The ex-Hawkins/Cannon, Brooklands 200 Mile Race 4th Place and GN Team Award winning
1922 GN 'Akela' 1,100cc 200 Mile Race

• Former GN works car
• In-period Brooklands race history
• Known ownership history
• One of only two overhead-cam 'V-Drive' GN's

Designed by H R Godfrey and Archibald Frazer-Nash, the GN was Britain's first and best-known cyclecar. The two young engineers set up shop initially in Hendon, North London from whence the first GN emerged in December 1910. An unusually large proportion of the car was manufactured in house and GN used proprietary JAP and Peugeot v-twin engines before commencing production of their own in 1911. The chassis was a simple ash framework in which the engine was mounted fore-and-aft, driving via a twin-chain transmission system that would continue on the later Frazer Nash. Weighing only 400lbs (182kg), the GN made the most of its relatively modest power output and was capable of reaching 60mph, a highly respectable performance at the time. From 1913 the engine was mounted transversely with the cylinder heads protruding from the bonnet sides, and that same year GN entered a team in the French Cyclecar Grand Prix. Vitesse and Grand Prix sports models followed, and by the outbreak of WWI GN had sold approximately 200 cars.

After the war, GN was bought by the British Gregoire Company and production moved to larger premises in Wandsworth, South-West London in 1919. A steel chassis was adopted, and belt final drive replaced by chains, and for the next few years the little GNs sold well. In 1922 both Frazer-Nash and Godfrey left the firm, the former to set up under his own name while the latter went on to co-found HRG. By this time GN was in serious financial trouble and production ceased in 1923, though a few cars were assembled under new ownership over the next two years.

The car offered here is one of three works GN 'Akelas' entered in the 1922 200-Mile race at Brooklands, in which it was driven by Hawkins/Cannon and finished 4th, helping GN secure the team prize. On file is a copy of the Frazer Nash Archives publication The Overhead Camshaft GN Engines, which has on its front cover a photograph of the GN team entries on their way to the start line, this car being No.1. In fact, the Hawkins/Cannon team car had been built for a scrap metal merchant named Pickett, the self-styled 'King of Boulogne'. Pickett was a racing enthusiast who created the Boulogne Speed Week.

'The Pickett Car' went on to enjoy an extended Brooklands career, participating in the 1923, 1924 and 1925 200-mile races driven by E Ringwood, reportedly Pickett's chauffeur. The car continued to run at the Boulogne voiturette race through 1926 where it was driven by 'Rogers'. Its other more recent competitive outings have included VSCC Prescott (2023) and Vintage Monthléry (2024).

Just months after the 1922 200-mile race, Pickett's car was one of two GNs fitted with streamlined bodywork in an attempt to better the speeds set by Salmson. The fate of its streamlined body is not known. In the late 1920s the car passed to H G Smith and then K Anderson, who campaigned it in highly modified form with a Power Plus supercharger, MG J2 front brakes, semi-elliptic front springs, and an aluminium channel-section chassis.

In 1938 the GN engine was removed from this special chassis and sold to W Craddock. What remained of the special was built into 'Rabelro' by Nigel Orlebar, including the aluminium chassis. Craddock then built up a car around the GN engine he had acquired, completing the project around 1964. In the process, Craddock had purchased the T-Drive engine from Preedy.

The GN was next owned by Arthur Gibson for many years. The car and the T-Drive engine then passed to Jon Rose and Sarah Owen. The Pickett V-Drive was rebuilt and returned to the running gear that Craddock had originally completed around 1964. The car has been with the current vendor since 2021 and has benefitted from extensive re-commissioning.

Chassis number '3092' is one of only two overhead-cam 'V-Drive' cars known to exist and is featured in The Chain-Drive Frazer Nash by David Thirlby under racing GNs (it is believed). The GN is described by the private vendor as in excellent condition throughout and comes with "touring" bonnet with central headlamp. An electric starter is the only modification notified. Offered with a history file and a V5C document.