One of a Kind Rides: James Brown's Anglia

By Danny White
Photo by Jim White

James Brown’s Anglia is the car featured for the second round of one of a kind rides. By 1977, it was the fastest Anglia bodied racecar in the world. The infamous Anglia was neither fish nor foul. It was not a true funny car, but was not a true altered either. This car is still legendary in Texas to this day, 28 years since it was last run. This was the third Anglia Brown raced. The first Anglia was a class legal gasser. It could be seen in the A/G or B/G class. It was replaced by a fliptop funny car style Anglia in 1971. The second car ran in the eight-second range with an injected nitro Chevrolet engine. The car in the photo was built in 1973.

Fellow Anglia racer Dennis Piranio built the chassis at his Performance Engines shop. James Brown and Ray Russell mounted the body. The car was built to race on the Texas Anglia Circuit. The group consisted of all kinds of Anglias from Brown’s flip top to Piranio’s true AA/Gasser. Brown’s Anglia was usually the favorite to win because of the performance advantage it had. Due to the short wheelbase of the Anglia, complete straight runs were not the norm! A blown alcohol Chevrolet replaced the injected nitro version. It has been reported that Brown sometimes ran a little nitro in the car after receiving a blower.

Brown sometimes raced the car in Texas Pro Comp shows against the dragsters and funny cars. He was not successful, but he tried! The car's best time was a reported 7.17 at 190 plus. Brown's car was featured in such magazines such as "Wacky Wheels" because of its uniqueness. By 1977, the Texas Pro Anglia circuit was dead. Brown started running the car with a Vega body in BB/FC races. James last ran the Anglia in 1977. Brown and Russell built a new Mustang II to race on the new All-American Funny Car Circuit with "Kool Klutch" sponsorship. James Brown raced funny cars until he died of cancer in 1993.

Danny White