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Wiessmann
Germany
87 Posts |
 Posted - 14/12/2013 : 13:19:24
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The picture shows Asia Orley (originally Owzarow), the young man wearing a leather helmet at the left, with his M.G.J3 in France in the early thirties. But which one of the J3s is it?
Research is complicated by the fact that not only he changed his name once, but he also used various other pseudonyms for race entries in order to hide his race activities from his parents.
Apart from the J3 he also acquired QA0252 and K3011 over the years, now sometimes using the pseudo ‘Alexander Todd’ for racing. The most spectacular incident happened on July 4th 1937. The Magnette caught fire during practice for the ACF Commission Sportive Cup Race at Montlhéry. He escaped from the car over the tail at a speed of 80 to 100 mph. His fire and friction injuries he explained to his family as follows (cited from J. Burton): ‘I fell deep asleep with a lit cigarette, the cigarette set the mattress on fire and the ensuing smoke was suffocating me. I jumped through the window, but the room was on the second floor. I hit the ledge, which inspired a rotary motion, and I landed on the ground face down.’
Apart from due empathy, it’s a nice story, isn’t it?
The 1934 Bol d’Or programme indicates race number ‘60’ for an M.G. in the 750cc Sports Car Class, entered by ‘ORWY’, obviously another pseudonym. This may well be a trace of the J3. Thank you for any advice that may help to clear its identity.
Karl
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Peter Green
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 00:20:15
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Karl,
Was not K3011 in the USA by July 1937?
Peter. |
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Wiessmann
Germany
87 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 08:20:34
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Good Morning Peter,
Perhaps we can ask Jay to comment on Todd’s questionable relation to K3011.
It may be of interest that the driverless Magnette involved stopped without hitting anything, so was probably less ‘injured’ than the driver.
Any idea with regard to the J3?
Cheers, Karl
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Robin Hamblett
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 11:27:57
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Hi Karl
I can't find anything in the records that relate this owner to a J3. However, my observations are that:
The car appears to be two tone, perhaps green or even grey, the bench seat looks darker still. The windscreen wiper motor is a vacuum unit and of course the non standard outside exhaust system. I wonder if this may be one of the J2's covered to J3 spec? If only we could see the front registration plate it would be much easier to identify the car.
I guess if you had any more pictures you would post them.
Regards
Robin
J2 J3666 & J3 3764 |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 11:52:01
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Mr Owczarow is certainly a man of some mystery. He owned QA0252 from new, but there is no evidence at present that he ever drove it. Someone did however, because the car was returned to Abingdon in September 1935 for major repairs including the supercharger being returned to the Makers for a rebuild whilst the engine was fitted with new con rods and many other parts indicating a bit of a "blow-up". The bill, dated 6th September 1935 for a total of £71. 19 . 3d was addressed to A Owczarow, 13 Rue Peydau, Paris. Intriguingly, the bill included an amount of 6 shillings in respect of a telegram to The Louvre, which might have been where the gentleman was employed at the time. A copy of this bill was sent (by a certain Mr Thornley) on the 19th May 1937 to A Owczarow at 9 Rue Louis Hymans, Brussells.
What confuses the matter further is that in Wilkie Wilkinson's autobiography he mentions that for 1935 Bellevue had acquired a second Q Type (in addition to QA 0254), whilst in a conversation with Mike Allison, Kenneth Evans said that they looked after QA0252 for a Russian Count who never used it.
Colin B. |
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Wiessmann
Germany
87 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 17:58:45
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Thank you Robin and Colin,
Asia Orley (aka Alexander Orley aka Asia Owzarow, aka Alexander Todd) was a Russian Jew, born on Dec. 23rd 1911 in the Ukraine. In 1933 his family emigrated from Berlin to Paris, where he worked as a successful banker. He is described by J Burton as ‘intelligent, witty and wealthy’ and ‘attracting beautiful women’. His three M.G.s (not sure if the Magnette really was K3011), were maintained by Bellevue Garage. Ha was also racing an Arcus in 1936 (GP d’Albi and Coppa Ciano). In 1937 or earlier he had acquired the American citizenship.
Not a bad career for a 26 year old boy.
He continued racing after the war using his pseudo A. Todd in a BMW Veritas and a Special, in i.e. in the 1952 Eifelrennen, Nürburgring, in that race together with Adolf Brudes of pre war C-type fame. He died 59-year-old on March 1st 1971 in the State of New York, where he had lived as Asia Orley.
The picture shows him in QA0251.
Karl
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tjackson
Australia
105 Posts |
Posted - 15/12/2013 : 23:01:46
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Great photo Karl and the owner sounds like an interesting character. The best J3 fit is J3758, two tone blue, delivered 12/01/33 to University Motors, UK registration JJ2126, driven by J Ruston in the Inter-Varsity Speed Trials in February 1933 and then no further news. Interesting connection to Bellevue, could they be responsible for the modifications? J3763 was uprated in a similar way in 1933/34 for KH Perry.
Perhaps related, Toni Birch lived near University Motors and operated in Germany and France. Birch was Dick Seaman’s racing manager for a time and imported J3760 and J3764 into Germany. Could Birch have taken the J3 to France and be a link between Asia Orley and the MG connections in London?
Cheers,
Tim
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 16/12/2013 : 10:50:38
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Brilliant stuff Karl. Do you know where and when the Q Type photograph was taken ? And was it QA0251, or did you mean to type QA0252 ? Whichever one it was, it appears to be brand new.
Regards,
Colin B. |
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Wiessmann
Germany
87 Posts |
Posted - 16/12/2013 : 17:04:31
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Don't know when and where the picture was taken, Colin, France I would guess from the berets.
And of course I meant to type QA0252.
Thank you Tim for your tip on J3758.
Will try to get more info and let you know.
Karl |
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O.Thomas
United Kingdom
755 Posts |
Posted - 16/12/2013 : 17:27:38
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| Looks like montlhery to me? Is that not the grandstand in background opposite the pits, oliver |
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Colin Butchers
United Kingdom
1487 Posts |
Posted - 18/12/2013 : 10:40:03
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If the QA0252 photograph is Montlhery, there are quite a number of likely dates between early 1934 (when the car left Abingdon) and early to mid 1935 (when I believe QA0252 was taken over completely by the Bellevue organisation - as opposed to them simply looking after the car for Mr O.) These dates are those at which Herkuleyns competed with QA0253. Now all I need is to find someone with copy programmes for Montlhery during that period.
Any info will be gratefully received.
Colin B.
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JMH
United Kingdom
911 Posts |
Posted - 18/12/2013 : 12:53:20
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Montlhery gets my vote:
JH |
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Wiessmann
Germany
87 Posts |
Posted - 28/02/2014 : 06:16:11
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The J3 has now been identified.
Should the owner of J3767 be interested in the early history of his car, could he then please contact me offline.
The Magnette mentioned in this thread was an 'NA' Special. Confusion as to the identity of this car was based on the fact that O. entered it alternatively as 'K3', 'NE', 'NA' or simply 'Magnette' in various continental events in 1937/38.
K.-J.W. ( k.wiessmann@t-online.de )
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daveroberts
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2014 : 22:35:10
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Hi Karl,
I have checked the remains of the body tub of J3758,and there is no evidence of mounting holes for the J4 type exhaust brackets as shown on the photo. Also I notice the extended top hinge on the screen. J 3758 has the small serrated block only. Shame, I was getting excited to find some history on the car. |
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Which J3 ?
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