Description Rock-solid South African import; highly original; believed to be the earliest Javelin in roadworthy condition; driven 40 miles to the sale Famously the only car maker in Bradford, Jowett specialised in light, low cost cars with bags of torque and robust build quality ideally suited to the rough and hilly roads of Yorkshire.

But the car that really put them on the map was the Javelin, a compact family saloon that was so far ahead of its UK rivals that it had more in common with the best European light cars by the likes of Lancia, Fiat and BMW.

Designed by Gerald Palmer and launched in 1947, it was powered by a superb 50bhp 1.5-litre flat-four engine featuring an aluminium block and wet cylinder liners which gave it a maximum speed of 77mph and a 0-50mph time of 13.4 seconds.

Power was fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed column-change gearbox and gave the Javelin performance that wouldn't feel out of place in a car 40 years' its junior.

The Javelin went through five v...