A Formidable Gathering Fit For a Queen By Clive Porter
Famous car names from the vast gallery of British marques gathered at Meldreth’s British Queen public house on Easter Monday as Alan Tobin and his team welcomed in yet another exciting collection of historic motor cars. Many of them were of vintage status, the fantastic quality of the glistening bodywork in the warm April sunshine belying their true ages of around 100 years old.
Amongst the cavalcade there were numerous nifty little two seaters, a smart limousine which has been adapted for ‘Sustainable Petrol’, a Ford Model A that had been converted into a Trials Special, and a ‘Chummy’ that is up for either sale or an exchange deal.
Monty Goding, the pioneer of the now famous and very popular Barrington Classic Car Show, arrived in his smart two seater 1923 Bullnose Morris Cowley which he purchased from a Cornish owner in 1984. Prior to this, the vehicle, of which no less than 150,000 of this model and the Oxford design were produced between 1919-1926, had never strayed from its native county.
By way of a contrast, an equally well maintained Vauxhall V23/60 from 1924 has been in the ownership of Tim Reynolds for three years, but was shipped to South Africa immediately after it was manufactured in the U.K. It returned in 1989. Its bold features tagged the motor with ‘that greyhound look’.
The Austin Chummy was a very popular affordable little car in its day. John Foy who is a vintage car restorer is eager to find a new home for his 1924 vehicle on a sale or exchange basis.
Meanwhile Guy Lachlen’s beautiful 1928 Sunbeam ‘Sixteen’ Limo bears a very intriguing history. Sunbeam were a small family motor producing company from Nottingham. This particular model belonged to a Miss Elizabeth Machin, and she was responsible for organising the special limousine coachwork by Simpson Slater, which she chose, as she didn’t agree with her chauffeur overhearing her conversations from the rear of the car. Guy purchased the vehicle in 2010 and rebuilt the engine in 2012 to enable the Sunbeam to run on Sustainable Petrol made from food waste.
The motor gathering at The British Queen meets on the first Monday of each month. This Friday (5th April) the Barrington Classic Car Show returns to the Green at 5pm.
Copyright – Article & photographs – Clive Porter
Photos – If anyone is interested in owning any of the fine photos in this feature, please contact Clive Porter: 07594 259 410
