As a teen with an obsession with old cars, I often fell asleep with the light on while poring over Georgano's Automobile Encyclopedia, which was a masterwork of its day (I still have two copies). My favorite entries were cars that were handsome failures, and this video checks the "Paramount" box. Great find, Steph!
Thank you for showing this!! Bill Hudson was my great grandad and photos of the production warehouse (among other things) was passed down to me! Would love to see one in person 🤩
I'd never heard of the Paramount until I picked up a 1955 edition of 'The Observers Book of Automobiles at a boot sale about 35 years ago, imagine my surprise when I saw it was 'powered' by a wheezy 1172 cc Ford sidevalve lump! Nice video Steph.
Thanks for being brave and showing this wonderful rare car. I expect it didn’t appeal to that many people as the Jowett had better lines overall and the lack of a parking brake would deter any potential buyers who lived on a hill.
I am so glad you mentioned multiple times how many of the rattles and clatters of the old car were due to age. Many reviewers fail, or seem to, take into account that age and wear. “The car has worn terribly, it runs poorly, it rides so rough!” Well, yeah, it’s a 70 odd year old car. I’d be shocked it it DIDN’T show it’s age.
Great video, Steph. It was nice of the museum to issue you the invitation to drive this rare vehicle. Well done to founders Sam and Bill for successfully realizing their dream of building their own car, I'm glad some still survive.
I first came across this car when I bought a second hand copy of the 1956 Observer's Book of Automobiles. It's listed as having the Ford 1172cc engine giving 31 bhp and having a top speed of 74 mph. It weighed in at 18 and a half cwt. If they used the Ford 3-speed gearbox I dread to think what it was like going up any kind of hill!. However, I do really like it and look forward to seeing it when it has been fully restored. Thanks Steph. By the way the book lists a 1956 Allard which is a similar kind of car but has a 5.4 litre Cadillac V8. Perhaps you could feature one of these in a future episode.
A great review of a car very few people have ever heard of let alone seen one the Paramount now l know that thèy are around the UK and you showed everything under the bonnet in the boot the interior and the exterior l do enjoy your reviews Steph
Top marks for finding a car made in Derbyshire (my county by the way) but unfortunately it looks like a car made in Derbyshire … cobbled together in somebody’s shed! 1950s car buyers were apparently quite discerning - they kept walking past the Paramount! It looks like it belongs in Last Of The Summer Wine, with a name like the Loxley Lozenge, and Edie saying “Have you been moving these pedals around again Wesley?”
Having checked google and seen a restored one, they're actually a really nice car. I hope this gets the treatment because I think opinions will change if it does, at the moment, it's a bit manky at best. I also see the Jowett Jupiter styling cues in it's looks, sorry Steph!!
The windsreen really reminds me of Jaguar xk cars . It is great to see such a car and in the period of time that car came from some great classic cars came from
I worked on a conversion project at Windsor central ( G.B. ) railway station in 1982 at which time there was a black Paramount for sale on someone's drive nearby . I think it was priced at £800 is that one still around ? Best Wishes , Martin.
This story sounds like the Mickey Roonie Judy Garland stock line "Hey kids, let's put on a show!” but there was no Hollywood studio production system behind them.
Fascinating car & excellent video.... Possibly the best use of a Triumph 1500 engine too. I'm a Derbyshire chap and several times older car owner had never heard of it.... Well done Richard and the team at GBCJ for getting it👍
Oddly enough...I''m struck by the centre of the steering wheel. It remains upright and doesn't turn with the wheel itself. Gonna have to look for that "fearue" next time I watch one of your fabulous videos. Aloha!
Quite a thing then so when Citroen rediscovered it in the 2000s it was new all over again! The switch at the top of the hub is the indicators and as it was an off the shelf design you often come across it on Steph's test subjects.
@@davidperrott5743 Ah...thank you for the clarification. That makes perfect sense. I've driven antiques...being an antique myself...that had the spark advance in a position similar to those turn indicators. Noticing Steph didn't manipulated those controls, I guess it would be something like that.
