It is always good to meet people who lead a life driven by a passion and Michael Banfield was just such a man. When he died in 2013 he had accumulated a unique collection which Bonhams are selling at auction on 13th and 14th June in Staplehurst, Kent. The car I would most like to take home is the 1904 Mors 24/32-HP Roi Des Belges. An imposing 4 cylinder Brighton car that represents the pinnacle of veteran motoring with chain drive, impressive acceleration and enormous Blériot headlamps that look as though they could burn holes through mountains. Seating for six friends promises memorable motoring. Amongst several more veteran cars on offer is a second Roi de Belges option: a 1906 Minerva 40-HP which has seen service ferrying passengers to tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle.
However, Banfield’s principle interest was early motor transport of even bigger size. If early fire engines take your fancy, then you have a choice ranging from a 1913 Merryweather model to a 1917 Leyland DEU4 example bought from a Peckham scrap dealer for £100. Let’s say it’s ‘ripe for restoration’. The description of the 1922 Tilling-Stevens TS3A Petrol-Electric bus is an education and the other familiar sight on 1920s roads of London was the 1922 AEC S Type Open Top Double Decker Bus where the driver was paid £4 per week. Read the description to learn how Banfield’s father was caught ‘moonlighting’ from his bus driving job and thus setup Banfield’s Coaches. 1913 Wolseley CR-Type Lorry is believed to be the sole surviving example of a Wolseley commercial chassis and the 1914 ‘Subsidy' Leyland was built specifically to secure the War Office grant of £110 paid annually for keeping them in good mechanical order ready for use when war broke out. There is also a life time’s collection of books, automobilia, catalogues, petrol globes, signs, lamps and more available, check Bonhams' catalogue.
(text Robin Batchelor; photos courtesy Bonhams)