8 replies to this topic

[stuartu]

The A7CA Archive contains a photo album, apparently of Austin Dealership origin, which can be accessed here:

 

http://archive.a7ca....avilland-album/

 

The archivist Hugh Barnes and I have been unable to identify the first photo therein which (I hope) I have posted here for the otherwise incurious:

 

 

I will happily add our own guesses as to driver and car in due course but I don't wish to influence your views!

 

Opinions (or solid proof!) would be welcomed for the identities of the driver and mechanic, the event concerned and the car.

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Stuart

 

[LittleChris]

George Duller on the left perhaps ?

[Vitesse2]

I don't think it's George Duller. Although whoever he is he's wearing a rather spiffing striped (cricket club? university?) blazer.

 

I'm not sure we're even looking at a picture taken in Britain - the man behind the driver's head, to the left of the lady in the cloche hat as we look at them, appears to be wearing a solar topee of some sort. Admittedly they weren't exclusively tropical headgear, but they were pretty uncommon at Brooklands. Or anywhere in Britain really. Which leads me on to the fact that the windscreen on the car looks to be dirt- rather than insect-splattered. Could be a sand race of course, but perhaps some sort of event on unmetalled roads? So maybe Australia? South Africa?

 

And why does the car have a spotlight? Probably not exactly the same car the left on this photo from Primotipo, taken at Frankston in circa 1929-30, but with a similar spotlight arrangement.

 

 

https://primotipo.co...g/arthur-waite/

[Allan Lupton]

Is it perhaps the 1925 Le Mans and Francis Samuelson or Gordon England?

[Vitesse2]

Is it perhaps the 1925 Le Mans and Francis Samuelson or Gordon England?

Don't think so Allan:

 

Doesn't look like his 'Brooklands' Seven either: http://500race.org/p...ncis-samuelson/

[Allan Lupton]

The windscreen could be half of the one the Brooklands car had (like an M-type MG's) but I agree the 1925 Le Mans is not it.

[DazCooper]

A couple of comments :-

 

I agree that the background of the people and their dress does not look particularly English/Brooklands.

More like South Africa, maybe - not Australia to my eyes…..

 

On the other hand the blazered driver does have quite a strong resemblance to George Duller - see this later photo of George.

In particular around the eyes.

So it could easily be George, or his younger brother Jack…..

[68targa]

Another possible candidate might be Kenelm Lee Guinness - there is a strong resemblance.  I have no idea if he ever drove an Austin though.

 

[stuartu]

Thank you all for your valued responses.
We have, by and large, reached some of the same conclusions.

Like Vitesse 2, both Hugh and I had a feeling, based mostly on our (very) limited fashion knowledge, that the photo was not taken at a UK venue. We had already consulted Tony Johns, who leaned to the idea of the USA but there are other possibilities - South Africa, South America or, indeed Spain.

Additionally, we would point out what seem to be rather extempore vents on top of the scuttle which could have been created with tin snips. Hot climate?

We had been struck by car and occupants' mud - spattered(?) appearance and wondered, why the lighting equipment?  A long distance event of some kind is implied.

I suspect that Allan is right and that the "aero screen" is half of a particularly skimpy vee screen.

We are interested by the suggestion that the driver might be KLG. We agree that the resemblance seems quite marked. However, the arguments against this are:

 

If this is Guinness, why is he shown in an album of Austin publicity photos? We think that he car is most probably a Gordon England "Brooklands" model Austin 7. The Brooklands was first available in January 1924 which leaves a window of 9 months before Guiness' horrific accident at San Sebastian, after which he never raced again.

 

While one can always learn, we are unaware of Guinness driving an Austin. It hardly seems his sort of thing!

At this stage I feel reluctantly compelled to say that, despite the resemblance, I do not think it likely that the driver can be KLG.
Evidence to the contrary would be of great interest!

I will say that Hugh's money had been on one of the Barnes brothers as the driver while I had leaned to S V Holbrook. Now I just don't know.

 

The mystery remains; further comment would be welcomed.

 

Thanks again for your interest,

 

Regards,

 

Stuart

Edited by stuartu, 25 August 2022 - 08:35.