Little and Large.

[Robert Foreman]

Another period photograph for your delectation. Written on the reverse is Slavanka 1929.



      

[Ruairidh Dunford]

In the 1980s my father swapped his Chummy, for a month, with his friend's 1924 Lanchester - he returned it with an empty wallet and his friend enough in the bank for a small house deposit!

[Mike Costigan]

To be fair, the Armstrong in the photo is only a 12hp, unlike Ruairidh's Lanchester, which may well have been a 40hp!

[AustinWood]

Those Lanchesters are impressive. Fantastically over-engineered with dozens of original features.
The list of patents and 'first' by Fred Lanchester is amazing.
Maybe that was the car that belonged to my wife's colleagues at Bristol University or perhaps her husband. Limousine or tourer? Definitely thirsty and heavy.

---

Further to the size question, here is a picture of my Nippy with the engine and gearbox of my Light Straight-8 Daimler alongside.

   

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I think it may be the very same Jim, Rosie Shapland?

[AustinWood]

I didn't think there'd be other 1924 Lanchesters in the Bristol area. Rosie & my wife were both statisticians at the university. She brought her amazingly original limousine down to Weston-Super-Mare to takes us out for a drive. Also used to see it towering above other cars in the car park at Prescott Hillclimb. I suspect for such a slight woman she must be very strong! I was very envious of her unique home in Bristol.

[circeonya@hotmail.com]

My dad had one of those Armstrong Siddleys from before I was born in 1937 till 1956. It was his daily driver and yes it was a gutless wonder. During WW2 he ran it on a cocktail of kerosene(parrafin?) and petrol. He put one tyre over another when a tyre wore out. It had a monstrous flywheel which also served as the cooling fan which meant it regulary boiled in the Australian climate. In 1956 my brother and I sent it off for scrap and put him in a Ruby.

[David Stepney]

Some years ago, A friend of mine, who was an avid vintage car collector, had a 12 hp Armstrong Siddley with a pre-selector gearbox. There was no clutch between the engine and the box, so one had to use the brake bands as a clutch to draw away. having been used to Daimlers, I found this very strange and understand that the life of the brake bands was somewhat limited. He didn't keep it long.

[Mike Costigan]

Quite a few cars used the transmission bands as a 'clutch'; Rileys, Lagonda Rapier and early Roesch Talbots all relied on this method.

[Robert Foreman]

Does anyone have any thoughts on Slavanka?