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The Vale Special (sometimes just Vale) was a British sports car made between 1932 and 1935 in Maida Vale, London.Dave Cox, Ave Atque Vale - the story of the Vale Special
The cars were initially handmade and based on Triumph Motor Company components. What made the car 'special' was its low-slung chassis, considered a remedy to the poor road-holding of small sports cars.Cox, p.11 The first cars used the 832 cc side-valve engine from the Triumph Super 7 fitted to an 84-inch wheelbase chassis bought in from Rubery Owen, semi-elliptic leaf springs all round, and the hydraulic brakes and axles from the Triumph.Cox, p.30, p.59 The top speed was only 65 mph (105 km/h),Cox, p.63 which was too slow for serious sporting events: so from 1933 a 1098 cc, overhead-inlet, side-exhaust, four-cylinder, Coventry Climax engine was offered, followed in 1934 by the 1476 cc six-cylinder version of the same engine.
Most of the cars had lightweight two-seater open bodies with fold-flat windscreens, but a four-seat version on a long-wheelbase chassis, called the 'Tourette', was available with the larger-engined versions.Cox, p.42
In 1933 a new model, the Vale 'Vixen', was proposed with a larger engine size, longer 102 inch wheelbase on a stronger chassis, a redesigned steering system and other improvements. The blueprint exists, but a complete car was never built.Cox, pp.59-61
Around 55-60 cars had been built by the company when production stopped in 1935, though some have suggested that there were more, up to 80.Cox, p.147
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