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Is This Your Motor?

mikejee said:
I think I may have posted this before, but I had the experience in the late 1960s of the car park in the Bullring losing my car. They insisted then in taking it away and parking it for you and then bringing it back for you when you returned. Trouble is they lost it and had me waiting for ages (half an hour?) till they found it. Then, initially tried to charge me for the half an hour I had been waiting!
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1595914228173.pngI had one of these. one day in a Bham city multi-car park i parked it went shopping. on return, i went to the floor where i left it. it was not there, i looked around no way. so i went to the police and told them my car had been stolen. At 7OCLOCK that night i had a call from the police. telling me my car was on level 3 one floor above.were i thought i had left it. WHAT A PLONKER
 
Here's a different one.........

Any idea what this vehicle was? ADF 265. A Humber, perhaps?

The sequence shows it being converted (very probably) into an armoured fighting vehicle for Home Guard purposes. Date: 1941 or 1942 in the workshop of Cutler's Garage, Chester Road, Streetly. No pictures of the finished article. And I suspect it never got completed. Otherwise Streetly would have had its own, personal tank.

VehicleSequencew1500.jpg

Looks quite a nice car, being wrecked at a relatively early stage of its life.

Chris

(Grateful acknowledgement to KS)
 
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Bonhams Cars : Property of a deceased's estate,1935 Humber 12 Saloon Chassis no. 23079 Engine no. 23084

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The only Humber with a grille like that is the 12, which would fit the date, but the design of the boot looks wrong. There was a variant with a larger boot, called the Humber 12 Vogue, but again not quite right.
 
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Parked my Vauxhall Chevette on a hill while visiting local take away, came out to find gone. Ran home and reported car stolen, 15 minutes later police came around telling me they’d found my car and to come with them to collect It, turned out when I got out of the car the handbrake cable had relaxed and allowed the car to run back down the hill between two keep left bollards and came to a stop resting against a wall. No damage at all but still fined £20 for insecure handbrake. I’ve never left a car in gear because that was a no no when I was trained as a mechanic as you often started a vehicle without sitting in the drivers seat, just thought I’d mention it as someone was bound to ask why I’d not left it in gear.
 
I never leave cars in gear for the same reason Nick, one of the staff at the motor auction got both legs crushed between the bumpers when a viewer tried to start a car in the line up.

You car rolling away happened to me with my CX in a pub car park, I'm in the bar having a cooling soft drink, a man comes in "Anyone own a Citroen? It's hanging in the chain link fence at the bottom of the slope."

A mechanic at a Brum garage was leaning over the engine on a Ford Zodiac doing the valve clearances, dabbed the starter solenoid button to turn the engine over and it took him and the workbench out through the wall into the car park.
 
I posted this in the High Street Saltley thread but worth bunging in here too. I would have thought with the pavement and shop step it was a tough ask to get the cars inside this small showroom. Photo is 1960 but the newspaper article is dated January 15th 1963 ....

Abbott.jpg
 
I can’t really see the one in the back corner of the showroom, but we have a ragtop Austin A90 Atlantic in the front, and a Triumph saloon facing the camera. The Triumph was registered in the County Borough of Sheffield, in January 1951. At that date it will be a Renown Mk1, using the same design of 2088cc engine and three speed column change gearbox that you would find in the contemporary Standard Vanguard, reliable, but not very exciting on 68bhp.

The Austin was only produced as a convertible in 1949 and 1950, and the hardtop version in 1950 to 52. It was aimed at the USA, where it didn’t sell because it was too small, so they tried to sell it in UK, but it was too big. The 2.7 litre 4 cylinder engine went on to redeem itself in the Austin Healey 100/4, but there was no redemption for the rest of the car, so production, even of the hardtop version, had stopped by 1952.

Not one of Leonard Lord’s better ideas, at that time Americans bought American cars, Brits bought small cars, this was neither, and pug ugly as well.

P.S. With the iPad brightness turned up to Regulo 11, the lurker in the back corner is, I think, a Vauxhall Wyvern or Velox from the late 40s or very early 50s. This was a 1938 car design dressed up with a new front end and curved boot to preserve sales until the new models were available.
 
