RN or RP

[David Stepney]

David S.

As far as I know the difference between the standard & deluxe saloons are correct. It may well be that Austin used some deluxe trim if they ran out of standard trim to complete cars for orders, who knows?

To check a car without either a hatch or sunshine roof,it is easy to feel the rectangle hole for a smokers hatch through the
roof lining its about 7"by 4".
I await some more coments. We are always learning about our cars.

Bill.

As with many mass produced cars, it is sometimes very difficult to decide what was original and what has been fitted subsequently during the cars life. During the 50's and 60's, when our cars were just 'old bangers', it was a simple matter to go to the nearest car breakers and find parts that fitted, whether they were strictly correct or not.

I bought my car from the gentleman who had restored it in the late sixties, so I am aware that it was never fitted with a sunroof and still wears its original black enameled headlamps. It is also a 'matching numbers' car. However, I have noticed that one or two parts appear to have been replaced over the years: the dynamo, for instance is a later type C35M and the fuel gauge is marked 1/4. 1/2. 3/4 and Full rather than the expected markings in gallons. There are almost undoubted replacements fitted that are not so obvious.  Further, given that my roof panel has been replaced by a piece of vinyl covered plywood, any evidence of a smokers hatch has long since disappeared.

Unless a completely original car that has been stored for many years untouched turns up (like a couple of Top Hat saloons featured in these pages), we cannot be completely sure of the exact specification, especially at a distance of over 85 years. In the meantime, I am happy to accept that my own car is more or less as it came out of the factory almost 87 years ago and that any deviations from it original spec are part of its history.

I suspect that more research is required, but in the meantime I am enjoying my car for what it is.