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StarLight brings under your attention the stunning HWM Tasman Grand Prix Car.
The car is originally a F2 but entered in a F1 race in 1952. It's was also one of the first F1 cars used by Sir Stirling Moss. A man you won so many races and respect but unfortunately never a F1 title. This is a tribute to the great man himself (85 years).
HWM history
Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM) is the world's longest established Aston Martin business (having acquired the franchise in 1951) and is well known as a racing car constructor.
As a constructor, it is best known for its involvement in Formula Two from 1950 to 1953 and Formula One in 1954.
Then HWM owners George Abecassis and John Heath went racing together from 1946 and in 1948 they built a streamlined sports racing car on the chassis of a Sports Alta (NOT ALFA), and thus embarked upon the construction of racing cars and racing sports cars at their motor works in Walton-on-Thames, England.
The 1948 car gave them encouraging results and so new car, this time called an HW-Alta, was constructed and raced in 1949; this car was sufficiently successful to convince the partners to embark upon building a full team of cars for the 1950 Formula Two season of British and continental events: these cars were known as HWMs.
From 1950 to 1952, HWM achieved remarkable success in Formula Two for a team that was run on very little money and yet which faced the might of continental marques in every race. By 1953 they were outclassed, but when the international Formula changed in 1954, John Heath constructed a works car to compete in Formula One.
HWM abandoned the new Formula One after two appearances as their car was seriously outclassed. Meanwhile, the first Jaguar-engined HWM sports racing car had appeared in 1953, and this had some success with George Abecassis at the wheel. From then on until 1957, the team was involved in sports car racing both in Britain and on the continent, sometimes beating their Jaguar and Aston Martin Works competitors.
After John Heath was killed on the 1956 Mille Miglia in Italy in an HWM Works car, Abecassis did not wish to continue and the works racing programme continued for just a year.
HWM is today owned by George Abecassis business partner Mike Harting (ex. Aston Martin) and his family. HWM trades as HWM Aston Martin and HWM Alfa Romeo and is an Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo dealership.
The cars history
George was a well known Grand Prix racing driver and John a very competent engineer. They joined forces to produce sports and racing cars based on Geoffrey Taylor's ALTA engines, their own tubular chassis and proprietary motor components.
They were ably supported by the famous racing mechanic Alf Francis. Following a successful prototype raced in 1949, a team of four offset single seaters were built for Formula 2 racing in 1950 and in 1951 this was followed by a true single seater.
These cars were campaigned with some success by Sterling Moss, Lance Macklin and Peter Collins in Continental events, where British Racing Green was otherwise noticeably absent.
There was a new chassis for 1952 which was allocated to Lance Macklin as the H.W.M. number one team car. These cars were lighter and more rigid, with torsion bars supporting the De Dion, ZF differentials and inboard rear brakes.
HWM took over the ALTA engine and with new components and Cylinder head porting increased power to some 140 bhp. The competition was stiffer and the cars were campaigned hard away from the UK workshops.
Nevertheless there were good placings Moss, Collins, Hamilton, Cantabous, Frere, Macklin, Claes,all gaining places in International events. Claes won at Chimay, Frere the GP des Frontieres, Macklin the International Trophy and Moss Castle Coombe.
At the end of 1953, having competed in no less than 34 Grand Epreuve in two seasons, chassis no. 52/107 received special treatment in the form of the supercharged engine from Joe Kelly's Alta GP3, mated to the Jaguar C type gearbox. This car was given to Tony Gaze to take out to New Zealand and campaign in the Tasman series Formula Libre events, with a view to sale.
H.W.M. never built another Grand Prix car and effectively ceased operation following John's death in 1956. George Abecassis wrote in 1980: “The supercharged HWM which went to New Zealand was undoubtedly the most exiting and fastest HWM we ever made.
Specifications
Chassis:
Twin steel (T40) tube
Triangulated steel tube superstructure
Double wishbone front suspension with coil springs and Armstrong hydraulic shock absorbers in top wishbone
Rack & pinion steering
De Dion rear axle located by twin trailing arms on either side with central sliding bronze bush
Torsion bar springs and tubular shock absorbers
Engine:
ALTA 4 cylinder,
1970 cc
Bore 83.5 mm
Stroke 90 mm
250 bhp
Twin overhead camshaft
Twin Roots supercharger
Scintilla Vertex magneto
Weber DCO 52 mm carburettors
Dry sump oil system with cooler
Bodywork:
Single seater Grand Prix racing body
Aluminium painted in British racing Green
Engine RPM
Oil temperature and pressure
Water temperature and boost pressure instruments
Magneto switches
Interior:
Tan leather upholstery
Brakes:
Girling hydraulic brakes with Alfin drums
Front outboard 12 x 2 inch
Rear inboard 11 x 2 1/4 inch
Gearbox:
Borg & Beck multiplate race clutch
Original Jaguar C-type gearbox
Hillebrand differential with ZF limited slip
Wheels/Tyres:
Dunlop racing tyres
Front 5.50 x 16
Rear 6.00 x 16
