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The Jowett Jupiter classic car activities

Its comings and goings

The Jupiter Magazine section...

Click here for the JOAC Spares list. A more up to date version, for JOAC members only, is on the JOAC website

Je suis Nicois...bien sur...

Vive la France ! Fraternite - Liberte !

Aussi - vive les Bleus !!

Ed Nankivell's  Award-winning 2016 edition of the book: The Jowett Jupiter - the Car that Leaped to Fame is now available!
Hugely, gigantically updated and improved over the 1981 version. This one is published by Veloce - publisher of fine automotive books
It is  listed here on Amazon - and on Wordery: go to their website and search "Jowett Jupiter"
Prices vary but some are less than £30
Another good review is here so click it!
A knowledgable correspondent wrote, unsolicited:- "congratulations on another magnum opus. A magnificent book superbly presented.
You must and should be very proud of it, and Veloce have done a splendid job as one might expect they would.
I've read it through once, and after a bit of rest I will read it all over again"
For another review plus full book list click here
Here is Ed Nankivell receiving from Angus Bell the JOAC Founder Stan Blyther Award for the book at JOAC's 2016 Buxton gathering:


Interestingly, the orginal Javelin-Jupiter Workshop Manual of 1947/1953 is again available, reprinted for Autobooks by Brooklands Books.
Click here for the Amazon listing

Here is a link to MB Restorations, a skillful company based - yes - in Bradford, Yorkshire that in 2018 did a splendid resroration on a Jupiter
A heck of a lot of Jupiter (and some Javelin) material here to enjoy: so visit on this YouTube website - thanks to Doug Rath for finding it.

There is a smart running Jupiter now owned by a Russian museum. Click here to see it in action. Our thanks to Jaak Jacobs for finding it.


It is well-known that Gerry Palmer designed the Jowett Javelin saloon car just after WW2, and the Jupiter used many of its components.
Bruce Polain raced a Javelin in Australia's Bathurst circuit in 1957 and was recorded at 85mph with just a standard 50BHP engine.
Bruce tells us he has learned that although Palmer had no access to a wind-tunnel, years later a Javelin was assessed at 0.38 - almost a match for the E-type Jaguar !

Why not follow me on Twits-here, on Handbook, and of course on Whobute

In London, England, there is even a Jupiter Hot Club !
Yes 2020 is the Jupiter's 70th !  In 1950 on March 27th the first complete Jupiter was ready after 14 weeks of strenuous effort
This - even though the chassis, originally designed at ERA, had been around since mid-1949
And of course at the 1950 Le Mans 24-hour race June 24-25 a Jupiter won its class ahead of an MG
And by November 1950  the first two production batches of five Jupiters per batch had been completed

Recently arrived, a photo of an early-restored Jupiter. Bought by Alvin Smith from a breaker's yard in 1959 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
Its very poor condition reversed and it was on the road and in use by 1963. Still an extremely nice running car after further resoration.
Often seen at meetings in the south of England


Ib Rasmussen drove his Jupiter in the 16th to 19th May 2019 Mille Miglia for classic cars
Here is his Jupiter photographed in Brescia in northern Italy


Seen in the New Zealand Jowett magazine Flat Four Oct/Nov 2019, this image of CDR3
which is a Jupiter replica cleverly built in NZ on a modified CD Bradford chassis


Here is a photo of ch 423 in Poland under slow but thorough professional restoration.
Piotr Nowakowski imported from the USA to Poland three very "project" Jupiters and they are being very well restored there.


JOAC AGM big meeting was at Market Harborough in August 2019

See below, here at Market Harborough we saw the beautiful blue Jupiter of Len and Sue Peach (as well as the whizzo blue Jupiter of Richard Gane)
As Huddie Ledbetter sang:- Good morning blues, blues how do you do?
                                               I'm doing all right, good morning how are you?

See below Bob Mooney's Jupiter at the August 25th 2019 Heathfield Common Classic Car Show, Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Another Jupiter was there plus a Jowett 8


Here is Patricia Le Mercier with her Jupiter in Brittany some time summer 2019


The bandleader Les Jowett of the Les Jowett Jazz Seven was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, in 1925
On this EP of 1957 his band includes Mike Collier trombone, Stu Emsley clarinet & alto sax, Bernie Waterman piano, Geoff Berry guitar, Roy Evenett bass and Dickie Neaves, drums

Les took up playing the cornet at the age of 15 and was soon playing in brass bands around Bradford.
He studied at Cambridge University, London School of Economics and became a lecturer in Social Studies
at  Luton then at Brighton Tech. All the while playing jazz. He started his own band in Brigton in 1956

From rural France or Belgium in 2019 - Claude Bernard's very nice Jupiter ready for an event


And here is Claude Bernard at the wheel in the same event


30th June 2019 at Brands Hatch - Harry Naeger's Jupiter in action. Photo Terry Jacob


Jim Miller's "Stars and Stripes" Jupiter (first seen in 2000 at the Le Mans Jupitour 2000) is still active and seen around California


This very important B.R.G. Jupiter (below) was auctioned in September 2019 at Monteira in Portugal - its buyer paid 28,750 euros for it.
The Jupiter was just one of 127 cars in the Saragga Collection that was auctioned by Sptheby's in its entirety
It is the only in-era Jupiter to have won an International Rally outright - the 1951 Lisbon Rally - owner/driver Joaquim Nogueira

