1937 Stafford Special 1½-Litre Supercharged Racing Monoposto

Footnotes

This most handsome racing monoposto was completed by Rodney Stafford in 1938. Beautifully styled and equally well built, it prompted the inimitable John Bolster to observe in his book, Specials, that it "looked almost too good to race, for the finish of every part of it was so resplendent, that one could easily imagine that it was only intended for display in a glass case". Its wonderful appearance notwithstanding, Rodney Stafford competed with the car at Brooklands, Prescott, and Lewes.

Having discarded his first-choice Marendaz Special chassis as unsuitable, he had a channel-section frame built to his own design by Blaker Engineering. The front axle came from a Rover while the Marendaz live rear axle was extensively modified, incorporating a straight-cut crown wheel and pinion with a final drive ratio of 3.5:1. Short semi-elliptic springs were used at the front, quarter elliptics with ball-jointed radius arms at the rear. Riley cable-operated brakes provided the stopping power. A Marles steering box was employed, and the Stafford Special rolled on Rudge-type centre-lock wire wheels. A lightweight tubular frame supported the streamlined aluminium body.

The Stafford Special's 1,496cc, overhead-valve, roller-bearing Meadows engine and gearbox had started life in a 1929 Lea Francis team car, the latter driven by Messrs Peacock and Newsome. This Robin Jackson-tuned engine featured a Cozette No. 9 supercharger fed by an SU carburettor, and incorporated domed Martlett pistons and a lightened flywheel. The engine and gearbox were mounted towards the centre of chassis for better weight distribution. It took a couple of years' development to bring the car to its final specification, with a ready-to-race weight of 1,150lbs and an estimated maximum power output of 120bhp at 5,000rpm.

In his account of the car's construction (on file), Rodney Stafford says this about its performance in the 1938 October Road Handicap at Brooklands: "...although we were handicapped right out of the race and went off the same mark as the most potent 2-litre Alta of Hunter and Aitken's 1500 Maserati, we left them standing – although I am afraid we didn't have the speed to hold them off for long."

The Stafford Special has now been restored by the current vendor, Peter Colborne-Baker, son of the second owner, John Colborne-Baber, who had bought the car after WW2 (complete and running) and competed with it at the Brighton Speed Trials, Prescott and other events. In 1951 he sold the car to Richard Shakespeare for the use of his wife, who won a number of ladies awards. Sir David Gamble owned the car in 1950, followed by Murray Beecroft and John Grice, and then Tony Mitchell. By the time the Stafford Special was rediscovered by Tim Ely in the early 1980s, it had been unused for some time and undergone considerable alteration, boasting a Hotchkiss Grand Sport engine and Jaguar rear axle.

Peter Colborne-Baber bought the Stafford Special from his friend Tim Ely in 1990, and for the next few years the car stood untouched. By this time Peter had added a classic car restoration business (later known as Colborne Restorations) to his Volkswagen dealership. Peter and his works manager, racing driver John Markey, aided by skilled Jaguar technician Robert Stacy, were determined to rebuild the car as close as possible to its original specification and, given the car's numerous Riley components, entrusted its restoration to Riley specialist Ian Gladstone of Blue Diamond Services. Blaker's straightened the chassis and the Jaguar rear axle was replaced with one from a Riley Merlin (a modification suggested by Rodney Stafford), the latter having a track close to that of the original.

Original parts were retained wherever possible, including the radiator, fuel tank, and dashboard. The original engine having been reunited with its Lea Francis chassis, a similar unit and gearbox was obtained from Frazer Nash and Meadows specialist, Bill Roberts, who rebuilt them and assembled a Cozette supercharger using new castings. The original aluminium coachwork having begun to deteriorate, a new body was commissioned from Lawrence Kent of G&A Fabrications. After extensive testing at the Haynes Motor Museum's short track, the car was dismantled, painted and reassembled, the restoration being completed in 2001. Most bills are on file together with a VSCC Eligibility Document and copies of period photographs taken at Brooklands, Prescott and Lewes.

Speed events subsequently attended include the Goodwood Sprint (2005), Brighton Speed Trials, Wiscombe Park, Prescott and Dunsfold plus various non-speed events at Brooklands. Peter always wanted to get out more, especially as the car performed really well, but time (and now his age) is making it more difficult; indeed, the Stafford Special has not been out since the first Covid-19 lockdown. Nevertheless, Peter is confident that this wonderful car will give the future owner much fun when it returns to the track.