Jappic

Jappic was a very small English cyclecar associated with the 1925 Brooklands racing scene. It was designed by H. M. Walters and constructed by the Wimbledon coachbuilder Jarvis, using a compact JAP motorcycle engine rather than a conventional automobile power unit. The result was a lightweight, narrow two-seater intended to combine minimal construction with the performance potential of a racing machine. The first Jappic appeared at the Easter Monday meeting at Brooklands in 1925. Its mechanical layout reflected cyclecar practice of the period: a single-cylinder, two-port overhead-valve JAP engine drove through a three-speed gearbox, with the final drive transmitted by chain to the rear axle. The original engine had a 344 cc capacity, with an approximately 74 mm bore and 80 mm stroke. The chassis used an ash-wood frame reinforced with thin steel flitch plates and tubular cross-members, helping keep the car's weight low. Suspension and braking were correspondingly simple. The car used motorcycle-sized 650 x 65 tyres, had expanding rear brakes, and did not have front brakes. Walters demonstrated the Jappic's speed at Brooklands by setting a Class J flying-mile record at 70.33 mph. This was a notable achievement for such a small vehicle and gave the car significance beyond its limited production and competition use. By 1926, the original engine had been replaced by a larger 495 cc JAP unit, apparently in an effort to improve performance. The vehicle was later acquired by Mrs Gwenda Stewart, who renamed it Hawkes-Stewart and refitted the original 344 cc engine. In this later form it continued to be associated with the period's small-car and record-oriented motoring culture. The original car was destroyed in a garage fire at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in 1932. Jarvis of Wimbledon subsequently intended to build replicas, but no period replicas are known to have been produced. The Jappic therefore remained an unusual and short-lived example of the British cyclecar tradition rather than becoming an established mass-market marque. Its historical importance rests mainly on its lightweight engineering, its Brooklands record, and its survival in automotive literature as a distinctive one-off or very limited-production design. In 2019, two modern replicas appeared at the Vintage Revival Montlhéry event. One had been built in the United Kingdom and the other in New Zealand. These replicas renewed interest in the design, but they do not represent a revival of the original Jappic as an operating manufacturer. The historical Jappic is best understood as a defunct British cyclecar project and competition-oriented automobile associated with Jarvis, Walters, and JAP-engine technology.

Jappic emerged in England during the mid-1920s, when cyclecars occupied a niche between motorcycles and full-sized automobiles. These vehicles generally emphasized low weight, modest engine capacity, and comparatively simple construction. Jappic followed that formula but was also shaped by the sporting environment of Brooklands, where small cars could compete in classes based on engine capacity and demonstrate their potential through timed runs. The car was designed by H. M. Walters and built by Jarvis of Wimbledon, a coachbuilding firm in southwest London. Its first recorded appearance was at the Easter Monday Brooklands meeting in 1925. Rather than using a dedicated automobile engine, the car employed a 344 cc JAP single-cylinder motorcycle engine. The unit was a two-port overhead-valve design with a 74 mm bore and 80 mm stroke. Power passed through a three-speed gearbox and then by chain drive to the rear axle. Jappic's construction was notably light. The frame was made from ash wood, reinforced by 3/32-inch steel flitch plates and tubular cross-members. The wheels used 650 x 65 motorcycle tyres. Braking was limited to expanding brakes on the rear axle, with no front brakes, illustrating both the engineering compromises and the period standards surrounding very light cyclecars. Walters achieved an important early result when he drove the car to a Class J flying-mile record of 70.33 mph. The performance established Jappic as more than a domestic runabout: it was a small competition machine capable of considerable speed for its engine size. By 1926, the car had received a larger 495 cc JAP engine. The change appears to have been intended to increase performance, although the available historical record does not provide a complete account of the car's competition results during this configuration. The vehicle later passed to Mrs Gwenda Stewart. Under her ownership it was renamed Hawkes-Stewart, and the original 344 cc JAP engine was installed again. The change of name reflected the car's transition from its original Jappic identity to a later personal and competition identity. Its career ended in 1932, when the car was destroyed in a garage fire at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France. Jarvis of Wimbledon is reported to have intended to construct replicas, but no replicas are believed to have been completed at that time. Consequently, Jappic did not develop into a continuing commercial marque or a regular production line. Its legacy survived through accounts of British cyclecars, Brooklands competition, and lightweight automotive engineering. The design received a further historical and enthusiast revival in 2019, when two replicas appeared at the Vintage Revival Montlhéry event. One replica was constructed in the United Kingdom and another in New Zealand. These cars demonstrate continuing interest in Jappic's distinctive form and racing history, but they do not indicate that the original manufacturer resumed operations. Jappic remains a defunct and highly specialized British cyclecar name associated with a single notable design.

• 2019

  Modern replicas displayed

  [1]Jappicen.wikipedia.org

  Two Jappic replicas appeared at Vintage Revival Montlhéry, one built in the United Kingdom and one in New Zealand.

• 1932

  Original car destroyed

  [1]Jappicen.wikipedia.org

  The vehicle was destroyed in a garage fire at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry.

• 1926

  Engine upgrade

  [1]Jappicen.wikipedia.org

  The original 344 cc JAP engine was replaced by a larger 495 cc JAP engine.

• 1925

  First Brooklands appearance

  [1]Jappicen.wikipedia.org

  The Jappic was first entered at the Easter Monday meeting at Brooklands in England.

• 1925

  Class J flying-mile record

  [1]Jappicen.wikipedia.org

  H. M. Walters drove the car to a Class J flying-mile record of 70.33 mph.

A lightweight, performance-oriented British cyclecar designed for competition and speed-record use rather than volume production.

• Cyclecar · 1925

  Jappic two-seat cyclecar

  The Jappic was a tiny two-seat cyclecar designed by H. M. Walters and built by Jarvis of Wimbledon. Its lightweight ash frame used steel flitch plates and tubular cross-members. The original car was powered by a 344 cc two-port overhead-valve JAP single-cylinder motorcycle engine connected to a three-speed gearbox and chain-driven rear axle. It used motorcycle tyres, rear-only expanding brakes, and no front brakes. A 495 cc JAP engine was fitted by 1926 before the car later returned to its original engine under the name Hawkes-Stewart.

• 1926

  Replacement of the original JAP engineGeneration change

  Background

  The original Jappic used a 344 cc JAP motorcycle engine, and the car had already demonstrated strong performance in Class J competition.

  Action taken

  By 1926, the engine was replaced with a larger 495 cc JAP unit, changing the car's mechanical specification.

  Aftermath

  The vehicle was later acquired by Mrs Gwenda Stewart, renamed Hawkes-Stewart, and refitted with its original 344 cc engine.

  Source

1. 1Jappicen.wikipedia.org