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Car identification request
The young man in the picture was the father of a good family friend. She just sent me this picture of him, a young Corsican living in Tangiers during its better colonial period. Until the mid-20th century, this city was home to an unorthodox colony of expatriates and their vehicles. The pictured car seems to have an artisanal body but I can't determine the maker. I would appreciate it if someone could help me with my search.
Daniel Hadad
Published:
Monday November 18th, 2024
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Comments
Piergiulio
23 November 2024, 06:23
Good morning, Daniel. If I were able to recover the chassis numbers I could consult the registers to understand if I can give you more info on this car.
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Daniel Hadad
24 November 2024, 12:53
Good morning, Piergiulio. Unfortunately, licence plate records from before the independence of Morocco have been lost, so there's no way to recover the chassis numbers and know more about this car. I would also like to trace its history back to Tangiers.
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Piergiulio
22 November 2024, 06:41
If you can see it in the original photo, one of the details to understand if it is a Type 30, beyond the wheelbase is the gearbox. The 30 had a gearbox with a central lever without a crimp, the 20 has a crimp. The one with the overlap is a 30.
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Piergiulio
21 November 2024, 13:21
Hi Daniel, is it possible to have a scan of the photo? Thanks.
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Fabien Houdayer
21 November 2024, 11:32
It may be a two-litre Bignan. The rear suspension of the Diatto doesn't seem to match me.
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Peut-être une Bignan 2 litres. La suspension arrière de la Diatto ne me semble pas correspondre.
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Peut-être une Bignan 2 litres. La suspension arrière de la Diatto ne me semble pas correspondre.
Piergiulio
21 November 2024, 06:21
Good morning, Daniel, I have been studying and following and collecting documentation of this brand for many years it would be nice to be able to have an exchange of information directly between us to delve deeper into the subject. Tell me if possible to have your e-mail. Thanks.
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Daniel Hadad
20 November 2024, 23:08
I am very happy with all the attention the photo has received. I didn't expected that it be a car like a Diatto. In the French Protectorate, American and French cars were very popular but in Tangiers anything was possible.
The coachwork looks similar to the Mouche et Cie Diatto 20S. The one of Tangiers was was probably made by some local craftsman. That's what Arlette told me. She is the daugther of the owner car. In this other picture you can see her with her mother, Chevy and sister:
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The coachwork looks similar to the Mouche et Cie Diatto 20S. The one of Tangiers was was probably made by some local craftsman. That's what Arlette told me. She is the daugther of the owner car. In this other picture you can see her with her mother, Chevy and sister:
Hergen Deuter
20 November 2024, 22:33
Here is the comparison with the 240 mm longer wheelbase of the Tipo 20A.
Piergiulio: I miei dettagli di contatto sono sul mio sito web studiodeuter.com, le immagini sono gratuite.
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Piergiulio: I miei dettagli di contatto sono sul mio sito web studiodeuter.com, le immagini sono gratuite.
Piergiulio
21 November 2024, 20:32
Your overlap is interesting but we are not on the same page with the wheelbase measurements of the cars. The 20A is 3,100 m.m. but the 20S is 2,800 m.m.
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Piergiulio
20 November 2024, 08:15
To understand if it's a Type 30 you have to see the gearbox. From the photo it doesn't look like a 2,800 m.m. wheelbase but 3,100 m.m.
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Keith Kuehn
19 November 2024, 21:50
Hmmm, that's a tough one! What worries me is how close the rear tyre is to the running board and front of the back wing...
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Piergiulio
20 November 2024, 08:08
I would say a Diatto or Type 20 or 20A. The photos are not clear, but from the position of the carburetter, steering box, front brakes, gear lever, tank filler neck, battery box... I can't see the leaf spring attachment to understand if it is cantilever. I would be interested in buying this documentation of yours if possible. Thanks.
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Daniel Hadad
20 November 2024, 23:15
Ciao, Piergiulio. The picture belongs to our friend's family archive and the original is not for sale.
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Hergen Deuter
19 November 2024, 19:17
I agree with Diatto, but that would have to be a Diatto 30. Except for details that can be attributed to different focal lengths, distortions of old lenses and slightly different perspectives, both images fit together. The proportions of the Diatto 20A chassis are a bit different.
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Peter Maguire
19 November 2024, 14:24
It looks to me as if the photo is one that has had the colour added by hand, not unusual before and after the Second World War. Because of that, I do not think that certain details are correct. The tail seems to be deeper than it should be and the bonnet line does not correspond to the scuttle line. It could well be a fabric-covered body, but that could also be due to the hand colouration. From the side, the radiator looks somewhat Fiat-like to me. In any case I, too, would think an Italian make and sometime in the mid- to late 1920s.
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Chris C. B.
18 November 2024, 23:27
Radiator shape, Bosch headlamps, 820/120 RW wheels and four-wheel brakes suggests a Diatto 20S. The rear coachwork looks French (à la Mouche et Cie), which would suit the French protectorate of Morocco and city of Tangiers in the vintage era.
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