Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - February 2021

[Mike Costigan]

Checking the Association Register reveals details of approximately 150 Swallows (saloons and 2-seaters), compared with around 100 Gordon Englands (all models); so it's perhaps surprising that period photos of Gordon Englands seem to outnumber those of Swallows by some considerable number. In fact until recently there were only two Swallow pictures in the Gallery, both of which were modern colour photos, so I was pleased to receive this shot from Tony Johns, showing a 1929 Swallow 2-seater. The registration number dates from around April/May 1929, whilst the tax disc in the windscreen shows a pattern used only in 1931, 1932 and 1933.


  1929 Swallow.jpg (Size: 118.78 KB / Downloads: 553)

[Tony Griffiths]

What a lovely picture!

[Ivor Hawkins]

Yes a lovely picture, odd they went to the trouble of installing brackets for an aluminium number plate, when there is a space ready for a hand painted one between the dummy irons.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I like that, a lot!

[John Mason]

Do you think that maybe where Austin got the idea of cowled radiators when they introduced the Ruby, Pearl and Opal models. Like all others have said lovely picture.
Are we sure the photo was taken in the 1930s That front number plate looks to me like 40s or 50s.

John Mason.

[Mike Costigan]

John, the front number plate is a cast alloy item more usually seen on early 1920s cars and was a bit dated by 1929. Post-War tax discs had a vertical colour pattern in the 1940s, changing to a cross-pattern in the 1950s; having said that, I'm not entirely comfortable with my dating of early 1930s, as those years had, to me, a slightly different form. The clothing, particularly the ladies' cloche hats, I would have thought were a bit dated for the early 1930s.

[jpsmit]

Lovely pic! It does appear that she is extracting the children from behind the seat - or perhaps packing them in.

[Bert]

Hello,
I agree with Ivor. Licence numbers should have been painted on the place he says. But now is too late.

Bert.

[Charles Levien]

Yes, great photo — front tyre wear indicates a well used car. Does the AA badge help with dating?

[Robert Leigh]

The style of AA badge should not be used for dating the car. The badge from an older car was usually transferred to its replacement.