'The Geoff Crossley Special'
c.1974 Geoff Crossley Buick Special Two-Seater Sports Racing Car

• One off hand built special
• Regularly competed in period by its builder, Geoff Crossley
• Offered for the first time ever from its original builder
• Incredible 'Sports Racing' looks and V8 performance

Here Bonhams|Cars is offering possibly the most dramatic-looking competition special we have ever handled.

This beautifully-finished open 'roadster's original constructor, Geoff Crossley - from Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire - worked full time as foreman in a specialist body repair shop and all his considerable skill and experience is evident within this remarkable spaceframe-chassised, aluminium panelled projectile with its highly-tuned front-mounted Buick based V8 engine.

Mr Crossley fabricated its chassis frame from some 350 feet of lightweight high-grade aircraft-spec steel tube in both square and round section stock, also hand-beating and forming the gloriously proportioned and striking body panelling. Upon completion he finished it off with some 20 coats of paint.

The special's lightweight Buick-derived 3.6-litre V8 engine is of similar type to that used as the basis of the wonderful Rover SD1 V8 quality touring car unit, but is equipped here with four twin-choke Weber carburettors. Its multi-branch inlet and exhaust manifolds began life as a jig-saw of individual pieces, painstakingly welded to the required form, then chromium plated. The engine is slung low within the frame, taking advantage of a wider but shallower-than-standard sump as was standard racing practise by many such leading 1960s American specialists as the initial McLaren supplier, Traco Engineering. Mr Crossley fitted the unit with Iskenderian racing camshafts, Mallory ignition and competition valve-gear while retaining the hydraulic lifters.

Geoff Crossley's personal racing career dated back as far as 1959 when he first rebuilt a wrecked Lotus-Climax, followed by his first self-designed and built Crossley-Climax sports car. He raced alongside some of the motorsports biggest names, such as Jackie Stewart, and in ten years of competition driving he accumulated in excess of 40 trophies from more than 200 race starts. In describing this latest V8 Special to the local press upon its completion he estimated that at least 5,000 hours work in total had been invested in it over the preceding five or six years, 1968-1974.

We understand that he made his competition debut in this startlingly individualistic car at the Barbon Manor hill-climb, and he competed in it at a number of similar events and circuit races through the mid-1970s - while it also proved an immensely popular attraction at assorted road, competition and specialist car shows.

As time progressed, children appeared and racing slowly got moved to the back burner, the Special was tucked away, remaining Geoff's pride and joy, always looked after, tinkered with in the garage and kept in excellent condition. Unfortunately, in the last few years this has become less possible, and now the car comes to the market for the very first time, from the family of its original creator. It also comes with its own purpose-built trailer. A true one-off, built with meticulous diligence and incredible attention to detail, it is now offered at no reserve in search of a new owner ready to unleash its V8 in the way it was always intended.