GTP Cool Wall: 1937 Squire 1500 Corsica

[GranTurismo916]

1937 Squire 1500 Corsica nominated by @Beeblebrox237

Engines: 1.5L Supercharged I4 (Frazer Nash)
Power: 110 hp
Torque: Unknown
Weight: 1050 kg
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door roadster
Additional Info: "The Squire 1500 was a British sports car manufactured between 1935 and 1939. Ten cars were built in total, and they cost as much as a Bugatti when new. The Squire featured an advanced iron block double overhead cam racing engine designed and built by British Anzani and fitted with a Roots-type supercharger designed by David Brown.​

The preselector gearbox allowed for quick and smooth gearchanges without the need for synchromesh or a manually operated clutch, though there was a third pedal used to change gears. More about the gearbox can be found on Wikipedia under Wilson Preselector Gearbox.

The brakes on this car are 15.5 inch magnesium alloy drum brakes, which yielded excellent stopping power while keeping unsprung weight to a minimum. The suspension on the car was fairly simple, with a beam axle at the front and live axle at the rear mounted to semi elliptical leaf springs and friction dampers all around.

The car being polled here is the only one of the 10 production cars to be fitted with a Corsica body and was built in 1937."

Spoiler: Additional Pics

 

[JR98]

Would be a Sub Zero in 1937, but it is not 1937 so SU

 

[SomePlayaDude]

Am I totally digging that toolbox at the back.

 

[GranTurismo916]

Would be a Sub Zero in 1937, but it is not 1937 so SU

What? Isn't that backwards?

 

[JR98]

What? Isn't that backwards?

Not for me no, I don't get the appeal of driving pre-1950's cars today. Also imagine how you would look in on of these things among modern cars

 

[TheCracker]

Beautiful to look at. Nicer than any Bugatti of the period, IMO.

But. Any that survive are likely to be trailer queens or museum pieces, so have ceased to be vehicles. Meh.

 

[Sage Ages]

Also imagine how you would look in on of these things among modern cars

You'd look like a badass.

 

[JR98]

You'd look like a badass.

Really? In 1937 this looks normal, now it looks like something from a museum.

 

[Adamgp]

The tool kit is pretty neat.

Other than that it is a concours car. Bought as art and not as a car. Uncool.

 

[Stotty]

Not normally a fan of pre 1950's stuff, but this is utterly, utterly gorgeous. What a stunning car.

SZ

Also imagine how you would look in on of these things among modern cars

You would look just about as cool as it's possible to look.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

But. Any that survive are likely to be trailer queens or museum pieces, so have ceased to be vehicles. Meh.

There's only one that was ever built, and it is indeed a museum piece. It's in full working order, but it's not driven very often.

I admit that I find the fact that it's a museum piece a bit of a knock against it. But having seen this car in person, I can safely say that it's one of those few cars, like the Aston Martin DB5, that just makes me want nothing more than to drive it. It's stunningly beautiful, yet the engineering is equally breathtaking. It's tiny, much smaller than you might expect, and it reminds me of an MX-5 in some respects. I think it's cool, but misses out on SZ due to it's value and rarity and the implications they have on the life of the car.

Really? In 1937 this looks normal, now it looks like something from a museum.

These were normal in 1937:

They had 21 and 85 bhp, respectively. 110 bhp from a 1.5 was as crazy then as 500 bhp from a 2 litre would be today. Imagine if Mazda built a one-off MX-5 with a 500 bhp supercharged engine, dual clutch gearbox, and a functional racing car body also designed to be extremely pretty. That's the Squire in 1937.

 

[niky]

Really? In 1937 this looks normal, now it looks like something from a museum.

In 1937, it would not have looked normal. Most 30's cars aren't this pretty.

Subzero. Lovely car. A technical masterpiece, to boot.

 

[Dagger311]

Sub Zero easy. I didn't even need to go past the picture.

 

[Cano]

Dear mother of God.

 

[Stotty]

I keep popping back in to have another look at the pictures... if you haven't looked at the additional pictures, you should... the dashboard alone is a work of art, never mind the engine.

Aesthetics are a matter of personal choice, but if you don't think this is beautiful, you have no taste

 

[CSMDuty11]

Just about the longest "Additional Info" section on a GTP Cool Wall car.


Sub Zero

 

[carracerptp]

I had never seen this car before, and I wish I had. Beautiful.

 

[TexRex]

Corsica bodywork is worthy of a SZ rating regardless of the mechanicals.

 

[Roger the Horse]

The thirties was a special decade for car design.

 

[Cano]

The thirties was the decade for car design.

You're strangely wise lately.

 

[Stotty]

The thirties was a special decade for car design.

That would be an interesting discussion... 'the best decade for car design'. My gut reactions says 60's, but some fabulous stuff in the 50's too.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Where are the taillights? Are they next to the license plate?

Still cool.

 

[Roger the Horse]

The thirties had most of the very best designs (lovely lovely art deco), but most of them are hyper-rare coachbuilds. The fifties through to the early seventies had some spectacular stuff, mainly on GT cars or what today we would call sports prototypes. After that good car design became a more subtle thing, with less stuff one would actively gawp at and more that one would just admire.

 

[TexRex]

next to the license plate

Here's a great angle...

 

[Cano]

That would be an interesting discussion... 'the best decade for car design'.

I'm in. Do it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Had never heard of this before. But it's beautiful. I wouldn't normally vote pre-war stuff cool (even though I often love the designs) but something this stunning would stop a city centre dead, so it has to be SZ.

 

[Stotty]

I'm in. Do it.

Done 👍

 

[Sage Ages]

Really?

Compared to everything else on the road, very much so.

 

[GTRacer22]

That. Is. Stunning. The sleekness, the everything. Wow.

 

[TexRex]

That. Is. Stunning. The sleekness, the everything. Wow.

I don't want to post images here, but Google the Corsica Daimler Double Six. You won't be disappointed. (It's my personal favorite Corsica offering, even over the Bugattis.)