Below:- About 450 vehicles were at the Southern Classics meeting at GB's Bluebell Line, Horsted Keynes, 9th June 2019
where the Jowett Jupiter of Tony Gunton came first in the  "Pride of Ownership" contest

 

Simon and Silvie Ray with their imaginatively designed  Special-bodied Jupiter built by Simon's Dad 1990-2000
Seen here at the Wheel Nuts Classic car Show at Stroud 5th May 2019


Richard Keil's lovely Jupiter at a recent GB - JCC meeting


The Former GAP 6, now KAS 147, has its restoration continuing under the skilled hands of owner Tony Gunton


Thanks to Bunty Condon, here is an image of three Jupiters attending New Zealand's Upper Hutt Jowett gathering April 2019
Far right is the CDR3 - a brilliant Jupiter-like conversion of one of Jowett's CD Bradfords that had migrated to NZ


Click here for a French website with a lot about Jowetts and Jupiters,  even the top photo
is the Jupiter (now alive and well in Brittany) Peter Dixon and Edmund Nankivell gave them their start in the Jowett world


Above:- the Jupiter of Classic Car man Werner Peeters under thotough restoration in Belgium with the help of Jaak Jacobs
It had been rescued from the bed of a stream in California many years ago then found its way to Belgium, so it's a very demanding restoration.

Dog Rath with his grandson Tom, now 15, in Doug's competition Jupiter

When I raced one of these at Bathurst in 1957 I was surprised to record 86 mph with just a standard 50 bhp engine.

Have just learnt that although Gerald Palmer had no access to a wind tunnel at the time (nor would the budget have permitted) - years later the car was assessed at a Cd of 0.38 – almost a match for the E-type.

Founded in 1983, Harviestoun Brewery of Clackmannanshire, Scotland have as one of their five bottled beers “Old Engine Oil”.
Legend has it that Old Engine Oil was dedicated to their Head Brewer’s love of classic cars.
But maybe it’s the rich, dark, chocolatey viscosity that reveals the real inspiration behind the name
They do another bottled beer (quite strong as beers go) called Old Dubh which is Gaelic for Black Oil.

At the UK's "Practical Classics" Restoration of classic cars show at Birmingham's  NEC exhibition March 2019,
on view was the car that Chris Spencer who is a brilliant Jupiter restorer, is about to restore

At the centre of the town of Peer in Belgium, Jaak Jacobs's home-town, at the 'Cars & Coffee' they have. every Thursday from April to September,
CCFP classic car gatherings (CCFP is 'Classic Car Friends Peer')
However, on Thursday the 30th May 2019, they are to hold their 2nd "CCFP goes the English Way" ...so...be there or be square !!
Here (left) is Jupiter owner-restorer Jaak Jacobs himself - with a sponsor of their very large and important events

The slogan at the top reads "You cannot describe the passion - you can only live it"

Doug Rath had detected this Youtube filming of Racing Jupiters - including and an interview with Richard Gane and film of his Jupiter racing

Line up of 3 Jowett Jupiters on display with New Zealand’s Jowett Car Club, Northern Branch, at British & Euro Car Show, Pakuranga. on Sunday 3rd March 2019.
Hot sunny day. Hundreds of impressive cars. Enjoyed by more than 10,000 people. Bunty Condon's Jupiter in the forefront. Image thanks to Bunty

Two Jupiters at the Belgravia Park Classic car event of 2018. The R1 Jupiter of Pete Dixon and Dennis Sparrow, and the standard powerful Jupiter of Jon Root


At the above 2018 Begravia event this drawing of the R1 Jupiter was sketched by quirky artist Robbie MacGregor
Coloured blue by Pete Dixon


At Peer in Belgium, home-town of Jupiter-man Jaak Jacobs
every Thursday in the summer months there is a meeting of classic at a coffee-bar "Cars and Coffee". So click here for amazing images

Here below is an image from Australia taken in November 2018 - thanks to Doug Rath for this Facebook photo - his Jupiter is the white one.
This was the Club Run to Queensland's Woodford Narrow-gauge railway followed by a lovely lunch at the Woodford Gardens restaurant



The Switzerland Jowett gathering of 28th to 30th September 2018 has been and gone
How many Jupiters can you see in this Facebook page put there by Jupiter man Jaak Jacobs
Andy Jackson reports: there were many nationalities attending, very convivial and a nice mix of Javelins and Jupiters,
with superb weather and programme of visits. Here is a photo of the Jupiter of Guert Kampert of the Netherlands


Goodwood Classic Car event September 7th to 9th 2018 had a Jupiter racing and at least one other Jupiter there.
Left:- the Jupiter of John Chevers raced by John Arnold.                       Right:- Jupiter veteran Keith Clements was there with his lovely Jupiter

Well, Classic Le Mans 2018 has been and gone (7th-8th July) but the Jupiter of Richard Gane, with co-driver Kevin Zwolinski, after various troubles
had two good races. The races were for "Plateau 2" which were for cars built between 1949 and 1956 - irrespective of engine capacity
The contest included night racing; in their two races they finished 17th and 20th overall, but both amounted to Class Wins for 1500cc cars.

