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Messages - vintman

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 21
1
Hi Japeflakes. Yes, not quite sure why, but it seems that at the time that my reply to this identification was posted on our Help Pages, it had not been posted on Rootschat ?? This time when I came across the enquiry, I too had not remembered that I had already done it, so I had to start anew, - hence same result with some minor changes in text to mirror the investigation this time round.

2
Hi,       I seem to be very late on this one. Registration CN was issued by Gateshead CBC (then Co. Durham) but dating details of the registration are lost. Gateshead is on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle, not far from the North Sea.

The precise identification of the car was a little difficult because there are two cars in 1910-1912 period with almost identical radiator header tanks when viewed head on. One was the Model C Chevrolet of USA and the other the 1911 Metallurgique of Belgium. These are very difficult to tell apart, especially if the photos are of a poor pixy blurry quality as these are. However, the front wings having no wing-bill tips, wheels without demountable rims and having left hand steering, rules out the Chevrolet.

So this leaves the Belgian Metallurgique from Marchienne-au-Pont, southern Belgium near the French Border, active between 1898 and 1928, who also made locomotives and rolling stock.  Cars were of high quality made mainly for export with Britain being the main market. They made four models in that period being 12, 20, 26 or 40HP. Biggish body so this is probably a medium 20HP car bodied by Vandenplas in Belgium, as were most Melaurgique cars built in Belgium. Sold in the UK by Warwick Wright of London. A licence had been sold to the German company Berman in 1909 whom had previously been making electric automobiles.

3
Hi, I am a bit late on this one but am relatively sure the circular scuttle, windscreen and sharply sloping bonnet is typical of a cca 1907 Humber Beeston 16'20 Roy-de-Belges Tourer. Humber made cars in Coventry and in Beeston, but those made in Beeston were considered higher quality.The 16'20 was made in Beeston 1906 to 1908, when in 1908 they closed the Beeston factory. Car therefore has to be latest 1908. Thomas Humber started in bicycles making his first penny farthing in 1870, making first British motorcycle in 1892, followed soon after by a car. Thomas died 1910 aged 69. Humber Company closed in 1967 under roots.

4
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Sharpen Gt Grandfathers car
« on: Saturday 17 February 24 16:14 GMT (UK)  »
Am also attaching my update of the photo

5
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Sharpen Gt Grandfathers car
« on: Saturday 17 February 24 16:02 GMT (UK)  »
I am a bit late on this one. I notice you do not mention the make or the year of the car. There is no registration visible to help in dating or origin. The car is French, from a company with British management. The radiator shape is new for the post 1912 period, and has the new badge. This seems to be a cca 1913 Darracq Torpedo Tourer, probably the V14 16HP. 

6
The Common Room / Re: Old car enthusiasts - Wolseley 10hp
« on: Tuesday 06 February 24 12:27 GMT (UK)  »
Bit late on this one but can confirm that neither cars in the photo are a Wolseley of 1904 because Wolseley's of that vintage had a bonnet wrap-round radiator; quite distinctive.  However can help with dating and identification. The registration of the car on the left is A-4413 which is a London County Council issue of mid 1904. The car is French from one of the pioneer auto manufacturers, being a cca 1904 Panhard Levassor  16 HP  Side Entrance Tourer. The registration of car on right seems to be O (or possibly D). O-197 is Birmingham 1904 (if D then Kent 1904?). The car is also French, also an early maker, and it is just possible to see part of the side radiator hidden by the front mudguard advising this car is a cca 1904 Renault Tonneau, probably the 10HP Type N, before Renault started using scuttle radiators.

7
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Any Ideas on date and make of car please!
« on: Monday 05 February 24 11:42 GMT (UK)  »
Bit late on this one but can advise that the car registration U-1468 was issued by the County Borough Council of Leeds in the latter part of 1910. The car shown was manufactured by one of the earliest and most prestigious manufacturers of the day, Napier, who made their first car in 1899. Their vehicles were mostly very large and exotic, racers and record breakers. At the other end of their production programme, they also manufactured a vehicle that became very popular as a Taxi in London and elsewhere. From 1908 to 1911 they made over 700 15HP Landaulettes available with either 1.3L 2 Cylinder or 2.7L 4 Cylinder engine. Many were exported.  During World War One they supplied over 2,000 trucks and ambulances to the war effort. So this is a cca 1910 Napier 15HP Landaulette.

Have also slightly enhanced the photo.

8
The Common Room / Re: Edwardian Photo Collection - name Hazelgrove?
« on: Sunday 03 December 23 15:16 GMT (UK)  »
The headlamps would have been acetylene and the side lamps would have been acetylene or oil; here acetylene. Both sets of lamps were removable mainly for daily refilling and cleaning. They were often left off entirely during wet daylight hours to stop tarnishing the bright brass. or they would have had a leather bag over them for same reason. Headlamps would have fitted into a 'U' shaped upright forks which says permanently on the car. The 'U" uprights fit into slots in the side of lamps and have a wing-nut to fix them. The empty fork on the right can just be seen on the house photo and empty missing sidelight bracket on the car photo.

9
The Common Room / Re: Edwardian Photo Collection - name Hazelgrove?
« on: Sunday 03 December 23 12:46 GMT (UK)  »
Lovely detailed photos, glass slides, probably somebody's ex pride and joy. Cannot help much on the rest but can advise on the PHOTOS WITH THE CAR.   Registration CP 382 was issued by Norwich Borough Council in 1907. The hyphen between the letters and numbers was mandatory by law on all early registrations, so this confirms a genuine early registration. The picture with the lady shows a French manufactured car with clearly visible de Dion Bouton steering wheel and two free standing engine controls. The picture with the house shows that the car had a low mounted edged radiator without a frame or a logo. This suggests a smaller car, so probably a cca 1905 De Dion Bouton, probably with a 6HP engine. The body is quite fascinating, possibly unique, in having what seems a single driver’s front seat, set to the left, with no front passenger seat on the right. This was presumably sacrificed so that rear passengers can get in via the side door, rather than the normal practice where the rear passengers got into a tonneau via a central door in the rear of the vehicle. Birth of a ‘tourer’ body? Or perhaps the owner had a problem with a leg and needed additional space to keep it straight? Fascinating.

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