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Johnfromstaffs said:
I can’t really see the one in the back corner of the showroom, but we have a ragtop Austin A90 Atlantic in the front, and a Triumph saloon facing the camera. The Triumph was registered in the County Borough of Sheffield, in January 1951. At that date it will be a Renown Mk1, using the same design of 2088cc engine and three speed column change gearbox that you would find in the contemporary Standard Vanguard, reliable, but not very exciting on 68bhp.

The Austin was only produced as a convertible in 1949 and 1950, and the hardtop version in 1950 to 52. It was aimed at the USA, where it didn’t sell because it was too small, so they tried to sell it in UK, but it was too big. The 2.7 litre 4 cylinder engine went on to redeem itself in the Austin Healey 100/4, but there was no redemption for the rest of the car, so production, even of the hardtop version, had stopped by 1952.

Not one of Leonard Lord’s better ideas, at that time Americans bought American cars, Brits bought small cars, this was neither, and pug ugly as well.

P.S. With the iPad brightness turned up to Regulo 11, the lurker in the back corner is, I think, a Vauxhall Wyvern or Velox from the late 40s or very early 50s. This was a 1938 car design dressed up with a new front end and curved boot to preserve sales until the new models were available.
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Ouch a harsh judgement on the A90 Austin Atlantic, car of my boyhood and so much more exciting than the other cars being produced at that time and this from a man who owned in quick succession a Standard Vanguard mk1 (!948 reg), 2 x Jowett Javelins (both 1948, but one with a Jupiter engine) and a 1946 VW Beetle, split rear screen and roller accelerator pedal 6v electrical supply, a knowledgeable mechanic thought it needed a new battery, so fitted a 12v one!!!!. Your comments on my other favourite Austin product the Nash Metropolitan. Unfortunately I always preferred American cars, in fact parked in our yard at this moment is a 1935 Chevrolet Master de luxe saloon.
Bob
 
Sorry Bob, I know that one should never criticise the other bloke’s car, and must admit that the Atlantic was unmissable when you saw one coming the other way. The problem was that it just didn’t appeal to the market at which “LPL” aimed it. The average British bloke really wanted (but couldn’t get) a Morris Minor or an A30, especially with petrol getting close to five bob a gallon, not an A90 at less than half the mpg, and, to quote my book, the average yank didn’t want to pay Buick prices for a 4 cylinder car.

Never had a Javelin, but always wanted one, but I did have a six volt Beetle, 1960 though, which met its end in a W’ton back street being t-boned by a Corsair 2000E. I then got into Lancia, but that’s another story.

BTW, took my test in a Vanguard, a Vignale Estate.
 
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Johnfromstaffs said:
Sorry Bob, I know that one should never criticise the other bloke’s car, and must admit that the Atlantic was unmissable when you saw one coming the other way. The problem was that it just didn’t appeal to the market at which “LPL” aimed it. The average British bloke really wanted Morris Minor or an A30, especially with petrol getting close to five bob a gallon, not an A90 at less than half the mpg, and, to quote my book, the average yank didn’t want to pay Buick prices for a 4 cylinder car.

Never had a Javelin, but always wanted one, but I did have a six volt Beetle, 1960 though, which met its end in a W’ton back street being t-boned by a Corsair 2000E. I then got into Lancia, but that’s another story.

BTW, took my test in a Vanguard, a Vignale Estate.
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Corsair 2000E & Cortina 1600E, always loved those four dials on top of the dashboard. Lancia, ?synonymous with rust? My father in Law loved them had a pre war Aprila. My first car was going to be a Crossley Silver Cross (No Alan, not a bus) which had a Wilson CV preselect gear box. £35/00 but Dad (who was always right) would not let me buy it. His first car was a Morris Minor Series M, front lights in the mudguards not on top, he then had Mini Ch N0 89, in November because he was friends with the dealership owner right after the Motor Show, I think from Startins (if they were BMC), chopped that in for a Wolsley 1500, which he could wind up to 100mph on the straight from Water Orton to Castle Bromwich and finished with a Triumph Herald and that marvellous turning circle. But what I have just written proves your point, that was what the British public wanted.