Richard Gane driving successfully wearing the number 32.  Photo Keith Clements

Below - Richard Gane's fast racing Jupiter, this picture taken recently at Donnington

In Macau, vintage car lovers have a rendezvous in 2018’s Saturday September 1st at Fisherman’s Wharf,
where a collection of 50 cars aged 20 years old or more will be showcased
The oldest model being exhibited, this Jowett Jupiter, belongs to the racing driver who started the project with Mr Lam. This is E2 SA 285R

Seen in Yorkshire at the JOAC August 2018 meeting at Helmsley


Seen at Goodwood on 5th August the 2018 (Classic Car Sunday) the Jupiter that for many years was GAP 6
Brilliantly-made replica of standard SA Jupiter


See (below) an Aston Martin car released in 1948 but only 15 made.
First called  the Aston Martin 2-litre Sports car, then the DB1
Have we seen a similar style of car somewhere else?


Jon Root took his lovely red Jupiter to the 17th June 2018 St Johns Wood Classic Car & Supercar pageant.

Here is Richard Keil and his Jupiter at the Goodwood Classic Car event in 2017
It was on display on the Michelin stand


Seen here showing off the Dennis Sparrow engine at London's St Johns Wood "The Ivy" brasserie


The 1952 Le Mans class-winning R1 appeared at the 2018 London Concours 7th & 8th June
It is a "display of some of the world’s finest cars in the intimate setting of the gardens of the Honourable Artillery Company"
Address:  Armoury House, City Road, London  EC1  2BQ

This special-bodied Jupiter's extensive professional restoration is virtually complete - the car is running and on the road.

All thanks to Graham Berry's efforts! The Jupiter's first owner was Sir Hugh Bell, racing driver Derek Bell’s father.

It was registered on 7th December 1950 probably the first privately-owned Jupiter to take to the road.

Thanks to Jaak Jacobs, Ed found this image on the web page for the Cars & Coffee website. Classic cars gather there, in Peer, Belgium, weekly
We have here one of the 4 beauties from the girl band "Rock and Dolls" that performed there very recently (May 2018) sitting Jaak's lovely Jupiter


In the middle of May 2018 the Chichester MG Car Club organsied a tour all the way from GB's South Coast
up to the North of Scotland. Here at John O' Groats are a few of them plus the Jupiter that also took the full tour


Two Items from Australian Jowett Club's magazine "By Jove" of May 2018
First Mike Allfrey's Jupiter at a British and other European Cars show at Yarra Glen racecourse 25/02/2018

And now a quote from none other than Oxford Don and Professor of Greek Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893)
The real measure of wealth is how much we'd be worth if we lost all our money

Here is the Jupiter of Roger & Kim Chaplin, looking good !


Thanks to Keith Clements we have this picture of Chris Spencer's recent acquisition
pictured here at Birmingham's NEC Restoration Show 23-25 March 2018


On 14/5/2018 members of the Chichester MG Owners' Club set off for a week-long tour of Scotish highlands mostly in their MGs.
They followed the route of the "North Coast 500". But MG-owner Tony Gunton will take his Jupiter...see below !
The tour went to Tarbert (15th May), Plockton (16th May), Bettyhill (17th May) and on to John O' Groats on the 18th to meet up with
the Highlands MG Owners Club - dining with them later at Inverness -  then the cars dispersed back various ways home.
NB The rally plate was fixed properly before the 'off'






This Devin-bodied Ford-powered special, on a standard Jupiter chassis and most of suspension,
was available on eBay with the owner wanting US$9,900 - auction ended 19/2/2018 with it sold. Jupiter ch 837 gave up its chassis for this car
in 1956. Photos show the speedometer and rev-counter are from the Jupiter - maybe more instruments! The car went to owners in Paraguay

It still has its metal-bushed front suspension - and Jupiter wheels !! How nice if it gets its Jupiter power back !!

In New Zealand, Bunty Condon's colourful Jupiter she likes to call "Jezebel", which some define as "an impudent, shameless, unrestrained woman"

Another mystery - A vinyl LP record came out in 1988 - also available on cassette!
At least it had songs by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald !! Still available !!


Found on Facebook - this Jupiter is familiar to Edmund Nankivell but he can't place it - please help him !!!


Richard Keil located a web-advert for this Jupiter, for sale in Ithaca, New York State, looking for $2500.
Scott Renner had a difficult conversation with the vendorwho claims this LHD Jupiter was never registered or titled in the USA.
He says he has its VIN but won't declare it. It has apparently VW front suspension and non-Jowett rear wheels, no engine, no interior.

Thanks to Jaak Jacobs we have identified a smart running Jupiter now owned by a car museum in Gorskoye, Russia.
It was new in Australia and rallied and raced there in Historic car events before moving to the Netherlands then Germany and now Russia.
The Kamyshmash museum lets out a small number of its cars to the nearby restaurant "La Colline" where the Jupiter may be ensconced.
Left:Jupiter with Museum registration plate.                                                   Right: Jupiter at the "La Colline" restaurant

There are several lady owner-drivers of Jupiters although a minority of course.
Dr Lorna Jowett is a University Lecturer and owner driver, click here for her blog on the subject...
...and here, below, is Sandra Kessell in her Jupiter


The November 5th 2017 annual London-to Brighton Veteran Car Run came and went.
Craig Ainge photographed the Jupiter of the Holroyds at the Pease Pottage services on the A23

