"Bloody Mary"

"Bloody Mary"

OK, I just think this thing is so neat!

It's the "Bloody Mary" hillclimb car built by John and Richard Bolster in the 1920s (when they were teenagers).
The thing had two J.A. Preswich ("JAP") engines taken from Brough Superior motorcycles. Apparently, the frame was mostly built from timber.Both engines were connected by a common chain and the drive was also by chain.
Later on, they built a hillclimb car with four JAP engines, but it was not so successful.
Fantastic!

Re: "Bloody Mary"

sweet - does it even have a seat? or a back?

Re: "Bloody Mary"



One of my all-time heroine cars. The picture, take by my father's Kodak Box Brownie, is of Bolster at Prescott fettling Mary. It was his last competitive outing, August 1963. The young man on the right, hands in pockets, is yours truly.
Bolster (often just known as JVB) was a well-known motoring writer, journalist and broadcaster, who had done a fair bit of racing too. Jenks once described a run by JVB in Mary as being a brawl between man and machine, though the resulting time was usually among the fastest.
Mary sat for many years in the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, but was restored back in 2000 or thereabouts. She looks to be in fine shape!

Re: "Bloody Mary"

Wow! Great picture, Roger.

The "pureness" and single-purpose of this car makes it really appealing (to me, at least).

You have to love the fact that Mary only had a right rear fender (to protect the driver's arm). I suppose the other three fenders would have had no purpose!

I don't know what it is about "specials" or "one-offs", but to me, they are especially appealing.
Lots ~HERE~

Re: "Bloody Mary"

JPSmit said:

sweet - does it even have a seat? or a back?

Click to expand...

is the rear end on the rear end?

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Wonder how hard it would be to replicate her?

Re: "Bloody Mary"

Such a cool car, and what engineering ideas for the 1920's...

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It must have been fun getting it started. I presume you push-started it. And one engine must have fired before the other....

"Chain snatch" in spades!

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There are several other multi-V-twin specials of the same genre to be seen at VSCC hillclimbs. There was even one with 4 Ariel square4 engines! Hate to be among that lot!

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my fav of these older ones was the chain gang Frazer Nash, the noise of them going around our local track was just fantastic