Indentiification Help Needed.

[Bob Bull]

I wonder if any of the 'senior' members of the forum may help with indentifying this early vehicle?

It is believed to be a 'one-off' special, and while the maker is not shown on the chassis anywhere the amount of wood used in the construction might give a clue as to it's origin




Over to Leigh, Andy, Mark

[Bob Bull]

No suggestions? I can see this one has got our experts baffled.

[Philip Tisdall]

probably you Bob in 1950

[Tim Hill]

Bob,

Looking at the camber on the rear wheels, this could possibly be MkI GN Spider - before the bodywork was added. Therefore the driver may be Basil Davenport.

or - as Mr Tisdall says - B Bull circa 1950, probably taken on Monken Hadley common. (Were you allowed up the posh end of town?)

Cheers
Tim

[jack bellinger]

Hadley Common........ Your joking ... look at the council houses in the background.. More like an old Bomb Site


But Doesnt Bob have a Cute Little Smile !!!!

[Bob Bull]

Some are getting a little close to the location, but ...............................!!!!!!!

Bob.

What is Bob best know for in the Morgan world?

[Philip Tisdall]

a few (very good) photos and the ability to arrive when food is about ?????

[Bob Bull]

a few (very good) photos and the ability to arrive when food is about ?????

Just a few 'good' photo's ??

Thank's a lot Philip.

ex-Mate Bob [-X

[peter rafter]

the model looks to me like an early "Silver Cross" cabriolet chassis (By appoitment to Queen MUM) or even a "Prestige Twin" (get the missus to explain these technical terms Bob, or better still ask Mary). What threw me at first was that it appears to demonstrate some limted off-road capability. (mine would only ever go down steep tarmac or concrete inclines-- rear passengers, usually sisters whose high pitched shrieks gave ample warning, were rewarded by being pressganged into pulling said chariot back up the hill)....My recollection of models of that period is that they were universally steered by a sophisticated double string arrangement secured around front axle -- a steering wheel was unknown, although Barnes Wallis may havebeen working on putative designs. . Most users adopted left foot braking { much to mothers grief given the resultant wear on shoes or ankle boots). As to camber I presume this is because it was built from a fading Heath Robinson drawing.....
Was it a Brownie 127?
Still, happy happy times.
And was there honey still for tea?

[john bevan]

thank you mr Betjeman.

[Mary Lindsay]

or better still ask Mary

Whilst your confidence in me is touching Peter I am afraid that your obvious knowledge of such things far exceeds my own.

What puzzles me is why the pilote needs such thick gloves. Also, he has the look of a person who has been asked to pose on the machine and has no idea how to drive it. He seems to be thinking to himself that he rather wished he had polished his shoes that morning if he was to succeed in a modelling career.

[Bob Bull]

Note the 'backbone chassis', and 'crab track' configuration suggesting that the design was penned by some Adrian Newey type of genius.

Well spotted Tim for getting the location pretty close, but Jack is, as ever, quite correct in noting the anomalous background. The location is the ex-Council rubbish tip reclaimed for recreational use, and known locally as 'The Dumps' and not far from the site of the famous Barnet Fair.
The intrepid pilote is paused at the top of the fearsome 'Black Slope', a steep downhill rush with a boulder lined chicane half way down. The conductor displays a fine contempt for danger as his complete lack of crash helmet, fireproof overalls and Hans device illustrates. They made them tough back then.

Peter also gives us a rare insight to the construction techniques of the day with it's use of proprietory components, and advanced steering gear, although his reference to Mary I can only interpret as him thinking that the rebuilt Bulldog must bear a similarity to the bolide pictured.

Sadly I must confess that Jack's reference to 'posh' is rather too close to the mark. Mind you I was sleeping only about 1/4 mile from the spot when the Huns dropped a landmine on Hadley Common and created a massive bomb site. Swines woke me up.

Do keep the replies coming in, but I note that none of our resident experts has ventured an opinion as yet!

Bob from Barnet

[Bob Bull]

or better still ask Mary

Whilst your confidence in me is touching Peter I am afraid that your obvious knowledge of such things far exceeds my own.

What puzzles me is why the pilote needs such thick gloves. Also, he has the look of a person who has been asked to pose on the machine and has no idea how to drive it. He seems to be thinking to himself that he rather wished he had polished his shoes that morning if he was to succeed in a modelling career.

Mary,
Being so young you can not be expected to understand just how wrong you are, the chap behind the wheel was the most fearless person I ever knew, and his feats ledgerdemain around the locality, and he still turns up for most club meetings at Silverstone.

Should you wish a copy of the photo for your archives I will be happy to supply a one. I do own the copyright.

Love,

Bob

[Leigh Sebba]

Well Bob – your introduction invited me by name as one of the ‘senior’ members of the forum – and later reference to ‘the posh end of town’ and ‘resident experts’ so I do feel I should make an attempt.

I used to cycle from the posh (Totteridge) end to Barnet Fair and the Barnet football club – I was there for the FA Cup game against Preston in Jan 1965 when there was a crowd of 10,500.

And I did fly my model aeroplanes on those fields by Dollis Brook and cycled, but never had a ‘kart’ although I may have travelled in a posh pram. Sorry Peter don’t recall if it was a Silver Cross but if you follow such vehicles we did go years ago to this museum crammed full of prams in an Oast House in Kent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/pram- ... 03351.html

Now as to the person – if it is not you Bob -

‘the most fearless person I ever knew, and his feats ledgerdemain around the locality, and he still turns up for most club meetings at Silverstone.’

Well it could be me except I don’t turn up at most club meetings. John Britten’s garage was just down the road – but he has died. The Bentley chap in Radlett ? Sorry – I think we are going to need a clue.

So – just to show I am still supporting your BHP efforts Bob.

Leigh

PS It looks like most of the axle grease went on his hair

[Bob Bull]

Leigh,
Good to have your thoughts on the subject, and nice to see that a number of replies make use of local knowledge to try and solve the mystery! You mention Dollis Brook, and that brings back so many memories that sadly only remind me of what a pair of tearways I and my pal Eric were back then. Quite disgraceful behaviour was the norm.
Can you imagine curling up inside an old car tyre and being bowled down a hill crossing a fairly busy road and crashing into some unfortunate residents hedge, before making a quick get-a-way? Riems, Goodwood, Thruxton, Nurburgring were just a few of the tracks we raced carts and bikes around, some off road many utilising public roads and/or pavements.
Unlike your good and aged self we were never into football, or indeed, ball sports of any kind. They were for Nancy Boys!

Kind regards

Flash!