The Pre-War Car Thread

[Six-cylinder]

11 hours ago, SiC said:

As per my Z4 thread I went to a local Austin 7 district club meets at Newark Park National Trust at the weekend. While I know some have interest in Severns, those that don't might want to skip the post after this.

There was a section of other post war classics but I'll leave those pictures out as this is a pre-war thread.

Firstly the pics of the general pre-war stuff that isn't an Austin 7!

 

Thank you, you found me a 20/25.

[wuvvum]

On 08/07/2025 at 16:04, Cavcraft said:

hillman minx | eBay UK

£3,500. Looks pretty good (plates aside) so might be a decent buy.

This made £3K.  If it'd been a bit closer I would have been quite tempted.

[D.E]

1926 Alvis TG12/50 ALVISTA BARN FIND PETROL Manual

[Cavcraft]

Wolsely at a guess, looked like it had a light up radiator badge. 

In a garage in Dolgellau, I think it's been in there for a very long time, possibly even since the 1990s.

[artdjones]

7 hours ago, D.E said:

1926 Alvis TG12/50 ALVISTA BARN FIND PETROL Manual

I love Alvis 12/50s with upright styling  Some even have artillery style wheels and are the ultimate 1920s street sleepers. They look like Morris Oxfords but have a top speed 15-20 mph greater, not far off a standard 3 litre Bentley.

[artdjones]

We gave the elderly lady a lift somewhere then dropped her at her daughter's for lunch a couple of weeks ago. When we arrived at the daughter's this was parked outside. I thought it was a Morris, but closer inspection revealed that it's a Rover 9, not the most inspired 20s design, but still a very attractive car.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I don't think the weirdest Mercedes ever made has been mentioned here the rear engined 170H 1936-1939.

 

These are really rare and sold in low numbers. An interesting thing about these was that the German forces didn't like them so they weren't requisitioned so the owners kept them. Many years ago I read about one of these sold new in Norway and which had only had one owner who was surprisingly still alive at the time. It's been a long time since I read this so I don't remember all the details, but he kept the car throughout the war and he was in the resistance movement and in the police or similar right after the war. And since he had a car, he was given a secret mission by the Allied high command. It involved driving to war-torn Finland to meet a courier to retrieve important and secret documents that he himself did not know the contents of. Which that car was used in. This was confirmed then but I have never heard of this since which is a bit strange as it is a fascinating story.

[D.E]

1928 Austin 7 Rosengart 2 seater Coupe

[martc]

^^^^^ check the handbrake before buying.

[wuvvum]

I quite like the look of this.

Needs some TLC but (currently) looking fairly cheap for what is quite a usable pre-war car.

[MT606]

enroute to a petrol station, stopped at the chippy as this was where I had had enough of pushin the cub..... armstrong siddeley 16HP I think (?)

 

[wuvvum]

Technically not pre-war but it's a pre-war design so close enough.  Would probably be a rather pleasant thing to tootle around in - independent front suspension, hydraulic brakes and enough power to get out of its own way.  It even has a heater.

Bit too far away for me but it's on @HMC's manor if he fancies a sensible modern to run alongside the Swift.

[wuvvum]

Again, pre-war in all but name.  Basically an Austin 16 with a better turning circle, so should be quite a usable thing.

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Again, pre-war in all but name.  Basically an Austin 16 with a better turning circle, so should be quite a usable thing.

*scratches head*

 

(unsurprisingly sadly its been asset-stripped of its original number before sale, twas LGO81 until May 2025, until it was robbed of that mark and given XXG782 as an age related replacement plate)

 

 

[D.E]

Quote

Bought new on November 10th 1920, at the Olympia Motor Show in London, this amazing time warp has been with the same owner since 1963.

 

It has never been resprayed or restored in anyway, standing today as it was delivered by Whiting Ltd. London in 1920.

1920 Le Zebre Two Seater Cabriolet

[D.E]

*kick*

Quote

This vehicle will be sold via live auction on Saturday 14th March at Concours House, Bradford on Avon, with auctioneers Dore & Rees. The price listed is the bottom auction estimate, bids will start at around 25% below this figure on the day. Go to www.drmotoring.com for more details.

1922 Carteret Cyclecar Type D

Registration Number: BF 8649
Chassis Number: 62
Engine Number: 892

- Possibly the only surviving example
- Exhaustively restored over ten years and now in good running order
- Extensive, fascinating history file

The French motor industry in the years immediately following the Great War offered an extraordinary diversity of manufacturers. While America dominated global production by volume, France led the way in sheer variety, with hundreds of marques competing for attention. A handful would achieve lasting fame through competition success or avant-garde design, yet many more vanished almost without trace. Among the most obscure of these was Carteret, a short-lived but technically intriguing cyclecar constructed for just a single season, 1921–22, by Louis Vienne at Courbevoie.

Cyclecars themselves formed a uniquely French response to the economic climate of the time, providing lightweight, affordable motoring that benefited from favourable taxation. They appeared in a remarkable range of configurations, from the tandem-seated Bedélia to more conventional layouts such as the Carteret, which at first glance resembled a small voiturette. Beneath its traditional appearance, however, lay a number of unconventional engineering features. Most notable was the ‘Octo’ friction-drive transmission, a system that functioned in principle rather like an early precursor to the modern continuously variable gearbox, albeit with four fixed ratios. In practice the friction surfaces proved prone to rapid wear, and this example was fitted many decades ago – almost certainly during the 1930s – with a conventional four-speed gearbox, a sensible and sympathetic modification that greatly enhances usability. Another advanced feature for the period is the adoption of rack-and-pinion steering, a rarity on light cars of the early 1920s and a testament to the design’s ingenuity.

Quite possibly the sole surviving Carteret, this remarkable machine retains the plaque of its first owner; Henri Pelissier, on the dashboard and was discovered in the Dordogne, from where it was acquired in 2008 from only its second custodian. What followed was a painstaking ten-year restoration carried out to an exacting standard, the car emerging in a striking and very appropriate yellow and black livery that accentuates its delicate Edwardian-influenced lines. In the care of its current owner much attention has been given to the mechanicals, and we’re advised it is in fine running order, as well as this it received a skilled refabrication of its hood and hood frame.

1922 Carteret Cyclecar Type D

[wuvvum]

That looks like it'd be right up @barrett's street.

[artdjones]

4 hours ago, D.E said:

*kick*

1922 Carteret Cyclecar Type D

It looks more substantial than the majority of cyclecars, almost like the small sports cars that the French liked to make in the 20s.

For comparison, an English Carden.

 

[barrett]

@wuvvum that was the first thing I saw when I woke up today because somebody else had sent me the link. A shame it's missing its friction transmission as it's much less interesting as-is. The auction doesn't mention or picture but it should have a 970cc Ruby engine. Needs the yellow bits painting black but otherwise it looks good to me. 

French 'cyclecars' were certainly more substantial than a lot of British efforts as the industry there was based entirely around taxation, rather than the sort of DIY motorcycle-influenced culture of the UK. There were almost as many companies building cyclecars in France (about 200) as there were in the UK (about 300) and it was a huge thing over there. Lots of the companies got quite successful and built very cool sporting machines – Amilcar, Salmson, Rally, Lombard etc – but plenty more that disappeared without a trace like that Carteret. 

This is one of my favourite books of the last decade which covers a lot of this, but only makes from A to Ca...