Hillman 14hp Safety Saloon.
Looking very dignified, clean and tidy is the following Hillman 14hp, circa 1928. The first letter of its registration is partially obscured, my guess is that it was registered either BK 4762 or DK 4762. The BK (Portsmouth) registration series petered out in 1924, which is a little too early for this car. DK however (for Rochdale) came into being in 1903 and lasted all the way to 1935, so is a possibility. Whatever the car's registration, its owner was a member of the Royal Automobile Club, confirmed by the presence of a vintage RAC members' badge proudly mounted on the bar between both headlamps.
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Searching online, the car above looks to be a very good match for the Hillman 14 Safety Saloon of 1928, with six-light (ie three windows per side) coachwork. Power came courtesy of a 1953cc four-cylinder engine, coupled to a four-speed gearbox with the gearchange mounted away to the right of the driver, leaving the floor between the driver and passenger unobstructed. The 14hp (RAC) car was introduced in 1925 and continued in production until 1930. 1928, the approximate build date for the car
shown here, was also the year that Hillman - which had been struggling financially - was absorbed into the Rootes Brothers' empire, soon merged into Humber. Later that year the car's design was overhauled, introducing a new body and deeper front radiator.
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