Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica 'Replica'

The Frazer Nash "High Speed" was a basic, yet highly-effective sports racing car of the immediate post war period. The factory entered a car for the very first post war Le Mans 24 hours and came home in a storming 3rd place overall. This car still exists, and was in the long term ownership of the late Cec Booth, from near Huddersfield. Following the Le Mans success, the factory promptly renamed the model "Le Mans Replica" and many legendary racers of the era had success in these cars - Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks, Tony Crook and even Mike Hawthorn (albeit in a more enclosed body-work example) all had success in these Bristol 6 cylinder powered cars.

A series of replica "Replicas" was started in about 1986 by Mr Werner Oswald, with a few associates (including Tim Frost). They laid down parts for 10 "replicas", possibly copied from a Le Mans Replica Mk 1 owned by Frank Sytner. Mike Robinson has been also identified as associated with the "Werner Oswald Kits" (WOKs), as they came to be known, which were never sold in built-up form.

About the same time, one of the partners in the project found that the business name, Frazer-Nash Cars Ltd, had not been registered for a few years and bought it from Companies House, all apparently a proper business transaction. This implied that cars produced by Mr. Oswald could be advertised as made by "Frazer-Nash Cars, Ltd", somewhat reducing a threat of litigation on the issue of "identity".

The example offered for sale here is "WOK 1" - the first of this series of exacting "Replica/Replicas". This car is registered as a Frazer-Nash, carrying the appropriate numberplate and correct chassis plate. It has a Bristol "Special Series" engine, exactly as the works cars did and is precise in all significant ways, to the point that it has full FIA/HTP paperwork, making it potentially acceptable to most of the world's high-profile historic racing events. Coming to auction from the private collection of a significant Bristol enthusiast, this ex Oswald and Peter Mann Frazer Nash IS road registered in the UK, carrying the number plate 625 PPO. As with all Frazer Nash it would be a wiling performer in any number of historic road and track events, or simply to be used as a thrilling "Weekend Car".