All other Jupiter owners watched the veteran cars go by at the former Black Lion, Patcham, now the Miller & Carter Steakhouse.
Jonathan Root was there with his lovely red Jupiter (with Dennis Sparrow). Also were Mike and Sue Hoyle from Southampton,
Allan Ayres and Trudie from Canterbury, and Danny Nash and Edmund & Ghislaine Nankivell. There was also a lovely green Javelin

The Jupiter of Brian Holmes at his Queensland, Australia home


Jaak Jacobs - our ever-so-keen Belgian Jupiter owner - shows he is still young at heart !!
Jaak says "Originally, I wanted to buy a Morgan, but in a flea-market I found a book about Jowett - it was love !!
Shortly after I saw in a newspaper a 1951 Jupiter for sale which I bought in 1984". It is the Jupiter in the picture below.


A video has appeared on Facebook showing Leo Bolter driving his Jupiter to an Australian supermarket carpark.
Here is a shot from it...many thanks to Jupiter owner Bunty Condon for it:-


New Zealands do go for colourful Jowetts!
The Jupiter on the left is the one owned by Bunty Condon.
It won the Jowett Club of New Zealand Northern Branch 92.5-mile fuel economy run on 3 Sept 2017 with 39.07 mpg


A JCC meeting of Jowetts was held at the Egerton Arms, Astbury near Congleton GB early September 2017


Here are two images of Jupiters with their bonnet raised. Standard Jupiter (left) and Richard Mead Jupiter (right)

Here is a Jupiter restoration image found on Facebook, we know the restoration workshop is Novol in Poland


In Hampshire, England, there is a very active classic car bodywork/respray workshop, flatcapclassiccars who do Jupiters and much else.
Here are a couple of photos of recent Jupiters under restoration.
As I write this there are a good eight other cars in work including 2 Jaguars. Well done Chris !!

And now for something completely different: the Jowett Flat 4-powered supercharged Wylie single-seater
 being raced at Australia's Seaforth circuit by Bruce Polain some years ago - the fastest ever Jowett-powered car


Photo from Jupiter-man Greg Jackson on the road back from JCC's big 2017 meeting in Scotland


Nicked off the internet - Vintage Car Hire of Cheshire & South Manchester. I do like the bride's dress !!


Images found by chance, the "Killajoule" speedy electric motorcycle - 270mph recorded.
Designed, built and driven by Eva Hakansson - that's her in the photo.

Why is it here? because it is built on a "Chrome-Moly steel tube frame" just like all Jowett Jupiters !!


Charles Bryant's Jupiter E2 SA 544R under restoration at Horsfield & Son, Wallace Springs Garage, Halifax (GB) and as of June 2017 nearly complete

On 28th May 2017 Chris Freudenberg drove to Chinnor in Oxfordshire
to meet friends and join other old cars in the station car park, of  the Chinnor to Princes Risborough 5-mile steam railway

The Jupiter of Peter and Christina Tribble at the 2017 JCC Peebles Jowett gathering - from the Tribble's Facebook posting!



Two photos of Alastair Gregg's Jupiter outside a 1950's American Diner, at the village of Church Gresley, near Burton-on-Trent (where the best beer is brewed!)

Greg Jackson getting ready for 2017's Drive-It-Day (23rd April)


In the centre of the town of Peer, Belgium, every Thursday in the summer months there is a meeting of classic cars which they
refer to as "oldtimers". Easter 2017 the "Cars and Coffee" meeting via Jaak Jacobs and his lovely red Jupiter wished all Facebook readers a Happy Easter


This exciting and important Jupiter is advancing to completion, under the auspces of Graham Berry.
It is reckoned to be the first privately-owned Jupiter, its then owner being Sir Hugh Bell, the father of racing man Derek Bell.


Per Wiik in Norway has made great strides in restoring his Jupiter. His aim is to have it ready for the 2017 Classic Car Show Norway"
which is in Oslo from 29th April to 1st May. All strength, Per !!


Trevor Hartley has found this birthday card at a Garden Centre near him! I.E. Stourbridge, West Midlands...
No - it is not until the year 2020 that the Jupiter celebrates its 70th !


The ever-so-keen and talented Jupiter man Jaak Jacobs has alerted me to this photo of the Richard Gane/John Arnold Jupiter racing at
the Masters Historic Spa Francorchamps on 17th September 2016. Photo Lucien Harmegnies


The New Zealand Jowett club's Newsletter "Flat Four" of Feb/March 2017 tells is that a film has been made there, called "West Of Eden"
which has three Jowetts in it including the Jupiter of Bunty Condon - It is her Jupiter in this image:-


Thanks to Al Gregg this website of "Take to the Road" tells us about Jowett Jupiters and the amazing Jupiter Mk2 creation of Allan Fishburn
Those familiar with Ed Nankivell's book on the Special-bodied Jowett Jupiter will know something of this fine running car. If you don't have the book - buy it now!

Here are two images of a very rough Jupiter found in Virginia, USA in 2016. Yes it has been saved, imported to GB by our hero Graham Berry.

Above: two images from New Zealand where of course it is springtime! November 2016 in NZ !

