Feel like a Maharajah when you drive a 7

[Nick Salmon]

Just stumbled upon this. Have to admire their enthusiasm...and forgive the inaccuracies...

https://youtu.be/8mGSvR_PP0M

[Tony Griffiths]

An utterly charming piece! Is the Chummy fitted with an Australian body with a hinge-open screen? In any case, it's quite a mixture: late 1929 to early 1930 beadless, domed wings; pressed Austin bade on the radiator, etc. How about a competition? Count the errors in the commentry....

[Steve Jones]

How about a competition? Count the errors in the commentary....

Haven't got time, got to go and cover all my seats in cling film! Too young to realise that that's what they did with Sevens in the 19th century

I'm being unkind. It's a charming piece filled with genuine enthusiasm. 

Steve

[Chris KC]

In Chennai I think?

Thanks for sharing Nick, enjoyed that very much. Some day I may show you my turban.

Steve, you don't have to drive far in India to understand why he has put protective covers on the seats!

The conversation about keys piqued my interest. One of my other hobbies involves a little casual research, at the centre of which is a gentleman named Charles Henry James, who was for a time medical advisor to the Maharajah of Patiala, whereafter he was civil surgeon at Simla. I have a letter from his mother to his brother dated 1st Dec 1916, in which she writes "Charlie dear old fellow......has the most beautiful motor car I have ever seen, it works with a small key which he keeps in his pocket & it has all the latest (unreadable), as well as being very handsome and (unreadable)!


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In a nutshell then car keys long pre-dated 1930 - but were sufficiently remarkable to write to your son (on the western front) about!

[Greig Smith]

Latest refinements ??

Aye
Greig

[Chris KC]

I'm leaning towards 'improvements' and either 'select' or 'silent'....

[Duncan Grimmond]

"components " or "comforts" is what I see

[Bob Culver]

One virtue of the computer age is that it has largely eliminated cursive writing. I have many old family letters, including an 1860s one to "home"from a first ships settler but they are very tdious to read. At work a senior manager used to circulate handwritten instructions. The wags would write their interpretation below and almost anything appeared plausible. At school we spent a lot of time on holding pens and writing. Dont know what they do now with the time.

[Erich]

Chris, I think the indecipherable word after handsome, might be select. Are we sure this is about a full sized car? Reading through I started to have an image of a wind up toy car! ;-)

Erich in Seattle

[David Stepney]

Having stared at the two indecipherable words, I am completely stumped by the word following 'latest'. Looking at the readable bits to identify the letters used, it appears to be "aufoments" which clearly doesn't make sense. The word after 'handsome and' is definitely "silent" Could the car have been a Silver Ghost, I wonder? Not being a Rolls-Royce buff, I don't know if any of the Edwardian Ghosts had an ignition key of some sort, but I wouldn't put it past the makers to come up with such a 'refinement'.