Except this is not glass fibre, much as it looks like it. Steph said it is aluminium panels on an ash frame. There is a dent in the driver's door, which means that panel is definitely metal.
I don't remember hearing of this one, but from the twenties through to the sixties there were many of these small production cars, guys who thought they had that something special, but the cars rarely survived. Better off without the Ford 1172, I have never worked out what they do to produce so little power from so much fuel.
Any chance we could see these unusual wiper patterns in action? Chances of seeing this in the flesh are virtually nil. Hopefully Hubnut hasnt got the copyright on wiper clips!
@@UnbiasedlistenerYou mean foot operated? My Mercedes C Class had one. Pulling the lever to release it made a loud and alarming clunk which I never quite got used to.
Foot operated parking brakes were very common in North American cars for decades. In 72 we got a Dodge Dart and that was the first car I could remember without a foot operated parking brake.
Hmm......looks like someone tried to copy the look of an XK120, but that 'someone' didn't have William Lyons sense of proportion and style. I'm not surprised it failed.
Great video once again, thank you. I like how the central dash instrumentation would work in N.American LHD cars as well as RHD, no big changes (if any) needed. The original duo were thinking ahead. What a rare classic!
I had not known about that car until Christmas 1983 when I got hold of the book British Cars of the Early Fifties published by the Olyslager Auto Library. I also have subsequent into about the car in other car books that I have collected in the last four decades. Looks almost similar to the Jaguar XK 120 from a distance, some might even mistake it for either an XK120 or XK140 drophead.
Automotive failures are always far more interesting than success stories, that car cost around 2 years average salary at the time (4 for women). Hard sell at that price.
Fantastic video again Steph very interesting motor. Have you ever tried the Lotus Sunbeam? Nothing like analogue motoring. Keep uploading the videos I look forward to watching them😃👍
wow what a truely wonderful car and it is a real shame that they never got the finace to build more and with the motor and transmission that they had wanted in the first place but a great car non the less.
You have certainly brought forth the thought and care that went into creating these beauties. I often feel that if it hadn't been for the shortage of materials after the War and the compromises this forced upon British manufacturers their sales would have be tremendous.
You're right - never heard of it! Looks like they took a mould from a Jaguar and then much hammering in a shed of assorted materials! Not the last British car to cost more to produce than the ticket price. Cheers
Really interesting video, Steff. Wonderful to see such a rare and unusual car. For once i don't feel left out because I had not heard of a specific car. I am certain that once properly sorted it would look much better. Im betting that adding a parking brake would be an easy mod if someone was restoring one to use every so often. Other companies must have used the same or similar Girling braking system. All in all a superb video, brilliantly presented as always.
love your reviews but find the great British car journey reviews a bit frustrating in that you can only drive around the small industrial estate never getting out of third gear.
I would have thought that goes without saying. Not a slight on Steph, Ian from Hubnut and all the rest who film reviews there and would want to take the cars out on the open road as much as me.
I had the chance of buying one of these in the 70s . Sadly the guy wanted a hundred pounds for it and at that time I couldn't afford it !! I remember it had the side valve Ford engine in it . Lovely looking car .
Fascinating to discover another British vehicle we've never heard of , there is a likeness to Bond and Berkeley and other such small scale production home spun vehicles of the era but with much grander and more glamorous aspirations , it is actually quite cool and deserved to do better .
Hello that was fantastic , it would a great car to do a clean up and a little bit of work, for me it would be a shame to do a full restoration . A very rare interesting car. Here is one for you Steph have you heard of The Snark ? its was a MGA with a V8 and then later a V6 its the car Carroll Shelby took the the plans and built the first Cobra as far as I know the law case went on for years . I have seen the car at some shows in Victoria BC Canada I may even have some photos somewhere . There is a lot to this story and there is a short video on RUclips The Snark at the 2011 British Car Show, Fort Rodd Hill, Victoria, BC if you would like anymore info let me know and I will see what I can do . Thanks for the video.
