Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

The Jowett Javelin was a four-door saloon, built from 1947 through to 1953. An advanced design in many ways, various reliability wobbles - especially relating to the gearbox - contributed to it not being the huge seller the factory hoped for.

Len emailed over the following photos, of a derelict RHD Javelin that friends of his stumbled upon in East Africa of all places. Quite what the story with this car is, I don't know. Was it being prepared for an epic restoration that never happened? Or, did it act as a parts donor for another example? I've no idea, but if more information comes to light, I'll drop it in here.

Anyway, here are the photos Smile

RJ
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Rootes75 · Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:30 pm Post subject:

It still surprises me when you think of how much and how far and wide we exported vehicles after the war.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4755 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
Don't know what the required figures or %s were, but companies had to export a sizeable proportion of their product to ensure future raw material supplies.
As an example Bristol exported 150 cars out of 1080 produced between '47 and '53, nearly 14%
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Any 2 from:-
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kitisuru · Joined: 01 Dec 2011 Posts: 17

What is the location in East Africa? I am in Kenya, would love to know...

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

Rootes75 · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 12:37 pm Post subject:

Wasn't it termed 'Export or Die'?
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

PAUL BEAUMONT · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 1281 Location: Barnsley S. Yorks

All of the post-war Jowetts were exported quite widely. The Javelin was designed by Gerald Palmer with export in mind. He had spent a good bit of his life in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and understood things like road clearances needed for such territories. It is interesting that this Javelin is RHD. The Javelin was made in both RHD and LHD variants.
Yes the message was "export or die", the punitive Purchase tax which probably contributed more to the Javelin's demise than it reliability problems, was designed to force exports. Steel allocation was dependent on export numbers.