Engine Punk

Tarkus still seeks a new sponsor Tarkus is up for sale again. Incredibly, it didn't sell at the last auction so Jake Challenger is offering it through Bonhams again at their sale at the national Motor Museum at Beaulieu on 8th September. As you can imagine I would like this device very much but don't have the money or anywhere sufficiently dry to put it. I hope it goes to a good home. To those with the resources, I say buy this extraordinary machine. Alternatively, buy my books - The Horsepower Whisperer and The Wormton Lamb - from Amazon and make me the eccentric millionaire I am properly destined to be (I'm merely eccentric right now).

Magma's engine was unique Magma is actually one of the series of Tarkus trikes built by Jake Challenger and comes between the original DKW and Citroen powered one that inspired Kermit and the BMW 3 cylinder radial engined device to be sold at auction by Bonhams at Stafford on 29th April. Stainless Citroen GS wheel trims match the stainless Brooklands can I saw Magma at the Stafford Microcar Rallyin 1994 when that was for sale. I had a quick word with the owner and have subsequently realised this was the only (but first) time I've actually met Jake Challenger although we've since corresponded quite a bit over the years. I was mightily intrigued by Magma and only found out later that it was really one of Jake's Tarkus series. If you look carefully you can just make out the tank for the dry sump system That spectacular engine is a one-off consisting of the barrels and heads from two Weslake 500 speedway engines on a special one-off crankcase. The barrels...

The most amazing of Jake Challenger's trikes is for sale (Photo : Bonhams) As I mentioned earlier, Jake Challenger created a series of special three wheelers named Tarkus after the ELP track and the last of the series (I'm tempted to say latest for you never know) is this device featuring a 3 cylinder radial engine of his own design that uses BMW R100 barrels and cylinder heads. Stable as a very stable thing, if you're going to leap aboard Tarkus be sure you're wearing split screen goggles and a sheepskin jacket (Photo : Jake Challenger) I had an e-mail from Jake this weekend to say he's selling it and having spoken to him again and found out some more details I can divulge that it's in Bonhams Motorcycle auction at Stafford on 29th April . Unfortunately, his wife Cynthia has had a knee replacement and can no longer get in Tarkus. The standard BMW components look like they should've been made for use in a radial 3 cylinder engine (Photo : B...

Foxbat - wasn't that the code name for a Russian cold war fighter? Just a bijou follow-up-ette to my musings on the Jag shooting brake. Mr Valve Bounce left a comment and pointed me to the Bonhams website but there's still some mystery surrounding it.. Nobody knows who made it, although another existed back along (good Cornish expression). This car is thought to be the sole survivor and historians have suggested it was made as a competition tender for long distance motor sport events. It is properly known as the Foxbat. I'd spotted the badge on the rear door at the time but forgot about this when I uploaded the admiitedly rather dark pictures. I still say it took a genius to realise the concept of blending a Moggy with a Coventry cat. But how does that make a Foxbat? On my screen at home they don't look so murky but there's something fitting about this car emerging from the shadows.

It's probably nothing to do with this blog but Brian Verrall's A series Vinnie sold at Bonham's auction for £214,800. The estimate had been £125,000 to £150,000. I am ambivalent about this. I'm glad that such machinery is appreciated and this is a record for a British bike sold at auction. I'm sad that the original "snarling beast" is beyond the reach of most mortals. What a bike, though! This is the model that established the Vincent-HRD and Vincent reputations and a fine example such as this is undoubtedly of historical importance. It's a work of art and is priced as such. I'm just not sure how much use any machine will get if it's worth the price of a house. Around 50 are thought to still exist out of the 78 built, which is a pretty good survival rate but I think both these numbers are too low. They should have built more and how could anyone break one up? The Vincent Owner's Club has put together a register of the survivors and a ...