 Saturday 19th august saw the re-union of two rare Bentleys at Prescott Hill Climb venue, and even torrential rain and thunder storms did nothing to damped the excitement of the owners. Lawrence Bleasdale has owned his green car, chassis number B125MX for 13 years and at a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club meeting was stunned to see another 41/4 Over-Drive model with the very next number plate to him on display. Making friends with the owner of B201MX, ex racing driver Hamish Orr-Ewing, it was decided that the two cars ought to be re-united once more, given they were both sold from Jack Barclay, with Lawrence's clothed in Park Ward coachwork. Standing next to each other, detail differences were noted, but the sense of occasion was heightened by the sounds of Pre-War Prescott going on all around, even though the weather was hardly clement! FYH 535 and 536 are, perhaps, the ultimate examples of the pre-War Bentley, benefiting from Mahler steering boxes; Borg and Beck clutches and thermostatic temperature control. Lawrence notes that "Because the Park Wark bodies were made from steel, and not the preceeding wood frame, their "Standard Steel" bodies add rigidity to the chassis, making these cars both more rewarding and comfortable to drive". (editor's note: yes, when you're so close to each other you need to define the differences) photos & text Guy Loveridge |
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A rare pair of 1939 Bentleys
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Contrasts at St. John's Concours
Early in the American summer concours season is the Concours of America at St John's, Plymouth, Michigan. According to our on location witness JP Vandebundt it's getting better and better every year. And there's good reason he's using those two words as by tradition this concours is selecting not one but two best of show cars. One US made car and one of foreign manufacture. The first - not very surprising - a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria by Murphy and a lot less obvious, not because of the fact that it's a Bugatti T57C, but because of the much lesser known roadster body by Voll & Ruhrbeck. This superb restoration by our friends of Classic & Exotic Service in sharp contrast with the well taken care for but very much unrestored 1910 Maytag Runabout pictured above. But contrast is what we like. Check the ex- Al Capone the Duesenberg formerly owned by Al Capone's lawyer ( yes, crime pays well!) and the 1924 Isotta Fraschini by LeBaron (looks almost like a Stutz) presented by our reporter JP. Some more St John spectacular? Check this post-war space gear.
(photos JP 'Victorycars' Vandebundt)
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A Champagne Mystery (update: plm. 1911 Grégoire)
Remi Weber sent this charming picture of his grandma: "This picture was taken in Champagne (France) in a small town called Damery. My grandmother Henriette was very young, about ten years, so this must be in 1906. She had a servant who would drive her around. The car was owned by her father, monsieur Charles Justin Lepron. He was a wealthy rentier who would spent his summers in this house to fish and visit his champagne 'farms'. He was a real bon vivant and, like a decent Frenchman is supposed to, died at the dinner table in 1907."
Editor: a wonderful story which adds lots of colour to the otherwise B&W photo. One thing we disagree with Remi Weber is the year 1906. Looking at the car we presume 1912 is more close to the truth, which means his grandma was more like 16 here and possibly even allowed the refined torpedo. Remi presumed we're looking at a Delage. Possible, but we couldn't find proof for that. It could be Delahaye, Berliet, Lorraine Dietrich, Roland Pillain, Turcat Méry. Low bonnet, no side louvres. Then take into account the number of front wheel spokes: 10, rear: 12. And finally, don't overlook those small hubcaps. Delahaye?
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A Hudson through the roof
 An accident is always something sad. If the car involved is old it´s even sadder and if the old car was brand new when the accident occurred... good Lord! This is what appears to have overcome the brand new Hudson seen here halfway through the roof of a little hut. Ohoto 2 shows the broken pieces of a railing, too, as well as the ceiling surrounding the unfortunate car, so we can guess what happened here. The Hudson appears to be a brand new car judging by the bright paint and the covers on trunk and spare wheel. The colour combination could be white-black or even a more attractive pale yellow-black. Probably like this 1928 model? No further information accompanies this set of photographs, but the 'SS' number plate does give a clue: these photos were probably taken in San Sebastian (Pais Basque, North of Spain), and more specifically in the port zone of the 'Urgull' Mountain. In this place there is a high road which runs along the hillside and above a group of old houses, as you can see at the left in this picture. What an infortunate Hudson! (Text Francisco Carrión, pictures from his files) |
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Grace Valentine
Sharp-eyed readers will remember Grace Valentine appearing here on Valentine’s day 2013 inviting you to identify the car – a 1920 Packard twin six roadster.
