Description
Specialist sports racing cars of the 1950s remain amongst the most popular and sought after of all collectors cars and always feature prominently at all of the most prestigious historic meetings from Goodwood Revival to Monaco Historique. Hardly surprising as some are acknowledged as the most beautiful cars in the world.
Amongst the numerous low volume specialist sports racing car manufacturers in the UK, Buckler were one of the most prolific and successful. A direct competitor with early Lotus, Lola and Elva rivals, the MkX Buckler offered here typified the marque and that evocative era.
Having purchased a frame direct from the Buckler works, the enthusiastic new owner, W J F Allsager proceeded to build up a purposeful sports racer using immortally popular Ford 1172cc mechanicals neatly enveloped in an attractive RGS bodyshell. These were moulded from an early HWM-Jaguar by Dick Shattock at his Atalanta works.
Registered TTB784 in Old Trafford, on the edge of Manchester in 1954, Allsager immediately took his newly finished machine on track and raced regularly at Oulton Park and other local circuits. The Buckler was progressively modified over the course of the next five years, adopting numerous Aquaplane tuning components along the way. It finally finishing up highly developed sporting a large Wade supercharger which no doubt dominated the engine bay.
In 1958 both TTB784 and it's owner retired from the track as a legal career and young family took precidence. But the car was not sold, such was the connection and Allsager still owned the old racer three decades later. At this time, in the early 1980s, the car had deteriorated somewhat and to save it from the scrap yard he offered it through the pages of the fledgling Buckler register. Two stalwarts of the register rescued and stored TTB but it took another two decades until she was finally restored and returned to the road.
Although TTB has only been used for road events of late and currently sports an 1100 cc BMC A series drive train there is nothing to stop it being returned to its original specification and gracing the track once more.
This is a reluctant sale due to ill health and consequent lack of use. However the car starts on the button and comes with a host of paperwork including current V5 and original buff log book dating back to the very beginning of the cars life. Also included are numerous spares including a Ford 1172 based independant front suspension set up, matching Ford 1172 back axle, a set of twin carburettors and sundry other parts.
As featured in Allan Shattocks comprehensive tome about all known RGS and RGS bodied sports and racing cars, this is a wonderful, rare and genuine survivor from that golden era of 1950s club sports racing cars.
Viewing recommended and offers invited.
