A West tourer and its lady owner.
This photo/postcard dates to the early years of the 20th Century, and features an Edwardian-era motor-car known as the West. The lady shown stood alongside the West is a Mrs Athol Reader apparently - "... the Copper Queen and World's Premier Business Woman ...". As yet I've found few references to the West, the postmark on this card is for October 1907, thus making it an Edwardian car. Gas lighting, typical for a car of that age, is in place, and it looks to have braking to the rear wheels only.
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A check of The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles (1992) has the following entry for West:
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West, West-Aster 1904 - 1912
West of Coventry built a range of cars, all with Aster engines. In 1906 they offered a 15hp, 16/20hp, and a 20/22hp, all with four cylinders; the following year a six was announced, with separate cylinders and a lubrication system worked by exhaust pressure. It had a curious gear-change, in which the lever had only two fore-and-aft positions, yet managed to control a three speed and reverse gearbox. From 1908, chassis were made for other firms.
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As the postcard is dated 1907, it ties in nicely with this description of their motor-cars.
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Return to Page 11 in the vintage car motoring gallery.
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