Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Sports Car

Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, originally uploaded by dovecotes.

Frazer Nash was a British automobile manufacturer and engineering company founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922. The company was founded in 1922 by Archibald Frazer-Nash who had, with Henry Ronald Godfrey founded and run the GN Cyclecar Company.

The company produced around 400 cars until the mid-1930s, notably a series of famous chain drive models.

They became importers and assemblers of BMW cars in 1934 and sold them as Frazer Nash-BMW. They were the official British BMW importer until the outbreak of war in 1939. In 1954 the company started to sell Porsche cars, becoming the official importer for Great Britain in 1956. This lasted until 1965 when Porsche Cars Great Britain was set up.

Eighty-five more cars were produced from 1948 to 1957. These cars were largely a direct evolution of the sporting BMW 328. In the choice of Bristol engines the cars were natural successors to the imported BMWs, the Bristol engine being a development of that of the BMW 328. Models include the Le Mans Replica, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the Le Mans Coupé and the Sebring. Competition successes included a third place at Le Mans (1949) and a win in the Targa Florio (1951). These post-war cars are very highly prized by collectors. The company participated in the 1952 Formula One season, the cars driven by Tony Crook and Ken Wharton.