Lot details
Registration No: 997 UXN
Chassis No: TCM4
Mot Expiry: May 2011

This stunning sports car was the brainchild of Major Russ Hopf. Born in Antigo, Wisconsin during 1910, the future American Air Force officer spent his teenage years tuning and modifying a series of Ford Model Ts. Stationed at the March Air Force Base near Riverside, California after World War Two, he struck-up a friendship with importer / dealer Al Pernett from whom he purchased a MG TC and Jaguar XK120 amongst others. Joining forces to acquire a MG K3 that the airman had located in England, the duo made a series of trips across the Atlantic during which they hatched a plan to go fifty-fifty on building their own sports car.

The project gained significant momentum when Hopf was posted to the UK during the mid 1950s. After a series of dead ends, the American was introduced to John Tojeiro by John Gordon (of Gordon-Keeble fame). Working from premises on Ernie Bailey's farm near Royston at the time - the man who had helped him secure the AC Ace chassis design contract a few years earlier - the legendary designer had already completed several spaceframe cars including the highly successful Tojeiro-Jaguar commissioned by John Ogier.

Unperturbed by Hopf's idea of a limited production run, Tojeiro set about creating a state of the art sports car. The resultant machine - chassis number TCM4 - became one of a small group of Climax-engined Tojeiros built but differed from its siblings by being intended primarily for road rather than competition use. Thus, it featured a coil-sprung 'live' back axle and four-wheel disc brakes, while the other Tojeiro-Climax cars typically utilised a De Dion set-up and single disc brake to the rear (the latter mounted to the side of the differential).

Boasting more than a few sports racer 'genes', the Hopf-Tojeiro's spaceframe chassis was equipped with unequal-length double-wishbone front suspension and rack and pinion steering. Initially fed by twin SU carburettors, its four-cylinder Coventry-Climax 1100cc FWA-series engine was allied to a MG A four-speed manual gearbox (mirroring contemporary Lotus Elite practice). Entrusted to Williams & Pritchard but penned by Hopf himself, the two-seater's super sleek aluminium bodywork began to take shape during late 1957.

The American Air Force officer cited the BMW 507 as his principal inspiration but it is not difficult to see echoes of Ferrari 250 GT to the nose or Chevrolet Corvette to the tail. A special order from Dunlop, the car's wire wheels reputedly took some eight months to arrive and its Smiths instruments were affected by a similar delay. Such unexpected hiatuses meant that the project had not long been completed when Hopf was transferred back to the March Air Force Base in 1960. Put on display at Pernett's showroom, the Tojeiro-Climax - which the airman intended to call the 'Spitfire' had it gone into series production - attracted plenty of admirers but no takers.

A further career move from California to Texas prompted Hopf to sell his share in the unique two-seater and later that same year Pernett advertised it for sale in Road & Track magazine with an asking price of $5,900 (some $2,000 more than a contemporary 'Vette). Subsequently bought by one of Pernett's mechanics, chassis TCM4 then passed to an Alfa Romeo dealer in Riverside who fitted it with a Ford V6 engine. Hopf asked the car's new custodian for first refusal should it be put to market again but by the time he next visited Riverside the dealership was closed and his creation gone.

Resurfacing in a 1985 issue of Hemmings Motor News, the Tojeiro-Climax was snapped up by George Raterink (complete with what purported to be its original FWA-series engine). The proprietor of the Mountain View Motor Sport Park in Mead, Colorado, he had the two-seater resprayed in Ditzler Candy Apple Red and suitably prepared before entering it for the Monterey Historics and Steamboat Springs race meetings on August 22nd 1986 and August 29th 1986 respectively. Running on twin Weber carburettors, the car faltered at Monterey but performed much better at Steamboat where Raterink was approached by one of Pernett's old mechanics who not only recounted its history but also supplied Hopf's phone number.

With its identity confirmed, the Hopf-Tojeiro was bought by Fred and Fritz Fisher of Baltimore in November 1986. The pair drove chassis TCM4 at various East Coast events such as Pocono and Pittsburgh but found that its weight (circa 630kg with fuel, oil and water aboard) was a handicap when compared to younger or lighter machinery. Having campaigned the two-seater at Bridgehampton during August 1989, the Fishers sold it the following year via a Barrett Jackson auction to Mille Miglia Sport & Race Cars of Beverley Hills, Los Angeles.

Shipped to Mille Miglia Handels GmbH of Munich (the parent company), the one-off Tojeiro-Climax was then purchased by Herr Alfred Weber of Plattling-Bayern in July 1991 for 440,000DM. Issued with a FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form as a Class E Sports Car Prototype by the Oberste Nationale Sportkommission für den Automobisport in Deutschland (ONS) on 3rd September 1991, it is understood to have contested the Belgian Historic Rally, Rally Vitava CZ, Rallye Bavaria and OT Grand Prix over the next four years. Interestingly, the FIA HVIF gives the car's engine capacity as 1098cc but quotes an engine number of FWB 400-158421 (the FWB-series powerplants are more normally of 1500cc).

Apparently treated to some 57,650DM worth of engine work and general fettling by Sportwagen Loffelsender of Gladbach during April - August 1993, chassis TCM4 joined the collection of Delmenhorst resident Claus Ellerman some two years later. Sharing garage space with various Porsches over the next decade, the Hopf-Tojeiro was prepared for, but not used on, the 2005 Meran Rally. Advertised by Schroder & Weise Classics GmbH, the Hopf-Tojeiro entered the current ownership in July 2005. Forming part of a private UK-based collection ever since, this bespoke Tojeiro-Climax sports car remains highly presentable and is offered for sale with a spare Coventry-Climax FWA-series engine (1100cc), UK V5C Registration Document and history file (including DEKRA paperwork, the expired FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form and a Sports Car Illustrated article by Peter Vack entitled The Hopf-Tojeiro 'The American Dream Includes Englishmen, too . . .' etc).

A fascinating and ultra-rare Anglo-American hybrid, this historic Tojeiro is worthy of close inspection.

PLEASE NOTE: The vendor informs us that the 'Hopf-Tojeiro' is currently fitted with a 1500cc Coventry Climax engine developing circa 148hp.

PLEASE NOTE: Graham Gauld the author of 'Toj - John Tojeiro and his cars' has kindly informed us that this lot was originally issued with the chassis number TCM4. However, the chassis number which appears on the car's (later) chassis plate and V5C Registration Document is FWA 40067480.