Spectacular but oft forgotten Squire ...

[Wouter Melissen]

To kick off the new year in style, we take a look at one of the finest British sports cars built before the War, which is sadly also one of the least known; the Squire 1500. It was named after its creator, Adrian Squire, who was just 21 years old when started the design of his no-compromise sports car in 1931. Four years later it was ready and featured a stiffer chassis and better brakes than any of its rivals. Power came from the equally sophisticated 'Anzani R1' twin-cam, four-cylinder engine. All this sophistication did put the small Squire in the price bracket of established companies like Bugatti and Alfa Romeo. Eventually only seven examples were produced by Adrian Squire and just three of these were sold to a customer by the factory. Under new ownership, three additional cars were built in 1937. Unfortunately Adrian Squire faired little better than his company as he was killed during a bomb-raid while working for Bristol in 1940. All but one of the cars have survived and only change hands very rarely.
We were very fortunate to run into two of the survivors in 2010. The first one is this Markham Roadster, which was the second prototype and the first Squire sold a customer. Its original, luxurious Vanden Plas coach-work was replaced very early in its life by a much lighter Markham body to go racing. Fittingly we captured the car both at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and a week later in action during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. The second is the unique Corsica Roadster, which was one of the three additional cars. We had already this Vanden Plas Sports Tourer a few years earlier.
Rounding off we would like to wish you, our many readers, a happy and prosperous new year.

Enjoy the links:

1935 Squire 1500 Markham Roadster - Images, Specifications and Information

2011 Kia KV7 Concept - Images, Specifications and Information

2010 Mercedes-Benz B 55 AMG Concept - Images, Specifications and Information

1937 Squire 1500 Corsica Roadster - Images, Specifications and Information

[ian knipe]

Hi wouter,
what a super car this is and is indeed the car i thought it was.it was brought to south africa by the late barry morton and was raced quite successfully until eventually sold to jack huysamer a cyclist and successfull business man.i can remember the exhaust being on the side near ones elbow and one was burnt very often even though it was lagged! Jack was my dads best mate so we saw the car very often as kids.years went buy and as i grew older i also became interested in old cars and one day when on the first international vintage car rally,held in south africa, there it was with jackie and his wife pat in this same car .its a pretty long story from there but uncle jackie went for a triple bypass and unfortunately died on the table.i was devastated to say the least.anyway barry morton and the crankhandle then chairman tony white found a buyer for the car,for pat, in the uk,in the form of roy palmer ,who has a red one,this car was then sold i believe to a doctor in austria and i think this is the chap who has done this incredible restoration on her keep up the good work and i hope one day to be able to see this car agin wherever it may be

[csl177]

Just saw the Corsica roadster at Cavallino... simply stunning.