Below: Here are two images of Roger and Kim Chaplin's Jupiter acquired a year ago (Nov 2015). It being an excellent
restoration by Californian Scott Renner. Shown here at Tenterden KESR station in the summer of 2016. KESR is a preservation steam railway!
Kim - right - is its main driver
 
Colin Marshall is working on two Jupiters: his road car (left) and his racing Jupiter (right). Photos from Dave Stimpson

Here is Shane Alce taking his Jupiter up the Firle Hillclimb (also known as the Bo-Peep Hillclimb, the not quite half a mile climb of the Bo Peep hill)
The East Sussex Bo Peep hill is a mile from Selmeston and 4 miles from Firle - maybe in antiquity some South Downs sheep went missing there!
The run on 20th September 2016 was to commemorates and re-start its 1949 to 1967 timed ascent into the highly scenic South Downs.

The September 2016 main JOAC meeting was at Buxton. There were 15 Jupiters in attendance but more Jupiter owners.
We were blessed by good weather and a beautiful scenic run throuth the Peak District National Park with many lovely unspoiled villages
Here is an image from outside the hotel where most of us stayed.
Spares man John Powter inspects Richard Gane's road Jupiter


Well, July 2016's Le Mans Classic has been and gone. The Richard Gane/John Arnold  Jupiter in "Plateau 2" did well.
The Plateau is the car's age group (1949 to 1956) not engine size. There was also a "class" for "drum-braked cars of up to 1500cc"
There were three 6-lap races - the Jupiter averaged a good 81mph in all of them.
Clicking in and out of overgrive top enabled the high-powered 120+ mph Jupiter to out-accelerate TR2s and Morgans.
In Race 1 the Jupiter placed 10th on "Index of Performance" which takes into acocunt engine size. In Race 2 it placed 29th overall from 58 finishers
only 3 places behind Richard Thorne who had abandoned his Jupiter for his 2-litre 1954 Morgan Plus 4.
In Race 3 they placed 29th, well ahead of Richard Thorne at 52nd who had a bad third race.
The Jupiter was placed a very good 9th in the Index of Performance rating covering the three races, with Thorne 40th thanks to his poor Race 3.
The Jupiter's class position was a very well-earned class win!
In one event the Jupiter's top speed was timed at 111mph, while Richard Thorne could only manage 106mph in his Morgan
These three images show the Jupiter out-performing a nominally faster car on a bend:-

Just received, this image of the well-running and largely restored  prototype LHD Jupiter, still in North Carolina
but due to move to California some time soon. Driver Theresa - the late great Ted Miller's sister


Nicked off Facebook, New Zealander Bunty Condon's two-colour Jupiter:-


2016 May 1st  at the Black Lion, Patcham, a modest JOAC/JCC meeting this year with 2 Jupiters and a Javelin but almost a dozen owners.
Ed Nankivell was very pleased to receive the award for the book The Jowett Jupiter, the car That Leaped to Fame


Hot news! The 2016 Tour de Yorkshire 3-stage cycle race is from 29th April to 1st May. There was a number of "Ambassadors" who are
famous cyclists of earlier times including Bernard Hinault. A team of 6 Jupiters, in pairs, accompanied the riders on each stage.
Read more here
Here is a photo sent me by Tony Raine for the Stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire


Here is the lovely self-restored Jupiter of Jaak Jacobs at an old-timer meeting in Belgium.
Jaak is also involved in weekly "oldtimer" cars & coffee meetings (from April to September) in the market-place of his hometown Peer.


Another well-restored Jupiter back on the road, this one restored by Scott Renner
for Roger and Coleen of California. Scott is in passenger seat:- photos by Coleen

This Jupiter's first owner took it to Sierra Leone in 1953, bringing it back in 1957. He last used it in 1964.
Two subsequent owners did some restorative work until Graham berry got hold of it and turned it into a superb example.
New owner was well pleased when it was fully ready later in 2016

Below: Snapped at Honfleur, Normandy, in 2015 after that Jupiter partook of the ANVE Rally that year

This Jupiter, below, resident in Yorksire for many years, is now getting a professional body-off restoration, still in Yorkshire

In 1967-1971 it was owned by Hilditch of 39 Shircoat Rd, Halifax having bought it for £65 “from a policemen in Leeds”. It was rebuilt with a late type oval crank engine,
rebuilt gearbox, oil cooler, raised radiator and the body was reset by a coachbuilder in Wigan. The car was the subject of an Old Motor article by Hilditch, March-April 1972.

Above, General Sir Mike Jackson in younger days. He has just co-signed a letter of top army men saying Brexit would be very harmful to the UK's security.

He owned a Jupiter 1968 to 1975, actually in Nortern Ireland during the IRA insurrection,

and it was seen on TV when an IRA bomb had blown a hole in the barracks revealing the Jupiter. For more, go to this website

A Jupiter has just now (January 2016) arrived in England from California where is was very well indeed restored by Scott Renner.

Left: as found.   Right: on arrival in the UK.   Below: this image gives an idea of the high quality restoration

Dave Burrows (below) reports from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania that 2015's December weather is unseasonably warm...

...and in addition to some rounds of golf he has been driving his classic Morgan and his Jupiter:-

October 2015: from Louisiana after a junkyard in Texas, Marvin in Alabama has rescued this "Jupiter Project". Good luck, Marvin

Scott Renner sent these images (and more!) of an excellent Jupiter he restored no so long ago and he put up for sale in California: NB it is RHD
Yes it was bought and came to Britain

Another nice Jupiter on the road, well done the Jacksons!


