Here Bonhams is privileged to offer a truly illustrious little all-British racing singe-seater from the immediate pre-war era of 1938-39, which will forever be remembered for its charismatic and extrovert second owner/driver, the great George Abecassis – later creator of HW Motors and of the HWM racing team which brought to the fore such world-class talents as Stirling Moss, Peter Collins and Lance Macklin.

For many years through the 1930s Geoffrey Taylor's Alta Engineering company, based in Surbiton, Surrey, had been building racing cars, all of which were conventionally sprung and which utilized a chassis of two-seater width that was interchangeable with the company's sports chassis.

In these cars the engines and transmission were offset to the driver's left, with what was picturesquely described as "1½-seater" bodywork.

In 1937 an entirely new true slimline centre-drive single-seat racing car was built by Geoffrey Taylor to the order of an aspiring young owner/driver with a somew...