That car is just horrendous! And I am saying that as someone who likes weird cars, likes and build specials and I can appreciate the novelty of it. But that thing is just absolutely terrible. It looks like a car built by Noddy after a 3 day bender on LSD. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly novel about it, it looks bad, the fit and finish is absolutely atrocious. It would be interesting to know if that one is particularly bad and the others are better? Was this one 'restored' by someone who didn't have a clue? What happened to the grille? How can it have no handbrake? That makes no sense! Definitely an interesting film though so thanks for probably risking life and limb driving it!
@@idriveaclassic You're a brave woman and I appreciate your willingness to try anything! Certainly an interesting car, I wonder if yours if the only RUclips film of it?
It appears to be a mixture of shabby unrestored and partly restored with homemade bits. The styling is also a mixture, being mostly XK120-ish but with a front end that would look more at home on a typical saloon of the era.
A new one on me, I've never heard of them. I'm loving the fixed steering wheel boss and what looks like an advance/retard switch or a choke? Have to admire the spirit of the two men who decided they were going to build a car and just did it! The odds were stacked against them but they showed great initiative. Great vid!
Full marks for focus on a truly ordinary and doomed carmaker . Well done for putting spotlight on the obscure and even unloved. The 1172 Prefect engine might have been OK in a featherweight Lotus 7, but in this lump it could only have been a dreary drive 70 years ago. A Spitfire motor and box (even with a blow) would be worlds apart from the original.
I can't say I have heard of this car but it does have hints of the Jaguar XK series. There were a lot of manufacturers around as you say but it seems they fell at the first hurdle by putting an 1172 side valve Ford engine in what appears to be a sports car! What a shame but it does show that even if you are 'car mad' you might not be good at making cars. Good review Steph so glad it wasn't raining! 👍👍
Those ignition keys have got to be moved to the right or the left, mounted in the center like that really could be annoying your hand hitting the keys after certain shifts. That live axle, I could almost feel it from here, independent rear axle would do well for this car. I know it would have been an added expense to the design. So the lawn mower fuel tank is an over flow for the cooling system? Or was that the fuel tank for this drive? The lawn mower tank is zip tied behind the engine’s top valve cover. I think it’s tied to a heater hose? No worries, just curious. Is it Morgan still does Ash wood frames for their three wheelers, best guess. Love seeing alternative materials being used for whatever reason. Takes on a designers and engineers’ imagination to make it all work. Neat car. Love your content. I have a soft spot old and very simple transportation be it an old motorcycle or car.
I think I can see the vision, but the execution is dreadful. Maybe I'm not allowing for the amount of less than sympathetic and ham fisted hands all over it since it was built. In need of some serious love.
Got a cool shape & style for a "kit car" concept, spunky little 1600-2000cc or electric - would make a hot looking retro Ole school, roadster, sports, a mix of Jag, MG & Delahaye.
My first car was an old Hillman Hunter and the handbrake only worked on the flat, so a bit like this car! I had to park it in 1st gear, then put my toe on the footbrake, put the clutch in to start the engine, rev it with my heel, and slowly lift my toe off the foot brake as I pulled away using my heel. Who needs a handbrake?
As a teen with an obsession with old cars, I often fell asleep with the light on while poring over Georgano's Automobile Encyclopedia, which was a masterwork of its day (I still have two copies). My favorite entries were cars that were handsome failures, and this video checks the "Paramount" box. Great find, Steph!
Thank you for showing this!! Bill Hudson was my great grandad and photos of the production warehouse (among other things) was passed down to me! Would love to see one in person 🤩
Wow, a real rarity. I've heard the name but never seen one outside of a book. Good stuff.
I'd never heard of the Paramount until I picked up a 1955 edition of 'The Observers Book of Automobiles at a boot sale about 35 years ago, imagine my surprise when I saw it was 'powered' by a wheezy 1172 cc Ford sidevalve lump! Nice video Steph.
For a while there was a bar in Swadlincote called the Paramount (former New Empire cinema ) and they had history and pictures of the cars on the wall.
Wow! What a shame it has gone
In the words of Monty Python " and now for something completely different "! Always a surprise and never a dull moment with Steph! 😁
I only know about the Paramount because I was at the Great British Car Journey yesterday where I saw it !
So pleased to hear it is out!
