Period images to relieve some of the stress

[twin6]

Cooling off in New Hampshire long ago.  The toll road ran Pierces for many years, is that a Pierce "ascending?"

[58L-Y8]

This Mt. Washington view warrants a better look.  It appears to be a right hand drive Pierce-Arrow.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by 58L-Y8
RHD Pierce-Arrow (see edit history)

[twin6]

Harry Harkness in his 60 hp Mercedes on the mountain, 1904.

[John_Mereness]

Spotted a request by AACA Forum Member Nielpick and he would like to find period photos of his Aston Martin (and its twins of same year/style) - 1936 Aston Martin MK II 1.5 Litre Sports Saloon 

 

Registration No: BWM 243
Chassis No: F5-585-L

 

They key will be the registration number: BWM 243

 

Here are some 1950's or 1960's photos:

 

 

 

 

'BWM 243' was sold new on January 31, 1936 by Watson & Co Ltd of Oldham Street, Liverpool to a Mr W F M Mather of Birkdale, Lancs. As today, it featured Green bodywork teamed with Green leather upholstery. As early as March of the same year it was sold to an R L Bowes of Fairmile, Cobham, courtesy of Winter Garden Garages, London. Almost exactly a year later it once again changed hands, this time to the benefit of a Captain G Fane of London EC3. 

There is then a break in the records until July 11 1953, when the car was acquired by a Mr Philip Kenyon of Liverpool for the princely sum of £350 - the bill of sale is included among the paperwork that accompanies this fascinating car. Mr Kenyon was apparently a brilliant self-taught electrical engineer who worked on the development of the first radar systems. Whilst that was his day job, during WWII he was also a member of the Radio Secret Service and most nights he would listen for and write down German morse code which was, the family understands now, sent on to Bletchley Park for decryption. Mr Kenyon would regularly be accused of being a "fifth columnist" himself by his neighbours due to the very large flag pole at the bottom of his garden which he employed as a mast. He neighbours wondered why the police took no action when they reported him for being a spy. 

He employed the Aston as family transport for himself, his wife and their two daughters, and it remained in such use until the late '60's when a handbrake cable broke and the owner decided it was no longer a practical mode of family transport The car was then retired to the garage alongside his house. The paperwork included with the sale also includes what possibly are the last insurance certificate and last Ministry of Transport Test Certificate dated 14 May 1967 and 7 May 1965 respectively. An "Instruction Book" dated 1 May 1953 and "Registration Book" from 1961 is also included. 

At his death in 1997, ownership of 'BWM 243' passed to his elder daughter, by then Mrs Ann Marks, who, recognising how the car had deteriorated in what had not been the most waterproof of buildings, had it moved to drier, warmer storage at her own premises, which is where it has remained until now. Mrs Marks passed away in October 2016, at which point title switched to her husband, Neil, in whose name the car is currently registered. 
 

 

 

[George Cole]

Olivia DeHaviland's 1935 66-C Buick.

[Captain Harley]

On 7/26/2020 at 2:33 PM, twin6 said:

These guys look like "G-Men"!  The only thing missing is a Tommy Gun in the middle guys hands instead of the plans/blue prints.

 

Capt. Harley😉

[nzcarnerd]

19 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

This Mt. Washington view warrants a better look.  It appears to be a right hand drive Pierce-Arrow.

 

 

Maybe the photo was printed back to front before it became a postcard?

[George Cole]

Olivia DeHaviland's 1935 66-C Buick.

[George Cole]

1961 Buick with rotating seats.

[8E45E]

21 minutes ago, George Cole said:

1961 Buick with rotating seats.

And the 1967-'68 Imperial 'Mobile Director' actually made production!!

 

Craig

[LCK81403]

Several pages back a photo was posted and the car make, model, and year was not provided.  Is this a 1910 or 1911 Locomobile, possibly a Model M?

[twin6]

Winton?

[twin6]

[twin6]

Air cooled vehicles meet up, location unknown.

[keiser31]

4 minutes ago, twin6 said:

My 1929 Franklin Series 135 sport sedan had Ryan lamps like on this second one.

Edited July 28, 2020 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[twin6]

A water cooled Franklin...

[wayne sheldon]

On 7/27/2020 at 7:56 AM, 58L-Y8 said:

This Mt. Washington view warrants a better look.  It appears to be a right hand drive Pierce-Arrow.

