- 1935 Frazer Nash-BMW 319 for sale
- Original chassis, engine, gearbox, brakes and axles
- Recently campaigned in VSCC events
- One of only 26 such cars originally imported into the UK

This Frazer Nash-BMW 319 is a well-known car on the marque scene and within the Vintage Sports-Car Club, and has regularly competed in trials, hillclimbs and driving tests.

A 1983 letter from BMW to the car’s then-owner stated that chassis number 54158 was supplied to Frazer Nash’s Falcon Works in Isleworth on 3 July 1935. It was a right-hand-drive 319/45 two-seater Cabriolet, but it appears to have been almost five years before the car was first registered on 30 March 1940. At that point, it was given the number it still wears today – LMF 37.

In the early 1960s, the Frazer Nash-BMW was acquired by JG Shaw, who bought it from Bruce Hallsworth. The car had last been taxed in March 1960 and Shaw would end up owning it for 40 years. In a 1993 letter to marque authority Mark Garfitt, Shaw wrote that he had started restoring the chassis, which he described as being ‘a real “from nuts and bolts” effort’.

When Shaw sadly passed away, the project was taken on by his son. By 2003, he reported that ‘the chassis, motor and running gear of the car have been extensively overhauled/renewed’ and that he was about to start rebuilding the body, which was said to be in a very poor state.

Having decided that he didn’t have time to do it justice, he sold the car to a new owner who also intended to complete the rebuild by restoring the original body. When his personal circumstances changed, however, he sold it to its next owner, who had a new aluminium body made by Jonathan Rose.

Further work was carried out by Ashridge Automobiles and pre-war BMW specialist Steve White, and LMF 37 retains its original chassis, engine, gearbox, brakes and axles. The engine was rebuilt and converted to shell bearings using later Bristol con-rods, while a Bristol high-capacity oil pump and remote oil filter were added.

The gearbox, steering, suspension, dynamo and starter motor were all overhauled at the same time, and the wiring was renewed throughout. The car subsequently competed at various events, including the VSCC’s flagship Prescott meeting and the Brooklands New Year Driving Tests.

Now sporting revised bodywork that incorporates the original wings, this Frazer Nash-BMW 319 is a handsome and versatile choice of pre-war car, and is offered for sale at The Classic Motor Hub with a photographic record of its restoration plus copies of correspondence with marque experts in which its long history is documented.

MODEL HISTORY

Built between 1934 and 1937, the BMW 315 and 319 were important models not only for the German marque, but also Frazer Nash. Managing Director HJ Aldington was so impressed after his chain-driven Frazer Nash cars had been beaten in the 1500cc class of the 1934 Alpine Trial that the company became BMW’s UK importer, starting a new chapter in its history.

The 303 had been the first BMW to use a six-cylinder engine – as well as being the first to feature the famous ‘kidney’ grille – but it had a short production run and in 1934 it was replaced by the 315. This new model had an engine that had been enlarged to 1490cc, and the triple-carburettor Sports roadster was good for 40bhp and a top speed of 74mph.

Other 315 models were fitted with a twin-carburettor engine that produced 34bhp, while the 319 had an enlarged 1911cc version of the same unit. When running on triple SU carburettors for the roadster model, it was good for 55bhp and a top speed of over 80mph.

The basic specification was shared between 315 and 319, and included independent front suspension, rack and pinion steering, a synchromesh gearbox, and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic springs and hydraulic lever-arm dampers. Both models could be fitted with a variety of body styles, including a saloon and a convertible.

It’s thought that only 26 examples of the 319 ‘open two-seater’ were imported into the UK and the model was discontinued in 1937.