Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - November 2019

[Mike Costigan]

An RAC Chief Superintendent's APE 2-seater (can we call it an Opal?). The registration dates from July 1938 so this may well be one of the first Sevens with full Girling rod-brakes on the rear axle. Note the car has the detachable starting handle - standard on this model - but has front and rear bumpers which were not a catalogued option and would normally be associated with a fixed starting handle.

[Bruce Nicholls]

The car is listed on the dvla website. 1st reg Aug 1938. Colour Maroon.

[Colin Morgan]

My car's registration EYV (20) is also from a Central London series starting in July 1938, for which records are lost.  The chassis has rod brakes, dowelled wheels, and detachable starting handle - which works fine even with the bumpers in place.  (The car now has a Feb '37 ARR Ruby body fitted - swapped in the dim and distant past - but it was probably originally a two-seater like that one.)

[Lance Sheldrick]

My father's big seven was registered EYR 447. He owned it in the late 1950's.

[Peter Naulls]

I notice that the wheels are not black, presumably the same colour as the car. Must have been unusual.

Peter.

[Mike Costigan]

Yes Peter, I assume the wheels are in RAC Blue, same as the body.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

The very last Sevens produced had wheels the same colour as the body and wings, so far as I understand.

[Dave Mann]

Beware of the detachable starting handle, a friend had one of these cars in the 1970s and another friend swing started the engine and didn't realise the handle was detachable, it promptly detached and smashed the NS headlamp glass.