Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - January 2021

[Mike Costigan]

   

Neville's Garage, Eastwood, Nottingham, showing a fine collection of brand new cars awaiting collection by their first owners. The first VO registration issued in January 1931 was 5060, so this dates the photo to, perhaps, January or February 1931 - exactly ninety years ago. Photo submitted by John Hall.

[John Mason]

A lovely picture. I wonder if this has a connection with Nevilles garage of Forest Road and later Nottingham Road, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Who for years were the Bedford Lorries and Vauxhall car dealers in the town. They also had an engine reboring and crank re grinding service.

John Mason

[Mike Costigan]

The Eastwood garage was established in 1924 by Jim Neville, a former miner. He died intestate and the business was sold, the new owner developing it as an Amoco filling station, so my guess is the Mansfield Nevilles was a completely separate business.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Looks like Singers are the popular choice!

[Mike Costigan]

Maybe the other Austin owners have already collected their cars 

Seriously though, it's surprising the Singer Junior didn't have a greater impact on Austin Seven sales. It offered a punchy overhead-cam engine in a body with four doors and much more internal accommodation for only £15 more on the initial purchase price (just over 10% more), the same £8 annual tax, and not much more in general running costs. In the days of home maintenance, it must have been the frightening thought of decarbonising that ohc engine that put people off, just like with the Morris Minor.

[Tony Press]

The Devil you know

And from my experience with a PA MG - a later variant of the Morris OHC engine - the Austin 7 engine would have been much better project for the home mechanic.

[Parazine]

I drove a Singer Junior on a day event about twenty years ago. It was a good performer, handled well and drove nicely. Can't think why it didn't sell better - or perhaps it just didn't survive as well as an Austin 7??

[circeonya@hotmail.com]

No Austins.  It was my late wife's fathers garage.  Dedicated Morris dealers so you can imagine the drama when the BMC merger happened.  My brother in law has not got over it to this day, whenever we talk he gives me a serve about how the A series engine made the Morris Minor unreliable.

[Bob Culver]

It is surprising how relatively well Sevens sold. And curiously the de luxe models. The diminutive size may have had more appeal before properties had provision for a vehicle etc.
A colleague of my father had a Siner about 1953; the chain used to come adrift!