The JOAC 2015 big (September) weekend has been and gone. Here are some of the Jupiters that were present at Lincoln.
Another really good happenning was:- we were visited by Scott Renner and Jim Miller from California! So great to see you guys again!
Here we have, at Lincoln, L to R: John Blazé, Ed Nankivell and Scott Renner


Vic Boddy sent me this from France, it shows the very fast Jupiter of Jacky Gruz, one of about 200 vehicules de collection but
2000 vehicles and about 3000 visiters to Aix-les-Bains in the Rhône Alps. It was on the esplanade of Lake Bourget.


The Betteridges sent me this photo taken at a classic car 'do' in the town square of Ilkeston, Derbyshire August 2015.
They won the "Best Historic Sports Car" trophy against tough opposition from Healeys, Triumphs and the like.


Angela and Stephen Holroyd drove their lovely bronze Jupiter to France for the annual
Randonées des Trois Vallées 3/4-day classic car rally in northern France at the end of May 2015


To see Richard Gane, his Jupiter, and other Jupiters racing, go to this youtube website
He raced for the Woodcote Trophy at the Silverstone Classic of 2015.

Another image from Facebook somewhere. Jaak Jacobs, a superb Jupiter owner/restorer, with one of his two Jupiters


Mrs Cira Aalund's Jupiter at a rally in Denmark 2015, with interesting neighbour! Nicked from Ib Rasmussen's Facebook page


Recently-knighted actors Sir Derek Jacobi and Sir Ian McKellen aboard J Root's excellent Jupiter. Photo 22 May 2015 from MailOnLine


JCC GB May 2015 rally has been and gone. This image is from Tony jackson


This Jupiter with novel tail lighting has appeared on Facebook, it is Australian, domiciled in Victoria
It has some interesting mods including downdraught SU carbs and a Ford 3.23:1 diff with 15-inch wheels.


And this Jupiter (below) ex-Australia, imported 2013 to Holland and then sold to Germany, was in April 2015 in an auction in Essen, Germany,
with the asking price in Euros equivalent to £34,400. It did not sell but its owner still wanted it sold...


The most excellent brilliantly organised 2015 Dutch Rally came  and went with so many good memories.
Atotal of 14 Jupiters made the trip to Schoorl, north Holland. Here are three images


Bulb fields in full bloom!! And five Jupiters!!


Eight Jupiters came from GB, these three are from Denmark, Belgium and Holland


Down under now, nicked off Facebook. Brian Holmes's Jupiter at the wedding of Neil Moore's stepdaughter Jacqui


Andrew Henshal reports that the Australian Wylie single-seater special, the gorgeous fastest ever Jowett-powered vehicle
was  remaining for sale with the right offers still awaited, as of May 2015.


This Jupiter now in Norway (since 1997 when it moved there from GB) owned by Per Wiik has been undergoing serious restoration
Chassis largely done with engine rebuilt and converted to lead-free operation. Bodywork  gets the attention it needs, see images below.
Above right: Door B-post under restoration


Above: Ian Hingston in New Zealand has bought for restoration this Jupiter stored for well-nigh 40 years

Above - two views of the Mike Chevers's Jupiter at the Café Chaud, Angoulême during September 2014's "Circuit des Ramparts" classic car race.
Thanks to Graham Austin for the photos, he was there also!

Above left: Richard Keil with his recently-completed Jupiter restoration. Above right: ex-UK Jupiter in Hungary in good running order, photo thanks to the efforts of Chris Freudenberg

The unique twin-cam cylinder-heads, designed for the Javelin-Jupiter engine by Paul Emeryson, were coming up for sale in Australia.
Here they are mounted on a Javelin crankcase


Colin Marshall has been making great strides with restoring his road-going Jupiter...

...and here it is nearing completion, November 2014:-


The October 2014 Australian Jowett Newsletter has these images of the Richard Mead Jupiter of Frank Choate and the bronze standard Jupiter of Tim Kelly
which were on the "Bay to Birdwood" classic car run


A long-time friend of Alastair Gregg does body repairs for a living. The ex fair-ground Austin (valued at £3.5k) was rebuilt for his four-year-old son

The big 'do' for the 2014 Jupiter Owners' Auto Club was at Great Dunmow, Essex, September 17th - 18th. It was a great success!

These photos of some of the Jupiters were taken by Scott Thompson of Black Hat Photography

Below is Richard Gane's racing Jupiter, seen at UK's Oulton Park circuit 24th August 2014, with its bonnet especially wide open!

The very presentable Coachcraft of Egham Fixed-head Coupé Jupiter (above) that won a race at Goodwood in 1954

Image on the right taken about 1970, shows faired-in reversing light.

It was owned (but never run) by John Surtees 1990 to 2012. It came up for auction on 4th September 2014 at Silverstone

It went for £38,525, which must be a record for a Jupiter then! It seems to have gone to a French buyer.

Here is an image of Ib Rasmussen racing his Jupiter in the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix 2/3 August 2014

2014's Le Mans Classic was from July 4th to 6th, Friday to Sunday. 

There were two yes two! Jupiters racing there: Richard Gane's blue Jupiter (65) and the green Jupiter (59) of Morgan man Richard Thorne

with Roger Whiteside.

