Lafitte First!

• 
• 
• 

One of the many attractions of cyclecars is their tendency for eccentricity in some form or another, and the French-built Lafitte of 1923-28 perfectly embodies that, with power coming from a 736cc three-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine, swivelling around a pair of trunnion bushes so that the carburetter remains upright while the male and female members of the clutch assembly can meet at various angles.

The example here dates from 1926 and is the only known rhd survivor, and possibly one of only two Lafittes in Britain. Despite having lived a seemingly easy life, with one owner from new until 1961, when its restorer acquired it in 2004 it needed a lot of work to bring it back to life. The axle bevel gear becoming stripped of its teeth was the reason for the car’s retirement in 1961 and some components had been misplaced over time. Even the bonnet had become lost during its years as a static museum exhibit, while the hood and wooden frame were disintegrating and needed total replacement.

Fortunately, the engine was well preserved and although rust had eaten into the body shell, it was, thankfully, restorable. With the help of skilled craftsmen plying their trade, however, the intriguing car was made useable and returned to its original beautiful appearance.

Michael Ware relates the story of its restoration in the June issue of The Automobile, available now.

Ajoutez un commentaire...