Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

I've not driven, or had a ride on/in, a veteran car as yet. Has anyone here experience of these very early machines? I'm curious about them, although I'm not sure I actually want to own one, 1920s is early enough for me I think (sometimes I think too early!).

Reading this article (yes, another newspaper link, sorry) brought veterans back to mind again.

Do you own a veteran car, have you tried the London to Brighton run?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/using-classic-car-daily-driver-1904-vauxhall-6hp-modern-britain/

RJ
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Rootes75 · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:49 am Post subject:

We watched a bit of a programme on the box last night and they were driving a 1910 steam car, fuelled by Kerosene. It was a lovely car, probably a Stanley.
My youngest, who is 6 was absolutely fascinated by the steam aspect but also that of the open seating and the shear basic nature of it.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

mikeC · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:37 pm Post subject:

Now that I have resolved the Postimage problem I was experiencing, I can post a comment here.

I have enjoyed five years with my 1914 Saxon - OK, not really a Veteran, but it wasn't Veteran price either! I have now sold it, because I had done really all I could with it, and I was just repeating the same experiences each year. Basically it was too impractical to use on the roads round here - I have three routes out of the small town I live in, all involving quite steep hills on busy main roads - not a good start to any journey, so whenever I took it out it was on a trailer.

A sensible cruising speed was 30mph, which again was not a practical proposition for going anywhere! The car would run faster, probably 40-45mph, but I wouldn't want to do that with any modern day motorists around ...

The prospect of a true Veteran ownership no longer appeals; I don't want a car that needs to go everywhere on a trailer!
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in the garage: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
Recently departed: 1953 Lancia Appia, 1931 Austin Seven, 1967 Singer Chamois, 1914 Saxon, 1930 Morris Cowley, 1936 BSA Scout, 1958 Lancia Appia coupe, 1922 Star 11.9 ... the list goes on!

roverdriver · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:50 am Post subject:

'Veteran' means different things from country to country. Here in Oz it usually refers to a vehicle built before 1919.
I have had quite some experience driving Fords of Model T type. The design is from 1907, but the cars were built until 1927 with the basic components all the same.
Forty years ago, I would have happily taken to the road in one, but these days, I would be very wary about using one as regular transport, mainly because of too many impatient drivers out there.
Even when driving my Rovers at 60+ mph, in a 100k zone, impatient people still have to pass me. A car doing less than 45 mph is asking fro trouble. One might manage if your drives are all in built-up areas with a low speed limit, but even then the 'mob' would be upset as you gently accelerate from traffic lights.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

old iron · Joined: 22 Mar 2016 Posts: 185

what a lovely looking Saxon!

I have a souvenir program dated 1973 from a weekend in Sudbury, Suffolk. The event was the ‘Mamouth olde time rally’ featuring among the car exhibits were :

10 x Veterans pre 1904
28 x Edwardian pre 1918
44 x vintage. pre 1930
63 x post vintage pre 1940

In addition we’re commercial and American vehicles + motorcycles of course.
Now I look at the line up of cars at various shows and it’s almost non existent pre 1930 vehicles. I have recently sold my vintage cars in favour of a modern
1958 MG.