Bob
 
Both my Lancias were 1960s Fulvias, they weren’t any worse for rust than any other car of the period, it was the Beta which fell apart so badly, about 72 or so, after the Fiat takeover. They (Fulvias) were very individual cars, with twin cam V4 engine and two twin choke carbs and the 1100 cc Saloon was very nearly as expensive as a Mark 2 Jaguar. Following marriage, things calmed down a bit with a succession of company vehicles usually accompanied by a cheap grass hill climb car, the last being a Triumph Herald 1200 coupé which showed its disapproval of being drive up hills by falling apart.

The motor sport then stopped in favour of racing boats, which I have now been doing for about 50 years.
 
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The first Fulvia. I felt like a millionaire after the 1960 Beetle, but this car nearly finished me off, well, the car and one of Lord Lichfield’s oak trees.

7826C773-697C-425F-A1DB-A19CCE93CCD2.jpeg
 
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DFE - Lincoln Borough Council 1948/9. 785 number suggests 1949, and the car is a Ford, probably an Anglia so a 933cc sidevalve engine and not very quick. £90 seems a bit on the dear side, my 1953 Popular cost £55, and was in better nick than that old dog. The two-tone was non standard making me wonder if it was a pre-war Ford in disguise. It happened! There is also no front bumper, and the position of the number plate suggests van parts have been used to modernise the appearance.

Looks like an Austin A40 in the shadows.

I have never seen an open Austin A30 like that in the previous picture.
 
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Earlier on, in the Austin Atlantic discussion, Bob said what about the Metropolitan?

I suppose it would appeal to the hairdresser’s brigade, but not to me. It seems that the design was presented to various of the British manufacturers and Austin got the job of building it. The later iteration using the 1489 cc version of the B series engine was the better car, but not really my style.

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The Atlantic broke a lot of records in the States.

The problem British car makers had post war was the road tax system based on engine size (horse power) they had no home market for the bigger cars that the Americans wanted because Brits couldn't afford to buy them and without a home market it was a non starter.

I remember the Austin Metropolitan, I worked on a few, frankly they were dreadful to drive. ;)
 
Bob Davis said:
Ouch a harsh judgement on the A90 Austin Atlantic, car of my boyhood and so much more exciting than the other cars being produced at that time and this from a man who owned in quick succession a Standard Vanguard mk1 (!948 reg), 2 x Jowett Javelins (both 1948, but one with a Jupiter engine) and a 1946 VW Beetle, split rear screen and roller accelerator pedal 6v electrical supply, a knowledgeable mechanic thought it needed a new battery, so fitted a 12v one!!!!. Your comments on my other favourite Austin product the Nash Metropolitan. Unfortunately I always preferred American cars, in fact parked in our yard at this moment is a 1935 Chevrolet Master de luxe saloon.
Bob
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Bob, that VW would be worth a lot of money today at least in the US.
 
Eric, while your point concerning the negative effects of the horsepower tax is relevant to the failure of the British car industry to promote exports to the USA, my view is that it is only part of the story. That system was replaced on 1/1/1948 by a flat annual tax rate of £12/10shillings (£12.50) per year, no matter what the car. Some of the tax burden was transferred to fuel. Now we pay both.

The British industry responded by doing not much at all, small bore, long stroke side valve engines persisted for years longer than they should have done, and even when replaced by more modern designs the manufacturers insisted on supplying seriously underpowered cars to the buyers here.

Given the choice, for a thousand mile drive in USA, of a rugged 3.5 litre Ford V8 or a Morris Minor with an 803cc 4cylinder engine I know what I would take! The American cars may not have been fuel efficient or good on twisting country roads, but they didn’t need to be.
 
Johnfromstaffs said:
Eric, while your point concerning the negative effects of the horsepower tax is relevant to the failure of the British car industry to promote exports to the USA, my view is that it is only part of the story. That system was replaced on 1/1/1948 by a flat annual tax rate of £12/10shillings (£12.50) per year, no matter what the car. Some of the tax burden was transferred to fuel. Now we pay both.

The British industry responded by doing not much at all, small bore, long stroke side valve engines persisted for years longer than they should have done, and even when replaced by more modern designs the manufacturers insisted on supplying seriously underpowered cars to the buyers here.

