Thick smoke, a stubborn seller and mounds of torque - Rugby resident's 70-year passion for Lea-Francis cars

John was regularly driving his beloved sports car until just two years ago
John's stunning 14hp Sports, a brilliant handler and capable of 100mph.John's stunning 14hp Sports, a brilliant handler and capable of 100mph.
John's stunning 14hp Sports, a brilliant handler and capable of 100mph.

A Rugby care home resident who rebuilt two beautiful vintage cars has received a special 88th birthday present.

While many of us feel accomplished if we manage to replace a headlamp bulb or fit a spare wheel, John Allwood stripped down and fully restored two valuable Lea-Francis cars.

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John was well-placed to undertake the work, having worked for Humber, Sunbeam and Talbot and serving in the Army's Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), keeping tanks maintained.

John with his owners' club baseball cap.John with his owners' club baseball cap.
John with his owners' club baseball cap.

The luxury British cars, built in Coventry, were prized for their hand-built beauty and their sporty handling, and over the years John lovingly restored both a Lea-Francis 14hp Sports model and 14hp Westland Coupe.

The story of John's acquiring the coupe will be familiar to anyone who has bought a used car from a private seller with a wishful view of its value.

He explained that in the early 1950s his father-in-law was due a company pay-out and was looking for a car.

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John said: "He couldn't drive, but he said, 'if I get a car will you take us all out in it on sunny days?'"

John's black 14hp Coupe, seen here while it was being returned to showroom condition.John's black 14hp Coupe, seen here while it was being returned to showroom condition.
John's black 14hp Coupe, seen here while it was being returned to showroom condition.

An agreement was made, and John's father-in-law set about looking for a suitable car - preferably a Riley one-and-a-half litre.

And then he saw a car, which he thought to be a Riley, for sale on someone's drive.

John agreed to come along to have a look, discovering that the car was in fact a beautiful, black 1948 Lea-Francis Westland Coupe.

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A test drive commenced and, despite the owner claiming the car was in brilliant running order, John spotted some issues that were far from subtle.

"The smoke and the rattle was really something," he said.

"This was in Balsall Common, and we drove on the Kenilworth Road as far as the White Horse pub.

"By the time we got there you couldn't see anything behind you for all the smoke.

"I said to him, 'the engine is jiggered."

John said the owner protested at his verdict, retorting with, "Well, what would you know about it?"

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With a comeback that is so perfect it could have happened in a film, John said: "A five-year apprenticeship at Humber, Sunbeam and Talbot."

Despite John's professional verdict, and the clear evidence that the car was a mobile smokescreen generator, the owner refused to budge on the price.

John and his father-in-law walked away - but six weeks later the owner approached John to deliver the unsurprising news that the car had not been sold.

Some spirited bargaining was done, and John's father-in-law secured a £25 discount.

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John then set about overhauling the car, first replacing the piston rings but ultimately having to take the cylinder block to Coventry to be properly sleeved.

That work saw the inadvertent smokescreen feature removed and the car became a treasured part of the family, being taken on many road trips and proving very reliable.

John used to come and see the car, and this arrangement went on for some years, until the son decided to sell.

"It was quite tatty by then," John said.

"There were holes in the wings and he was struggling to sell it."

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John managed to buy the car for £35 and set about once again returning it to pristine condition.

Only the best was good enough for the elegant saloon - a philosophy which saw him travel to Thetford Forest to collect timber to create the unique ash frames and painstakingly source each and every original part.

Many years later the car was sold to a fellow member of the Lea-Francis Owner's Club, with John keeping hold of his other Lea-Francis, a 14hp open-top Sports model which he had bought as a wreck and spent years restoring to showroom condition.

He kept the Sports well into his retirement, only giving it up around two years ago after a fall meant he had to move to Overslade House.

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The cars had a 1,767 capacity engines with a power rating of 15 horsepower.

For those more familiar with modern engines - the 15 horsepower output might give the impression that the cars would struggle to get above walking pace.

But earlier engines had a longer stroke - meaning lower horsepower ratings but Herculean torque.

"The saloon was a joy to drive," John said.

"You could go through a roundabout at 15mph in top gear and, without changing down, accelerate again.

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"The saloon would do 85mph and the sport would get to 100mph - amazing for 1948 cars."

After more than 30 years, John's career in the automotive industry came to an end in the 1970s when he was made redundant from his position as service manager.

He said it was immensely sad to see the decline in the British car industry in those later years.

"It was terrible to watch," he said.

"After the war it was booming - but they never modernised the tooling and as the years went on people preferred the more modern Japanese cars.

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"It is very sad, but these things happen. There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but there was nothing that could be done."

He remains a member of the Lea-Francis Owners' Club - a membership he has held since 1958.

Staff at Overslade House enjoyed learning about John's passion for the beautiful cars, so they decided to prepare a moving present for his 88th birthday.

They contacted the Lea-Francis Owner's Club with a request for a birthday message.

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A spokesperson for the home said: "We were overwhelmed when they responded sending not only birthday wishes but all of the Lea-Francis rallies on USB for John to watch and enjoy.

"They topped of their gift with a Lea-Francis baseball cap.

"We can’t thank the Lea-Francis Owners club enough for making John’s birthday so special."

John said: “I’ll wear my cap with pride, I just wish I could go out for a drive once again.

"Watching the rallies brings back so many happy memories."

As for the two cars? John said he has it on good word they are being kept in perfect condition by their new owners.

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