1959 Frisky Convertible Special

Most microcars followed a minimalistic approach to its construction, limiting accouterments to basic necessities. Small, diminutive, and economical, the microcar served a utilitarian purpose of 'A' to 'B' transportation. Captain Raymond Flower was an Englishman, a former racing driver, and an enterprising individual who recognized a market for transportation that followed the 'small car' formula but were well-engineered and offered a higher degree of comfort and style.

Captain Flower was the Managing Director of the Cairo Motor Co Ltd., Nuffield distributors in Egypt, and he operated the company with his two brothers, Derek and Neville. Hailing from the brewing dynasty of Flower & Sons of Stratford on Avon, the brothers embarked on several car manufacturing projects in Cairo, Egypt, under the general name of Phoenix. The Suez Crisis in 1956 brought an end to the potential for manufacturing within Egypt, so Raymond Flower explored manufacturing options in the United Kingdom. Eventually, an agreement was reached with Henry Meadows Ltd. to build the small, economical, lightweight car.

From Small Beginnings
A prototype example nicknamed the Bug was created in 1956, with unconventional styling that included gullwing doors. It was penned in-part by a design engineer formerly from Kieft Cars, Gordon Bedson, who had joined Meadows as Export Sales Manager in 1954. Bedson, who had previously designed a saloon car prototype for the Phoenix project, was joined by Keith Peckmore, a project engineer who had also joined Meadows from Kieft.

The Bug Prototype was a four-wheeled, two-seater that used a brazed ladder-type chassis, a very narrow rear track, a solid rear axle, and was powered by a Villiers air-cooled 250 cc two-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed motorcycle manual gearbox. To reverse the vehicle, the engine was run backward through the Dynastart unit. The body was formed from a molded fibreglass shell.

From Concept to Production
While development of the prototype continued, the coachbuilding company Vignale of Turin, was commissioned by Flower to design the bodywork for the production version. Vignale assigned the project to one of their designers named Giovanni Michelotti, who would become one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. The Michelotti-designed 'Bug' was shown at the Geneva Auto Show in 1957 under the name 'Meadows Frisky.'

Prior to its arrival at Geneva, the Bug had been brought to the Oulton Park motor racing circuit where it underwent a seven-day 24-hour-a-day test run. It completed 4,000 miles and had a fast lap time of 54.91 miles per hour. Raymond Flower had brought his Phoenix SR150 sports racer to this endurance test, and because of his association with the Egyptian Phoenix project and an embargo on the use of the Meadows name in connection with The Bug, the press erroneously referred to the Meadows project as the Phoenix minicar or Phoenix Frisky. The inaccurate name was corrected via a press release on March 11, 1957, just prior to the Geneva Motor Show. The release also announced that the Frisky would have a selling price of 'under £400.'

The Production Frisky
The Vignale styling of the production Frisky automobile used the gullwing door concept from The Bug. Two examples were bodied by Vignale with the gullwing doors, but the unconventional styling was too expensive for mass production. Before the Earls Court Motor Show in October, a new design was created that could be created at a much lower cost. The gullwing doors were abandoned in favor of conventional suicide-style doors. Two body styles were expected to appear at the Earls Court Show, but only the Friskysport, a convertible version, was ready in time.

Production of the Friskysport commenced five months later, in March 1958. A new subsidiary of the Meadows company had been formed in June 1957, dubbed the Henry Meadows (Vehicles) Ltd, to handle production of the car. In February 1958, a controlling interest in the subsidiary was acquired by the Flower Group of companies, with Raymond Flowers serving as chairman and managing director. Later in the year, The Marston Group of Companies acquired a controlling interest in Henry Meadows (Vehicles) Ltd, and the name of the production company was changed to Frisky Cars Ltd. Henry R Stone was appointed Chairman, and Raymond, Neville, and Derek Flower were made directors. The distribution of the Frisky cars was handled by The Arneston Motor Company Ltd. London, which belonged to Henry Stone.

Specifications
The production version of the Friskysport had a 60-inch wheelbase, an overall length of 112.5 inches, a width of 55.5 inches, and stood 49 inches tall. The 324cc Villiers 3T twin-cylinder two-stroke engine was positioned at the rear and powered the rear wheels. It produced approximately 16 horsepower and was paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The top speed was in the neighborhood of 65 mph.

A Top for the Topless
An announcement in September 1958 foretold of a hard-top version of the Friskysport to be known as the Frisky Coupe. Introduced at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show in October, the Frisky Coupe was joined by two other new models, The Frisky Family Three and The Frisky Sprint.

Although the Frisky Coupe and Friskysport were very similar and used the same chassis, there were several visual differences. The Coupe had plain bumpers and the Friskysport had overriders. The Friskysport had a separate chrome Reliant Sabre windscreen frame, dummy air intake scoops just behind the doors, and a detachable tail section. Later examples of the Friskysport, however, had the same lower body design as the Coupe.

The Frisky Coupe initially used the body of the Friskysport, but with a steel-framed front windscreen and an integral, glassed-on roof. When the Family Three one-piece body became available in 1959, the Coupe began using that body.

The Frisky Family Three - A 'Wheelie' Good Idea?
The Frisky Family Three was essentially the same as the Frisky Coupe, but with one less wheel, a smaller Villiers 9E engine, and MacPherson strut front suspension. The advantage of few wheels allowed the Frisky Family Three to qualify for lower vehicle excise duty and could be driven with a motorcycle license. Production commenced around February 1959.

Specification
The Villiers 9E single-cylinder two-stroke engine displaced 197cc and produced 9.5 horsepower. It had a 67-inch wheelbase (7 inches longer than the Friskysport and Coupe), an overall length of 109.5 inches (3 inches shorter than the Convertible/Coupe), and was an inch shorter (48 inches).

Going Big!
A prototype sports racing car was built at the Meadows factory but never reached production. It explored the possibility of a small sports racing design with seating for two and powered by a three-cylinder air-cooled 492cc Excelsior engine mounted transversely in the frame with a final drive by roller chain. The sleek bodywork, designed by Gordon Bedson, was finished in the American national racing colors of white with a blue stripe.

Searching for Mr. Right (Wright)
By mid-1959, Frisky Cars Ltd. was in financial difficulties; it was soon acquired by Mr C. J. Wright, a Wolverhampton businessman. Under his ownership, a new company was formed, dubbed Frisky Cars (1959) Ltd. Its goal was to re-start production in September at Fallings Park with a target of 30 three-wheeled cars a week. Ambitious plans called for the production of a deluxe version and the Friskysprint, and the construction of a new production plant in Penkridge. These plans never came to fruition.

The Frisky Family Three Mk2
The Frisky Family Three Mk2 of early 1960 replaced the MacPherson strut front suspension in favor of a Dubonnet system sourced from the Friskysport. It was given a lengthened chassis so the engine could be moved further back out of the cabin. Engine choices included a 250cc or 328cc Excelsior Talisman twin engines which were now paired with an Albion gearbox with a true reverse gear.

The bench seat of the MK1 was replaced by twin front seats.

The Frisky Prince
Visitors to the 1960 Earls Court Motor Show were treated to a new Frisky model dubbed the Prince, which was similar to the Family Three but with front-hung doors. A four-wheel version of the Prince was announced for 1961, but never reached production.

The Prince faced stiff competition from the BMC Mini, and problems with its chassis were detrimental to its reputation. More time was spent fixing customer cars than producing new ones. The end came swiftly for the fledging company, which had been purchased by Mr. R. Bird in February 1961, ending near the close of 1961.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024