17-05-2021, 09:27 PM
It occurred to me that to many using this Forum the car types quoted would be even less familiar than say the Model T or Chev 4 was to me!
On trips I always put cotton wool in my ears. Good for another 500 rpm in 3rd (I still do the same for 360 mile forays in my 1964 car). In their day (to about 1952 when new cars became more available) few Sevens owned by mature persons would have been driven hard as many are today. My father drove our Seven quite spiritedly but only once took it up to its full 50 mph. Many Sevens chugged around with very retarded spark and would seldom reach 40. The city Wellington was divided by a few miles of waterfront road, motorway style (now is). My father reckoned that just post war 45mph was the typical speed of the fast lane. To the 60s main roads had many corners, bridges, rail crossings where 30 mph was not slow. Even in the moderns of the time to maintain 50 mph was quite taxing. My father bought a replacement "modern"" in 1957. My father discussed various smaller cars, A40s Minx etc with various owners and many stated that they normally drove at about 45 mph.
On trips I always put cotton wool in my ears. Good for another 500 rpm in 3rd (I still do the same for 360 mile forays in my 1964 car). In their day (to about 1952 when new cars became more available) few Sevens owned by mature persons would have been driven hard as many are today. My father drove our Seven quite spiritedly but only once took it up to its full 50 mph. Many Sevens chugged around with very retarded spark and would seldom reach 40. The city Wellington was divided by a few miles of waterfront road, motorway style (now is). My father reckoned that just post war 45mph was the typical speed of the fast lane. To the 60s main roads had many corners, bridges, rail crossings where 30 mph was not slow. Even in the moderns of the time to maintain 50 mph was quite taxing. My father bought a replacement "modern"" in 1957. My father discussed various smaller cars, A40s Minx etc with various owners and many stated that they normally drove at about 45 mph.