Given the choice, for a thousand mile drive in USA, of a rugged 3.5 litre Ford V8 or a Morris Minor with an 803cc 4cylinder engine I know what I would take! The American cars may not have been fuel efficient or good on twisting country roads, but they didn’t need to be.
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John, my pride and joy when I came to the US after driving a Pontiac V8 was was a brand new Triumph TR4 red! I drove it home about 10 miles set the parking brake and the lever came off in my hand. After about two years I had to get rid of it, just was not reliable in cold winters. Then I bought an Austin America (a big mini) was great for about a year and a half, began to have gear box troubles. Some rocket scientist at BMC decided you could use the engine oil and transmission oil in both places. I switched over to Audi, VW & BMW. as much as I wanted and did try to buy British cars, they were not reliable mechanically or were the bodies sound. they did open the door for the American public & Honda, Toyota, Nissan and their derivatives walked right in and the rest is history. And oh by the way Renault did the same thing! My wife and I both drive Acura's mine is 12 years old and running strong, touch wood. My wife has a 19. So sad when we look back at all the wonderful history.
 
My daughter in MD had a Ford Explorer when she first got posted to the USA , it was a very poor vehicle for reliability, had a couple of others with similar results then bought a Subaru Forester which was excellent, went everywhere without trouble even in feet deep snow when the big yank 4x4s were stuck.
For the last few years she and her husband have both run Hyundai Sonatas which have been trouble free.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=09+Hyundai+Sonata&form=IARSLK&first=1&scenario=ImageBasicHover
 
Between my father, father in law and me, we had two Wolseley 18/85S, an Austin 1800 Mk1, a Morris 1800 Mk 3, and two Austin Maxis. No trouble ever experienced with gearboxes, and with the exception of my f-i-l’s Wolseley, they all towed caravans. My pa’s cars were always looked after with very regular oil (Duckham’s 20/50) and filter changes and cleaning any grot off the magnetic sump plug. My f-i-l’s cars only got looked at when they broke down!

There were so many BMC gearbox in sump cars, from Minis to the 1800s, that I don’t see the design as being flawed. The most unreliable of our cars from that era was my Mum’s Triumph Dolomite 1850, there always seemed to be some minor faults needing fixing.
 
I recall my dad’s gearbox failing in his Austin1100, a big double bearing on the mainshaft in the gear box. The swarf from the bearing cage got pumped around the engine and ruined the oil pump, big ends and journals.

I have a feeling that he bought a reconditioned gear box and was told it was a common problem with the 1100’s. He sent the engine to have the cranks reground and new shells etc.

I am not sure if car unreliability was just down to poor design, lack of investment or technological developments. I suspect a bit of both.
 
Eric Gibson said:
My daughter in MD had a Ford Explorer when she first got posted to the USA , it was a very poor vehicle for reliability, had a couple of others with similar results then bought a Subaru Forester which was excellent, went everywhere without trouble even in feet deep snow when the big yank 4x4s were stuck.
For the last few years she and her husband have both run Hyundai Sonatas which have been trouble free.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=09+Hyundai+Sonata&form=IARSLK&first=1&scenario=ImageBasicHover
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Eric, it is no secret that the transplants made all the US car makers better it was a survival issue. I’m not a Ford person but the Explorer is now a very reliable car. When it first came out, the earlier models were rushed (put together) to get into the market. As a supplier I helped develop the fuel delivery system which involved emissions. Ford had a saying, quality is job 1, my guys added that design is Job 10 With Ford!
 
Johnfromstaffs said:
Between my father, father in law and me, we had two Wolseley 18/85S, an Austin 1800 Mk1, a Morris 1800 Mk 3, and two Austin Maxis. No trouble ever experienced with gearboxes, and with the exception of my f-i-l’s Wolseley, they all towed caravans. My pa’s cars were always looked after with very regular oil (Duckham’s 20/50) and filter changes and cleaning any grot off the magnetic sump plug. My f-i-l’s cars only got looked at when they broke down!

There were so many BMC gearbox in sump cars, from Minis to the 1800s, that I don’t see the design as being flawed. The most unreliable of our cars from that era was my Mum’s Triumph Dolomite 1850, there always seemed to be some minor faults needing fixing.
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John, I also believe that miles driven in the US market were higher, average miles per year is 12 to 15,000 (not now with COVID). There might have been a lot of BMC cars with gearbox in sump, that is not done now. The lubrication for the two applications is very different.
 
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