Edinburgh to Blairgowrie

by

Hillman

Trip to Blairgowrie  -  1937

Bryan Gourlay's gran and his dad on a trip to Blairgowrie by Hillman

 © Reproduced with acknowledgement Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

 

Trip to Blairgowrie

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay for sending me the photograph above of his Gran and his father on a trip from Edinburgh to Blairgowrie in a Hillman. 

Bryan wrote

Transport

 "The photo at the top of this page shows my gran and my dad   They are on a trip from Edinburgh to Blairgowrie in about 1937.

I think the car is a Hillman, but I guess someone will be able to tell me the model and what date it was registered."

Fashion

"My gran and my dad in the photograph above are dressed in what would now be called ‘smart casual' gear.

Although the weather is warm enough for the car’s windscreen to be open, my great grandmother is in no mind to discard her fur coat.

At Home

Here is another photograph of Bryan's gran, dressed in her fur coat, standing on the steps of her house at 13, Lutton Place with two of Bryan's aunts:

13 Lutton Place, Edinburgh ©

 

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland:  July 31, 2008

 

Answer 1

John Robins

Stafford, Staffordshire, England

Thank you to John Robins who answered Brian's question about the car in the photograph above.

John wrote

Hillman

"If Brian Gourlay hasn't received an answer about this car I can advise the following:

-  The car is a Hillman Minx Magnificent, which is the type name given by Rootes to the late 1935 to July 1937 version of the Minx.  The car had a 1185cc four cylinder side valve engine producing 30 bhp, and cost from £159 for the basic model. In the picture the car looks to have had little use so was probably fairly new at the time of the trip.

The Minx fitted into the hierarchy above the Ford, Austin and Morris Tens, which were about £20 or £30 cheaper, and below a Wolseley or Rover.  Vauxhall's Ten was not yet in production at the time.

The Minx was mechanically sound and reliable, if a little stodgy, but when they got older they suffered badly with rust."

John Robins, Stafford, Staffordshire, England:  November 24, 2008

 

Reply 1

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Bryan Gourlay replied:

Hillman

"Many thanks to John Robins for his run down on my dad’s family’s Hillman and confirming I was right in thinking it was around 1937.  Here is another photo of the car:

  ©

It was the family’s first car which they bought from my dad’s best friend, John Brown, who was the founder of the Eastern Western Motor Company.  My dad must have liked Rootes as he also got a Singer Sports from John which he picked up from the factory in Coventry in 1939.

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

 

Answer 2

John Robins

Stafford, Staffordshire, England

Thank you to John Robins who added:

John wrote:

Hillman

"This photograph of the Hillman confirms its identity beyond doubt as a Minx Magnificent.

©

From the angle of the picture with Gran and Dad there was a scintilla of a chance that it could have been a Hillman Fourteen, and I had to scale the width and height to be certain.

John Robins, Stafford, Staffordshire, England:  December 7, 2008

 

Answer 3

John Robins

Stafford, Staffordshire, England

John Robins also gave more details of Singer cars and Rootes.

John wrote:

Hillman

"Here is a further thought for Bryan on Singer Cars.  Singer did not become part of the Rootes Group until late in 1955, so the sports model Singer his Dad bought would not have any Rootes connections at all, but maybe the garage run by the family friend had agencies for many makes, which was more common pre-war. 

Singer produced their own engines,  using single overhead camshaft designs which were more efficient, ie powerful, although more expensive to produce.  The crash involving the three 1935 TT Nine Le Mans models which was caused by faulty forging of the steering arms started the rot, and by the early 1950s, Singer just could not compete with the likes of Austin, Morris and Ford.  It had only struggled that far due to war production contracts.

The last true Singer was the ugly and expensive slab sided SM1500/Hunter model, 1948 to 1956, which was virtually unsellable at the end.  Thereafter, the Singer, having been saved by Billy Rootes, became a better trimmed Hillman. The six story factory in South Birmingham, where the Singer was built, became a Rootes spares and service depot."

John Robins, Stafford, Staffordshire, England:  December 7, 2008

 

Further comments

Bryan Gourlay

Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

What Car is This?

The family apparently used to borrow a car from John Brown from time to time   such as the attached splendid racy model that my dad and his sister used on a trip round the north of Scotland around 1938 – accompanied by the obligatory Box Brownie.

1938 car on a trip around the north of Scotland ©

I bet John Robins could tell us what type of car it is."

Yes, John has provided the answer.  Please click on the thumbnail image above to read more.

-  Peter Stubbs, December 7, 2008

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland:  December 6, 2008

 

1930s cars and motorcycles

Edinburgh Transport - full index

 

 

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