JowettTalk

To All of You,

Do you remember the full page Castrol advertisement that appeared in motoring magazines during the mid-1960s?

The main illustration showed a pristine Javelin being hoisted by a crane's claw-like grab, through the car's side windows, above a scrap yard of damaged cars. The advertisement was depicting the fact that, if good quality oil had been used, the good condition car need not have been scrapped.

At that time, the Javelin was probably the most easily accessible orphan, hence its use in the advertisement. It was this advertisement that caused quite a stir amongst Javelin owners. This was to the extent that Castrol commissioned an art-quality print of the R1 Jowett Jupiter and copies were distributed to members of the JCC.

How many of us still have their print? In addition to that question, how many still have it hanging on the wall?

Mine is still in pride of place, now beside the Roy Nockolds Jupiter print that the JOAC did as a very early computer scan.

However, amongst my old magazines, I have not yet found one that contains the Castrol advertisement. So, my collection of Jowett 'art' is not complete!

Regards to all,

Mike Allfrey.

I still have my Castrol print, although it is not on the wall.

I don't believe I have the Castrol ad, although I remember it well.

Philip

17 JCC members wrote off to Castrol and complained, hence they changed the advert and did the print of which you speak. Am pleased to say my Dad was one of the 17. No print here though and no horrific pictures either.

Mine's rolled up in its postal tube in the loft.

It would stick out like a sore thumb on the lobby wall amongst the vintage and pre-wars.

Tony.

Dear Tony,

Ah! But you have kept it!

That's great,

Mike A.

Hi Mike,

That's my trouble. I seem to keep a lot of things that "just might come in handy", especially where the Jowetts are concerned. Tonight I went again to nightschool - Classics and Kit cars - and it was the first of 10 Wednesdays 7-9pm. I've been going now for some years and that's how I made a lot of the bits for the Flying Fox. Anyway, they must have been having a clear-out of their stores, so I've come away with several pieces of flat ground bar of varied thicknesses and sizes, bearing pullers, half inch round steel bar, 7/16" brass hexagonal bar, a pack of sheet steel shims covering several thous of thickness, and even the front lens of an old epidiascope!! I'll bet they'll all come in some day as long as I Iive to receive a birthday card from our Queen.

They will all go into one or other of the garages, and as long as I don't try to re-arrange the contents, I'll be able to find them at the drop of a hat when I need them. There are times when I forget where I've put various bits and pieces, but if it's Jowett-related the recollection is instant!!

Thanks for the wonderful technical notes you've spent so much time on and shared with us all,

Best wishes,

Tony.

My copy is still up in the loft - along with my Sotheby's Catalogue of the sale where the 'Beaulieu' Javelin was sold (I was the underbidder). I haven't seen either of them for years!

Point for Tony though (Please - I am on the scrounge again!) - by any chance are any of the shims you mention about 0.003" thick?

If so, are any of them big enough to cut a strip about 1/2" wide and 15 - 18" long?

I have an idea for a repair scheme for pre-war steering boxes.

Here's hoping!

What about scanning and putting in the Gallery?

I have posted a not-very-good photograph of my framed Castrol print in my Gallery, here: TOPIC