Vintage Cars & Post-Vintage Thoroughbreds.

Focus on the pre-war days of motoring.

Go to most shows and chances are the bulk of the display field is full of post- WW2 cars, those usually referred to loosely as 'classics'. Usually off to one side however is a dedicated bunch of enthusiasts for whom only the delight of vintage, and slightly later pre-war, cars will suffice. These are the vintage car enthusiasts, a hardy bunch who do not flinch when faced with a starting handle, or baulk at the sight of very basic suspension and petrol tanks above their feet.

Of course there is the question of what exactly is a 'vintage car'? it largely depends on who you ask, and to some extent in which country you reside. The British approach is to class cars built between 1919 and 1930 as Vintage. Cars built later than this, but prior to WW2 in 1939, are known generally as post-vintage, or in the case of a select few, Post Vintage Thoroughbred (PVT). The Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC) cater for cars of this era, both genuine vintage machines and a select choice of PVTs. Anything later usually gets lumped under the grouping of Classic and is outside their remit. However in the USA, old-motoring fans tend to view 1925 as the cut-off point, a cut-off defined by the Classic Car Club of America, anything after which is deemed a Classic.

For the sake of simplicity, I'll focus here on motor-cars that were around prior to WW2.

The plan is to feature motor books and reference material that was actually available to motorists pre-war. There are plenty of modern books for sale that deal with vintage cars, but the big problem with many is that they are often written in a modern style, with up-to-date language, phrases and often recent photographs.

Back when films were all shot in black and white, and the advent of 'talkies' was a big deal, books were written in a very different style. By featuring clips from some of these 80-90 year old books, I hope to capture a little of the motoring mood from all those years ago. Please call by again soon and see what snippets of vintage motoring I've been able to turn up.

Cars Of The Future (1931)
Predictions from Every Boy's Hobby Annual of 1932 on how automotive styling might progress in the future. Most of the predictions would come true, although the perfected & unaccessible engine remains a dream!

Early Road Signs
Some information on the type of road signs and street furniture that was regularly seen on the roads of 1950s Britain, with links out to other resources that have more details about collecting signs, traffic lights and similar.

Motoring for Women
Published in 1925 this is a rare and interesting little book, as it sought to dispel many myths that the lady motorist was something that simply should not be permitted in civilised society..! Read the introduction to this book here.
(Part 1 | 2 )