Nice Pic of a Swallow

[Chris KC]

I've been known to knock up items of clothing from time to time and was delighted when my sister gave me a copy of "The Gentleman's Wardrobe" for Christmas - a super book which comes complete with patterns and instructions for making men's clothes, and with a "vintage" accent too. And there above the intro is a snapshot of the writer's grandfather posing against his 1931 A7 Swallow Saloon...

I spoke briefly with author Vanessa Mooncie, and she is only too pleased to share the photo here. Her Grandad's name was Henry Deadman & the car was a 1931 model, she wasn't able to add any more detail. Anyway I hope others will enjoy the photo, and possibly find points of interest.

   

The book can be found here if anyone's interested: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gentlemans-Ward...1861087470

[John Cornforth]

Lovely pic, thanks for sharing. I see the air vents have been turned to the more streamlined position !

[Mike Costigan]

Super picture, thank you Chris and Vanessa. It shows a Mk1 Swallow which I thought indicated that the car should be classified as 1930 rather than 1931, but I see a number of Mk1s are recorded as being registered in 1931, so we'll let that date stand! I hoped to confirm the registration date, but I cannot rationalise the first digit with published registration details - I though it was JW, but that would date the registration as very late 1932 or early 1933, which seems unlikely... and I can't make any other letter fit the single downward stroke (it can't be an 'I' as that would be an Irish registration from pre-First World War!

[john williams]

I am going to help a SWA7C member prepare a similar car for sale no Friday. The car was extensively restored by the owner's father over 30 years ago, but never quite finished. I will help prepare an accurate description of the cars condition prior listing for sale. Probably on Car and Classic

[Howard Wright]

Hi Mike

Could it be VW?  Chelmsford registration?

Cheers

Howard

PS Great photo Chris, thanks for sharing.

[Colin Morgan]

This site gives JW as being from March 1931 - so perhaps it could be JW if that is right?  (HW, IW and UW don't seem to fit with 1931.)

https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/jw.htm

[Graham Barker]

What are the ribbon-like objects on the front corners of the roof?  Was that a standard feature?

[Howard Wright]

What are the ribbon-like objects on the front corners of the roof?  Was that a standard feature?

Hi Graham

Trafficators?

Cheers

Howard

[Mike Costigan]

Yes, box trafficators on the windscreen pillars.

The JW sequence began in March 1931, but had only reached the low 2,000s by the beginning of 1933.

The letter shape looks too vertical to be a V, but the VW series had been completed by early 1929, so unlikely to be seen on a 1931 car.

[Lance Sheldrick]

Any chance it could be UW? From a signwriting point of view the right hand downward stroke of the 'U' would be near the W as it is here. Just a thought.