Might this be my RN?

[Maxwelton]

In the small stack of paper which came with my car was this printout of a (poor quality) scan of an original photo...I may have missed some additional steps in there, the quality is pretty dire (the moiré pattern might indicate this is a scan from a book, even). There are no notes or any other context on the paper it's printed on.

   

The venue looks "English", just based on the various vehicles scattered about plus the "Daily Express" sign, but I don't know. I would have thought a color snapshot would be post 1950, and there is pretty strong circumstantial evidence my car has been here in Washington state since at least 1950.

I have not been over my car with a fine comb yet, but I would not have thought all-white would have been a livery it sported in a former life. I do not know enough about Sevens just yet to identify the saloon as anything other than RN or later (I think!). It may be the former owner of my car just liked the special in the foreground and it has nothing to do with my car!

Any ideas about where this might have been taken and about when, and if the saloon is possibly my car?

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I guess the A40 Sports dates it to no earlier than 1950.

[Colin Cooke]

Hi Max,

I can certainly tell you where the picture was taken. It is about 4 miles from where I'm having my breakfast now. This is the Silverstone paddock, with the old scrutineering bay behind it.

It's from a time where spectator cars were often robbed of bits, to keep the racers on track.

I'll leave it to others to identify the cars.  This great picture brings back many memories, but not any that will answer your other questions.

All the best,
Colin

[Mike Costigan]

It doesn't help with your questions, but the Bedford CA van was introduced in the Autumn of 1952, so that dates the photo to the summer of 1953 at the earliest. I think your A40 may be a Jensen Interceptor, but that was introduced in 1950 so doesn't further the story.

[Chris KC]

I'm happy to accept Colin's take on the venue, I don't know myself. 
The car is either an RN or RP saloon, I can't see quite enough detail to be certain which, but the rectangular shape of the doors distinguishes them from the earlier saloons (which had a cut-out for the rear wheel arches). 
As for the colour, between the end of the 40's and the mid 1970's an Austin Seven was a fair swap for a packet of cigarettes, they were thus highly favoured by younger folk and may have been painted any colour under the sun, according to whim and availability. My own RP has at present a rather rough coat of Westminster green, but beneath that it has been lurid orange, bright red and several other hues...

[Maxwelton]

Thank y'all for your insights. I doubt this is my machine, but even so it's a mystery why this one particular photo was interesting enough or consequential enough to have been printed out and tucked into the service manual. Maybe they owned the special or were considering a purchase at some point. Or maybe one of the machines is one of the former owner's cars, just not my particular car. Mysteries abound!

[Robert Leigh]

Enlarging the picture suggests that the scuttle moulding is RN, not RP, but it is difficult to be certain. As for the Jensen bodied car I think it is an A40 Sports.

[Charles P]

And the special at the front has a distinct look of PJ Stephens Stoneham Special, as per “Building and Racing My 750”.
It doesn’t look a perfect match but it’s very close

[Tony Griffiths]

Silverstone in the 1950s and 1960s, when one could see almost the whole of the track from one vantage point. Mind you, when walking across the floor of the 'catering hut', clouds of dust arose - the facilities were primative at best.

[Ray White]

It doesn't help with your questions, but the Bedford CA van was introduced in the Autumn of 1952, so that dates the photo to the summer of 1953 at the earliest. I think your A40 may be a Jensen Interceptor, but that was introduced in 1950 so doesn't further the story.

Mike. I don't think it is a Jensen Interceptor - although there are similarities  with the bigger car - I am pretty sure it is an Austin A40 sport (also made by Jensen) as the A40 Sport had no chrome trim on the door; which I always thought looked a bit odd.