Thanks Steph. Never heard of Paramount. Enjoyed your show 😊. Looks a bit like a Jowett Jupiter if you squint 😂
God no. The Jupiter stole my heart, this was just a ‘nice enough car’.
@@idriveaclassic 😂 I did say 'squint'.... 😂
A poor man's XK150 with a Bristol steering wheel?
Thanks for being brave and showing this wonderful rare car.
I expect it didn’t appeal to that many people as the Jowett had better lines overall and the lack of a parking brake would deter any potential buyers who lived on a hill.
I am so glad you mentioned multiple times how many of the rattles and clatters of the old car were due to age. Many reviewers fail, or seem to, take into account that age and wear. “The car has worn terribly, it runs poorly, it rides so rough!” Well, yeah, it’s a 70 odd year old car. I’d be shocked it it DIDN’T show it’s age.
I work on that site and I see all the cars drive and that is one cool car
I knew of Paramount in the 1950’s but don’t remember having seen one. Good to see the video on this super rare car.
Very special review Thanks
I think there was also the Marauder based on a Rover 75? love these oddballs,my favourite is the RochdaleOlympic.
What a beautiful car you don’t need a great click bait, just a picture of this beautiful car, and thank you for taking the time to share this with us
I agree, although the rear wheel arches do appear out of character to the overall curvaceous lines. Many thanks for posting.
I love Idrivea! A fan from Italy
Brilliant again Steph
Great video, Steph. It was nice of the museum to issue you the invitation to drive this rare vehicle. Well done to founders Sam and Bill for successfully realizing their dream of building their own car, I'm glad some still survive.
Thanks. I very much enjoyed your excellent video of this extraordinary classic from Derbyshire.
looks a bit like a cross between a Jowett Jupiter and a Daimler Conquest roadster
At first glance, it is similar to the Sunbeam Talbot as well.
But somehow not as pretty as either...
The old car needs love ♥️😁
I first came across this car when I bought a second hand copy of the 1956 Observer's Book of Automobiles. It's listed as having the Ford 1172cc engine giving 31 bhp and having a top speed of 74 mph. It weighed in at 18 and a half cwt. If they used the Ford 3-speed gearbox I dread to think what it was like going up any kind of hill!. However, I do really like it and look forward to seeing it when it has been fully restored. Thanks Steph. By the way the book lists a 1956 Allard which is a similar kind of car but has a 5.4 litre Cadillac V8. Perhaps you could feature one of these in a future episode.
A great review of a car very few people have ever heard of let alone seen one the Paramount now l know that thèy are around the UK and you showed everything under the bonnet in the boot the interior and the exterior l do enjoy your reviews Steph
You're perfectly correct Steph I have ever heard of these cars but it looks cool. Another interesting video
Top marks for finding a car made in Derbyshire (my county by the way) but unfortunately it looks like a car made in Derbyshire … cobbled together in somebody’s shed! 1950s car buyers were apparently quite discerning - they kept walking past the Paramount! It looks like it belongs in Last Of The Summer Wine, with a name like the Loxley Lozenge, and Edie saying “Have you been moving these pedals around again Wesley?”
Having checked google and seen a restored one, they're actually a really nice car. I hope this gets the treatment because I think opinions will change if it does, at the moment, it's a bit manky at best. I also see the Jowett Jupiter styling cues in it's looks, sorry Steph!!
Good video Steph I love your channel for the variety of vehicles you show & drive ❤ nice dress ♥️♥️
I remember seeing one of these in a 1953 movie called "Genevieve". Same color red.
... as supplied by Arthur Daley ! Made me Smile anyway.
A lovely car that maybe will never see the open road again.
Perhaps not, but better to see her in a museum than just forgotten in an old shed.
I did not know of this car. Awesome video.
Steph you always look perfect
Cool hat!! 👍👍 Cheers!
The windsreen really reminds me of Jaguar xk cars . It is great to see such a car and in the period of time that car came from some great classic cars came from
Paramount is a new one to me, and looking them up a decent looking car when sorted.
What an original and very rare find. It needs to be preserved for history, so I'm hoping she is driven as well as displayed. A nice colour too.
