Alright, it’s time to post something that doesn’t involve shitty photoshops or lame sports rants. I know in the long run it really doesn’t matter because nobody cares about what I post, but at least I’d feel better about my tumblr if I discussed something outside the usual detritus.
I’ve felt for some time now that the 1935 Squire 1500 Markham Roadster has represented the epitome of sports car design in the 30’s, although I could never hash out exactly why. I suppose I’m fond of it’s subdued elegance. The grille is sloped just enough to give the illusion of aerodynamics, while the wide stance and low-slung seating position suggest it’s sporting intentions. In fact, I think it looks like a classy version of a modern day hot-rod. It’s simply magnificent.
However, up until today, I’ve never really had a reason to adore the Squire beyond it’s aesthetics. I mean, it’s pretty, but so are a lot of other cars from the 30’s. The Squire truely became special to me after a little bit of research. As it turns out, these are some pretty interesting cars.
First off, Squire was founded by a man named Adrian Squire in 1931. What makes this unique is that Mr. Squire was in his early 20’s in 1931, although he already had experience working with Bentley and MG. Still, creating a car company from scratch in any era is exceedingly difficult, especially for someone under 30. Squire’s dream was to create a sports car that would rival the very best the world had to offer. He started off by building around the one area his competitors lacked: handling. The Squire’s frame was built to be very rigid, allowing the car itself to be softly sprung. This attribute, combined with the oversized 15.5 inch Magnesium (!) brakes, gave the Squire unbelievable road-going characteristics.
What I found admirable was the fact that Squire decided not to use a mass produced engine and instead went for a lesser known power plant, the Azani R1. Coupled with a supercharger, the R1 produced around 110hp. While this number may not be mind-blowing in today’s world, keep in mind the little R1 was only 1500cc’s. That’s nearly 100hp per liter, which is a very respectable number to this day. The Squire also had a pre-select gearbox, which I admittedly know little about. I believe it was similar to the type of gearbox’s used on the grand prix cars of it’s era.
Unfortunately, the Squire was much too expensive for what it was, and only 10 were produced before the company ceased production in 1937. Nine Squires remain, with only one coming to market in the past decade. So, not only was the Squire 1500 beautiful, it was also extremely advanced and possibly very quick. My only hope is to possibly see one of these gems in person. That’d be pretty cool.
