Silent Saloon.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Were these official Austin products or proprietary items by companies such as Mafco or Pride & Clarke? If they were Austin I'd expect to see an embossed name on the flat face?

[Malcolm Parker]

Resurrecting an old thread, mention is made of the largely steel floorpan that is described as 'possibly Wembley Saloon' on the GE Saloon website.   Having studied the surviving Wembley saloon at the Centenary Rally, I can confirm that the unrestored steel floorpan is definitely from a Wembley.   The shape of the tunnel sides and the lozenge shaped strengthening around the rear X-member are both the same,  I think that the rear footwells on the existing Wembley have been replaced, those on the unrestored floorpan appear to be  original.

[JonE]

well done Malcolm. That is really good to know. If anyone want to re-create one, make contact as I know where it is....
Perhaps that is one for Henry.... who might know a few people...

[Chris Edwards]

Being relatively new to this forum, I’ve only just stumbled over this thread.

I was lucky enough to find and restore ‘The Freehollow Flyer’ Sunshine saloon whilst serving in Washington DC in the early eighties. The car had about only 4500 miles from new and had a broken back where the ply-wood floor-pan had failed beneath the rear seat area. There was no evidence of a running-board reserve fuel tank ever having been fitted.

It may interest readers to know that E.C Gordon-England went to America in 1928 where he had concluded arrangements with The Holbrook Company, in upper New York State, to ‘manufacture ‘high-quality custom-built coachwork’ automobile bodies based on the Gordon-England patents. (See ‘Motor’ magazine May 22, 1928, pp 785) Sadly, The Holbrook Company went bust in 1929, a victim of the Wall Street crash.

It’s more than forty years since I also found the ‘Flyer’ in upper New York state and, although I can no longer quote a reference, I’m sure that my ‘Sunshine’ accompanied him and was taken over as a sample.

[squeak]

more on this can be found in an article in "The Automobile"  January and February 1988