Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

Because my father was the village pharmaceutical chemist, my family were always on good terms with our local doctors or general practitioners and the first one I remember was Dr Bowden who was a very compassionate but objective practitioner.
He administered my first injuries, a serious burn from a scalding kettle, a broken arm and chronic tonsilitis which he refused to refer to have my tonsils removed.
"They're there for a purpose" he would say and he refused to prescribe anti- biotics or penycillin and gave me old fashioned sulphonamides. I still remember the awful syrup and gargle he insisted me using.

He was elderly having practiced in the village for many years and his daily transport was one of these :


A maroon Singer Gazelle and I even remember the registration number TMH 878. He was also slightly eccentric and of an evening he would use a pony and trap to visit house patients.

His partner was a Dr Arkell, a wealthy upper class part timer who was also a champion Bisley "shot". He drove one of these in work although he had far superior cars at his estate home :



A Triumph Vitesse convertible with the 1.6 six cylinder engine in two tone yellow and white.

When Dr Bowden passed away suddenly he was succeeded by a former English academic who had studied medicine in his late 20s. He drove a brand new one of these :


A 1966 Mark One Cortina in exactly the same colours as this one. DTK 51D but he wanted a Mini for practice use but at 6foot 5 inches he didn't fit inside so he bought one of these :


A yellow Daf 33 which he replaced twice.

Interesting cars. Our modern doctors drive Audis, BMWs and Range Rover Evoques.

Times change.
What did your doctor used to drive years ago?
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[BigJohn]

Dr Strawn in Gunness, Lincs. drove an Austin A90 in black, it is one of my earliest memories, My father had a finned Cambridge, also in black.

[alastairq]

I cannot recall my doctor's name, early 1960's, in Sutton Coldfield...but..he did drive a cream Daimler SP250 [Dart?]

[Penman]

Hi
I don't know because every time he did a home visit for me I wasn't fit enough to get out of bed to look, and the cars parked at the surgery were either scattered along the road or in a car park round the back, away from the pedestrian entrance.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[alanb]

My doctors were a Dr Berry and Dr Smallcombe, Dr berry being the senior partner drove a Humber super snipe, Dr Smallcombe drove a Humber hawk.
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old tourer


Morris 8 two seater

[47Jag]

In the early 50s young Dr Flanagan the newly qualified son of the local grocer drove a Ford model Y. He went on to father six children, all of them doctors.

Art

[Keith D]

Doctor Jones of Hockley, Essex drove a Riley one and a half litre in the very early fifties.

Keith
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1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[kenpix]

I had a young but highly capable doctor when living in East London in the 60's who's name was Dr Alston - he went everywhere in an Isetta bubblecar

[Ellis]

One of our now retired doctors had an Austin Healey 3000 Mark 3 (I think) and an ex Japanese re-imported MGB RV8.

Another recently retired doctor, Doctor Mackereth used a Land Rover Defender 300TDi 110 County Station Wagon which she had bought new in 1996.
On seeing my old 2a she would often comment that hers was on it's fourth gearbox.
_________________
Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[lowdrag]

Dr Zorab drove a Ford Zodiac Mk 1. My current doctor drives a Lexus hybrid...

[alastairq]

My current GP used to have a 1970's BMW CS coupe, in a lurid green colour.....no longer in possession. I provided him with a good used starter motor as part of the deal for one appointment! {I had a couple of 02 BMWs at the time.....and sundry spares]

Known him years/decades....will miss him when he retires [next month!!]...

[RotaryBri]

[Ashley]

Mine swapped his Wolesley 6/80 for an Isetta, presumably for Suez and then ran into the back of the local coal lorry. Because the door was on the front they couldn’t get him out, so the the local garage turned up with a break down truck and lifted him through the roof with the crane. A good laugh was had by all.

[Mikey77]

There were two doctors in the little Somerset town where I grew up. I was lucky with my GP, Dr Weir (last heard of in North Cornwall). He was a motor fan and had a very nice Sunbeam Talbot 90 and an MGB roadster. I never saw him drive either at more than about 35mph! The great thing was that his waiting room was stacked with copies of Motor Sport, which made me keen to go to the surgery and started my habit that continues to this day. I have copies going back to the early 1950s.
The other doctor, whose daughter was my girlfriend at one time, had a Rover 3-litre, then a Triumph 2000. His wife had a Moggie Traveller. I got in driving practice with the Triumph and the Moggie in their grounds at the age of 15. Barely had time for the girlfriend...

[52classic]

Our family GP, Doctor Murray Jones, drove a Standard Eight, the rounded early 50's type. Must have been a base model because it had sliding windows and no boot lid.

Then the 'new boy' arrived at the practice, Doctor Reid a proud Scotsman who would sometimes do his rounds in a kilt. Must have been early 60's and he drove a Peugeot 404 AND a Fiat 600. Even then, as a small child, I thought it quite disloyal for an NHS doctor to spend his money on foreign cars.