Bowden Bullnose Back On The Road

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Almost all owners of British Vintage cars will have encountered Bowden brake cables; almost none will have encountered Bowden bodies. Behold what may be the only example of a Vintage car built using ‘superleggera’ construction.

In 1916, William Bowden bought some Morris Cowleys to use as works hacks, and in 1918 he equipped one with his ingenious idea for a lightweight body, made from aluminium panels within an exoskeleton of steel tubes. It featured a central sliding door for easy access inside narrow garages.

Bowden failed to interest other car-makers in his design and in 1922 he exhibited the Morris at the Motor Show. In 1923, after the body had been swapped onto a brand-new Oxford chassis, it found a buyer. Bowden made at least three other bodies, all long-vanished, and when the Oxford resurfaced in 1960 it was shrouded in mystery.

Nothing besides some Bowden plaques indicated its identity or purpose. With the front passenger seat missing, Bullnose aficionados speculated that it was a taxi. It was restored in the 1960s but fell into disrepair in the ’90s, and it was only when it was rescued by a Bullnose enthusiast in 2003 that the true story started to emerge.

A 20-year restoration followed, involving a good amount of lateral thinking in order to resolve problems never usually encountered in Vintage car restoration. At last, though, it’s back together and a credit to its restorer, as Zack Stiling discovers in the October issue of The Automobile, on sale now.

Words and photographs by Zack Stiling
 

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