Phaeton ready for a winter ride – British or French?

This photograph came to us labelled as an AC. A 16hp six-cylinder, perhaps? We were not entirely convinced, as even the larger AC models seem smaller than this giant. The radiator and disc wheels don’t quite fit either. Is it British at all?

The picture turned out to originate from the Bryan Goodman photographic archive, which was sold at auction several years ago. The Britain-based SAHB (Society of Automotive Historians in Britain) also looked into it and wrote: “We didn’t know the make, but (the late – ed.) Anders Clausager came to the rescue very quickly. It is a Georges Roy from around 1920, powered by a conventional 3-litre four. It was one of those provincial French makes that never gained much of a reputation outside its local market, in this case Bordeaux, where the cars were built from 1906 to 1929.”

Apart from mostly round-radiator Edwardians and some really cool motorcycles, we couldn’t find much about this specific model, even with that knowledge. So do let us know if you have any thoughts on this car. The picture itself fits beautifully with the time of year, we think, with the lady ready for a winter’s ride. And we believe the radiator mascot to be an example of ‘Le Tank’ by Brunswick, depicting a lady riding a snail, her hair swept back to give the impression they are travelling at speed.

Words: Jeroen Booij, Picture: Bryan Goodman photographic archive

Published:

Monday March 16th, 2026

Ariejan Bos

17 March, 17:04

They say that God’s ways are mysterious. The same applies often for objects, like this photo. It is in my collection and I can confirm that it belonged once to the Bryan Goodman collection. It was in a series of Georges Roy photos I bought after the photos had been sold at auction. And although photos are never really unique, because they had to be printed from glass plate or film, I believe this photo to be the same as in the post because of some tiny, but obvious imperfections. So how it ended up here??

I also can confirm that is a Georges Roy, because that is clearly readable on the front wheel hub. The back of the photo reveals the identity of the lady at the wheel, which is Mademoiselle J. De Presles. However I wasn’t able to track her down through the internet. The photo was made by the studios of Henri Manuel in Paris, apparently one of the largest in Paris at the time. Another photo of a similar (the same?) car came with it then, taken from the other side. It is a more formal photo without driver or passengers, taken by Panajou Frères from Bordeaux, the home city of the Georges Roy firm. Anyway, the route of this photo is more direct ...

Hergen Deuter

16 March, 14:42

While I initially thought it might be an AC Six Model, the attached photo, which is unfortunately of poor quality, seems to point to George Roy. Even though this vehicle doesn't have the same elegance as the young lady's, which reminds me a little of Jean-Henri Labourdette, there are still quite a few similarities.

Phaeton ready for a winter ride – British or French?

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