As always, the comments section produced accurate replies and extras. We learned of her successful career as an actress, but nobody offered this hand-coloured picture so here she is in glorious technicolour, just as such an attractive lady deserves.
(Text Robin Batchelor, picture courtesy SHORPY)
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About Quiz #375: 1927/28 Excelsior van Rijswijk
Oops. We inadvertedly gave away more clues than we wanted in the properties of the picture. Still, not too many people noticed it (we think). Thanks to Gerry Barrett for pointing this out. Rest assured it won't happen again! Marc Fellmann, Raoul Thybaut and Stuart Penketh identified the chassis correctly as an Excelsior, but the body builder posted more of a challenge. It was not Vandenplas, d'Ieteren Frères or Labourdette, but the Dutch firm of Van Rijswijk. Stuart was the only one to correctly identify that, but as a jury member he has to buy his own t-shirts! Raoul therefore is our winner, also because he made a good guess as to the year of manufacture. Please give us your details and size and we will send you a t-shirt Raoul! About the chassis Stuart tells us the following: 1922 Excelsior Adex (Albert Premier) by Compagnie Nationale Excelsior, 5346cc six-cylinder engine. Belgian car manufacturer established by Arthur de Coninck in Brussels in 1903. This new Adex was developed, in 1922, into the magnificent Albert Premier model, a 5350 cc six with an overhead camshaft operating valves whose diameter was more than half that of the cylinder bore; triple Zenith carburetors were standard. Like the 1920 Adex, the Albert Premier had cantilever rear suspension with Adex anti-roll bars, probably the first use of this feature on a touring car. In 1929, the company was sold to its competitor Impéria.
We're not quite sure about the year of manufacture of the body, but it must be later than 1922, which was the year of introduction of this chassis. Most likely it is around 1927/1928. Van Rijswijk started their coachbuilding business in 1895 in the Dutch residence of The Hague. They switched to horseless carriages at the beginning of the 20th century and became purveyors to the royal Dutch household when they bodied a Spyker for HM the Queen and a Minerva for Prince Hendrik. In 1920 they moved to nearby Voorburg. The last Van Rijswijk body was shown in 1952, but the company remained active until 1987. More info (in Dutch) and a lot of pictures can be found on the Conam website.
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Precious Prescott
There is plenty to see, smell, hear and do, this weekend at Prescott Hill. And feel too. Despite being mid summer the weather made it sometimes feel like it was a particular autumny fall day! But it did not keep the real British toughs (and some from far awide) from racing their vintage machines. First, there was the 80th Anniversary Hill Climb on Friday with 140 cars competing, followed by the traditional Prescott Speed Hill Climb yesterday and today, where no less then 260 cars are climbing the hill. Robin Batchelor's took his picture at a particular wet moment - when marshals and driver were tipping out the water from a car stuck on the start line during a violent hail storm!
(picture courtesy Robin Batchelor)
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VSCC – motor sports galore since 1934
The Vintage Sports-Car Club has become an oldtimer on its own, eight decades after it was instigated. But fortunately it still oozes the same atmosphere of a slightly eccentric members-only social club for gentlemen, and a few women, preferring anything dangerous, which smells of oil and partially unburnt mixture and will be quick when pushed to its surprisingly far-reaching boundaries.
Back at the time of its forming members’ cars had to be at least 5 years old – that’s anything pre-1929. Since that first meeting in October 1934 there has been some debate about the question of the age of eligible cars, but eventually the club decided that the limit should be kept at 31 December 1930. That was back in 1936, and the club has never come back to it.
