The highly advanced front-wheel-drive sports car from the company that began manufacturing guns

The Birmingham Small Arms company, better known as BSA, was founded in Coventry, England, in 1861 as a manufacturer of sporting and military firearms. When the internal combustion engine became the go-to powertrain for vehicles of transportation, BSA branched out into the building of motorcycles, of which it is most famous for. But from 1907 to 1939, they also built automobiles, like the 1937 Scout Tourer featured here.  

Decades before front-wheel-drive became popular, the engineers at BSA created this stylish automobile that had remarkable steering and handling characteristics. With seating for four, and looking very much like an MG, this well-proportioned touring car was powered by a sidevalve four-cylinder engine displacing 1,203cc (73.5 cubic inches). With a compression ratio of 6.5:1 and a single SU carburetor, it produced 32 horsepower at 4,250 RPM and was connected to a three-speed manual gearbox integral with the differential and is mounted in front of the engine.

With a base price of $1,051, a total of 3,000 Scout Tourers were built. With a top speed of 65 miles per hour, it wasn’t a fast car but rather one to enjoy leisurely rides with three friends aboard.

Margo and George Rapp of Florida own this Series 4 model BSA, car number 73. George said that “Owning this BSA is an ongoing restoration that still continues, but it’s certainly well worth it.” As to the way it drives, George told us, “Being low to the ground, it feels like you are going faster than you really are. You have to constantly be aware of the braking conditions because of the mechanical drum brakes. It handles and corners well and has a turning radius of 20 feet. But when shifting, which is really smooth, you must be careful because it is not a synchromesh gearbox. As far as we know, there are only three BSA Scouts here in the U.S., and we are very proud that one of them is ours.”