1921 GN Vitesse
1921 GN Vitesse
1921 GN Vitesse
Chassis:
#1202
Engine:
#SH355
Registration:
#WC 1013
Price:
SOLD
Duty:
UK
1921 GN Vitesse – Light Car with BSA V-Twin and 3 Speed Gearbox plus Reverse.
I hope you will forgive the lack of sales pitch— I think the pictures speak for themselves.
Found in stripped, barn-find condition in the early 2000s, the car included many apparently original GN parts and an ash-framed Vitesse-style body of some age.
The engine is an air-cooled BSA V-twin 1,075 cc, which fires instantly and runs evenly. Recent works include a replacement rear axle shaft, the original having been bent.
Our client has owned the car for just over three years and has enjoyed it in numerous light-car events, including a trip to Montlhéry Vintage Revival in 2024, alongside a friend in his French Salmson S4C — also from the same stable.
It features a three-speed gearbox with a useful reverse.
Early contact is recommended.
GN Vitesse – A Brief History
The GN was founded in 1909 by H.R. Godfrey and Archibald Frazer‑Nash in London, producing lightweight, sporting cyclecars. After World War I, GN became one of Britain’s leading cyclecar makers, focusing on agile two-seaters. The Vitesse, introduced around 1921–1922, was a higher-performance variant of the standard GN, featuring an overhead-cam V-twin engine and a slightly stiffer chassis that made it quicker and more responsive than the regular side-valve models.
Retaining the classic lightweight, chain-driven chassis, the Vitesse paired a tuned 1,087 cc OHC V-twin with a two-seat layout, giving the car a distinctly sporty character; in period trim, it could reach speeds over 70 mph, aimed at enthusiasts seeking something livelier than the standard GN. By 1923, the cyclecar boom was fading, and production of the Vitesse and other GN models ended. Frazer‑Nash went on to produce his own sports cars, while the GN marque quietly disappeared.
Today, the Vitesse is prized by collectors for its engineering, lightness, and sporting character — a standout example of British cyclecar design.
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