Headlining Fabric - A7 Saloons

[Chris KC]

I've discussed this at length with coachtrimmers and the general consensus is that the soft fluffy material that was used on "ordinary" 1930's cars is unobtanium. 

The headlining materials available today would suit up-market vehicles of the 1930's, hence the cost. 

My 1929 RK had been retrimmed in the 1950's and retained the soft, fluffy material, which was clearly still around then; in fact, the family Ford E493A Prefect, built in 1952 used it. It probably went off the market with the demise of the Ford 103E Popular or shortly after.

This gels with my own observations, because while some of the surviving fabric looks like it might be original, other sections look newer - 1950's or 60's perhaps - suggesting that someone was able to buy a matching fabric at that time.

[Malcolm Parker]

Further to my post regarding the use of a woolen blanket, I should say that the blanket I used for the Pytchley, obtained from the charity shop, was probably made in the 1950's.  Totally off thread, but there was a label on the edge of the blanket saying that it was made at Manor Mills, Yeadon, the small weaving town north of Leeds where I was born and where my father had his first job when he left school at the age of 15, which would be have been in 1937.  He had to unload bales of wool weighing 1cwt each from wagons.  A few years later he was called up to the RAF and set off for Burma stopping in South Africa on the way.   The label is still on the back of the head-lining just to the side of the wiper motor!

[Ivor Hawkins]

On my ‘34 RP, the remnants of the headlining appeared to be a beige West of England cloth, so that’s what I used.

I must say it was delightful to cut and shape. I was happy with the result though perhaps it looks a little luxurious for a Seven as it is the same material you would find in a Royal Daimler of the same vintage…