(Text Jeroen Booij, picture courtesy Broadway Manor Cottages)
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Austin Seven discovered behind furniture
 Due to its small size an Austin Seven can be housed almost everywhere. They are not only sinfully funny machines to drive... after a country ride you can store them in your living room. Not a long time ago we were told about an early Seven kept for a long time in a storage room full of furniture. The situation made us think of these now-famous American tv-programs about storage auctions. Luckily there was no need to bid to see this car. After around one hour moving old furniture we saw a sheet covering a little automobile: yep - this was 'our' little Seven. Rapidly we removed the cover and then saw what you can see in the main photo. An early Austin Seven... but very far from the "Very original restored Chummy" as it had been described to us. The car showed a hand made radiator cover and modern headlights in the front (photo 2). The windshield and top seems to be sourced from a Citroën 5 CV. The body has strange forms and includes non-original moldings all over. The bonnet has louvres, the dashboard has nothing in common with the original (photo 3) and even the seats appear to have been made by a not very careful restorer (photo 4). At least the engine seems to be in good overall condition, even if the original carburettor has also been replaced by a modern one. In conclusion, a 1970s bad restoration of which only the rolling chassis is unmolested. At least our experiencie with the storage room was good fun! (Text and pictures: Francisco Carrión) |
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Judge Joseph’s last ride Mystery
One of America’s more intriguing mysteries took place on this very day in 1930: Judge Joseph Force Crater stepped into a taxi in New York city, only to disappear completely, never to be seen again and earning the title of ‘the missingest man in New York’. Judge Joseph was a bit of a scandalous figure, involved with some of the city’s more shady cases – hence the raid.
16,000 Tips from all over the states couldn’t crack the mystery – despite some pretentious big headlines. The strange thing is, just about every detail of the disappearance is known, right up to the colour of the spats the judge wore. But nothing seems to be known about the cab. What kind of car could that have been? And wouldn’t it have been possible to track it down? How do they know he got into a taxi at all? The case was officially closed in 1979, so we will most probably never know, but it seems a missed opportunity. Or should we really think in complot theories?
(Photo collection Jeroen Booij)
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Alice’ all-American adventure
Like yesterday, let’s have another look back. As for this day in 1909 something remarkable happened: Alice Ramsey and three girlfriends became the first women to complete a transcontinental motoring trip, driving their green Maxwell from coast to coast in the US. If you follow us for longer you may even remember the memorial trip some years ago. Anyhow: 22-year old Alice left Hell Gate in central New York on June 9, 1909, to arrive in San Francisco, California, 59 days later on August 7.
That really was a brave road trip. Of the 3,800 miles covered just 152 reputedly consisted of paved roads back at the time. Alice had to change 11 tires and at one point she even was surrounded by a group of native Americans, bows and arrows drawn. In her biography she wrote that the four of them had mainly navigated by using telephone poles. Up until 1975 the late Alice made the trip over 30 more times and was frequently quoted: “Good driving has nothing to do with sex. It’s all above the collar.” Good girl.
(Picture courtesy Bain News Service, through US Library of Congress)
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Two old timers drive around the world
Today we introduce you to Heidi Hetzer, a 77 year old German lady who has recently started a journey around the world in ‘Hudo’, her 1930 Hudson Great Eight. When I say 77 years old, I should say 77 years YOUNG. Her pictures transmit such youthful energy and she is always laughing. It will be fun to follow her adventure on her blog ( in German) and also in English.
She started with great fanfare at the Olympic Stadium, Hotel Kempinski and Brandenburg Gate but a noise in the engine worried her. So she returned to base to make repairs and had to hide from the press who knew she had started her world tour. Heidi has been described as ‘the fastest woman in Berlin’ having won 150 victories during her career. She competed in her first race on a Lambretta scooter when just 16 years old and went on to compete in most of the major rallies around the world. You can tell how passionate she is about cars when you see what flowers she puts on the table. After training as a mechanic in the family business, she took over her father’s Opel dealership after his death in 1969 and expanded it into one of the largest dealerships in Berlin. Her world tour is also out of respect for her hero Clärenore Stinnes who drove around the world in 1927 and you can track Heidi’s position on this tracker. She has a Facebook page also and perhaps we will eventual learn what happened with these Police in Serbia?
