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.
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The car's registration sadly is unclear - the two letters could be "UV" (London - 1929), the numbers beginning 78?
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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?
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(Please click the thumbnail to view full-size image.) |
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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.
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Return to Page 13 in the classic & vintage car photo gallery.
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A slightly earlier Lea-Francis tourer can be found on this page, also in the gallery.
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