Joe Esherick-- Frazer-Nash-BMW 328

(4-30-09)   From Joe Breeze:   "Joe Esherick in his 1938 Frazer Nash-BMW 328, which he raced in NorCal in 1951 and 1952.      Source: Art Evan's "Pebble Beach Remembered."

(5-1-09)   More from Joe Breeze:   "Joe Esherick in his 1938 Frazer-Nash-BMW 328. Joe managed a 5th place in the 1950 Pebble Beach Cup in this car while adorned in its full- fendered state.  Here, all fenders and running board have been discarded for cycle fenders.  By 1952, he was making a go in an F3 Cooper (#5) from the Sports Car Center
of Sausalito. 
                         Source: Art Evan's "Pebble Beach Remembered" and Breeze Collection.

(5-2-09)   From Frazer Nash expert Bob Schmitt:

"Don't know anything about the Joe Esherick Frazer-Nash, but sent a note to the archivist in England, Jim Trigwell.  We had a program from the Golden Gate races (from Bill Pollack) that had 4 Frazer Nashs entered and we could only identify two, figured the other 2 were FN-BMWs.  It was not Esherick, so likely a later owner?  Novice race, 1954: Louis Keller and Bradford Hale McNutt were the entrants."

(5-2-09)  From your webmaster: 

"What exactly is a Frazer Nash-BMW 328?"

(5-3-09)  More from Bob Schmitt:

"Frazer Nash (the company was AFN Ltd) starting importing the BMW in the mid 30s and just rebadging them.  The final model was the 328, which had the hemi head with cross- over pushrods.  Some said it was the best sportscar in the world at that time.  The special bodied ones were very streamlined and won the Mille Miglia in 1940 (hardly any entrants).  Jim Proffit had one and restored it in Long Beach, then moved north.  I heard he sold it to BMW for a very big price.  I saw him with it at Concours Italiano perhaps 15 years ago.

After the war, Bristol got the designer (Fritz Fiedler) to redraw the 328 chassis & engine to Brit standards and Bristol made the engine.  There was a short partnership with AFN, but they split and AFN got the sports chassis and the engine, engine still made by Bristol.  The Bristol car had a platform chassis (which the Arnolt used).

There are still many 328s and a few FN-BMWs around.  In fact, the BMW 328 at the LA Auto show in 2007 was really a Frazer Nash BMW - said so right on the grill badge and hubcaps!  They all sell for big money."

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