The Pre-War Car Thread

[Dyslexic Viking]

DKWs are such interesting cars. Here is a 1939 that is coming back to life in Sweden after 60 years.

 

[Six-cylinder]

What is it?

1932

1271cc

At last night car event this was present and even used his starting handle to get it going. I realised I did not know what it is?

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

26 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I realised I did not know what it is?

Wolseley Hornet 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolseley_Hornet_six

 

Has an electric starter motor, so why using Starting Handle not sure.

[artdjones]

9 minutes ago, Momentary Lapse Of Reason said:

Wolseley Hornet 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolseley_Hornet_six

 

Has an electric starter motor, so why using Starting Handle not sure.

Not a standard model, but with a coach built  body from Swallow, the forerunner of Jaguar.
 

Quite an advanced car, with an overhead camshaft six. In the early to mid thirties lots of car firms became obsessed with producing small sixes.

Just about the time Swallow started building the SS1 and 2.

 

[wuvvum]

How about this then?  1939 Hotchkiss, running and driving but needing a few jobs and with a truly dreadful paint job.  £6K.

[wuvvum]

Or for £245 less there's this Vauxhall 10.  Seems slightly expensive to me for a lump of underpowered British porridge but I'm a bit out of touch with prices and these are a fairly rare beast anyway.  And, it has to be said, a bit more sophisticated than most late-'30s porridge.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Now something has come for sale in Norway that you definitely don't see every day. A 1928 Erskine model 50. Erskine was a sub-brand of Studebaker with only 4 model years and disappeared in 1930 and with low sales numbers there must be few survivors today. £3637

 

This look like an overhead valve engine? But the seller says that the engine and transmission are non-original, so this could be an Erskine or Studerbaker, or something completely different.

https://www.finn.no/mobility/item/415764556?ci=1

[SiC]

24 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

How about this then?  1939 Hotchkiss, running and driving but needing a few jobs and with a truly dreadful paint job.  £6K.

I think that's @panhard65

Got a link for it? If it's Wellington then it almost certainly is. 

[wuvvum]

Yes, it's Wellington.  Click the first photo for the link.

[Dyslexic Viking]

And I'm reading a little about Erskine cars and one of the cars on the wiki page is Norwegian, this one below. But has been on Sorn since 2021.

 

So there are some in Norway, the second picture on wiki appears to be a Swedish car, so there are some of these surviving in Scandinavia.

 

[SiC]

6 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Yes, it's Wellington.  Click the first photo for the link.

Ah didn't know you made it linkable wasn't clear.

Yeah that's Panhard65 car. 

[Cavcraft]

hillman minx | eBay UK

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

[panhard65]

On 06/07/2025 at 13:17, SiC said:

I think that's @panhard65

Got a link for it? If it's Wellington then it almost certainly is. 

Yeah that is one of mine. I am still trying to find a transmission tunnel for it but will have a go at fabricating one when I get time. Open to offers as I need the room and have got another one out in France that needs work.

[PhilA]

On 19/05/2025 at 11:18, SiC said:

Austin 7 drivetrain. Its even smaller in person. Honestly think I've seen bigger lawnmower engines.

Almost. 725cc vs 748cc. However, this one is rated at 22hp so would make a fairly decent upgrade. Not sure what the torque figures are though. Fully pressurized bearing oiling system though. Technological marvel.

[wuvvum]

22 hours ago, panhard65 said:

Yeah that is one of mine. I am still trying to find a transmission tunnel for it but will have a go at fabricating one when I get time. Open to offers as I need the room and have got another one out in France that needs work.

What's parts availability like for Hotchkisses?  My only experience of prewar French stuff was the Renault Novaquatre, which was awkward to find bits for, but that was 18 years ago.

[panhard65]

11 hours ago, wuvvum said:

What's parts availability like for Hotchkisses?  My only experience of prewar French stuff was the Renault Novaquatre, which was awkward to find bits for, but that was 18 years ago.

The club in France have a few bits but most things have to be fabricated. Stuff like lights and fittings were all kind of generic in the day and can be found by hunting through Leboncoin. I found a very helpful French guy near Alencon who has a few bits and lots of contacts amongst the French club so hopefully he will find me a transmission tunnel.

[Cavcraft]

How about this Austin 7? Spoke to the owner yesterday, he said it's 'the 1932 Austin 7 that's on the internet' known iirc from a classic car auction 10 years ago. To be fair, it looked absolutely mint and he uses it where he can. Can't say I blame him.

[wuvvum]

9 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

There's a lot to unpick here.  Is that the starter motor sticking into the passenger footwell?  And is that white thing sprouting from the transmission tunnel the speedo cable?

[SiC]

5 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Is that the starter motor sticking into the passenger footwell?

Yes

5 hours ago, wuvvum said:

And is that white thing sprouting from the transmission tunnel the speedo cable?

Yes

 

Both correct things for year!

Unlike all these new fangled tosh about now where you need to delve into the engine bay to replace the starter and go underneath just to replace a speedo cable!

[Vantman]

On 04/07/2025 at 10:50, artdjones said:

Not a standard model, but with a coach built  body from Swallow, the forerunner of Jaguar.
 

Quite an advanced car, with an overhead camshaft six. In the early to mid thirties lots of car firms became obsessed with producing small sixes.

Just about the time Swallow started building the SS1 and 2.

 

I am sure i saw a red Swallow SS1 in an episode of The Brothers on Talking Pictures yesterday, driven by the delightful Liza Goddard!

[artdjones]

A 1925 Chevrolet with rhd in Wexford, on what looks like English plates. €13000

[eddyramrod]

4 hours ago, Vantman said:

I am sure i saw a red Swallow SS1 in an episode of The Brothers on Talking Pictures yesterday, driven by the delightful Liza Goddard!

I was watching that.  It was a Panther J72, a 70s recreation.  Lovely... ATCNBE

[SiC]

These are definitely becoming more affordable. £3705 for what doesn't look like a complete rot box.

https://ebay.us/m/ZDR33R

 

[wuvvum]

Already sold, unsurprisingly.

[SiC]

22 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Already sold, unsurprisingly.

Yeah I was watching the auction. That was the end price. 

[SiC]

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!

 

[SiC]

Now for the Austin 7 fest. No particular order as my phone has a habit of uploading them randomly.

Might have the odd non 7 surprise in this dump as I tap photos quickly to upload...

Honestly great to see so many are still around and owners prepared to drive them.

[captain_70s]

Saw this at the car show in Hexham on Sat.

Picture shamelessly pilfered from the internet as I forgot to take any photos of it...

1932 Alvis Speed 20 SA, Cross and Ellis tourer body. Restored in the 1990s. The owner showed us an advert for when it was new and it cost something like £800. Needless to say the first owner lived in a massive house in London and I suspect this was their car for driving rather than being driven in!

[wuvvum]

Love the cutaway 7, would have liked to see that up close.  

I've always thought those early Chummies must be an absolute pig to drive at night, with the only lighting being those two piddly little torches on the A pillars.  Mind you early 7s are a pig to drive in any circumstances.

[chaseracer]

The boss looks THRILLED*... 😁