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Origins
The Jupiter of 1950 clothed the Javelin's advanced mechanicals in a tubular chassis — designed with input from ex-Auto Union engineer Robert Eberan von Eberhorst — and an open three-seater body, creating Jowett's first true sports car. The 1.5-litre flat-four's modest power was offset by aerodynamics and roadholding, and the results embarrassed larger machinery: class wins at Le Mans in 1950, 1951 and 1952, plus a class one-two at Monte Carlo. Around 900 were built, some as rolling chassis for coachbuilders, before the parent company's 1954 collapse ended everything. The Jupiter's combination — advanced engineering, tiny maker, giant-killing results — made it a cult object ever after. For three summers, the fastest 1.5-litre production sports car at La Sarthe came from Idle, Yorkshire.
Flat Four Jowett Engine from a Jowett Jupiter · Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0
