Ango-Italian of the rarest order: The Farina Jupiter, one of four built.
By Pete Vack, Pat Lockyer and Edmund Nankivell
Recently a rare Stablimenti Farina-bodied Jowett Jupiter came to our attention. It is particularly charming, and based on a very advanced British chassis, at a time when British chassis were not particularly advanced.
Jowett had been building two cylinder and flat four cars since 1906, with a considerable degree of success. In 1947, Jowett introduced a truly remarkable car, the Javelin, which featured a 1500cc flat four, torsion-bar springing all round – independent at the front, live axle at the rear with an excellent Panhard rod location, and a very aerodynamic body. This was followed by the Jupiter, first exhibited at the Earls Court Motor Show of October 1949. This was followed by the Jupiter, whose chassis was first exhibited at the Earls Court Motor Show of October 1949. The stiff tubular frame with rack and pinion steering was designed at ERA (Dunstable) by the famous Auto Union engineer Dr. Robert Eberan-Eberhorst. The two-seater Jupiter was capable of over 90 mph. The Jowett engine was from the Javelin, a 1500cc flat four watercooled ohv but with twin-carbs on a cross-flow head.