Highlights
- Unique one-off spaceframe chassis designed by Frank Costin
- Built from original drawings and diaries of Frank Costin
- Equipped with a Ford Cross-flow 1,300 engine with Kent 248 cam
- Comes with a comprehensive history file and a host of spares
- Offers a rare opportunity to own and race a piece of 1960s British racing history
The Appeal
The name Frank Costin should be up there with the great sports car innovators of the twentieth century, the likes of Carol Shelby and Colin Chapman. Starting out as an engineer with the De Havilland Aircraft Company, Costin went on to design lightweight bodywork for Vanwall, Lister and Lotus, later developing his own chassis from plywood - a material he had great experience with from his aeronautical days. He became one half of Marcos Engineering, alongside Jem Marsh, a British firm that would go on to produce its own excellent sports cars. But Frank Costin is also known to have produced a number of cars by himself, often one-off prototypes he would pitch to manufacturers.
Originally powered by a Coventry Climax (Imp) engine with 80 bhp, the first-ever outing of the Costin-Nathan GT (before any major tweaks and set-up), the car put down a 57-second lap of Brands Hatch. Later that year, Roger Nathan piloted the car down Le Mans' Mulsanne straight at 167mph with a Nathan-tuned Imp engine, with around 96bhp. That's an extraordinary speed for so few horsepower, a testament to the genius of Frank Costin's lightweight, aerodynamic design and Roger Nathan's tuning abilities
This 1968 Costin-Nathan GT Auto XV1S is rather unusual in that it is the one and only example to feature a spaceframe chassis rather than Costin's usual plywood design. The vendor tells us:
"Auto X1VS, as it was known as originally, was originally penned by Frank in 1965 whilst on holiday in Sicily, we know this as we have the excerpts from his diaries detailing the chassis designs and tube calculations, through to the delivery of the chassis. Frank chose Progress Chassis to manufacture his design and it was built by Frank Coltman, a specialist in tubular chassis, and it was delivered to his workshop on 3rd October 1967. It is presumed that after Frank and Roger Nathan went their separate ways, Frank would look and this chassis would be a more economical & faster way to produce the finished item.
"Having spent its life unbuilt, the car was picked up by its first new custodian in 1980, with a plan to get the car built and racing as intended, work began. Unfortunately, the car was always on the back burner and didn’t ever see a track as planned. Our client and ex-racer had known the car well for the past many years and having always wanted the opportunity to see it finished. He acquired the car 5 years back with one goal. That goal you see before you today, a running, driving Costin GT. The car is yet to be run in, tested and set up, so it only leaves the fun bit to do! We are very proud to be able to offer, for the first time in its history, chassis Auto XV1S for sale (the S standing for Spaceframe, quite aptly)."
Built over five years using original plans and parts, this car is a fitting tribute to Costin's vision and a thrilling opportunity for any motor racing enthusiast. With a Ford Cross-flow engine and a Hewland gearbox, it promises exhilarating performance with a claimed theoretical 188 mph top speed! The car is accompanied by a detailed history file and a large collection of spares.
Car & Classic is delighted to offer this enticing opportunity to acquire a significant piece of British motorsport history.
The History and Paperwork
- Originally constructed in 1968
- Huge history file of its elongated birth from 1965 to today
- Two former registered keepers
- Acquired by the current owner on 15 December 2019
- Comes with a comprehensive history file detailing its build from 1965 to present
- Includes original drawings and diary excerpts from Frank Costin
- Accompanied by a Haynes Ford Cortina handbook for engine details
- Not road legal
- The owner also gives detailed instructions regarding disassembling the bodywork and engine start procedure; these will be provided to the new owner
The vendor comments:
"We are all hoping that a budding driver becomes the next custodian as opposed to a museum, as it belongs on the track, and we are all sure that getting an invite to events with a never-before-seen one-off from a man such as Frank Costin would be a given. This car represents a unique opportunity to own, drive and even race a stunning piece of 1960s British racing history. Not only to own it but to break it in, create the following such a rare and special car deserves, and accrue the results Frank always knew the car would be capable of.
