G.N.

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G.N. | Pre War British Sports Cars

Few makes have ever achieved the fame and popularity of the G.N., and the little car must be credited with being the first genuine light sports car. It was born in 1910, when the journal Motor Cycling was agitating for a four-wheeled version of a motor-cycle having the performance and economy of a side­car machine. These early designs were styled " duocars," and it became the fashion to build your own machine. Messrs. Frazer-Nash and Godfrey, however, made a really good job of the G.N., and for many years it was the best-seller amongst the light-car brigade.

John Bolster's "Bloody Mary"



The light yet strong chassis was the basis of more "specials" than any other pre-war car ever made, and G.N. chassis were still to be seen rocketing up Shelsley and Prescott post war, often powered by engines pushing out brake horses that the original designers never dreamed of when they laid down the car. John Bolster's "Bloody Mary," with its two big twin engines, utilises G.N. suspension. The prototype G.N. actually appeared in the summer of 1911. An air-cooled twin-cylinder J.A.P. engine was mounted longitu dinally in a frame consisting of ash boards 4-in. deep by 1.25-in. wide, and secured to the axles by quarter-elliptic leaf springs. The drive was taken from a 7-in. engine pulley by a 1-in. leather belt to a 10-in. pulley on the clutch shaft, on which were mounted two chain-sprocket wheels, one on each side of the clutch. Two chains drove a countershaft on each side of which were 7-in. pulleys. Final drive was by 1-in. belts to the rear wheels.

Wire and Bobbin Steering



A primitive yet effective "wire and bobbin" steering system was adopted, and a 3.5-gallon cylindrical petrol tank was mounted above the engine. No bonnet was fitted. For ease of starting, the front cylinder was provided with two sparking plugs, one being wired up to a battery and trembler coil. Bodywork was, of course, decidedly simple, yet there was ample leg room - a feature which was not an attribute of most of its contemporaries. A speed of 48 m.p.h. was obtained, which was considered eminently satisfactory. The G.N. had an immediate success, and Godfrey and Nash booked an incredible amount of orders. The machines were very successful in competitions, and they supplied the complete answer to the sporting "lightcarist" of the era. A short time after its introduction, the familiar 90-degree transversely mounted twin appeared and a new sports car was born.

Frazer-Nash himself became the leading racing driver of the pre-Kaiser war period, and immediately after the armistice was soon busy building new racing cars. These G.N.s were phenomenally fast, and the deeds of Kim I and II and Mowgli would fill many pages of a book dealing with light-car racing. At one time Nash held practically every record for all the best- known hill-climbs and also many at Brooklands. Mowgli was possibly the most interesting twin-cylinder racing car ever built. Each cylinder had four valves in the head operated by an exposed chain. The engine was the basis of B. H. Davenport's "Spider's" power unit.

The G.N. Legere and Vitesse



In 1921 the concern offered two sports models entitled the "Legere" and the "Vitesse". The latter was practically a road- racing car, and had many successes to its credit in the hands of private owners. F. J. Findon, Editor of The Light Car and well- known B.B.C. broadcaster, always had a soft spot for the G.N., and maintains that his happiest motoring days were those in the cockpit of his various models. Another well-known editor, A. C. Armstrong, of The Motor, possessed one as early as 1912, and ran it with successes in competition up until war broke out. The post-war G.N.s all had chain drive with three speeds. The "Legere" had ratios of 3.75, 5.75 and 10.5 to 1, whilst the "Vitesse" had a 3.5 to 1 top.

As the cars both weighed about 8.5-cwt., the 84 x 98-mm. engine gave them a useful performance.However, the fierce competition of the Rover Eight was causing a sharp decline in the sales of all other twin-cylinder vehicles, and the G.N. concern completely broke with their tradition by scrapping chain drive in favour of shaft and bevel wheel in 1922, and fitting a small o.h.v. water-cooled four-cylinder engine of 1098-c.c. (62 x 91-mm.). A side-valve twin took the place of the o.h.v., and also had shaft-drive. It was about this time that Frazer-Nash severed his connection with G.N.s and started out on his own.

The shaft-drive cars were not a success, and a return to chains was made. In 1924 a 1,496-c.c. Anzani side-valve engine was adopted, and this model was a decided improvement on the former multi-cylinder cars, having an exceptionally good per­formance together with remarkable road-holding.In 1921 the concern offered two sports models entitled the " Legere " and the " Vitesse." The latter was practically a road- racing car, and had many successes to its credit in the hands of private owners. F. J. Findon, Editor of The Light Car and then a well-known B.B.C. broadcaster, always had a soft spot for the G.N., and maintained that his happiest motoring days were those in the cockpit of his various models. Another well-known editor, A. C. Armstrong, of The Motor, possessed one as early as 1912, and ran it with successes in competition up until war broke out.

The post-war G.N.s all had chain drive with three speeds. The "Legere" had ratios of 3.75, 5.75 and 10.5 to 1, whilst the " Vitesse " had a 3.5 to 1 top. As the cars both weighed about 8^-cwt., the 84 x 98-mm. engine gave them a useful performance.However, the fierce competition of the Rover Eight was causing a sharp decline in the sales of all other twin-cylinder vehicles, and the G.N. concern completely broke with their tradition by scrapping chain drive in favour of shaft and bevel wheel in 1922, and fitting a small o.h.v. water-cooled four-cylinder engine of 1098-c.c. (62 x 91-mm.). A side-valve twin took the place of the o.h.v., and also had shaft-drive. It was about this time that Frazer-Nash severed his connection with G.N.s and started out on his own.

The shaft-drive cars were not a success, and a return to chains was made. In 1924 a 1496-c.c. Anzani side-valve engine was adopted, and this model was a decided improvement on the former multi-cylinder cars, having an exceptionally good per­formance together with remarkable road-holding.

G.N.s continued to be marketed for several years after the twin-cylinder cars were dropped. The make eventually disappeared from the market entirely. The "G." in H.R.G. was none other than H. R. Godfrey, whilst the name Frazer-Nash did continue in post-war Britain with the then ultra-modern sports cars that resulted from the fusion of the interests of the F.-N. with the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
G.N. Belt Drive Pre 1914
Belt-Driven G.N. of the pre-1914 era.
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