Description
This Derby was found in the 1970's in need of complete restoration by a very good friend of mine who passed away a couple of years ago. My friend was a true Derby and Vernon Derby enthusiast having many years ago owned restored and raced the Vernon Derby Super Sports Surbasse (shown in the b & w photo) sold by Aguttes in December 2022. This friend during the twenty plus years I knew him also restored another Derby, an Alvis Speed 20, an Alvis Speed 20 rolling chassis and a 1905 Adams-Hewitt rolling chassis. Resolutely sporty, this boat tailed DERBY car is equipped with the OHV Chapuis Dornier engine with a displacement of 1, 098 cc renowned for its remarkable robustness and reliability and the correct four speed gearbox.
He restored this Derby to the highest of standards. Every part of the car was stripped and repaired or replaced as needed. The engine was rebored with new pistons fitted. The crankshaft was re-ground and the bearings white metaled and reground by a firm in the South London area whose name I do not know but I remember my friend going there. The rest of the engine was completely overhauled. The gearbox, back and front axles, steering box, magneto and all the other parts were also completely overhauled. The radiator was reconditioned with a new core fitted, the brakes were completely overhauled with new parts as needed. A new starter and dynamo were fitted. The lighting and electrical components were restored and the car was rewired. The chassis was blasted, rust treated with liquid Jenolite (he painted or dipped every part he could in liquid Jenolite to cure rust and to stop rust appearing in the future) and the chassis was subsequently painted with red oxide and top coated red to a very high standard. The seats were recovered in high quality leather and the car was resprayed by a professional coachworks. The restoration is near perfect in my opinion.
As a matter of interest I have I have put an old photo of my friend whose arms are folded standing by his Vernon Derby well over forty years ago talking to amongst others to Jenks (Denis Jenkinson) who you may recognise, Jenks is of course the one with the beard. I have not written my late friends name as his family may object.
The Derby Grand Sports Special is a specific model and must not be confused with a Special like a home made1926 DERBY 9 HP GRAND SPORT SPECIAL. One of a total production not exceeding 300. Suitable for the Vintage Revival Montlhéry. The automobile company Derby was founded in 1921 in Courbevoie by the engineer Bertrand Montet. After World War 1 his factory which was devoted during the war to the production of military equipment he undertook the construction of cars that could enter the Road Tax category of cyclecars (Voiturettes) by using Harley-Davidson engines from American war surplus. But the power of the twin-cylinder motorcycle engine could not satisfy an increasingly demanding market and as early as 1922 Derby fitted Chapuis Dornier engines and later Scap or Ruby engines were fitted. This Derby was found in the 1970's in need of complete restoration by a very good friend of mine who passed away a couple of years ago. My friend was a true Derby and Vernon Derby enthusiast having many years ago owned restored and raced the Vernon Derby Super Sports Surbasse (shown in the b & w photo) sold by Aguttes in December 2022. This friend during the twenty plus years I knew him also restored another Derby, an Alvis Speed 20, an Alvis Speed 20 rolling chassis and a 1905 Adams-Hewitt rolling chassis. Resolutely sporty, this boat tailed DERBY car is equipped with the OHV Chapuis Dornier engine with a displacement of 1, 098 cc renowned for its remarkable robustness and reliability and the correct four speed gearbox. For the record, these engines also fitted the Seneschal cycle car which won the Golden Bowl three times in 1924, 1925 and 1926. In near perfect condition, its body is a two-seater. With the sporty wings fitted the car is very elegant and close to the silhouette of an Amilcar CGS. This Derby is the ideal cyclecar to join the Vintage Revival de Montlhéry or the Jacques Potherat Trophy.
This is a private sale as I am downsizing due to old age. In older days I would have advertised this car in a magazine and so how it will be seen in a search by interested parties on the internet is a puzzle to me because this advert can only be seen by searching Derby I guess and as a very rare marque perhaps this auction/ advert is a waste of time.
My friend the previous owner was a long time member of The Brooklands Society, the Amilcar Register, the Veteran Car Club and the VMCC and was a true Derby fanatic, he had owned at least three Derby's in his life. He told me his first cycle car was a Seneschal which he swapped fo. r a motorbike he owned when he was 14 years of age in the 1940’s. I have owned this car since 2019 and the reason for sale is old age unfortunately for me and is the same reason my friend sold the car to me.
