Frazer-Nash

Frazer Nash was a brand of British sports car manufactured from 1922 by Frazer Nash Limited founded by Archibald Frazer Nash. in 1929 ownership passed to AFN Limited controlled by Harold John Aldington. AFN continued to produce sports cars badged Frazer Nash incorporating a unique multi-chain transmission until the Second World War and also imported BMW cars to the UK. After the war it continued producing sports cars with conventional transmission until 1957. It also continued selling BMW cars and motorcycles and finally in 1956 became the official importer of Porsche cars.

Frazer Nash Limited's business was founded in 1922 by Archibald Frazer-Nash. In 1909 Frazer Nash with friend Henry Ronald Godfrey had founded and run the GN cyclecar company but the partnership split in 1922 and Frazer Nash began making his own cars by buying GN components and adding a new body. His new business's activities were centred on Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. The first true Frazer Nash was made in 1924. However Frazer Nash Limited entered receivership in 1927. Eventually the business was sold to a new company, AFN Limited.

In 1929 a majority of AFN's capital was acquired by Harold Joseph ("Aldy") Aldington (1902-1976) and its operations moved to Isleworth, Middlesex. Thereafter, the company was run by the three Aldington brothers, Aldy, Don and Bill. The other two were Donald Arthur Aldington (1907-1997) and William Henry Aldington (1900-1980). They were all usually referred to by their initials. The last of the family owners/directors was Aldy's son, John Taylor ("JT") Aldington, who sold AFN Ltd to Porsche GB. The company produced around 400 of the famous chain drive models between 1924 and 1939.

AFN Ltd produced about 85 more cars from 1948 to 1957. These cars were entirely unrelated to the chain-drive pre-war Frazer Nash, but were largely a direct evolution of the sporting BMW 328, mentioned above. AFN, as owners of the UK rights to the 328 engine, licensed Bristol to make it against an agreement for its supply to them. Models include the Le Mans Replica, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the Le Mans Coupé and the Sebring. Competition successes included a third place at Le Mans (1949) and wins in the Targa Florio in 1951 and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1952. The post-war cars are very highly prized by collectors. Formula 2 cars produced by the company contested various races including four Grand Prix events counting towards the 1952 World Championship of Drivers. The cars were driven by Tony Crook and Ken Wharton.

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