Lea-Francis Lynx

Lea-Francis
	Lea-Francis Lynx
Lynx
Production period:	1960
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Cabriolet
Engines:	Otto engine : ; 2.6 liters (80 kW)
Length:	4572 mm
Width:	1788 mm
Height:	1370 mm
Wheelbase :	2510 mm
Empty weight :	1250 kg

The Lea-Francis Lynx was an open sports car by the British car manufacturer Lea-Francis , three copies of which were built in 1960. The attempt to mass-produce the car failed. The Lynx was the last vehicle of the brand founded in 1895.

Model history

The Lea-Francis company founded by Richard Lea and Graham Francis in Coventry produced a total of nearly 10,000 vehicles in the first half of the 20th century. Many of them had a sporting character and were used at motor sport events. After the Second World War , Lea-Francis resumed automobile production, but could no longer assert itself on the market. The company had been in financial difficulties since the early 1950s. In 1954, the company's management stopped manufacturing automobiles. In the years that followed, Lea-Francis primarily dealt with the repair of older models of the brand.

In 1958, the building contractor Kenneth Benfield, who had been the largest shareholder for several years, took over the management of Lea-Francis. At the beginning of 1960 he had an open two-seater called Lynx (German: Luchs ) designed, with which Lea-Francis was to resume car production. The design was independent, but many technical components were adopted by various British large-scale manufacturers.

The lavender-painted prototype of the Lynx built by the specialist Abbey Panels was presented to the public at the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1960 . Its retail price should be £ 2096, about the same as that of a Jaguar XK 150 . However, the company did not have sufficient financial resources to start series production: vehicles could only be manufactured if specific orders had been placed and the customer had at least made a down payment. There were only a few interested parties. A total of four chassis were created, three of which were provided with bodies of more or less the same design. Three vehicles still exist.

Structure and technology

The body of the Lynx was designed by Lea-Francis' PR chief , a British cartoonist who worked part-time . It was based on the ideas of Kenneth Benfield. The Lynx was a two-door, two-seat convertible with a long front section and a short rear section. Benfield wanted a " catamaran for the road"; therefore the sides of the car were designed in the style of ship hulls . When viewed from the side, they were shaped like a cigar. The fenders flowed into the doors and tapered to a point at the rear. Above it were tail fins that appeared to be attached . The central radiator opening on the front of the car was circular. Two of the specimens had additional, horizontally arranged radiator openings to the left and right; partially bumpers were mounted.

The tubular frame of the Lynx was not a new development. Rather, it was a further development of a design that had already been presented in 1948. The car had disc brakes from Dunlop and a newly designed steering rack . The 2.6-liter in-line six-cylinder engine was taken over from the Ford Zephyr , the manual transmission came from the Triumph TR3 .

The top speed of the Lynx was specified at the factory as 103 mph (= 166 km / h ), the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h was estimated at 11.6 seconds.

literature

Giles Chapman: The worst cars ever sold. The History Press, Stroud 2011, ISBN 978-0-7509-4714-5 .

Web links

Commons : Lea-Francis Lynx - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ In 1982 ("Lea-Francis Ace of Spades") and 1998 ("30/230") there were attempts to revive the brand. These were independent companies that only used the naming rights to Lea-Francis. The respective vehicles got stuck in the prototype stage or only a few copies were made.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Giles Chapman: The worst cars ever sold . The History Press, Stroud 2011, ISBN 978-0-7509-4714-5 , pp. 64 f.
↑ ^a ^b The Lea-Francis Lynx on the website of the Lea-Francis Owners Club (lfoc) (accessed April 10, 2014).
↑ Technical data of the Lea-Francis Lynx on the website www.automobile-catalog.com (accessed on April 10, 2014).

[1] In 1982 ("Lea-Francis Ace of Spades") and 1998 ("30/230") there were attempts to revive the brand. These were independent companies that only used the naming rights to Lea-Francis. The respective vehicles got stuck in the prototype stage or only a few copies were made.

[Chapman-2] Giles Chapman: The worst cars ever sold . The History Press, Stroud 2011, ISBN 978-0-7509-4714-5 , pp. 64 f.

[lfoc-3] The Lea-Francis Lynx on the website of the Lea-Francis Owners Club (lfoc) (accessed April 10, 2014).

[4] Technical data of the Lea-Francis Lynx on the website www.automobile-catalog.com (accessed on April 10, 2014).