Here below is an image of Richard Thorne's green Jupiter at Le Mans, 4th July 2014, next to Richard Gane's blue Jupiter. Photo Bob Marshall via Stephen Holroyd

Here below an image of Richard Gane's fast Jupiter, racing at Silverstone in 2013:-

From the June 2014 "The Javelin" which is Australia's excellent Jowett club magazine. Interesting photographer!

At least five Jupiters attended the JCC gathering at Barnard Castle in Durham, end of May 2014

Here are some of them outside the Bowes Museum.

Photo (right) thanks to Peter Tribble, he of the  lovely dark blue Jupiter, and Angus Bell (left) he of the two-tone grey Jupiter

Richard Gane was in action at Silverstone 17th May 2014 at another FISCAR International trohpy meeting.

He picked up another trophy for his fast and precise driving. Left: dicing with Chris Gawne's Lancia Aurelia. Right: with trophy awarded after the race

A very nice standard Jupiter in full running order (see image below) sold in auction on 29th April 2014 by Barons  Classic Car auctioneers

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This Jupiter )below) imported from Australia where it did good things in the hands of various owners such as Best Classic in the 2009 Targa Tasmania

turned up this March (24th to 30th) at the 2014 Classic Car show at Essen, Germany. Photo Jaak Jacobs

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A very careful Jupiter restoration under way in Bury-St-Edmunds, Suffolk, England, by Colin Marshall and friend Nigel Hamlin Wright

Some Danish princes admire Ib Rasmussen's Jupiter in between indulging in some slot-car racing with the lads

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This is the superbly restored Jupiter of Jean Carlos Macchia of Brazil. Its owner knows of three other Jupiters in Brazil, at least two of them in rough condition.

Also in Brazil, the sharp-eyed Richard van Buul had spotted on a You-Tube website, amongst a huge number of barn-stored wrecks of cars, an image of a Jupiter. Eight Jupiters were sold new to Brazil of which three were red and one was copper.

One of the red Jupiters is believed to have gone to California around 1953 as its engine has turned up there.

The film by the famous Flemish film-maker Stijn Coninx called Marina, about the true life of the singer/accordionist Rocco Granata

has received its first showing in Montreal (28th August 2013). The Jupiter of Jaak Jacobs appears in the background in a scene.

For more, scroll down a bit. Click here for the title song by Rocco

Colin Marshall had aimed to have his lightweight Jupiter ready for Classic Le Mans 2014.

Here is an image of its instrument panel:-

Below:- some Jupiters and their owners at the JOAC meeting at Sywell Aerodrome September 2013.

Spot the Richard Mead Jupiter in two of these images! The rainbow is authentic!

Here is an interesting Le Mans 1950 model Jupiter available in 1:43 scale

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A very smart but somewhat special standard Mk1 Jupiter was auctioned at Brooklands on 31 Aug 2013. It has roll-over bars and a clip-on hood but has been thoroghly restored with historic rallying in mind.

Hammer price was £20,160 and it was for sale again at a dealer in the New Forest. Now bought by a German enthusiast

Some Jupiters and other Jowetts gathered at Titsey House near Croydon on 25th August 2013 as part of a run to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Southerm Jowett Car Club in this very area. Yes that early Jowett has its Dickey seat set!

Here is a report of two Jupiters racing at Silverstone on 16th June 2013.

It was the FiSCaR Fifties Sports Racing Car Event ...FiSCaR - Keeping the spirit of '50s sports car racing alive

Richard started 18th and finished 14th and the Jupiters were awarded the Team Prize. John Arnold (red overalls) drove the ex-Frank Wooley car LBY 254. Richard in the appropriate blue overalls with their mechanic Dave Harris. Right; Richard at Copse Corner

Inevitably some niggles showed up but that was what it was about. Photos Craig Ainge

Over in New Zealand now, for the Brass Monkey Trial at Hampton Down (yes it's winter there!)

Neil Moore was the winner of Trial 1

The Wilton Classic & Supercar Show (4th August 2013) came and went. Pat Lockyer and his splendid Farina Jupiter attracted a lot of attention, as did this Rolls Royce bodied by the renowned Paris coachbuilder Hernri Binder. Wilton House is the ancient family home of my Lords Pembroke. Also present was the ex-Ringo Starr Facel Vega, also by a French coachbuilder.

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Here below is the prototype LHD Jupiter, which was required by Angell Motors of Pasadena and shipped to them in February 1951

It is clearly a RHD model converted to LHD by the Jowett factory before shipment. A careful ongoing restoration took place in South Carolina

There was a  photoshoot of Ed & Ghislaine Nankivell's Jupiters at Hassocks, Sussex, on 22 July 2013 by Mike Taylor

for an article he is doing for Classic Car Weekly in his series "Forgottem Heroes"

Classics at Sherborne Castle, Dorset was on 21st July 2013. Pat Lockyer drove the prototype Jupiter there

and it attracted a lot of interest not surprisingly!

Here is another racing Jupiter under preparation. Colin Marshall reports as of July 2013: "Body panels being worked on".

