What is it? Answer—a Fiat

Sir,

With reference to the photograph on page 1327 of the December issue depicting a 12-seater char-a-banc, I recognise same as one of two identical vehicles which were owned and operated by the late Mr. John White, of Colwyn Bay, who had the conversion carried out soon after the termination of the first World War from a landaulette and a touring car. The chassis were definitely Fiat, with 4-cylinder engines of 20/25 h.p. rating, if I remember rightly, and on each vehicle he had a plated domed cowl which covered the header tank of the otherwise flat radiator.

I remember these two vehicles very well, as they used to he placed on a Hackney Carriage stand at the side of our premises so that during the touring season I saw them daily, and they were operated over the various popular runs in the North Wales district, including Snowdonia.

Mr. White came from Liverpool in the early days of the century and for some years drove four-in-hand coaches on these popular runs from Colwyn Bay, and it is interesting to recollect that on a journey via Betws-y-Coed, Nant Ffrancon Pass, Bethesda, returning to Colwyn Bay via the coast road, there was a change of horses at Betws-y-Coed, and Llanfairfechan on the return portion of the journey. Mr. White was a stickler for cleanliness and the tyres on all his vehicles were always painted with a whitening mixture on both the inner and outer side of the tyre, as you will note from the picture.

Albert Braid.
Colwyn Bay.