1947 JBM 3.9-Litre Sports

• Believed to be the sole survivor of an estimated eight built
• Formerly owned by the Rt Hon Alan Clarke, MP
• Restored in the 2000s

The JBM sports car was the creation of Squadron Leader Jim Boothby, DFC and bar, who took the plunge into motor manufacturing in 1946 having enjoyed a distinguished career in the RAF during WW2. The marque's initials stand for 'James Boothby Motors' and its first cars were built in Horley, Surrey. JBM began by using government-surplus Ford V8 engines, which were installed in reconditioned second-hand pre-war Ford V8 chassis, an arrangement that avoided the buyer having to pay Purchase Tax. Jim had gained experience of preparing the Ford V8 for competition before the war, and his modifications raised maximum power from around 85bhp to a claimed 120 horsepower. With its lightweight aluminium two-seater coachwork, the JBM possessed an excellent power-to-weight ratio, a maximum speed of 105mph on a 3.8:1 final drive ratio being claimed (Ford saloons with this engine in standard trim were good for around 85mph).
The JBM sports car was intended for road and circuit use but not trials, in which its long wheelbase would have been a handicap. Autocar's tester was impressed with its performance: "Overtaking is robbed of all its doubts. The JBM leaps ahead and is back on its own side of the road again in a matter of seconds." Jim Boothby publicised his new sports car in the best way possible: by racing it. At the Brighton Speed Trials in 1947 a JBM covered the kilometre in 37 seconds, beating the BMW 328 driven by Stirling Moss, no less.
The original's handling shortcomings having been recognised, development of a Mk II JBM commenced in 1948, by which time production had shifted to Lowfield Heath near Crawley, Surrey. Considerably more advanced than the Ford-based original, the Mk II's chassis was of tubular construction and featured independent front suspension and Lockheed hydraulic brakes. The downside was that Purchase Tax was now payable as the components were all new. Bizarrely, JBM also commenced development of an – ultimately stillborn – Formula 1 car. Production of the JBM sports car seems to have ended around 1950, by which time it is estimated that only eight had been built. The company continued repairing, restoring and modifying cars of various makes, although Jim Boothby's involvement was effectively over. He continued to compete, principally behind the wheel of his beloved Jaguar D-Type, 'TNG 959', in which he completed more than 100 races. Jim Boothby died in 1974 at the age of just 57. The full story of Jim Boothby and JBM was recounted in The Automobile's May 2007 edition by the late Mike Worthington-Williams (copy on file).
The car offered here, 'LPF 469', is the sole surviving JBM and is believed to have been sold new by the famous Tourist Trophy Garage in Farnham, Surrey, which had been co-founded in 1931 by Leslie Hawthorn, father of future Formula 1 World Champion, Mike Hawthorn. 'LPF 469' appeared at Prescott in its first year (photograph on file) and in a press call for the company. Mike W-W had unearthed the car in a Lincolnshire lock-up in 1981, and in April that year it was sold at the Bristol Classic Car Show auction - under Mike Worthington-Williams' and Malcolm Barber's jurisdiction - to motoring enthusiast and famed bon viveur, the Rt Hon Alan Clarke, MP.
The JBM was acquired at a later date by the current vendor who, with Mike W-W's help, was able to retrieve the original registration number in 2008.
The nonagenarian vendor has restored the car, retaining the original body and fitting more-comfortable modern seats. The mudguards, although old, may not be original. The engine currently installed is a 1949, Canadian-built 3.9-litre Ford V8 producing 110bhp, while the gearbox is now a four-speeder, replacing the original three-speed unit. Only some 4,000 miles have been covered since the engine was rebuilt.
A wonderful survivor of a scarcely remembered make, so typical of Britain's cottage industry of independent manufacturers in the immediately post-war years, this charming JBM is 'on the button' and ready to enjoy.