# Can anyone identify these British cars from the 1920's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903 "2010-03-26T17:20:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/1 "2010-03-26T17:20:29Z")
My mom was going through som old family photos, and came up with some [car pictures](http://s638.photobucket.com/albums/uu108/TapiocaD/Old%20Cars/). Anyone care to guess what make/model they are? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/2 "2010-03-26T17:51:39Z")
I’m not going to be much help, I’m not good at cars in general, and all 1920’s cars look pretty much the same to me. I did google on some images of 1910’s and 1920’s British cars, but it’s hopeless. I don’t think they are Rolls-Royces or Sunbeams or Vauxhalls based on the radiators. Humbers, maybe, but their radiators usually have a logo? I have a question, though - [how the hell do you get out of this car with the spare tire right there?](http://s638.photobucket.com/albums/uu108/TapiocaD/Old%20Cars/?action=view¤t=RiversdaleCar1.png) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/3 "2010-03-26T17:56:08Z")
The first (and second, I think) is a [Bentley 3 Litre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_3_Litre) from about 1924. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/4 "2010-03-26T18:00:58Z")
All the Bentleys on the wiki page have rounded radiator tops, which matches the first car, but not the 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/5 "2010-03-26T18:03:22Z")
Are you sure they are British? The shape of the first one looks quite Citroen-ish to me. I can’t find an exact match but [this one](http://www.chicagoclassiccars.com/inventory_show.asp?stknum=3230&show=2) has rather similar styling. Maybe see if you can find a Citroen forum and ask there? (Actually, from the link it appears Citroen cars were built in England during the 1920s). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/6 "2010-03-26T18:09:07Z")
Never mind - late, and wrong 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/7 "2010-03-26T20:58:15Z")
Some Jowetts had square grills and spare tires back by the rear wheel. I can’t find many examples, except this. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/3004/2960497391_59b49f0ca8_b.jpg "Jowett Rag Top Saloon Car - 1927") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/imagetaker1/2960497391/in/set-72157606481402216/) but that model doesn’t look quite right. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/8 "2010-03-27T11:10:25Z")
Second car may be an Argyll. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/9 "2010-03-27T11:55:12Z")
You might be able to identify the second car from the registration number. The picture from behind shows “DH197” (with the frame obscuring the rest), and from the front it looks like “DH1974” painted on the grill. If it is English, [this page](http://www.londonbusroutes.net/miscellaneous/regs.htm) says the DH prefix would have been issued in Walsall. Does that correspond with the history of the pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/10 "2010-03-27T17:28:31Z")
One of the kids in the picture is my grandmother, who lived in Walsall in the 1920’s. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/11 "2010-03-28T10:33:56Z")
OK. This was a brain teaser and I admit to having phoned a friend for this answer. He thinks possibly [DFP](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doriot,_Flandrin_&_Parant) which fits in with the [Bentley](http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/lost_marques_bentley.htm) and French connections mentioned above. However the situation then was complicated by the more expensive cars often having bodies by specialist body builders, like Mulliner or Park Ward, who often only built one of a design exactly the same. > [@bup](#): > > I have a question, though - [how the hell do you get out of this car with the spare tire right there?](http://s638.photobucket.com/albums/uu108/TapiocaD/Old%20Cars/?action=view¤t=RiversdaleCar1.png) I’ll have to quote his answer to this: _The position of the battery box on the running board and the spare wheel could be changed to allow doors for passengers to get out of the driver’s side. Smart guys used to vault straight out of the doorless driver side of the 1920s Bentley. Vaulting back into a car with a long right hand gear lever and a long central brake lever could result in one up each leg._ ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/12 "2010-03-30T14:35:11Z")
I have actually answered my own question. The first two pictures are a [1922 Cubitt](http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/cubitt.htm) [16’20 Tourer](http://www.chilternhillsrally.org.uk/cubitt.html) and the last three pictures are a 1921 [Briton](http://www.britishmm.co.uk/history.asp?id=165) 10’12 Tourer ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/13 "2010-03-30T15:32:01Z")
Are you sure? The grille (and bonnet lines) on the first one doesn’t look anything like the images of the Cubitts in your link. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/14 "2010-03-31T16:35:34Z")
Could very well be a [Cubitt Model K](http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_155656-Cubitt-Model-K-1924.html). [Here are some Cubitt ads](http://www.automobileadshop.com/cluleyclynocubitt-81-c.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-these-british-cars-from-the-1920s/533903/15 "2010-03-31T17:13:12Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Could very well be a [Cubitt Model K](http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_155656-Cubitt-Model-K-1924.html). [Here are some Cubitt ads](http://www.automobileadshop.com/cluleyclynocubitt-81-c.asp). I gather they come with a list of features as long as your arm.