A kind of mock up for a Jowett Jupiter or an Alvis TB21, except they were quite decent cars ...
Would i believe that only 10 units were made…certainly would
I worked on a conversion project at Windsor central ( G.B. ) railway station in 1982 at which time there was a black Paramount for sale on someone's drive nearby . I think it was priced at £800 is that one still around ? Best Wishes , Martin.
I love that special old car, & I love you for showing it to all of us!. Many thanks. 🤠🍻👍🏻❤️
This story sounds like the Mickey Roonie Judy Garland stock line "Hey kids, let's put on a show!” but there was no Hollywood studio production system behind them.
Fascinating car & excellent video.... Possibly the best use of a Triumph 1500 engine too. I'm a Derbyshire chap and several times older car owner had never heard of it.... Well done Richard and the team at GBCJ for getting it👍
Jag XK120ish but less harmonious in its lines.
Oddly enough...I''m struck by the centre of the steering wheel. It remains upright and doesn't turn with the wheel itself. Gonna have to look for that "fearue" next time I watch one of your fabulous videos. Aloha!
Quite a thing then so when Citroen rediscovered it in the 2000s it was new all over again!
The switch at the top of the hub is the indicators and as it was an off the shelf design you often come across it on Steph's test subjects.
@@davidperrott5743 Ah...thank you for the clarification. That makes perfect sense. I've driven antiques...being an antique myself...that had the spark advance in a position similar to those turn indicators. Noticing Steph didn't manipulated those controls, I guess it would be something like that.
The invention of glass fibre led every car nerd to think they can launch their own make.
Except this is not glass fibre, much as it looks like it. Steph said it is aluminium panels on an ash frame. There is a dent in the driver's door, which means that panel is definitely metal.
Another great episode. Never heard of Paramount cars, looks very nice though.
It’s great to show you all something different.
Is this possible ? Jewel that I have never heard of before, indeed !
Amazing!
I don't remember hearing of this one, but from the twenties through to the sixties there were many of these small production cars, guys who thought they had that something special, but the cars rarely survived. Better off without the Ford 1172, I have never worked out what they do to produce so little power from so much fuel.
Any chance we could see these unusual wiper patterns in action? Chances of seeing this in the flesh are virtually nil. Hopefully Hubnut hasnt got the copyright on wiper clips!
I would’ve loved to have, but they weren’t working :(
Gorgeous car 😊👍
Isn’t it just!
So interesting to meet 'her' in a 'found' state. And it will also be a fascinating contrast to revisit when she has been fettled. Thanks Steph!
I think she’s going safely indoors!
@@idriveaclassic But hopefully you'll get to drive her when finished?
@glennmckenzie1096 maybe! My diary is pretty stacked
@@idriveaclassic Of course - Rustable! Pity I'm on the wrong side of the world or I'd be there in a heart beat.
Lovely video, as ever. I’m intrigued by the lack of a hand brake. Unless I’m missing the obvious, how do you stop it from rolling down hills?!
Leave it in gear?
A 'parking brake' doesn't need to be hand operated. I have seen (and used) a operated parking brake, (on a cadillac circa-late 70' s for instance)
@@UnbiasedlistenerYou mean foot operated? My Mercedes C Class had one. Pulling the lever to release it made a loud and alarming clunk which I never quite got used to.
Foot operated parking brakes were very common in North American cars for decades. In 72 we got a Dodge Dart and that was the first car I could remember without a foot operated parking brake.
A very nice looking car, but what it really needed was a 6 cylinder engine to go with those gorgeous looks.
Hmm......looks like someone tried to copy the look of an XK120, but that 'someone' didn't have William Lyons sense of proportion and style. I'm not surprised it failed.
would have been a gutless slug with that 1172 Sidevalve engine even with twin carbs. Notice it had instruments from the Standard Vanguard.
Great video once again, thank you. I like how the central dash instrumentation would work in N.American LHD cars as well as RHD, no big changes (if any) needed. The original duo were thinking ahead. What a rare classic!
It’s great isn’t it! Shame it didn’t succeed.
It's obviously rare for a self -evident reason.
