HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Thursday 31 March 2011

Name That Car

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This fantastic picture as been sent in by Janet Davis, remember it was Janet who also shared the pictures of Turbine Garage. This car belonged to the founder of F.Knowles and Sons Solicitors and is seen here parked outside their office..  Janet would like to know about this car.... any information would be much appreciated and a fitting way to say thank you to Janet for once again making a posting possible. If you can't name the car.. can you name the street.?  

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Close up of badge and mascot 

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It may well have look similar to this


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Our friend Eric Downs as sent in the above picture and he thinks it is a 1930s Morris Cowley as well.. thank you Eric for the picture.

6 comments:

Dave Williams said...

Kelly's Directory of 1914 shows F. Knowles & Son, Solicitors (he'd obviously had at least one other son by the time this picture was taken) at 1 Beeley Street. That should mean that the shop in the picture is on the corner of Beeley Street and Clarendon Place - and the Directory shows a John Robert Hadfield, grocer, at 22 Clarendon Place. F.Knowles was called Frederic and the son Arthur, and the Directory shows them both living at 188 Mottram Road. I've still not had any luck in trying to identify the car.

Tom said...

Great information Dave. A for the car I also drew a blank... I took advantage of my insomnia last night and spent a good 2 hours trawling through pictures of vintage cars.... It was very frustrating... I came across a Ford, a Rover, and a Standard that all reminded me n some way... but could not come up with the modal.. I'll see if I can crop the top of the grill and see if it shows up anything. Those 10 spoked wheels are very similar to what I came across on the Standard's. I will have another trawl later.

Hydonian said...

Great picture! Thanks Janet :)
Some really good investigative work there, Dave!

Gerald (SK14) said...

Don't know the car but information about the registration number reveals "This combination was issued from July 1927 to Sep. 1932.

This plate would have been issued by East Sussex C.C. (currently Brighton)."

so the photograph must be later than 1927 and the car is a long way from its home.

Tom said...

Hi Gerald.. more good info... did not concider checking that.

After spending a few hours trawling google images, and countless vintage car clubs, forums, and collections, the nearest thing to the above car I have come across is a 1929-30 Morris Cowley 'Flat Nose' 4 Door Saloon, there's also a Morris Oxford 'Flat Nose of a similar age but my money is on a Cowley.
I have gone off the shape of the grill, the mascot?, the front wing shape, the 10 spoke wheels, the way the doors are hinged and then the overall look... I hope Dave can check this out and see what he thinks.

Dave Williams said...

Yes, Flat Nose Morris was in my mind too although I wasn't able to find a picture, but now I've found this:
//www.iamo.org.uk/Models/1927%204%20cylinder%20Oxford-Cowley.htm
which looks close enough and the car in 'our' picture has three-stud wheels which seems to indicate, as you say, a Cowley.