This has been a content heavy week and I’m not going to complain about that one bit.  Below is a photo which you may have seen, but likely not.  It is the Harris speedster at the 1937 Chicago Auto Show.  The Harris Speedster was a front wheel drive super-car powered by a Swindler V8.  If you haven’t learned about the Swindler yet, it was a pair of Austin engines mated to a flat plane crank into a beautiful v shaped engine.  While I am a fan of the engines and would love to have one, I’ll turn you over to the expert were you can learn more about it –Wm. Spear’s website.  A modern Bantam based swindler was built in the 90’s and supposedly still exists.  You can learn more about that engine also at Wm. Spear’s Website.

You probably know about my interest in Brennan I.M.P.s, but, as I said above, I would love to have a Swindler.  There were known to be at least two of them.  Only one complete engine is known to remain in tact while another is known to exist in a destroyed state.  I would tell you more about the Harris Speedster, but it is best told by the fine folks at autopuzzles.com

Right now, on ebay, there is a hard to find photo of the Speedster being exhibited at one of Bantam’s first exhibitions as a newly reformed company.  Although the roadster was sporty, you may consider this a sort of halo car.

Click here to own a bit of history on the Harris Speedster

Finding old Bantams photos isn’t really one of the easiest things, however they do show up occasionally.  Usually those photos are focused more on the people than the car behind them.  Sometimes you can see a monochrome colored cove or a dusty fender.  Other times, the photo is so washed out that much of its detail has been lost to time.

This photo is quite an exception.  Beyond the 1938 Ford in the background, the main focus of this photo is on the roadster in the foreground of an early airplane.  Although the roadster is a bit beat up and there is an art deco sunburst of grease escaping from behind the front hubcap, the couple in the car really found themselves in a great photo.  Donning sunglasses, some sort of open collared shirt, an a huge smile; the duo seem like they could have been the adventurous kind.

If you’re interested in this photo, you may have some competition from me, but it’s just too cool of a photo to keep to myself.

Click here to see the Bantam and Plane

Also, for comparison sake, here is another roadster photo:

Click here to see a pair of Sailors in an Austin

I am a fan of ebay.  You never know what sort of treasures may crop up.  Then again, you never know when or where treasures may crop up either.  Sometimes, even the coolest item can go unnoticed until you do a completed item search.  Yesterday, I found a very interesting photo which slipped away without much fanfare.

I’m hoping that this photos shows up on the cover of one of the club magazines, or something like that.  Here is a link to the listing in case you are curious about how it was listed: Period Photo

If you have been into Bantams for a while, you may have heard of Hempfling’s log.  Mr. Hempfling was the final inspector of all American Bantams produced.  Every car or chassis which passed him on the way out of the factory is entered into this book.  For each of the 6,000 cars and 70 BRCs, there is a note correlating the body number with the engine number and the final inspection date as well as the configuration of the car when it left the factory.  It also includes some other information including running changes made to the cars as they emerged.  Some entries are more comprehensive than others as the production run neared its end.  For example, at the end even the color of most cars was noted where as this was not the case for early units.

I recently learned that at one point a Bantam owner could get an Authenticity Certificated based off of the information within this book.  While that has not been the practice for some time, it does show the regard within which this book is held.

Right now, there is a reproduction of the book on ebay that comes along with a very heft price tag.  If you are interested in a copy, there is a club member who can help you in securing a new reproduction at a much more reasonable cost.

Click here to see the listing: Hempfling’s log

On an interesting note, Mr. Hempfling owned one of the earliest Bantam coupes to roll off the line.  His car still exists in its original, weathered, condition in Texas.  I believe it is on display.  Although I tried to find a photo of the well enjoyed car, I haven’t had any success this morning.

BRC Historical Photo

There haven’t been too many of these photos lately on ebay.  Have you seen this photo before?

Click for the link: Leaping BRC Photo

1938 Bantam grille, Ornament, and center trim

This is a really nice set up.  A nice, although repaired, 15 slat grille, with a hood ornament and most of the center stainless strip.  This is a great piece for your car or wall.  I kind of want to throw a bid in on it too!

Click here to see the listing: Bantam Grille

Parabeam Headlights

If you have a 1930-1931 American Austin, there are a few oddities which set your car apart from the later Austins.  One such item is the headlight lens itself.  In the first years of production, Parabeam supplied the lenses for the large Austin headlights.  These were subsequently phased out and replaced with Spreadlight lenses.

As the Spreadlight units were used on a plethora of applications beyond the Austins, they are much more common.  Unlike Spreadlight lenses, Parabeam lenses just do not show up that often.  On ebay, there is a pair of complete headlights with Parabeam lenses.  These headlight assemblies came from a car which sold through this website.  In an unfortunate case were a long stored project car is being cut up, the owner is making an effort to share the spare parts with other American Austin enthusiasts to help complete other people’s restorations.

While it’s unfortunate that the car has been taken from the ranks of the restorable Austins out there, it is good that the car is being returned to the road and its pieces are being offered to restorers.

Click for the link: Parabeam Headlights

Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  This is the year of the rooster.  Maybe that’s why so many Bantams have changed hands just before the turn of the year.  People have been getting ready for a once in 12 year opportunity.

Happy Year of the Rooster!