(Text Robin Batchelor)
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What is it? Quiz #376
This light car/cyclecar was built by a company who used the same name as other car manufacturers but was possibly the most successful of them all. This maker had previously built cars under another name. They offered a 2 cylinder model in 1914 and a 4 cylinder model for 1915, the year production ceased. That’s enough clues. We want the name, the year and the type of the car and then some extras. How many gears? Details of engines? Bonus points for any trivial knowledge not readily available from 'the web' or 'the shelf'. In order to have a chance of winning the infamous PreWarCar T-shirt, please check The Rules under 'Read More'. Results will be published next Saturday 16 August.
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Monopoly motors
We’re pretty sure that many, many, of our readers will have this little pre-war model car tucked away somewhere in a cupboard, on the attic or in their holiday home. It’s the Monopoly car of course, and like ourselves you too, most probably, insisted on being the car when playing the game as a kid. As a matter of fact Monopoly’s inventor Charles Darrow was born on this day in 1889, coming up with the board game in 1934. Question is: what car inspired him for the singleseater (or two-seat?) roadster that we all know so well? This perhaps, or how about this, or this? Fact is that it looks really strange when you blow it up and park it in the streets of London!
(Picture courtesy Matt Fraser)
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Steam driven
We are guessing there have to be more steam fans among the British than from any other nation in the world, with steam fairs and steam rallies organized throughout the year. Still then it’s been 46 years exactly this day since the last steam powered train puffed its way over the sceptred isle following the national train table. Since that August-day in 1968 the Brits have only become more obsessed with steam power.
That makes it seem strange that there has never been a serious attempt of a steam car from Great Britain. The major steam car club is in fact British, but the majority of their cars originate from the US. We’ve really tried to find them and came up with plenty of one-offs, a few buses, some milk floats, one or two American Stanley steamers with British coachwork and quite a few post war attempts. But there has never been anything close to proper steam car production coming from the Brits, it seems. Or do we miss something here?
(Picture courtesy Beaulieu motor museum)
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Lakester – like it or loathe it?
 We know many of you out here aren’t big fans of customizing. We can live with that. But how about going all the way when you decide to tackle a customizing job? We say it can lead to something very cool. Take this Lakester, based on a 1928 Ford. As you may know a Lakester is a post-war invention, like most stuff originating from the Hot Rod scene. But this one oozes an atmosphere that is just right. Highlights include a custom ‘aerosculpted’ nose cone, sourced from a ‘38 Ford, modified rear from a ’27 car, shaved door handles, engine cover and side panels with louvres everywhere, hand painted pinstriping and least as many mods under the bonnet - the exposed intake stacks of the 350 cubic inches V8 looking through the cover give a clue to that. Suspension and chassis also come from a variety of sources, most of them pre-war or just post war. Shortly, it’s been fabricated with all the right parts for the period – stuff that you could find in scrapyards for shillings and dimes, though this one will have cost considerably more. Wonder what it will do when it comes under the hammer today with Barrett-Jackson. We like it. Do you? (Pictures courtesy Barrett-Jackson) |
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Who knew of Mercedes’ 540K Stromlinienwagen?
We were aware of something special Mercedes was to bring over to Pebble Beach this year. What exactly has been made public earlier this week – it’s a one-off 540K Streamliner – or Stromlinienwagen - of 1938-vintage. Thanks to its slippery shape, hammered from lightweight metals and born from windtunnel testing, plus with a supercharged eight cylinder it was supposedly quick enough to win the Berlin-Rome race of 1938. But that never happened, and the car languished for many decades.
Mercedes-Benz Classic can only be applauded to take on this job. The company says the exhaustive restoration was carried out using only techniques of the period to give the spectacular car the new lease of life its should have had much earlier. But how much of the original car was there before work started? The streamliner is said to have been owned by Dunlop in its early life, while later being used by the United States Army. Next it supposedly returned to Dunlop and to Mercedes-Benz once more. That was in 1948, when the aluminum body was scrapped. Supposedly only the chassis and running gear were kept. Don’t get us wrong, we love Mercedes for doing this. But how come we have never seen any other old pictures than the ones spread around now?
