Photo of Early Car with Herbert Austin's Daughters

[Mike Costigan]

Alan and Eric: no, I disagree, because the OL registration sequence was not issued before July 1923! I believe the photo dates from the Autumn/Winter of 1923/24. There are no features of the car which are inconsistent with a late 1923 date, the puzzle is why someone identified the official print as April 1922 when the car is clearly of much later specification.

[Alan]

Erich, I’ve built prototype cars, admittedly more complex than these, but it’s inconceivable to me that an 18th April could meet an early June launch. The only explanation can be that parts were being made before April. Not impossible - Stanley didn’t finish every drawing on 18th April. Another point- prototypes are a valuable property. You don’t let just anyone drive them. Would it really have been entrusted to two young ladies, with a launch date pressing? I’m coming to agree with Mike. It’s 1923.

[Erich]

Alan and Mike, I don't disagree that the car pictured could be and probably is, 1923. I was saying that it is unlikely that it is earlier than fall of 1922. Would Herbert Austin entrust his two daughters with a prototype.? I wouldn't, but he did so with his gardener, Mr. Clinton with his wife and two young sons to go visit their sick daughter. This was before the Works Carnival. Yes, it is possible that some work was being carried out before April 18th. But it was then that a special area was set aside to construct the cars, the bodies being made in the main Works. We can, at this point, only rely on Edge's notes and other documentation. I would have thought a month to be enough time, given the people involved. But certainly, thought would have been given previously, to, for instance the wheels and who could build those, etc. Chris knows far more than I, having Edge's notes and other material. I only have access to a very limited amount of material. Perhaps Chris can confirm some dates. Mike, I agree that while the photo may say 1922 but be much later, is puzzling, but not unusual. In my work as a journalist, I have often found photos with the wrong date or person pictured. The date may only refer to the year the Seven was launched! Now, if we can only find out when Captain Waite bought Irene that coat, we might have an answer!


Erich in Mukilteo

[Colin Morgan]

Is this the coat?  Magazine is November 1922...


  Fur coat.jpg (Size: 196.99 KB / Downloads: 252)

[Alan]

A ‘20s fashion expert might be able to date the girl’s clothing. Anybody know one?

[Erich]

So Colin, now we have to determine if Captain Waite and/or Irene had traveled to a Paris haute couture shop at some point before November! ;-) It might be time to hire the little Belgian detective.

Erich in Mukilteo

[Chris Garner]

Herbert Austin was a French speaker and a frequent visitor to France...often accompanied by his " secretary ".
There is also a further ( poor ) photo in existence of what I believe is the two daughters in OK 3537.

[Colin Morgan]

Fur coat fashions from early 1920s...

  Fur Advert 1922.jpg (Size: 126.37 KB / Downloads: 189)





  Fur Advert Autumn 1923.jpg (Size: 107.71 KB / Downloads: 189)




                 
  Fur Advert 1924.jpg (Size: 94.19 KB / Downloads: 189)

Looks like things had moved on by Autumn 1924?

[Colin Morgan]

Taking another tack, trying to date the photo, if the reg number digits are somewhere between 1631 and 1699 and the OL series ran from July 1923 until November 1924 (16 months), then this number would have been issued about 1/6 of the way through, which is just under 3 months? That would in theory put the date of registration towards the end of October 1923? Perhaps the photo dates from October 1923 when the car was new (or newly registered)? It looks new and this would be a reason for a photograph?

[Colin Morgan]

On p39 of James Stringer's book 'An Austin Anthology II' an interview from 1967 with Alf Depper is quoted as saying:

"The complete car was to be finished and ready for the road before Easter 1922, it was, however, actually finished during the evening of Easter Saturday. At 6.30pm Austin invited Alf to accompany him on its very first journey, which was to take them through out the factory gates and up the Lickey Road. The little car performed very well indeed...'

So, this would suggest a completion date for the first prototype of 15th April 1922?