Car & Classic Dealer

Richard Edmonds

Chippenham Wiltshire

1912 Napier T46 15bhp Coupe For Sale

1912 Napier T46 15hp Coupe

Reg. no. LD 3440

Chassis no. 9411

Engine no. 18385

VCC Dating Certificate Number 1246

D. Napier & Sons Ltd were an old established engineering firm that dated back to 1808. By the 1890s the firm was in decline with only seven employees and when the son of the founder of the company died in 1895, it was taken over by his son, Montague, a keen cyclist. This interest brought him into contact with S. F. Edge, another keen cyclist and budding motorist. Edge improved on Montague's Panhard and was so impressed he offered to buy Napier’s total output of cars should he go into production.

The first Napier car was produced in 1900 and Edge won a bronze medal in the Thousand Mile Trial. Bigger and better cars followed with a four-cylinder 16hp and then onto racing cars that were entered into the Gordon Bennett races. Napier were the first British car to win an International event when Edge piloted a 1902 30hp car to victory in the Gordon Bennett section of the Paris to Vienna race. Further racing cars were built, up to 100hp, but the peak of Napier’s production came between 1909 and 1913, with the last production cars being produced in 1924. After that, Napier carried on successfully making aero engines.

The history of LD 3440 is documented from 1971 and was the subject of a comprehensive write up of its acquisition and restoration, in three editions of the VCC Gazette, from Winter 1971 to Summer 1972, by R. J. Evans Curator of the Manx Motor Museum. Mr Evans had been talking to the well-known Irish collector Jimmy Boland who mentioned that he had the major parts of a Napier and eventually a deal was done to swap those for an unrestored 3 litre Lagonda. Jimmy managed to acquire a correct radiator that was being used as an ornament and all the parts were then transported to the Isle of Man in the back of a 1924 Rolls-Royce that had been converted into a hearse. When the parts were inspected by the late Derek Grossmark, who had a wealth of information about Napier cars, he identified the parts came from a 1912 15hp (2, 748cc) with 3-speed gearbox and wire wheels.

There are lengthy descriptions of the build including how the chassis had been obtained from another well-known purveyor of Veteran and Edwardian cars, Cecil Bendall. When the chassis was ready the then owner decided to, unusually, build a fixed head coupe style body with a small boot. The design was based on a drop head coupe from where the dimensions were copied, and the result was the striking body the car wears today which is nicely patinated. Finished in green with a beige button back upholstery, the body has carriage style windows on the side, a roof-light for added ventilation and interior lights.

The car then passed to the late Bill Sykes, another well-known collector and passed into its most recent ownership in 2015. It was used extensively including a rally to Ireland as well as VCC Events. After the last event, some engine problems were detected so it has recently undergone an engine rebuild in February/ March of this year, with details of what was done held on file. The car has also been fitted with an unobtrusive starter motor and has, so we understand, a full charging system.

The car is offered with a full set of brass electric lamps, a comprehensive set of instruments including a petrol gauge, starting instructions, copies of a Napier handbook, a hub tool as well as a current V5C, some old MOT certificates, VCC dating certificate and the aforementioned copies of the VCC Gazette.

Ready for use after careful running in, this will make a good car for VCC events, especially when it's wet, as well as longer distance tours as it is reputed to travel at up to 50 mph.

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