US Frisky Sport

[mharrell]

Anyone familiar with this specimen?

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/meadows/frisky_sport/1276580.html

My favorite postwar British car name, but I don't think I can swing the price, even for one with an Abarth emblem....

[Chris Thomas]

This car came to light earlier this year and John Meadows did his Frisky report in Rumcar News 109 on this very car. So Johns your man.

[Rob Dobie]

My favorite postwar British car name, but I don't think I can swing the price, even for one with an Abarth emblem....

I can't see an Ararth emblem, the car has the correct Frisky badge as far as I can see. 

[mharrell]

I can't see an Abarth emblem....

I'm looking at the side of the left front fender (or the port wing, or offside wheel arch, or whatever one would call that part of a British car with left-hand drive now located in a country that drives on the right).  Distinctly Abarth-y.

Chris-- RCN 109?  I'm not sure I've received it.  I'll have to check when I get home, but I don't recall this report.

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Mike

Have you paid your subscripion to Rumcar News for 2011. If not then then get that payment through to Jean PDQ.

Chris Thomas

[richard]

it does appear an abarth symbol but surely not correct for this car ? unless some tie up was proposed for the export side - doubt it

[mharrell]

Have you paid your subscripion to Rumcar News for 2011.

You made me nervous there for a minute, but yes, I paid via PayPal on 1 January.  I'll check for issue 109 this evening.

[john Meadows]

Hi Mharrell
This is a 1958 FriskySport and I believe one of a batch of LHD models that were made to test the export market even before they were released over here.
Nowt to do with Abarth  the badge on the front is the Meadows Horse and Gear  trade mark as used on their engines etc in the 1950,s.
£9168 at current exchange rate, for such a rare and virtually complete example , could do it
If any one wants any more info on it let me know

John

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

The car may be nowt to do with Abarth, the curiosity is why it has what is almost certainly an Abarth badge on the front wing on the drivers side near the door handle. Given the overall 'untampered with' state of the car, the Vignale connection between Frisky and Abarth and the relative obscurity of Abarth on the American market, its an intriguing addition. I guess it'll just be one of those unanswerable mysteries. Unless anyone else out there has an Abarth-tuned Villiers rarity.

Here's the badge on the Frisky and a badge on a 1957 Abarth for comparison

[mharrell]

Chris-- RCN 109?  I'm not sure I've received it.

I'm an idiot.  Clearly I need to revise my "filing" system, er, filing "system," um, "filing" "system" when it reaches the point that an unread copy of RCN ends up in the wrong heap.  On the bright side, I've got a new copy of RCN to read!

John-- Thanks for getting back to me.  Your published review is just what I had desired.

[super-se7en (Malc Dudley)]

Looks a great project but with shipping and import taxes you would not see any change from £12000 and that's before the restoration.I would love it but i will stick to my 4 wheel sport "bitser", as john calls the doppelgänger. 

[john Meadows]

I would never be so rude Malcolm, at least no when you can hear me!!!!
John

[mctaylor82]

Hello, this is my car and I'm happy to answer any questions as best I can.

As far as the "Abarth" badge goes, it's a bit of an enigma. The car has been in my family since the 60's or 70's, and as far back as anyone can remember, the badge hes been in place. I can't say that it wasn't added by a misguided member of my family in it's early history, but it is a strange badge on its own. I've attached a little better picture (hard to photograph as it has chrome inlays), and I have never seen another Abarth badge like it. Even in a number of years of googling. It looks very similar to the early 60's badges that appeared on the racecars, with the more lifelike scorpion, however the legs don't match where they fall (relative to the red & yellow) on those examples. And of course "ABARTH &C." is absent from the arch of the crest. The badge is mounted via a threaded stem & nut on the back through a single hole in the fender.

I'm sure John can help here, but I don't know of a part, other than the battery, to be missing from the vehicle. Aside from the seat cushion on which the mice did a number , the only other exception may be drop-in side window screens, as there are a couple of fittings attached that appear to be for this purpose. However I don't know if they would have been original, or something improvised later.

[blob]

Forget about the Arbarth emblem, all the important bits are there, especially the seat which most projects seem to lack!

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

Hello, this is my car and I'm happy to answer any questions as best I can.

As far as the "Abarth" badge goes, it's a bit of an enigma. The car has been in my family since the 60's or 70's, and as far back as anyone can remember, the badge hes been in place. I can't say that it wasn't added by a misguided member of my family in it's early history, but it is a strange badge on its own. I've attached a little better picture (hard to photograph as it has chrome inlays), and I have never seen another Abarth badge like it. Even in a number of years of googling. It looks very similar to the early 60's badges that appeared on the racecars, with the more lifelike scorpion, however the legs don't match where they fall (relative to the red & yellow) on those examples. And of course "ABARTH &C." is absent from the arch of the crest. The badge is mounted via a threaded stem & nut on the back through a single hole in the fender.

I'm sure John can help here, but I don't know of a part, other than the battery, to be missing from the vehicle. Aside from the seat cushion on which the mice did a number , the only other exception may be drop-in side window screens, as there are a couple of fittings attached that appear to be for this purpose. However I don't know if they would have been original, or something improvised later.

They changed the scorpion a bit in the 1960's, but the position of the Scorpion and the colours do match the badge that Abarth used in the 1950s. The only thing missing is the "Abarth & co" from the top of the badge.