 

 

 

11 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

 

Maybe the photo was printed back to front before it became a postcard?

 

 

The smooth style of the fenders makes the car several years old at the dated time of the photograph. Beyond that, the car appears to have cowl lamps. Unless those were added after the car was built, Pierce Arrow dropped that feature by 1919 if I recall correctly. Those electric cowl lamps were built into the wide flaring of the cowl from 1914 into 1918. In 1922, the cowl was made more streamlined in keeping with changing styles (most cars had adopted a more streamlined cowl several years earlier.  Since Pierce was one of the late ones switching to left hand driven in the USA, not making that change until 1921 (Stutz was about the same time, I don't recall the year for certain). Being about eight to ten years old in 1926, this car would have been right hand driven.

 

A wonderful photograph!

Many Pierce Arrows were used for stage services at or around expensive resort areas. They were so tough and well built, reliable and would run for such a long time under grueling conditions, that despite their high initial cost, such businesses found them economical. There were a few such services in the Mount Washington area (being on the West coast my entire life I am not very familiar with those services there, but have read of them a few times), and this car may be from one such stage service. There appears to be a "medallion" of some sort near the top of the radiator (bottom of the shell's top panel). That could be the stage service's medallion.

[Walt G]

Interesting and curious photograph of the 1929 series 137 Franklin dual cowl phaeton - has a rear bumper but no front bumper, and no rear license plate , can't see if there is a front license plate. the car pictured above it is a 1930 Franklin series 14 five passenger "Pirate" touring car.  I have ridden in the front seat of a Pirate like this and driven one as well, not constructed for anyone 6 feet tall with long legs.

[34LaSalleClubSedan]

5 hours ago, Walt G said:

Interesting and curious photograph of the 1929 series 137 Franklin dual cowl phaeton - has a rear bumper but no front bumper, and no rear license plate , can't see if there is a front license plate. the car pictured above it is a 1930 Franklin series 14 five passenger "Pirate" touring car.  I have ridden in the front seat of a Pirate like this and driven one as well, not constructed for anyone 6 feet tall with long legs.

 

[34LaSalleClubSedan]

WoW father Walt, look what you started with your baby!!! THANKS!!!

150,000 views

8,700 replies

350 pages

[Walt G]

Just looking at this for the first time today. Makes me very pleased to see that people like it and it is making them feel good.  With so many negative things happening everyday in the world we live in  I hope a lot of people get some relief from coming here to see something they can count on to put them in a good mood and have a happy place. I think it has accomplished what the title of the thread states.

It is not only a "feel good" but also is a strong imprint of vehicle history, that is what AACA is all about! We all owe AACA a huge debt of gratitude for picking up the tab that the posting of all these photographs is costing the club . YOUR CLUB DUES AT WORK  - preservation and sharing of the Period Images. Without all of you participating this would not be what it now has become. Thanks to all of you who contribute images, comments , and just being here to share in it all.  I obviously have a great interest in pre WWII era vehicles ( love the post war too) but the past several years the focus on the older vehicles has dropped off some and with what you see here I felt may get "newbies" interested , understand and appreciate  the pre WWII era plus make long time members/collectors sit back and think "wow - never seen that one before". We are a community of car people, historians and preservationists who love history . 😏

What sums it up best for me is a statement I have quoted here before , as stated by Oliver Norval Hardy to his friend Arthur Stanley Jefferson " Here's another fine mess you have gotten us into"  ( yes, those two are Laurel & Hardy)   Have a great day my friends!  Once again , thank you for being here.

Walt

[Walt G]

1924 Delling steam car

[F&J]

1 hour ago, Walt G said:

  I obviously have a great interest in pre WWII era vehicles ( love the post war too) but the past several years the focus on the older vehicles has dropped off some and with what you see here I felt may get "newbies" interested , understand and appreciate  the pre WWII era plus make long time members/collectors sit back and think "wow - never seen that one before". We are a community of car people, historians and preservationists who love history . 😏

I was away from the site for 3 years, from illness, and it is great to see a re-focus on prewars of the classic years.   I have never heard of the Delling before, it looks like it's built like a tank as far as strength!

[twin6]

[Walt G]

F&J - Glad you are back here to take in all the interesting stuff on the Forums!  Just so much stuff and so informative. It has made me appreciate some things more that I had marginal interest in before.

I know what it is like to be away from things due to health issues first hand.

