S.M.S

Jeff Sparrowe built his 500, Sparrowe's Motor Special in early 1948. It used a Rudge TT engine, mounted at the rear in a lowered Austin Seven chassis with an Austin split axle. Jeff made his debut at Stanmer Park, near Brighton, in June achieving a creditable sixth fastest time. At Prescott and Great Auclum in July, he improved to fifth. Boscombe and the Brighton Speed trials proved frustrating partly due to the lack of power from the Rudge compared to the JAP. The September Prescott meeting proved disastrous, Jeff finding himself in hospital after rolling at the Semicircle. Further disappointments happened at Shelsley in September, after an off and Silverstone, where he was unable to start due to a damaged engine. For 1949, it seems the first car passed to a Mr Fisher and Jeff adopted a second SMS, in fact a modified Marwyn. The reputation of the Marwyn suggests that this wouldn't have been an improvement on his own effort. Jeff Sparrowe died in February 2001.

Reviewed in Iota, March 1949, a month later the editor had to apologise for the  inappropriate headline!

If anyone has any more details or photos, please get in touch.