The Accessory magazine

[Nick Salmon]

According to the internet, The Accessory magazine was published from 1923 to 1956.

It was produced by Brown Bros. Limited of Great Eastern Street in London, suppliers of motor-related tools, accessories and consumables from the earliest days of motoring in the UK.

The magazine was directed at anyone involved in the motor-trade, and to them it was offered freely, whereas anyone not involved in either the cycle- or motor-trade would have to pay five shillings per year for their copies.

At some point (in, I guess, the late 1920s) a series of articles 'Service on the Austin Seven' was published in the magazine. The authors were R.T. Nicholson (presumably the same Nicholson who wrote 'The Book of the Austin Seven and Eight') and J.F. Bramley.

I have photocopies of the 46 pages of the article but I have never seen an original of 'The Accessory'. A7CA archivist Hugh Barnes hasn't either. 

Does anyone possess originals containing the Austin Seven servicing article?


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[JohnD]

Iam sure i have a copy of a brown brothers catalogue from the early 1930s, i will try and remember to get it off the shelve and see what it has in it.

[Chris KC]

I believe Brown Brothers Engineering Ltd. of Bedford Road, Northampton, a supplier of aircraft standard parts & fixings, was a subsidiary.

[Chris Garner]

My Brown Brothers catalogue dated March 1935 make no mention of The Accessory publication, which I find odd, it being part of their empire.

[Ivor Hawkins]

In the early 70’s I worked on a very successful trade magazine called Auto Accessory Retailer, which was one of titles owned by Ken Gregory’s Speed and Sports Publications (Ken Gregory was better known as Stirling Moss’s manager)...the Brown Brothers catalogue was one of our “Bibles” to trace accessories and parts through the ages, but I have never seen The Accessory magazine, that really is a new one on me.

[JohnD]

Iam sure i have a copy of a brown brothers catalogue from the early 1930s, i will try and remember to get it off the shelve and see what it has in it.

 Turns out it's not a Brown Brothers, but I assume it to be a rebranded edition, similar to modern day "buying" groups who produce this type of generic publication. 
Interesting non the less tho: 

   
   
   
   
   

They also have garage equipment, tools, and general accessories, including clothing, very interesting to flip through. 

Appologies if this has made the thread drift off course.

[Robert Leigh]

My Chummy has an original Model 8F luggage carrier, with additional supports which I had always thought were non-original, but perhaps not. At Beaulieu around 1990 I found Willie MacKenzie carefully taking measurements of it, before putting his version into production. I never got any royalties! Mine has the original 'Midget' name stamp.

[Chris Garner]

Brown Brothers Catalogues had specific sections devoted to:
Austin
Bedford
Ford
Morris & Wolseley
Standard
Motor Cycles
Clothing
Tools
Garage Equipment