Jupiter

Bradford, England is an unlikely place to associate with the largest planet in our solar system. But Bradford is where Jowett Cars Ltd. was headquartered and where, from 1906 until 1954 they manufactured automobiles.

Like many early automotive companies, Jowett got its start by manufacturing replacement parts for other cars that were owned by people in the area. But in 1906 they made their own light weight sports car. Using innovative design and borrowing a small 816 cc twin flat water cooled engine, they were able to generate enough power to sufficiently drive the very low weight vehicle. Twelve of the tiller steered cars were manufactured and two are believed to still exist.

Before World War I the company hand crafted 36 autos. After the war the company was bought up and turned public. Their first post war car was the Jowett Seven. They began using larger engines (though still small compared to many other companies) but still maintained a very low curb weight.

Up until 1921 Jowett cars were built for a small regional market but that year they showed at the London Motor Show and began taking orders and selling cars throughout England. Though still a small company they began to grown. During the 20s and 30s more models were rolled out and in just about each one a larger engine was used. By 1936 they were using a 1166cc flat four.

Following World War II the company made a huge departure from what they had been doing by manufacturing a small four door saloon called the Javelin. Using a larger flat four that could push 80 horse power the car, though not built for it, was fast. And with speed came people who wanted to race it.

The folks at Jowett saw a potential with the light weight tubular frame being used by the Javelin and the more powerful mechanicals and decided to make a true sports car. It showed at the 1949 London Motor Show and began rolling off the line in 1950. This was the Jupiter.

A 1486 cc flat four overhead cam engine was highly tuned with a 8.0:1 compression ratio which gave the Jupiter a top speed of 85 miles per hour and a 0-60 time of just over 11 seconds. Pretty heady stuff for a small car in 1950.

Success on the race track quickly followed the car's release. Class and overall wins rolled in at prestigious events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Monte Carlo International Rally and the Lisbon International Rally among others.

The success of the Jupiter was short lived. Competition and the fact that Ford moved in and bought up a firm that was being used in Jowett's manufacturing caused the company to close its doors in 1954.

The Jupiter seen here is a 1951 model. It is one of only 895 Jupiters ever assembled and one of fewer than 450 known to survive. It almost didn't survive as it was in Miami in 2005 when hurricane Wilma came ashore. Luckily the car survived and is being shown across the country.