1923 Albert 12hp automobile.
In all, five separate photographs to feature this rare 12hp Albert motor-car turned up in a collection some time ago. The best of these old images are shown below, all featuring the same Albert tourer, registration XN 1495. The XN London series ran from February 1923 to May 1923 in London, thus dating this vintage Albert quite accurately. My thanks to John W of the VSCC for identifying the car.
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Photograph number 1 shows the 12hp car, believed to be a G3 type, at Haywards Heath in Sussex. This Albert features four-door touring car bodywork - note the jaunty angle at which the spare wheel and tyre are mounted on the offside running board. A two-gallon motor spirit can, in the livery of BP (British Petroleum) sits between the front and rear doors, again on the running board.
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The second photo, taken on the same occasion, now features a gent sat in the forward compartment.
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Photographs three and four were taken on a different jolly, and rather than being sepia are black and white. The printer's stamp on the rear of both photos informs that they were printed by "Avery, The Broadway, Haywards Heath", using Velox paper.
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On this trip, the family dog has come along for a ride. In this next scene, taken in Ditchling Common, a well-dressed lady is sat in the nearside front passenger seat. The hound though seems to be prefer the box - possibly a battery box? - mounted on the running board. Was it a slightly chilly day? the presence of side-screens suggest that it may well have been.
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Finally, the same Albert but with a gent sat behind the wheel. "Gally", their faithful dog sits alongside him, front paws resting on the 'screen.
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Launched in 1920, Alberts were built at a factory in Vauxhall, and then in Chiswick. The engine fitted in the early cars was a 1495cc unit produced by Gwynne, coupled to a four-speed gearbox. After approximately 250 cars had been built, Gwynne took over Albert and continued with car production. In 1923 engines were enlarged to 1944cc, the cars then being known as the Gwynne-Albert. It was only in 1925 that the cars gained braking to the front wheels, prior to that rear-only braking was deemed sufficient. Production, mainly of four-door tourers similar to that shown above, continued until 1929.
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Another 11.9hp Albert car.
MikeC, on the OCC forum, identified the car in the following two photographs as another example of the rarely-encountered Albert 11.9hp tourer. In this case, the car is registered CH 3042, from a Derby registration series that ran from 1903 through to 1931, and not just a few months as with the example featured above.
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Both of the following shots show the car parked in a quiet country lane. In the first, two ladies and a young child are in view. A single sidescreen has been left in place attached to the passenger side door, presumably to offer a semblance of draught-proofing for the passenger(s) on that side of the car.
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Photo #2 is a charming close-up of the car's front, with a toddler pretending to be taking a swing at the Albert's starting handle. The "A" badge on the radiator can be recognised in this view, as can the tread pattern on the Dunlop front tyre.
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Return to Page 13 in the classic & vintage car photo gallery.
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