It’s looking a bit rough from the front and needs some TLC. The grille in particular is crying out for a major restoration.
It’s stated in the video it had just arrived and we were looking at prior to any major works.
Looks like a mash up of a Sunbeam Talbot and a JAG 120.
The logo looks "borrowed" from Aston Martin or Bentley.
Cool car !
Is that an XK 120 windscreen that the Paramount is sporting? Great video. Have never heard of this car.
She’s got a cracking wee personality I think. What a pity nobody business savvy got involved early on.
Nice video of a car I had never heard of!
Great looking carx
I had not known about that car until Christmas 1983 when I got hold of the book British Cars of the Early Fifties published by the Olyslager Auto Library. I also have subsequent into about the car in other car books that I have collected in the last four decades. Looks almost similar to the Jaguar XK 120 from a distance, some might even mistake it for either an XK120 or XK140 drophead.
Automotive failures are always far more interesting than success stories, that car cost around 2 years average salary at the time (4 for women). Hard sell at that price.
Fantastic video again Steph very interesting motor. Have you ever tried the Lotus Sunbeam?
Nothing like analogue motoring. Keep uploading the videos I look forward to watching them😃👍
That was some snowfall.
That's actually correct. I've never heard of it!
Steph, it would be great if you could test-drive it again after it's restored. I'd love to watch it!
It's lovely ❤
wow what a truely wonderful car and it is a real shame that they never got the finace to build more and with the motor and transmission that they had wanted in the first place but a great car non the less.
You have certainly brought forth the thought and care that went into creating these beauties. I often feel that if it hadn't been for the shortage of materials after the War and the compromises this forced upon British manufacturers their sales would have be tremendous.
You're right - never heard of it! Looks like they took a mould from a Jaguar and then much hammering in a shed of assorted materials! Not the last British car to cost more to produce than the ticket price. Cheers
👍👍👍
Really interesting video, Steff. Wonderful to see such a rare and unusual car. For once i don't feel left out because I had not heard of a specific car. I am certain that once properly sorted it would look much better. Im betting that adding a parking brake would be an easy mod if someone was restoring one to use every so often. Other companies must have used the same or similar Girling braking system. All in all a superb video, brilliantly presented as always.
love your reviews but find the great British car journey reviews a bit frustrating in that you can only drive around the small industrial estate never getting out of third gear.
Needs must though. In some cases it's Great British Car Journey or nothing.
I would have thought that goes without saying. Not a slight on Steph, Ian from Hubnut and all the rest who film reviews there and would want to take the cars out on the open road as much as me.
Doors look a bit like Austin Atlantic.
I think you would have definitely needed a handbrake for parking in Derbyshire...
Your more than welcome to come over and drive my 1972 vw beetle. Love your vids bringing back fond memories of better years. 😅
I had the chance of buying one of these in the 70s . Sadly the guy wanted a hundred pounds for it and at that time I couldn't afford it !! I remember it had the side valve Ford engine in it . Lovely looking car .
Fascinating to discover another British vehicle we've never heard of , there is a likeness to Bond and Berkeley and other such small scale production home spun vehicles of the era but with much grander and more glamorous aspirations , it is actually quite cool and deserved to do better .
Hello that was fantastic , it would a great car to do a clean up and a little bit of work, for me it would be a shame to do a full restoration . A very rare interesting car. Here is one for you Steph have you heard of The Snark ? its was a MGA with a V8 and then later a V6 its the car Carroll Shelby took the the plans and built the first Cobra as far as I know the law case went on for years . I have seen the car at some shows in Victoria BC Canada I may even have some photos somewhere . There is a lot to this story and there is a short video on RUclips The Snark at the 2011 British Car Show, Fort Rodd Hill, Victoria, BC if you would like anymore info let me know and I will see what I can do . Thanks for the video.
As nomel brilliant video. I am sat in oil can cafe watching
Would you elaborate please, I'm curious to know what you mean.