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Here are two images showing some of the 20 Jupiters that came to JCC UK Basingstoke meeting, 25th May 2013

Here is a website by Kip Motors of Dallas showing a difficult Jupiter restoration which they superbly carried out

Below: two images taken by Bas de Bruijn at Zolder (April may 2013) showing Jaak Jacobs in action in his well-restored Jowett Jupiter

Another Jupiter back on the road after a long lay-up and a 5-year restoration. Well done John Walters of Anglesey. Windscreen soon to be fitted.

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Yes some Jupiters still have trafficators! This photo was taken at the Black Lion Patcham on 5th May 2013

At the 2013 Bristol Classic Car Show this April, Pat Lockyer's Stabilimenti Farina Jupiter took the 'Car of the Show' award

beating the Pininfarina Lancia into second place. Left: Pat and winning Farina Jupiter. Right: second-placed Lancia Farina

The Alf Thomas special-bodied Jupiter, having done some Mille Miglia retros, is now (April 2013) residing in the Museo Mille Miglia, Viale della Bornato, 123, 25135  S. Eufemia Province of Brescia, Italy.

Here below is an image of Richard Gane's Jupiter, this one taken in April 2013 of the Jupiter being prepared for racing

He hopes to be racing it this summer!

On 8th April 2013 Kiyondo Sato arrived at Ed Nankivell's place with his truly delightful 1925 Delage. Ed's Willment Jupiter also in the photos.

(b.t.w. Kiyondo was then the  owner of the ex-John Surtees Coachcraft Coupé Jupiter, which was in work)

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Here is the Jupiter bit complete with the engine sound we know so well! thanks to Youtube and a Russian enthusiast

It is clear that Alain Delon is indeed himself driving the Jupiter very well.

Still on the subject of Jupiters in films, the 1959 "The Roadracers" includes a climactic cameo appearance of a Jupiter in the closing scenes where the hero

drives his neat special over a cliff. The Jupiter is the stand-in for this piece of action. Many thanks to Andy Stevens for finding it in the internet

For more, read the book The Jowett Jupiter, a Car for Road, Rally and Race by Ed Nankivell. Here is the image:-

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From Australia: fibreglass bodied Jupiter Chassis 24 is seen here moving towards the land of the living.

The photo is courtesy Ed Wolf taken early 2013. Braking is now full hydraulic, engine is in work and an overdrive is to be fitted.

Two Jupiters in work in East Sussex, visited on 13th March 2013.

Left: Orchard Restorations with Stephen Holroyd's Jupiter. Right: Nutley Sports & Prestige Centre with Kiyondo Sato's ex John Surtees Jupiter under an Alvis

The Ace Café - North-east London's famous R & R and mo-bike meeting place. 1st January 2013 Chris Freudenberg and Jupiter were there!

Photos Chris Freudenberg

Hendon RAF Museum, also on 2013 New year's day. Dr Shirlaw's Javelin, Chris Freudenberg's Jupiter. Dr Shirlaw and Dennis Sparrow on the right

Found, a 1953 image of a Jupiter racing at Reeves Field Airforce base, LA, USA from the book Runways and Racers by Terry O.Neill:--

Here is another image just surfaced of tight racing at Reeves airfield in 1953; the Jupiter of Cal Marks just ahead of an MG:--

=======================================

Vic liked my book, saying "... I have enjoyed reading your brilliant book on the Special Bodied Jupiters. You made a great job of it and I enjoyed the background to the builders

(more then I thought I would) and then what happened to the various cars throughout their life..."

Ed Nankivell's very well received  book on the Special-bodied Jupiters is available, click here to read more and how to get your very own copy.

A reader has this to say "...the time and research you have put into it makes it an essential addition to the Jowett catalogue of publications.

Congratulations on an easy to read and informative publication".

And Nick Geotgano writes "want to say how much I have enjoyed it. The fascinating field could not have been covered more comprehensively, and entertainingly as well".

Michael Ware, in Classic & Sports Car February 2012, wrote "Edmund Nankivell has researched the whole variety of coachbuilt specials created on these marvellous Bradford cars...a remarkable 200-page record of 40 years research"

_______________

On the seventh hour, of the seventh day

of the seventh month the seven doctors say

he'll be born for good luck, and that you see

Ed's Special-bodied Jupiter book is out, click here it be

with apologies to the great Muddy Waters aka McKinley Morganfield

BENJAMIN JOWETT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

The University of Bradford is pleased to announce the
Benjamin Jowett Memorial Scholarship for undergraduate
students. Seven such Scholarships will be awarded to
students entering the Mechanical and Medical Engineering
Department to study Mechanical, Manufacturing or
Automotive Engineering. The value of the Scholarship is
£500 and will be awarded for academic excellence on admission to the first year.
The fund is in the memory of the late Benjamin Jowett who founded the
Jowett Car Company in Bradford back in 1906.

These are our links to the outside world. But gluttons for yet more chit-chat about Jupiters might wish to jump to the Magazine overflow page1, or to 2002 to 2005, or to 2005 to 2008.

Did you know that British sports cars defy the laws of physics? You didn't???

The Jowett Car Club now has its own website.

Another Bradford website covers many other issues some connected with local government of the city, some not. Try it! And while you are at it what do you know about the Bronte Country?

Well, there WAS a Jowett.com website, in fact there is again such a website. But there wasn't much on it last time I looked. It was devoted to an American clothing mill of the name Jowett Garment Factory based in El Monte, California. Here was one of their products being modelled:

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