01-02-2022, 09:32 AM
Not long ago I had cause to go through the registration documents for a welsh county. I had access from about 1925 to 1940.
Being particularly interested in the period 1928 to 1931, it was quite noticeable that in 1928 the great majority of the cars were open cars, but by 1930 the great majority were closed cars. Indeed open cars were quite unusual.
I remembered that Wyatts book had some production figures in it, and it does, but only 1928 onwards.
In Austin 7 terms, looks like 1928 there were more tourers than saloons. and the 1928 figure is the highest figure for tourers in the table (notwithstanding no data 1927 or earlier). But in 1929 sales of the fabric saloon nearly doubled, sales of normal saloons increased fairly well, but tourer sales decreased significantly meaning from 1929 onwards, the saloon was king.
I would suggest that the cost of the fabric saloons meant that to the consumer, whatever extra they cost over a tourer was considered to be worth the money for the extra comfort.
The introduction of the steel bodies in 1930 seems to have been a hit. It would probably be worth looking at the relative cost of a tourer/saloon in 1928, and the same in 1930. The steel 1930 bodies will have been a lot cheaper to produce vs what are essentially coachbuilt bodies on the 28 saloons. Whearas there is not a lot of difference in the tourer.
Being particularly interested in the period 1928 to 1931, it was quite noticeable that in 1928 the great majority of the cars were open cars, but by 1930 the great majority were closed cars. Indeed open cars were quite unusual.
I remembered that Wyatts book had some production figures in it, and it does, but only 1928 onwards.
In Austin 7 terms, looks like 1928 there were more tourers than saloons. and the 1928 figure is the highest figure for tourers in the table (notwithstanding no data 1927 or earlier). But in 1929 sales of the fabric saloon nearly doubled, sales of normal saloons increased fairly well, but tourer sales decreased significantly meaning from 1929 onwards, the saloon was king.
I would suggest that the cost of the fabric saloons meant that to the consumer, whatever extra they cost over a tourer was considered to be worth the money for the extra comfort.
The introduction of the steel bodies in 1930 seems to have been a hit. It would probably be worth looking at the relative cost of a tourer/saloon in 1928, and the same in 1930. The steel 1930 bodies will have been a lot cheaper to produce vs what are essentially coachbuilt bodies on the 28 saloons. Whearas there is not a lot of difference in the tourer.