Vintage and classic car trailers
As well as a slightly unhealthy interest in rescuing old cars and the assorted clutter that this usually entails, I have more than a passing admiration for the collecting of old car trailers. Not trailers that can move a car necessarily, but the type of trailer you hitch on to the back of a car to move things around!
There is something jolly pleasing to the eye I think, when you see a classic or vintage car at a show or out on the road, that has a period trailer hitched onto the back. No hideous shiny stainless steel jobbie, but a proper wooden creation, perhaps still running on spoked or 'easiclean' solid wheels. Nice curved steel mudguards (no crass plasticky things), old knobbly tyres from manufacturers long since banished to the history books, and a gentle air of quiet rickety-ness that a proper old trailer only gets with the passing of several decades.
I think this strange interest in trailers stems from an earlier dabble at owning a classic caravan, in my case a bizarre folding affair, built by Portafold in 1959/1960. With its fibreglass construction, fins on the roof, and compact proportions, it opened my eyes to the delights of strange shaped objects that can be towed behind a car. More about old caravans can be found here.
So, this dabble with curious caravans got me keeping my eye open for an interesting trailer or two.
Old trailers I've accumulated
The first trailer I stumbled across entirely by accident, when it came with an old Dodge lorry.
The trailer in question was built prior to WW2, and was used to carry a racing MG (K3 I think) to events during the 1930s. After the war, it was widened, lost its knock-on wire wheels (sob), and gained an aerodynamic canopy.
It was used up until the mid 50s to transport a 30s Alfa racing car, hitched on the back of aforementioned lorry. The owner would occasionally do races for Aston and Connaught, so his own Alfa would be transported in the trailer, while the more recent car would enjoy a cosier ride in the back of the truck. The top canopy was constructed entirely from aluminium, and offered some protection to its inhabitant. It was tested (presumably on an old runway somewhere) to 98mph, so was more than capable of running behind the lorry pulling it.
It has survived remarkably well and is complete with its home-made winch (internals are a crownwheel and pinion from pre-ww2 racing MG), corner steadies, canopy, hitch, and even the remnants of a canvas cover at either end of the trailer. The rubber mudguards are in reasonable nick too. The only downside to this tubular-chassis'd trailer is its immense weight - ok for the back of a heavy lorry, but a bit of a nightmare to move behind a normal road car.
The next trailer appeared on an eBay auction a few years ago, and is shown above full of 2 gallon petrol cans.
Its a lightweight trailer, built from wood on top of a small steel chassis, dating to the 1930s. The wheels are spoked, and held on with tiny knock-ons. It has a manufacturer's plaque screwed onto one side at the rear (built by an automobile engineer named Pratt, from Northallerton). I had a bid, thinking that it probably wouldn't be enough. To my amazement it was, and my bro' and I tootled down to Leighton Buzzard to collect it.
A couple of years later, I was offered a small livestock trailer, also from the 1930s. The asking price was a bit steeper than I wanted to pay, so reluctantly I didn't pursue it. A little while later the owner contacted me again, saying that they needed the space, and it'd be going to the tip if I didn't buy it for a nominal sum. That was enough for me, so I shot over there with my normal garden trailer and brought the oldie home on the back of it. It's a nice little thing, based on an Austin 7 axle and 19" wheels. It needs rubbing down and a re-varnish, but otherwise is in pretty good order.
Not everyone in my home understands my fascination with these 2 wheeled machines, but I think they are great and often overlooked in the world of preservation. If you've got a restored car, don't ruin it by hanging a ghastly modern unit on the towbar. Hunt down a classic trailer instead, give it a lick of paint as and when required, store it in the dry, and you'll have a great little combination when you attend shows and so on.
Some people go one step further and make their own trailers, often from the back ends of cars they like. I've seen a Mini towing the back end of a Mini that had been cut down and adapted into a trailer. Other similar contraptions appear for sale from time to time, and make for an interesting talking point at any show they go to. If you've got any car-derived trailer photos, I'd love to feature them on here!
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