Silent Saloon.

[Tony Betts]

Love the wing mounted tank, not noticed that type before.

I cant blow the pic up very clearly, but it also looks like it has a glolight boyce meter on there?

Tony.

[Martin Prior]

Parazine - funny you should say that!

This is the pre-production mock-up of a Sunshine Saloon body that we've been commissioned to build.

Anyone else want one?

[JonE]

I love these Gordon England saloons. What a shame that less than a handful survive. An opportunity for an enterprising craftsman to create a run of replica bodies??

Priors are currently working on one of them which lost the large part of its body some years ago, so I think that work has already started! From the FB posts, it seems that the floorpan design is going to be upgraded beyond the GE box girder construction... which was plywood. Martin or the owner may be able to comment?

Sadly another of the saloons is stuck in that restoration stage, and also had a generic floor when sold a few years ago.

If you look at the Automobile articles on the Freehollow Flyer car, much of the underlying structure is visible, so it's possible to do and vital that replicas DO come about otherwise we'll only be left with one wholly original car (in Switzerland) and the rebuilt Freehollow car. Bear in mind that its likely that when the Wembley came about, we think that the understructure/floorpan became steel. That might be able to be confirmed by one of the Wembley owners. (If it's the case, there is a floorpan kicking around for restoration!)

I'm imagining the restoration files (beyond the Automobile pics) are also probably with the Freehollow Sunshine Saloon.

[Martin Prior]

Jon's summary is correct.

It would have been nice to make the build as accurate as possible, but we haven't been able to arrange access to the Freehollow car and the expense account won't stretch to a trip to Switzerland!

This leaves us with a pair of doors and the firewall as the only original parts to work with.  Using these and extensive and detailed scaling from period photos, plus the published pictures of the Freehollow restoration, I reckon that we're pretty close to the original design, but with the best will in the world it isn't going to be a 100% perfect replica. 

In view of this and in consultation with the owner we've decided to take the opportunity to make a considerably more robust look-alike body, if at the expense of an increase in weight.  However, the flimsiness of the original GE construction is the very reason that so few survive and even if accurate drawings were available, I'm not certain that I'd have wanted to build an "unimproved" replica.

[Tony Griffiths]

If someone could give me dimensions and a clear photo or two I'd love to make some of those wing tanks!

Too late, Duncan. Repurposing expert Mr Wortley rose early this morning and made a batch using his ex-miner great-grandfather's tin bath. I told him to scrape off the congealed coal dust from around the tide mark, but he was having none of it.

[Hedd_Jones]

I have a wing tank at home, its is more angular, more straight lines and corners rather than curved. And no mount. It probably also holds no more than a pint and a half!.

[Parazine]

Parazine - funny you should say that!

This is the pre-production mock-up of a Sunshine Saloon body that we've been commissioned to build.

Anyone else want one?

Now, I'm interested! That would be a great follow up to the (as yet unfinished) Top Hat.........

[Tony Griffiths]

The wing tank on the Swiss car: lots of pictures here of course - https://gordonenglandregister.wordpress....nt-saloon/

[Martin Prior]

Parazine - drop us a line if you'd like to talk about it!

[Malcolm Parker]

Given that the driver of the GE Silent saloon in the original photograph looks to be preparing for a serious climb, I think the wing mounted tank is not for petrol, but that fortifying drink favoured by climbers of the period, known as 'Mummery's Blood'.   Named after a famous climber of the day, this was a mixture of Rum and hot Bovril.   My brother who used to do some winter climbing in his younger days tried it and remarkably is still here to tell the tale!
Regarding the half-round spare petrol tank, the capacity cannot be more than half a gallon.  I have the Desmo catalogue for 1934 which shows their one gallon wing tank for the Austin 7, which is square sided with a slightly domed top, and much larger.  It cost 8/6 in 1934.
Presumably the small half- round tank slides out of the fixing brackets once the retaining collar over the filler has been hinged up out of the way?