Mr & Mrs Mollison's Auburn 851 Speedster.
Thanks to Peter for the following two photographs, the first being of a highly-unusual (in the UK) Auburn 851 Speedster, powered by a supercharged straight-eight sidevalve engine. Surely few of these stunning vehicles were ever registered here? This example sports a London registration from 1935 (BXY 524). While the photograph is a little shaky, it was clearly taken in a hurry by someone not expecting to see this amazing vehicle - or perhaps its owners... - pull up. The building in the background has an art-deco air to it.
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Update. Within hours of publishing this page, Roger contacted me. He's interested in anything to do with UK-registered, RHD, Auburn Speedsters. He adds: "The image does not show if this is a right handed car but it may be significant that the London registration mark is just one number different from the right hander currently in the Beaulieu museum (BXY 525). Both cars were very likely supplied by the Auburn concessionaires RSM motors."
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Thanks for the information Roger, if anything else turns up I'll add it in here too.
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Amy Mollison's Beech B17L Staggerwing.
Talking of air, Peter also supplied the following snapshot of a fine Beech Staggerwing aeroplane, that also belonged to the Auburn's owners - "Mr and Mrs Mollison" he says. While this isn't an aircraft website, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include this superb photo of another eye-catching machine. Only part of the registration is visible on the rear fuselage, although the start of it, G-A??H, is visible beneath the lower wing, and reflected in reverse on the upper wing's underside is the registration on the fuselage. Research confirms that it was registered G-ADDH, the first British-registered example of the successful Beech 17.
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Neither the Auburn nor the Beech are particularly common in this country. A little research reveals that a Mrs Amy Mollison, the pioneer aviator born Amy Johnson, owned Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing (B17L) registration G-ADDH in the 1930s, and in fact signed an agreement to become a Beechcraft sales agent in Great Britain. She married Jim Mollison, himself a renowned aviator, but divorced him in 1938 and reverted to her maiden name thereafter. Presumably the couple are shown in the photograph of the Auburn above. The Speedster and the Staggerwing would have both been a good match for their trend-setting lifestyles. The aircraft was withdrawn from use on October 21, 1936, following a heavy landing in Kent.
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Thanks for sending the photos over Peter. An earlier Auburn can be found on this page.
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Return to Page 21 in the motoring image archive, or visit the main index of vintage & classic photographs here.
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