Yes, my primary interest is in pre war cars/trucks but that is what was "old" when I first got into the car interest back in the early 1960s - the cars that are collected and appreciated today were new in the showroom when I started!  WOW a 1969 Dodge Charger is collectible and an antique - I recall my parents buying one new!  I like all cars ( mostly) but focus on what is more rapidly disappearing every year just due to age. This is especially true of the accurate  history. It is why I started this thread and why I spend most of my attention on and write articles about the pre war era.

The Delling image came from a real photo postcard that was issued by that company when the cars were new.

Perhaps I should change my name to "Pre war Walt" !!😂

[twin6]

Packards abroad.

[wayne sheldon]

The middle of the three Packards posted above by twin6 is quite interesting. One of the interesting details on the car is that the dummy landau bar is mounted in what we (at least some of us?) consider to be a wrong way. As I have stated before on other threads, it doesn't really matter on the dummy irons. They were purely decoration, and since they didn't actually fold, which way the hinge-pin faced didn't really make much difference. However, very rarely do I see original era photographs showing the dummy bars mounted in an other than "correct" direction. And this is one of those rare photographs.

Landau irons mounted incorrectly in modern restorations is sort of a pet peeve of mine. All the thousands of original era photographs and original sales brochures showing them correctly, and a few people do it wrong, and a hundred other people copy the wrong way instead of looking at all the information showing the "right" way. The Packard in the top photo is the right way. Of course, they appear to be "live" irons, and therefore it would matter.

Edited July 29, 2020 by wayne sheldon
Additional thought. (see edit history)

[George Cole]

 

Parking Cars in 1930s NYC.

 

[twin6]

[twin6]

Antidotes to the hot weather: Moxie and snow.

[twin6]

[8E45E]

Where did that 'First Pierce Arrow' end up?  Especially being that well-kept up and maintained into the 1930's.

 

Craig

[Colin Spong]

1939 Pontiac with British coachwork probably by Carlton Carriage Co of London.

[Colin Spong]

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

[Matt Harwood]

 

One thing many of these photos have shown conclusively is that people were considerably smaller back then. Cars that we find constricting (like the front compartment of my limousine) were probably not all that uncomfortable for their smaller drivers when they were new.

 

 

[John_Mereness]

35 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

One thing many of these photos have shown conclusively is that people were considerably smaller back then. Cars that we find constricting (like the front compartment of my limousine) were probably not all that uncomfortable for their smaller drivers when they were new.

 

 

Always an interesting discussion as to why people do not fit into most early 30's and earlier cars.  Interestingly, most Duesenberg's are very suited for taller drivers, as are Cadillac V-16's and for that matter V-12 Packard's, plus ... (my RR PI took near monkey gymnastics to get in, but once inside if you were any shorter than 6 foot you would have had a bear of a time driving it)  - some stuff with divider window are not bad, but most are.  And there is a read advantage to convertible victoria body styles - I assume as to their popularity to some degree. 

[58L-Y8]

1 hour ago, Colin Spong said:

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

 

Sad to see such a rare car in such sad condition, now all lost.  

[8E45E]

34 minutes ago, John_Mereness said:

Always an interesting discussion as to why people do not fit into most early 30's and earlier cars.  Interestingly, most Duesenberg's are very suited for taller drivers, as are Cadillac V-16's and for that matter V-12 Packard's, plus ... (my RR PI took near monkey gymnastics to get in, but once inside if you were any shorter than 6 foot you would have had a bear of a time driving it)  - some stuff with divider window are not bad, but most are.  And there is a read advantage to convertible victoria body styles - I assume as to their popularity to some degree. 

Good thing I'm not that tall!!

 

Craig

[John_Mereness]

2 hours ago, Colin Spong said:

1939 Hudson "Country Club" sports saloon by Coachcraft , one of 20 such examples manufactured including one on a 129 inch wheel base.

This car had been abandoned in the street and a few days after this photo was taken it was towed to the junk yard. None are known to exist.

Sorry about the poor quality of the photo  .

Anything out there in a factory new photo ? 

[LCK81403]

Matt has a point about the size of people.  When I was about 10 years old I discovered my great-uncle's one piece bathing suit from his World War One days.  I tried squeezing into it and the threads began tearing.  When I was about 12 years old I decided to try on my dad's fleece lined B-17 bomber coverall that he wore for deer hunting.    That bomber suit was too tight for me to pull on.