1952 Frazer Nash LeMans

British automobile manufacturer Frazer Nash was founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922 and established in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, moving to Isleworth, London in 1929. In 1927, it entered receivership, re-emerging a short time later as AFN Limited. Until the mid-1930s, the company produced about 400 cars. In the mid-1930s, they became importers and assemblers of BMW cars and sold them as Frazer Nash-BMW. They were the official British BMW importer until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. In 1954 the company started to sell Porsche cars, becoming the official importer for Great Britain in 1956. This lasted until 1965 when Porsche Cars Great Britain was established.

The company enjoyed some racing success; they participated in four World Championship Grand Prixs, with drivers of the Frazer Nash cars scoring 3 World Championship points during their career.

Frazer Nash enjoyed success in the 1949 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, and followed it up with a production version following the tradition that began with their 1930s TT Replica.

The LeMans Replica was powered by a straight-six BMW engine that displaced 1971cc and offered around 120 horsepower. They were given lightweight, aerodynamic bodies that made them nimble and quick. These cars were completely hand-built with the customers being given the opportunity to customize their vehicles as they needed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2010