The Magazine

An Amilcar Avus mystery

Richard Lane, archivist of the UK Amilcar Register, comes up with an intersting issue regarding two drivers of the depicted streamlined offset Amilcar C6 photographed at Avus in 1933. Miss M.J. Mackonocie and Henken Widengren. After 1932 no traces of her. After 1935 no traces of Widengren. Before that most is known.
This the history:  In July 1928 the famous Brooklands driver Vernon Balls came 4th overall and won the 1100CC class in the famous JCC 200 Mile Race at Brooklands driving his recently imported offset C6 Amilcar. Only weeks later, a novice driver, Miss M.J. Maconochie started racing the same car, also mostly at Brooklands, very successfully until September that year after which she disappeared from the motor racing scene but was later reported to be marrying a Mr Parry and settling in the County of Rutland. Subsequently in 1932 she was also reported to be marrying a Major Warren Mackenzie DSO, after which I can find no further mention about what.. (see Read More) .
(main photo courtesy National Media Museum/SSPL )
PS:. Come this weekend to Montlhéry to see a full fleet of Amilcar C6s plus some 100 more vintage racing cars and motorbikes testing the old banked circuit just south of Paris. Prizes for most original car, motorbike, and more presented by PreWarCar.

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Not just another Special

We are not here to kill everybody who rebodies his car. Especially when the former body is in very poor condition. Yes in a previous life  this 1936 Talbot 105 Aero Coupe (H&H, Imperial War Museum, April 17) was a sports saloon. In this case one that popped up from a barn nearly 20 years ago. We do not know what may have been the inspiration to build this aero coupe, but it may have been the early history of the car that was first delivered to an aercraft repair firm: David Rosenfield Ltd of Barton. Rebuilding the car in this way was most certainly no easy way out, but creating a dream car based on the highly attractive base of a Talbot 105. So it may not be suitable for the purists, but is a wonderful creation. Personally we would have opted for a smaller rear window more in the style of the mid thirties, but it is clear that the owner who had this body commissioned had a regualr use in mind. Yet if you prefer true salooning, H&H has ample choice in tomorrow's sale. A 1931 Rover 10/25, a very nice 1935 Bentley 3.5 litre Sports Saloon, a large 1933 Lagonda 16/80 Saloon, and an  even larger 1939 Lagonda LG6 Touring Limousine. To all saloonists out there, keep an eye on the banner on the left of the homepage. Things are happening!

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

A coal gas generator mystery (upd. 1937/38 De Soto, Plymouth or Dodge?)

Carlos Riplollès sends this picture. It was taken in 1942 during a field trip to mount Aneto in the Pyrenees, Spain. My friend knows it's their grandfather's car, but nobody seems to know the make or model. I've also noticed the rear gadget mounted on the car and have no idea about what it is. They seem to be repairing it. Could anybody identify the car? The family would really appreciate it.
editor: dear Carles , the 'gadget' you have noticed is a wood or coal burning generator to produce combustible gas to the engine during the wartime years when petrol was scarce or impossible to get. We find these generator cars all over Europe in that time. It seems the three gentleman are trying to get it burning (again). But for sure there are more knowledgeable readers who can explain better what they are up to. Plus which car it is of course!

Monday, 15 April 2013

Denmark to Darjeeling India per Standard Avon

Very similar to the Standard car shown last week. Eugenio Lai from Denmark knows his trip-trip grandfathers brother Eigil Møller owned a 1907-08 Standard Avon Roi de Belge. And he used it like it should be! He went from Denmark to Darjeeling in India near to the Nepal border in the beginning of the century, and started a tea farm as the first in the highlands. He was successful in this and came back in 1917-18 with the car for a family holiday in Denmark. We are talking about a 6000 mile trip (one way) only a few years after Peking-Paris. It is hard to imagine how people did this. Suppose they did 300 miles a day (which is a lot) it still is a three week journey. Too bad there are further reports about this trip that probably was not very easy. However we found the building of 'highways' in Darjeeling started at least around 1900.  At the same time we start to understand from where the other interst of Eugenio Lai came from; see Kegresse.dk.

Sunday, 14 April 2013