That car is just horrendous! And I am saying that as someone who likes weird cars, likes and build specials and I can appreciate the novelty of it. But that thing is just absolutely terrible. It looks like a car built by Noddy after a 3 day bender on LSD. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly novel about it, it looks bad, the fit and finish is absolutely atrocious. It would be interesting to know if that one is particularly bad and the others are better? Was this one 'restored' by someone who didn't have a clue? What happened to the grille? How can it have no handbrake? That makes no sense! Definitely an interesting film though so thanks for probably risking life and limb driving it!
I have driven far worse, this isn’t a major one for me 😂
no surprise that it didn't outsell the Consul at those prices 😂
@@idriveaclassic You're a brave woman and I appreciate your willingness to try anything! Certainly an interesting car, I wonder if yours if the only RUclips film of it?
@asciimation I think it is!
It appears to be a mixture of shabby unrestored and partly restored with homemade bits.
The styling is also a mixture, being mostly XK120-ish but with a front end that would look more at home on a typical saloon of the era.
Horrendous car…. Never heard of them but credit to you for getting something so niche ….great vid as always and magnificent hat
I liked how you spoke about the car ... stuck up for Her😊
A new one on me, I've never heard of them. I'm loving the fixed steering wheel boss and what looks like an advance/retard switch or a choke? Have to admire the spirit of the two men who decided they were going to build a car and just did it! The odds were stacked against them but they showed great initiative. Great vid!
The switch on the top of the steering wheel boss is for the indicators.
Full marks for focus on a truly ordinary and doomed carmaker . Well done for putting spotlight on the obscure and even unloved. The 1172 Prefect engine might have been OK in a featherweight Lotus 7, but in this lump it could only have been a dreary drive 70 years ago. A Spitfire motor and box (even with a blow) would be worlds apart from the original.
Isn't this the car we see on the Father Brown Mystery serries?
I thought this was a either a Sunbeam Talbott or a jowett Jupiter.
I can't say I have heard of this car but it does have hints of the Jaguar XK series. There were a lot of manufacturers around as you say but it seems they fell at the first hurdle by putting an 1172 side valve Ford engine in what appears to be a sports car! What a shame but it does show that even if you are 'car mad' you might not be good at making cars. Good review Steph so glad it wasn't raining! 👍👍
Steph, you`ve driven some very nice machines, but this is not one of them. In that thing, I fear for your safety.
Elle est dans son jus et on voit qu'elle n'a pas été restauré.
Oui. C’est vrai.
Those ignition keys have got to be moved to the right or the left, mounted in the center like that really could be annoying your hand hitting the keys after certain shifts. That live axle, I could almost feel it from here, independent rear axle would do well for this car. I know it would have been an added expense to the design.
So the lawn mower fuel tank is an over flow for the cooling system? Or was that the fuel tank for this drive? The lawn mower tank is zip tied behind the engine’s top valve cover. I think it’s tied to a heater hose? No worries, just curious. Is it Morgan still does Ash wood frames for their three wheelers, best guess. Love seeing alternative materials being used for whatever reason. Takes on a designers and engineers’ imagination to make it all work. Neat car.
Love your content. I have a soft spot old and very simple transportation be it an old motorcycle or car.
Reminds me of a car driven in a mid 50's film starring Dirk Bogarde and Margaret Leighton.
I think it’s pretty obvious why this car was not a success.
I can see why it failed. The car lacks design appeal as compared to the other British car of the time.
Yeah, a Jag/MG wannabe. Horrible fit and finish, really. Oh, well. Great historic side note. Thank you for sharing.
I think I can see the vision, but the execution is dreadful. Maybe I'm not allowing for the amount of less than sympathetic and ham fisted hands all over it since it was built. In need of some serious love.
Longhood porsche next please 🙏🏻
Got a cool shape & style for a "kit car" concept, spunky little 1600-2000cc or electric - would make a hot looking retro Ole school, roadster, sports, a mix of Jag, MG & Delahaye.
My first car was an old Hillman Hunter and the handbrake only worked on the flat, so a bit like this car! I had to park it in 1st gear, then put my toe on the footbrake, put the clutch in to start the engine, rev it with my heel, and slowly lift my toe off the foot brake as I pulled away using my heel. Who needs a handbrake?