Crosley-powered Jabro Mk. I

Over 150 cars are expected at this year's Put-in-Bay Sports Car Races. Everything from Jaguars to a Berkeley. To make your life simpler, we'll be sharing information on some cars that you won't want to miss. Why are they not to be missed you ask...? Because they are some of the smallest among the small-bore racers. The HMODs. And yes...that Berkeley too.

Jabros (like the Mk.I pictured above) were the brainchild of James Broadwell. Taking advantage of the success of the H-Modified class, and recognizing a need in the market, Broadwell turned an interest in cars and racing into a cottage industry. He designed and built a small racer -- using Crosley running gear -- and named it the Jabro (JAmes BROadwell) Junior. From this first creation he went on to design the Jabro Mk.I and Mk.II in 1957. The more streamlined Jabro Mk.III and IV were developed and marketed later -- often being described as looking like mini Maserati Birdcages. Broadwell offered complete cars, bodies, frames, components, or simply plans to prospective racers. While it's not known how many Jabros were built, enough still exist to warrant the creation of a Jabro Owner's Registry.