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HISTORY OF JOWETT JUPITER
Jowett Jupiters are the only production sports car to be built in Yorkshire, UK. They were manufactured from 1950 until 1954 when the company, Jowett Cars Ltd, finally closed. During its time, the car quickly gained sporting success which led to it being in demand overseas as well as in the UK. Only about 900 Jowett Jupiters were manufactured but the fine aesthetics of the car, coupled with its sporting success has meant that the many Jupiter enthusiasts around the world have kept the marque on the road.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Who were Jowett and where were they based?
Jowett Cars Ltd was established by William & Benjamin Jowett in Bradford. Their first prototype car was built in 1906 and this was run and tested by the brothers until 1910 when full production started. The company ceased trading in 1954. Jowett cars were the only mass-produced car to be built in Yorkshire and the company produced in total approximately 105,000 vehicles –41,600 pre-war and 63,500 post-war.
What’s a Jowett Jupiter?
The standard Jupiter model, known as the SA, or Mark 1, was available from November 1950. It went basically unchanged until October 1952, when the SC, or Mark 1A was introduced. The main differences are that the later model had an opening boot, and a more streamlined hood. Access to the boot space in the SA is only possible by tipping the seat forward. The boot area in the SC is a little larger than in the SA. The factory records confirm 733 SA models were built, with 94 SC examples.
Why do some Jupiters look different?
This is because there were also around 69 rolling chassis produced, most of which were supplied to coachbuilders, such as Abbott, Farina, Ghia, Mead, Rawson and Radford, these were built into special-bodied cars in open or saloon form. A very high proportion of these cars still survive today.
What’s under the bonnet?
The Jupiter has a flat-four cylinder engine which is similar to the Javelin saloon engine. This is Jowett’s own design of engine. The crankcase is aluminium alloy with wet cylinder liners sat on a joint washer at the base and clamped down by the detachable cylinder heads. The dimensions are 72.5 by 90 mm (1,485 cc) producing 60.5 bhp at 4,500 rpm, with a compression ratio of 8.0 to 1. The gear ratios are: first, 16.25, second 9.9, third 6.25, top 4.56 to 1.
How does the car handle?
Very well! The chassis of the Jupiter was designed at ERA by the Austrian designer, Robert Eberan Von Eberhorst; he had previously worked on Auto-Union racing cars from 1933-1937. A rolling chassis was ready to display at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1949. The chassis is constructed with large diameter cross-braced chromium-molybdenum tubing. Steering is by rack-and-pinion, which gives excellent positive light control.
Were Jupiters raced?
Yes! A car was entered in the 1950 Le Mans 24-hour race: it won the 1½ litre class at a record speed of 75.8mph covering over 1819 miles. The Jowett slogan for the Jupiter, ‘the car that leaped to fame’, was born! They won their class again in the 1951 and 1952 Le Mans races, the only three years they were entered. They also had a class win in 1951 Monte Carlo rally and the Watkins Glen race in the USA, plus many other successes in this country and abroad.
How many Jupiters are there?
A total of 899 Jupiters were built, they are now very sought after today with many cars being restored to a very high standard. There are still many examples of cars awaiting restoration and these come on the market on a fairly regular basis. The survival rate is quite remarkable with over half of the cars built still in existence: 486 surviving cars, with 190 of these being on the road or whole cars (the rest are stored and awaiting Restoration); the survival rate of the special-bodied cars is even greater.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE
Edmund Nankivell, long time Jupiter enthusiast and author of many books on the marque, also has a website devoted to the Jowett Jupiter: jowettjupiter.co.uk There are a number of books on Jowett Jupiters and on Jowett Cars more genera
The Jowett Jupiter - The Car that Leapt to Fame
By Edmund Nankivell
Jowett Jupiter Special Body
From Abbott & Beutler to Rochdale & Worblaufen
By Edmund Nankivell
Jowett Javelin and Jupiter
The Complete Story
By Geoff McAuley and Edmund Nankivell
The Jowett Jupiter – A car for Road, Rally and Race
By Edmund Nankivell
The Complete Jowett History
By Paul Clark and Edmund Nankivell
Jowett 1901-1954 (Archive Photographs, Images of Motoring)
By Noel Stokoe
My Car was a Jowett
By Noel Stokoe
Jowett – A Century of Memories
By Noel Stokoe
Jowett – Advertising the Marque
By Noel Stokoe
A Jowett Album – Plus: Vehicles Built in Yorkshire
By Rod Ward