Austin Undoubtedly Supplies The Interesting Novelty

[Tony Griffiths]

Unfortunately only a (cleaned-up) low-resolution image of the Motor Show issue - but still delightfully of the period.

[Chris Garner]

Years ago I found a 10/4 Ripley Sports Tourer in a lock up in Ashby-de-la Zouch, Leicestershire. Unfortunately it did not have the sports engine but I ran it for a time and it was fine, in fact it was a delight to drive. apart from the gear stick once separating itself from the box (!). They are very rare and I believe one was sold some time ago for circa £19K. I seem to remember the Derbyshire police used them in period. The example I owned is still around.

[Bob Culver]

A nice picture but are the tyres too large, the ventilator, trafficator,  and spare too unobtrusive? Curious radiator, hubs too.

[Tony Griffiths]

A nice picture but are the tyres too large, the ventilator, trafficator,  and spare too unobtrusive? Curious radiator, hubs too.

All courtesy of the art department's interpretative skill to make it look more appealing than in reality. Instead of nine louvres in each section of the bennet, the image has twelve in the front section and eleven in the rear. Although the front passenger window has the correct proportions, the rear of the body has been lengthened. Oh, the naughty tricks they pulled....

[Bob Culver]

Perhaps they were already thinking of the Big Seven side window. The drawing attempts to make a 1928 ish USA style look more like a 1932ish USA style. Prewar Austins did not lead in styling, although the later pre war Austins and many other Brit cars seemed not to copy any USA style.
 I suppose such advertising today would be illegal. Could be disappointing if ordered over the Net.

[Duncan Grimmond]

You should see what the BSA did with their three-wheeler adverts. I know folk weren't as well fed or tall as they are now but they managed to make the trike look big enough for a whole family