Click here to return to OCC homepage

OCC YT

See Homepage. This page: One of just 170 Lea-Francis Hypers ever built, seen here in the early 1930s.
Original transport photographs
Old Classic Car Image Archive index >

Ladies with their Lea-Francis motor-car.

Other photographs in the batch that included this view of a Lea-Francis S-Type, or "Hyper", were dated to the early 1930s, a date which fits well with this scene also. Two smart ladies, dressed in warm attire, are stood alongside the Lea-Francis. Their clothing, and the lack of foliage on a distant tree, all suggest a winter's day, perfect for a bracing drive in a post-vintage sportscar. This example has been fitted with a rakish "V" windscreen, and a large mascot on the radiator cap.
The car's registration sadly is unclear - the two letters could be "UV" (London - 1929), the numbers beginning 78?
Parked a short distance away, with a bank in the background, is a Rover saloon, while off to the right is the side of a commercial garage. Interestingly the bare tree just behind the Hyper has had its lower section painted white - perhaps careless drivers had a habit of crashing into it at night?
(Please click the thumbnail to view full-size image.)
Lea-Francis Hyper sports-car
Lea-Francis produced their first motor-car in 1903, previously having concentrated on the production of high-quality bicycles. The Lea-Francis S-Type, soon to be known as the Hyper, was introduced in 1927 and was fitted with a supercharged (Cozette) Meadows 4ED engine as standard. The chassis was based on that used on the O & P Type models. Saloons, tourers and coupes would be offered, although most Hypers today sport coachwork along the lines of the car shown above. A TT Replica Hyper was also offered, following on from the car's success in the 1928 Ards TT, just one of many competitive outings for this Coventry-built motor-car. In all, some 170 examples are believed to have been built, with approximately 41 cars still in existence.
Return to Page 13 in the classic & vintage car photo gallery.
A slightly earlier Lea-Francis tourer can be found on this page, also in the gallery.

Custom Search
Old Classic Car (C) R. Jones 2023. Content not to be reproduced elsewhere.
Website by ableweb.
Privacy Policy, Cookies & Disclaimers