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Freak designs seldom if ever gain favour in this country, and for this reason the highly unorthodox Stanhope sports car had a very brief life. It was developed from an extraordinary three-wheeler, also called the Stanhope, which had belt-driven front wheels. The four-wheeler also was f.w.d., but final drive was by chains, one to each wheel. The wheels themselves were mounted on arms which projected from the differential casing, and these arms were free to move in a vertical plane, their movement being controlled by an outsize in transverse springs. Rear wheels had live spindles which revolved in bearings at the extremities of the tubular "dummy" rear axle. Rear springing was by splayed cantilever springs which were seated direct on this axle.
A powerful o.h.v. Blackburne big-twin, water-cooled engine was used (85 x 97-mm. 1098-c.c., similar to that fitted on the Aero Morgan). By all accounts, the Stanhope had a rather startling performance, owing to its low weight and the fact that un-sprung weight was reduced to a minimum. Whether it was safe or not is hard to say, but a combination of that very potent Blackburne and chain-driven front wheels must have caused a few alarming moments on wet roads. |
