The Twin Cam Sports Racer produced by H.R.G. in 1954 is one of the world’s rarest cars, with only a handful of examples being built. The striking, streamlined car was the result of several years experience gained in international sports car racing.The company itself dated from before the Second World War, with the three letters in the name referring to its founding members. E.A. Halford, Guy Robins and Henry Ronald Godfrey started producing low volume, high quality cars in 1936. Godfrey had previously been a partner in the successful G.N. comp any which produced cycle cars. Based in Surrey, England, H.R.G. quickly made an impression on the racing fraternity. One of their cars won the 1.5 litre class at Le Mans in 1939, a feat the company repeated ten years later.The Twin Cam was a highly sophisticated machine for the time. It featured a tubular chassis which gave excellent rigidity and spider’ alloy wheels which were sturdier than the traditional wire spoke arrangements. They also allowed brakes to be changed quickly, a significant advantage in endurance races.The brakes themselves were of the disc variety, highly unusual for the early 1950s, when drum brakes were still very much the norm. Coupled with hydraulic calipers they provided efficient stopping power with nowhere near as much degradation as drums.Power came from a 1.5 litre, four cylinder Singer engine fitted with an H.R.G. twin cam head. The compact unit produced well over 100bhp. The combined weight of the car was considerably less than its competitors but because it was hand built it cost considerably more. Initial tests of the engine were carried out by racing driver David Blakely. His career was cut short when he was murdered by Ruth Ellis, the last person to hang in Britain.It seemed as though the Twin Cam engine had found a second home when Singer started using it for their Hunter 75 saloon car, but in total only around 20 examples were completed. In total H.R.G. only produced around 200 cars during the company’s lifespan. Today they are much sought after, none more so than the Twin Cam Sports Racer. An example recently fetched over $ 88,000 (44,000) at auction. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11