1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia
© RM Sotheby's

1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia

Frazer Nash’s pre-war origins as a producer of lightweight sports cars punching far above their weight stood it in good stead for the period of post-war recovery. The Aldington brothers’ masterstroke was to use their experience with importing right-hand-drive BMWs to heavily influence the course of Frazer Nash’s development. With the help of former BMW technical director Fritz Fiedler, the BMW 328 design was used as the basis for the new Frazer Nash models, with handling and performance being the objectives for HJ Aldington.

1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia
© RM Sotheby’s

Nearly all the Mille Miglias featured an A-frame “100-series” tubular chassis, which was designed by Fiedler. The cars were powered by 2-litre six-cylinder BMW-derived FNS1 engines, designed specifically for Frazer Nash. Utilising triple-Solex carburettors, the rorty engines produced between 110 and 126 horsepower, depending on the compression ratio. One intelligent use of technology for Frazer Nash was to design a lightweight-yet-strong chassis that could be fitted with different bodies simply by changing body frame.

1952 Frazer Nash Mille Miglia
© RM Sotheby’s

Story by RM Sotheby’s