In past articles I’ve referred to how the history of the British motor industry is littered with the names of small specialist manufacturers, using the mechanical parts of mainstream manufacturer’s cars and creating their own individual – usually fibreglass – bodies to sit on top. Names such as Rochdale, Piper, Peerless and TVR appear and then disappear, sometimes after a lifespan not much longer than that of a mayfly.
Another one of those names, one that disappeared from view back in the 1970’s, is Fairthorpe, and this week’s Prime Find is an example of that company’s most successful model, the Electron, and it comes up for auction this weekend with Anglia Car Auctions.
Fairthorpe cars were built very close to where I used to live, initially in Chalfont St. Peter between 1954 and 1961, then in nearby Denham until 1973, small towns not known as motor industry hot-spots. The company was founded by Air Vice Marshall Don Bennett, an Australian aviation pioneer who had an exceptionally distinguished military career – in fact, he became the youngest Air Vice Marshall in the RAF – and he was also an excellent engineer.
After WW2, Bennett tried to establish himself as a politician, successfully being elected as MP for Middlesborough West in a by-election in 1945, only to lose his seat in Parliament just 73 days later in that year’s General Election – he tried several more times to become an MP, but failed each time, which is perhaps as well for fans of budget British sports cars.
Bennett built the first Fairthorpe in 1954 – known as the Atom, it was a small two-seater with rear-mounted air-cooled motorbike engine. Over 40 were made before being replaced by the Atomata – note the space-age nomenclature, though there was nothing particularly space-age about these cars. The Atomata was larger, with a front-mounted 646cc BSA engine. Fairthorpe’s were available fully-built, or in kit form, as was the case with many similar small manufacturers.
Alongside the Atomata, 1956 saw the introduction of what was to become the company’s most successful model – the Electron. This had a larger engine still – a 1098cc unit from Coventry Climax, but this proved an expensive if potent option – a maximum speed of 120mph was claimed, though I find that hard to believe – and only between 20 and 30 examples were made.
Costs were brought down by using the Standard SC 948cc engine and Standard Ten transmission and rear axle. In 1963, the larger powerplant from the Triumph Spitfire was used, and the final version of the Electron actually utilised the chassis from the Triumph GT6; there were six versions of the Electron made over a 17-year period.
Some 700 Electrons were made, more than all the other Fairthorpe models combined, with production ending in 1973, which also marked the end of Fairthorpe as a sports car manufacturer.
“Our” car was built in 1959 – so a fairly early Electron Minor – and was found in 1990 as basically a wreck. It has since been restored and rebuilt twice by the same owner, most recently in 2016. It comes with a history file showing the restoration, bills and invoices for work done over the years, and a series of awards won at various shows.
The body is, by kit-car standards, reasonably well proportioned, with the tail having a strong TR2/3 influence, with the car as a whole looking like a cross between a frog-eye Sprite and a TR2. It’s not especially attractive, but it’s not ugly. Having been rebuilt as recently as 2016, it’s in good condition, finished in what looks like British Racing Green.
The interior has been upgraded with more comfortable seats (although to me they look out of place) and a radio/CD player, with an interesting dash layout dominated by a large 120mph speedometer. Performance was never in that range, but the original Electron Minor had a claimed top speed of 80mph/130kmh, with 38bhp being pushed out by its 948cc engine.
This example, however, is listed by the DVLA as having a 1249cc engine. Assuming the DVLA has the correct data (it doesn’t always), it’s reasonable to assume that the original unit was replaced during one of the two rebuilds, but my ability to recognise an engine by how it looks is limited at best; perhaps one of our knowledgeable readers can identify the unit in question?
Cars like this Fairthorpe have a bit of a cult following in the UK. They’re different, certainly, quirky, individual, and not so many survive. I have seen a few at shows over the years, but I can count them on the fingers of one hand, so while this is not a car that I would consider, I can see the appeal. Whether the auctioneer’s estimate range of £7,500 to £9,500 is realistic or not, I have no idea, but for the right buyer, it may well be.
It goes under the hammer tomorrow (Sunday), so if this little piece of eccentric English motoring history appeals, you’d better be quick – full lot details are here.
With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us be inspired by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro.co.