the two Avon-bodied SS100s drop-head coupes built for racer/dealer/theatrical entrepreneur S.H. Newsome. Why do people do that? If they want something just like all the others, why not buy a Toyota Yaris?

Thankfully the the other Avon dhc has been treated much more sympathetically in the US and continues to live.

It may be that the Pycroft body does survive somewhere; it would be nice to think so. According to Doug Nye in his Cooper tome, the work on the Pycroft Body was done by a man named Charlie Robinson, and there are some superficial touches that it shares with the Cooper 500 two-seater sports car.

Clive

[neuilly]

I have just done one of those Google search things so beloved by people who don't get out much, and it seems that the Pycroft body did survive and came back to the UK c.1972. Sounds like one to look out for at the Goodwood Revival.

Clive

[alexhaba]

The Pycroft SS100 was raced quite successfully by Paul Pycroft in early post-war years but sadly has been re-bodied in same-as-all-the-others style by a Dutch "enthusiast". The same fate of uniformity was suffered by one of the two Avon-bodied SS100s drop-head coupes built for racer/dealer/theatrical entrepreneur S.H. Newsome. Why do people do that? If they want something just like all the others, why not buy a Toyota Yaris?

Thankfully the the other Avon dhc has been treated much more sympathetically in the US and continues to live.

It may be that the Pycroft body does survive somewhere; it would be nice to think so. According to Doug Nye in his Cooper tome, the work on the Pycroft Body was done by a man named Charlie Robinson, and there are some superficial touches that it shares with the Cooper 500 two-seater sports car.

Clive

One of the two ?
http://www.strever.com/avon/page2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[neuilly]

Yes, that's the one. It's on a new chassis, but at least the body has been respected as worthy of keeping in its own right. The last entry on the Strever web-site was some time ago and I wonder if the car is now completed and around and about?

Clive.

[neuilly]

Sorry - I may have misunderstood. There were two Avon/Newsome bodies, the first was on chassis 39109 and registered EHP 7, the second on chassis 39115, registered EVC 587. They were similar but not identical, for instance that on 39109 had a folding windscreen whereas the other was fixed, and the second body had front wings which extended further down in front of the wheels. Mr Strever's example represents the second.

Clive.

[Barrett]

Hi

According to the recent Nankivell Jowett Jupiter book, the Pycroft Jaguar's bodywork was built by the obscure British coachbuilders John Collinsons:

The tiny firm of John Collinsons of Slough, Bucks, was formed by Lionel Rawson and Dave Piper in 1947. The name was derived from their respective sons John and Colin, although neither went on to join the company. Lionel Rawson was an ex-aircraft man and a British pioneer of the all-metal body - that is to say, no wood framing. He styled, designed and drew.

Apparently they also built a handful of bodies on Alvis and Lea Francis chassis, along with the 4 Jowett Jupiters and also built the 23 Healey Sportsmobile bodies. Rawson also built the aluminium nose and tail sections for the record-breaking Austin Healey 100 streamliner. The firm was extant from 1947-57.

Hopefully this is enough information to create a page for John Collinsons in the 'British Coachbuilders' section which can include the wonderful Pycroft Jaguar? Three further views of this car are attached below, including a shot of the start line of the inaugural race at Goodwood in 1948, which the car won.

(Source: Jowett Jupiter - Special Body by Edmund Nankivell (from an interview with Lionel Rawson))

[neuilly]

I know it is over 10 years since the last post on the subject of the Pycroft SS100, but I have recently had occasion to re-visit it. Edmund Nankivell does NOT say that the body was built by Colinsons (one "l"), he says that Lionel Rawson claims to have designed the one-piece forward-opening bonnet based on an idea by Paul Pycroft.

Look at the SS100 alongside the entirely contemporary Cooper 500 and I think a strong similarity is undeniable, so I must stay with the Doug Nye/"Charlie Robinson" camp.

I would still be interested to see other Colinson bodies.

Clive.

[Pycroftowner]

[/img]I have interesting news about the Pycroft Jaguar! The car is owned by my family since 1967. The body was stored since 1967 in a shed after it was removed to rebuild the SS 100 back to its original body. I kept the Pycroft body as I always thought that it was a rather unique design and had the intention to see that I could build it back on a SS donor chassis. About 15 years ago I discovered the story of the Prycroft Jaguar and the fact that it was the car that won the first race at Goodwood. At that point of time I decided that the only option was to put the body back on the original chassis 18045. The original Pycroft body has been carefully restored and been put back on the car now. I hope to be able to finish the car by the end of August and present the car to the enthusiastic Motorsport world again. I am still looking for photo’s of the Pycroft Jaguar in its early days.

[pnegyesi]

Wow, what a great story, thanks for sharing the update - hope to see the car soon.

[carparazzi1956]

another foto

Jaguar SS100 Pycroft.jpg (80.21 KiB) Viewed 4262 times

[calou]

SS100 pycroft 1948 National Goodwood #8 (2).jpg

DSCF4008.JPG (129.54 KiB) Viewed 4254 times

index.jpg (134.91 KiB) Viewed 4254 times

Cheers

[galrot]

[/img]I have interesting news about the Pycroft Jaguar! The car is owned by my family since 1967. The body was stored since 1967 in a shed after it was removed to rebuild the SS 100 back to its original body. I kept the Pycroft body as I always thought that it was a rather unique design and had the intention to see that I could build it back on a SS donor chassis. About 15 years ago I discovered the story of the Prycroft Jaguar and the fact that it was the car that won the first race at Goodwood. At that point of time I decided that the only option was to put the body back on the original chassis 18045. The original Pycroft body has been carefully restored and been put back on the car now. I hope to be able to finish the car by the end of August and present the car to the enthusiastic Motorsport world again. I am still looking for photo’s of the Pycroft Jaguar in its early days.

So great to see that it have survived. Have you found any clues to who actually made the body itself (re: the discussion above your post)?