BSA edges closer to finally hitting the road
Many British-made cars were exported to Australia prior to WW2, among them a 1938 BSA Scout front-wheel-drive Series 5 two-seater. It was sold by motorcycle dealer Taylors of Adelaide and finished in black with green trim. No record of ownership is known until early the 1960s, when it was bought by Vernon Schuppan needing some restoration work and with a badly damaged engine.
Schuppan, better known as Vern, was a karting champion who came to the UK to try his luck in singleseaters. In 1971 he won the British Formula Atlantic Championship, leading to Formula One drives with BRM, Ensign, Embassy Racing and Surtees. He had much more success in sports cars, including a Le Mans win in 1983 with Porsche.
In 1986 he made a request to the BSA Front Wheel Drive Club for parts to help with the restoration. He had the BSA shipped over in 1992 but in ’94 sold the unrestored car to Paul Andrews, who in turn sold it in 1999 to John Chadwick of Kineton, Warwickshire. A keen BSA Front Wheel Drive Club member, Chadwick started the restoration but sadly died before he had completed the bodywork.
Dave Parkin acquired the BSA in 2020. “The Scout has been undergoing restoration for around 60 years,” he says. “The rolling chassis has now been completely restored and the Chadwick-built bodyshell has been fitted to it.
“The original damaged engine is not with the car, but a very closely numbered unit is awaiting rebuild. The original gearbox has been rebuilt by Peter Cook. Because the car has never been registered in the UK, the DVLA insists on inspecting the completed car before an agerelated number can be issued.”
“The car’s been undergoing restoration for around 60 years. The rolling chassis is now complete and the bodyshell has been fitted”