Description
By: Geoff McAuley, Edmund Nankivell .
Even before the end of World War Two the small Bradford firm of Jowett began to plan its post-war return to car manufacturing. Founded in 1906, the company had specialized in the production of small, economical cars and commercial vehicles, reliable and attractive but hardly innovative or distinguished. During the war the company played its part in the war effort, manufacturing a variety of munitions and engineering equipment. But this was also the time to take stock and plan a strategy that would, everyone knew, make or break the company. In the final analysis it could be said that the decision the Jowett directors took led directly to the latter, but no one could say that the end was not reached in style!
An advertisement for a car designer placed in one of the technical magazines was answered by the brilliant young draughtsman, Gerald Palmer. Given a freer reign at Jowett than he would have enjoyed anywhere else, he designed a thoroughly modern and exciting family saloon that made Jowett's name and sealed its fate. The Javelin was a truly innovative approach to the family car, combining little-tried ideas in a brand new formula. Powered by a new flat-four engine, the car had a monocoque body designed on strict aerodynamic principles, gear-and-pinion steering and all-round torsion bar suspension. Its top speed and handling both far exceeded anything else in its class.
Then, soon after Palmer's departure to pastures new, came the sports version of the car - the fast and characterful Jupiter two-seater which, along with its saloon stablemate, would help fill the Bradford firm's trophy cabinet with an ever-increasing haul of race-won silverware.
This thoroughgoing narrative presents the complete story of these two very special Jowett models, analyzing their design and production in considerable detail. Including a fascinating account of their competition history and a close analysis of the company's abrupt and still- controversial cessation of car manufacture, and illustrated with a fine collection of rare photographs, this is set to be the last word on these idiosyncratic, wonderful cars.