(picture courtesy Mercedes-Benz)
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Raceabout with a difference
When you fall for the brawn of an American short chassis racer from the brass age, the Mercer Raceabout or Stutz Bearcat are the ones to go for, right? Not necessarily. There was the Speedwell Speed Car, too. Trouble is, only one of them is known to survive but it is offered in Bonhams’ Quail Lodge sale tomorrow.
Speedwell has of course nothing to do with these chaps here. The Speedwell Motor Company of Dayton, Ohio, built their own cars from 1907 to 1914 and their 1912 Speed Car was undoubtly the top-of-the-range model. It’s unsure how many they built and this example seems the only one with known history going back to the late 1930s. As a matter of fact it was considered as a collector’s car back at the time when acquired by opera singer and car aficionado James Melton who set up his own motor museum back in 1941. The Speed Car became one of its attractions. After Melton sold the car in the late 1950s it staid in the hands of a string of automobile collectors, including William Harrah. It was completely restored in 1999 and still looks ever so good. Tempting isn’t it? Remember you won’t find another…
(picture courtesy Bonhams Auctions)
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The Fast Lady
When I saw this photograph, I have to confess the eyes were immediately drawn to my heart-throb from the ‘60s, Julie Christie. We see her here in 1962 posing with her co-star of the film ‘The Fast Lady’ – a 1927 Bentley 4.5 litre Red Label Speed short chassis speed model with Vanden Plas fabric body, painted of course in British Racing Green.
Julie Christie rose to fame with her performances in such films as Doctor Zhivago, Darling and Far from The Madding Crowd and the Bentley also enjoyed fame. The film company had bought the car for filming, and at the wrap party offered it to actor Leslie Philips for £500 – he said No !
The car was sold in 2010 for £550,000 amidst great fanfare. Who could resist it after seeing this marketing video? And who can resist Julie Christie after watching her in this sequence with Terence Stamp in Far from The Madding Crowd?
(Text Robin Batchelor, photo courtesy acertaincinema.com)
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About Quiz #376: 1914 Victor 8hp Cyclecar
Ariejan Bos is to be congratulated for sending in the right answer, but since he is a jury member he unfortunately does not qualify for a T-shirt prize. But he does give us another possible question. We were convinced our picture shows a 1914 Victor because it is the same as the picture from our Victor catalogue. But Ariejan points out the position of the petrol filler cap has moved. So perhaps the picture shows a late 1913 Dewcar – look at the advert in 1913 Grace’s Guide. The impressive editorial story about the new Victor Cyclecar works in the 15th June 1914 issue of The Light car & Cyclecar helps date the start of the Victor name, but we need more early issues to do more research.
But let’s share what we do know. The quiz picture clearly shows the starting handle shaft protruding from behind the offside front wheel, thus telling us it had the V-twin Precision motor rather than the 4 cylinder Nero unit fitted in 1915. Transmission was via chain to a 2-speed and reverse gearbox with belt drive to both wheels promoted to 3 speed with the 1915 Nero engine.
Direct action steering was described as “a constant pleasure even at the highest speeds”, helped by pivots giving a trailing action to the wheels. (Most cyclecars we’ve driven have a very lively behaviour with direct steering!). Rack and pinion was introduced in 1915. Footbrake was a metal-to-metal combination of large diameter acting on the countershaft and handbrake operated two large brake shoes acting on the belt-rims.
Ariejan asks if our photo was taken in Australia? The answer is yes, indicated by the registration 555, and we thank Richard Thompson for sending the picture which shows his (very young) father in the passenger seat. And it is from Australia that Warrick Hansted sent the only other reply and he deserves honourable mention for suggesting a very similar looking car - Newton Bennett.
One last detail worth sharing is the name of the agent supplying Victor cars, Tyler Apparatus Company Limited, and tucked inside our brochure is a well preserved letter from them dated November 1915 reminding us of the times in which they lived.
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