The owner says:
"The Costin Nathan was a small sports car with a wooden centre section and had triangulated steel front and rear sections. It also had a Hilman Imp engine and gearbox, which Nathan was attracted to because of its very light weight. Nathan also tweaked the engine.
"Eventually, Frank parted company with Nathan, but before he left, he commissioned a one-off total space frame chassis for the Costin Nathan closed sports car. Presumably, he wished to continue making cars under his own name. He commissioned it from Progress Chassis, built by Frank Coltman, a specialist in tubular chassis, and it was delivered to his workshop on 3rd October 1967. It was then left unused until the 1980s when Martin Chinnery acquired it.
"I acquired the chassis on 15 December 2019 and other parts from the executor of the late owner. It was completely in parts and lying in a container on a farm.”
The Condition
- Beautifully presented following extensive restoration
- Chassis shot blasted and powder coated with aluminium sheets inside
- Custom-fabricated alloy wheels with a spare set included
- Interior features leather cloth seats and a custom dashboard with instrumentation
- Fibreglass floor pan and roof panel fitted
The owner says:
"I first assembled all the components onto the bare chassis, to see how it fitted together.
I welded fittings to the frame for earth points, seat belt fittings and foot rest. The next job was to have a roll hop fitted, with two bracing bars to the rear cross member. The chassis was shot blasted and powder coated, as well having aluminium sheets to the inside of the chassis. The roll hoop had a fitting for tow eye and also lifting the complete car to axle stands.
Next was to fit the dashboard with holes for instruments and warning lights, and the electrical switches. A difficult task as the triangulation of the chassis limited the places the holes could go.
Then, the fibreglass floor pan was painted and fitted to the underside of the chassis, and the roof panel was fitted. I designed and made an oil catch tank, its mounting, and the base for a fire extinguisher. These fit beneath the seat moulding.
It came with one fuel tank on the offside of the chassis, and I had another made to fit on the nearside. Both had a cross pipe and vents as well as feeds to the centrally mounted fuel pump and filter.
I had new alloy wheels made by Mike Barnby and had tyres fitted to four of the (8) wheels.
The seat moulding has been fitted with leather seat inserts. All bright rods and suspension parts have been re-nickelled."
The Mechanics
- Engine capacity of 1,300cc Ford Cross-flow
- Five-speed Hewland transmission with a cam and pawl LSD
- Estimated power output of 130-140 bhp at 8,000 rpm
- Equipped with inboard disc brakes and a dry sump system
- Comes with a range of spares including suspension components and gear ratios
- The car is not road legal, in that it does not have a hand brake, windscreen wiper, nor fog lights
- The fire extinguisher is not armed in that the safety pin is in place
The owner says:
"I dismantled the engine, a Ford 1300cc crossflow, and, having cleaned it and fully reassembled it. It has a Kent 248 cam fitted and now has two twin choke Weber 40`s. This should give it some 130/140 bhp at 8,000rpm. The engine is dry sumped. It came with a steel radiator which I had copied in aluminium.
The gearbox is a Hewland Mk8/9 and was fitted with four gears – as for a Formula Ford car.
I had it overhauled and five gears – and reverse – and a cam and pawl limited slip differential put in. It has inboard disc brakes. I made a gear linkage and gear lever mount."
Spares include:
- Two off rear uprights
- Two off rear lower suspension wishbones.
- Four off alloy wheels
- Steel water radiator
- One off roll hoop eye bolt
- Spare nose cone and roof section
- Gear ratios
- Yellow paint
- Haynes Ford Cortina handbook – for engine details
Jobs left to complete:
- Fit new seat belts
- Fire extinguisher to be returned to be recertificated
- After first run, change the engine oil and filter
- Re-bleed brakes for safety
- The suspension may need to be slightly adjusted to suit the driver, but a corner weighting has already been carried out.
- The damper settings may need to be adjusted to suit the individual track.
- The front/rear brake bias may need to be adjusted to suit the driver & track.
- A run on a rolling road/ dynamometer to fine-tune the carburettors and to ascertain the power output of the engine would be advisable.
BEFORE YOU BUY
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