Register of the Unique

As promised, we again present our Register of the Unique, compiled with the assistance of readers, which aims to disclose the whereabouts of cars suitable as hacks, cheap transport, or for vintage or veteran car events, etc. We last published such a “Register” in March, 1942, and it was instrumental in saving from the breakers’ yards a number of interesting, and in some cases historic, cars. Incidentally, we are always glad to hear of further finds, for inclusion at a later date. It must be emphasised that the owners of such cars have not necessarily indicated that they wish us to announce their cars, and therefore readers interested in purchasing any of the cars listed are asked to be tactful in their original approach to the owner. You are invited to write to W. B., 5, Alexandra Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, enclosing a stamped, addressed postcard marked clearly with the reference number(s) of the car(s) in which you are interested. We will then return this card after entering the addresses given to us as applying to the owner(s) of the car(s) concerned. You need not enclose a covering letter. Neither the Editor nor the proprietors of Motor Sport can take any responsibility for any action arising from use of this service, and no correspondence can be entered into. Vintage and prices, and statements as to condition, etc., are given as a guide only and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. The reference numbers, which must be given on the postcards, appear in brackets before each announcement. Readers who definitely purchase cars through this scheme are asked to notify us by postcard so that we can cross off these cars from the Register. This scheme is intended to help those readers who crave unusual cars, or spares for old models, and it is not a business or advertising medium in any shape or form. So please make use of this service in the spirit in which it was launched.

(1) Napier, 1923, 40/50 6 cyl. 7-seater limousine. Excellent order. Almost unmarked paintwork. Safety glass, four good tyres, sound spare, mechanically very sound. Instruction book available. One owner. In use up to 1939. £75 or offer. (London.)
(2) Wolseley flat-twin 2-seater, circa 1921. Approx. £10. (Worcestershire.)
(3) Sunbeam, 16 h.p. Kaiser War tourer. Complete but needs tyres. (Worcestershire.)
(4) Douglas, water-cooled, flat-twin cycle-car, circa 1922. Believed to have done under 1,000 miles. Repainted and in good condition. (Salop.)
(6) Bentley, 6 1/2-litre chassis carrying breakdown crane. Believed cheap. (Suffolk.)
(6) Invicta, 3-litre chassis. No body. (Suffolk.)
(7) Rolls-Royce, 25/30-h.p. engine. Tuned and with manifold to take two carburetters. £75. (Yorkshire.)
(8) Lagonda, 2-litre engine from crashed car. Very good order. (Yorkshire.)
(9) Rover, 1905, single-cylinder 2-seater. Requires tyres, but could be rebuilt, or suitable for spares. Approx. £15. (Yorkshire.)
(10) Ford, Model T sedan. Apparently complete but no screen. Magneto ignition. (Yorkshire.)
(11) Argyll, 2-cyl. tonneau, 4-seater about 1905. Poor condition, gearbox faulty. Possibly useful as spares. (Yorkshire.)
(12) Riley, 1923, 11.9-h.p. tourer. Reputed to have done only 14,000 miles. Good hood and tyres. Requires painting. Approx. £5. (Scotland.)
(13) S.P.A. sports tourer. Rough but a runner. (Yorkshire.)
(14) Minerva straight-eight, 1931, 27.9-h.p. saloon. Four good tyres, two fair spares. Bodywork reasonable. Sound battery. (Berkshire.)
(15) Alvis, 1927, 12/50 tourer. Needs tyres, new hood and could do with new rings or a rebore. Otherwise complete and sound. £25. (Yorkshire.)
(16) G.N., 1920 chassis. Bought by gentleman just before his marriage; he recently celebrated his silver wedding. Car has been out in the open all this time. No body, but chassis and engine complete, if rusty. (Kent.)
(17) Tamplin, belt-drive V-twin tandem-seat cyclecar. Good order. About £10. (Hampshire.)
(18) Rex, 3 wheeler, circa 1907. Complete and in good order. (Notts.)
(19) Belsize, 2 seater, circa 1913. Believed to run, but residing in a breaker’s. (Cheshire.)
(20) Miscellaneous early small cars — Standard, Wolseley, Calcott, etc. Stored for many years and in decent order. (Hampshire.)
(21) Humberette, cyclecar, water-cooled V-twin. Engine overhauled. Generally sound but needs new back axle. (Surrey.)
(22) Mercédès, believed about 1906 vintage. (Somerset.)

Veteran Types —
Resulting from the article “Where Are the Veteran Racing Cars?” in the December issue of MOTOR SPORT we have had a letter from Cecil Clutton in which he gives some news of cars dealt with in the “Veteran Types” series. He believes that Peter Wike still has the 1902 De Dion once run by Karslake, while the “Ninety” Mercédès of B. Blythe was later driven by Mills, who sold it to Scott-Moncrieff. Several people are believed to have owned the Fiat “Mephistopheles” since Wike, and the present possessor is thought to be John Bradshaw. Clutton hopes to see at least a dozen pre1914 racing cars competing in this year’s Vintage S.C.C. events. The second 1914 Opel is safe (see “Letters From Readers”) and one of the old 200 Mile Race 1924 Darracqs exists as a chassis — for a time it had in it a Cozette-blown Meadows engine.

— and other Old Racing Cars
The Editor has pondered some more on where the old racing cars have gone. Up to war, the very narrow single-seater Calthorpe, which Whale raced at Brooklands, lay derelict in a loft at Camden Town, together with special bits for the two-port Meadows engine which would delight any Frazer-Nash enthusiast. We went back in 1941 but Whale had moved, and no one knew where the car had gone. We never quite established where the twin-o.h.c. 3-litre Targa-Florio Austro-Daimler raced by Clive Dunfee went — it was last seen at a Tooting garage but we heard it went to Australia. What became of the 2-litre G.P. Sunbeam into which Myles Rothwell put a 20-h.p. Rolls-Royce engine, and Hann’s Mercédès? In 1948 a young enthusiast wrote to ask our advice about a “special”; should he buy an Austin Seven, a Riley Nine, or use the engine from a 1 1/2 litre Hornsted he knew about? We replied and queried the whereabouts of the racing car, the engine of which was in danger of being put in a boat, but we heard no more. What, and where, is this car? Through not acting at once, many such cars have been lost for ever. We shall be glad of any clues.