1930 RK box body saloon

[Tony Griffiths]

Aren't German silver and nickel silver the same thing?

I believe that they are very similar: https://boontoon.com/giftpedia/what-is-german-silver

[Tony Press]

I understand German 'Silver' is just another name for Nickel 'Silver' - a nickel alloy, no silver other than the colour.

Called German because it was discovered in Germany or possibly France?
 
It was used on Rolls Royce and Bentley radiator cowls and needed regular polishing to remain 'silver'.

Related to EPNS silverware which was Nickel 'Silver' electroplated with genuine silver.

Some say EPNS is brass electroplated with Nickel Silver but from memory is impossible to electroplate with an alloy? 

Silver Plate is a sheet of silver as opposed to Electroplate Silver.       

The bright plating sometimes used on Chummy steel cowls requires the plating first of copper and then nickel or chrome.

[Peter Naulls]

Thank you Tonies(!) very interesting. I had wrongly assumed the plated parts of our car were Nickel Silver plated but I see now that they must be Nickel plated.

[Austin in the Shed]

Googled German silver which states  it's 60% copper,20% nickel and 20% zinc.Called German Silver because 19th century german metal workers developed it from chinese cupronickel.
I'm sure the rad filler neck on my 1930 car is german silver,not brass.The rad shell of the special I'm building is also G S ,thats Citroen B14 ?
I've only just realised that.