Iota 350 Sports-1951

Iota was an off-shoot of the Bristol Aircraft Motor Club and offered a range of parts, up to a complete car, to encourage the growth of 500cc single-seater racing, which later became Formula 3.  Iota made 22 chassis but most owners gave their cars individual names.  None achieved much success.  In 1951, some of those who had been associated with both the Iota 500cc movement and the Gordano sports car project showed the world’s first sports car with monocoque construction.  This car has a mid-mounted, 500cc Royal Enfield twin-cylinder engine, and the all-independent suspension – sliding pillar front, swing axle rear with radius arms and a transverse leaf spring – was mounted on tubular subframes.  The low body is notable for the smoothness of its line and rear wings which resemble aircraft props – resulting in a very aerodynamic vehicle.  T.T. Workshops of Westbury restored the car, keeping the original aluminum metal intact and restoring the car exactly as it was when it was initially completed.  Two were built in 1951, and only this prototype remains in existence.

 

Specifications:

 

Manufacturer:  Off-shoot of the Bristol Aircraft Motor Club

Country of Origin:  Great Britain

Drivetrain Configuration:  Mid engine, rear wheel drive

Engine:  Royal Enfield, air-cooled, 500cc, 2 cylinder, 30 hp

Transmission:  3 speed

Top Speed:  75 miles per hour

Year of Production:  1951

Number Produced:  2

Original Cost:  _____