1952 Arnott 500 F3

The name of Arnott has long been associated with high-performance motoring and the manufacture of superchargers, so it’s a little ironic that the cars that bear the Arnott name were built for Formula 3 (500), a Formula that specifically excluded superchargers. Daphne Arnott was born into a family with a deep-rooted passion for motorsports, her grandfather ran the Werner Motorcycle Company and her father designed the Arnott Supercharger. Daphne joined the family business in 1948 and soon became equally passionate about motor racing which was just developing again after the war years.

It was a trio of visits to Brands Hatch and a chance meeting with George Thornton that changed her life. George convinced her that atmospheric induction could still produce potent vehicles despite her family's belief that forced induction was the way forward. She was intrigued and enthusiastic about George’s ideas for a new Formula 3 car (lightweight tube-frame chassis powered by 500cc motorcycle engines) and committed to support his plans. Arnott’s management don’t appear to have been impressed, so it was up to Daphne and George to treat the whole thing as a private venture, however, they were able to reserve a corner of the company’s general garage section at Harlesdon to build the cars as long as they worked outside of normal working hours.

The first car used a tubular ladder-frame with torsion-bar suspension and achieved some success both in racing as well as in breaking Class 1 records at Montlhery in 1953. A supercharged Austin A30-engined sports car was offered from 1954, and a 1,098cc Coventry-Climax model was introduced in time for the 1955 race at Le Mans. The Arnott 500 was intended for series-production and was aimed at the growing number of young drivers who were becoming interested in Formula 3.

This well presented example of the Arnott 500 is fitted with a Jap 498cc engine mated to a 4-speed Norton clutch and gearbox driving the rear wheels, motorcycle-style, with a chain to the rear axle. It has the added benefit of being fitted with a self-starter, making this car extremely easy to run and obviating the need to push it around the paddock, trying to avoid everyone else doing the same thing, until it starts. The steering is rack and pinion and the car sits on period cast alloy 15'' wheels.

It was originally campaigned in 1952 by R D Beenan and has been raced on circuits and Hill Climbs ever since. The car is well known in the 500 Owners Association who confirmed that it still retains its original chassis and has been very competitive over the years.

A superb, early single seater which would undoubtedly be welcomed by the Half-Litre Car Club, the 500 Club and the 500 Owners Association.