"Where Are They Now?"

Sir,

The interesting article by Bill Boddy in your issue of February entitled “Where Are They Now” encourages me to ask if anything is known of the whereabouts of three 1912 cars which I had in my possession just after the war.

The cars in question were bought from Richard Shakespeare, a keen Bugatti man at that time, and after five years of war storage were in pretty poor shape.

Car number one was a Mors (see photo) and the only one out of the three that I kept and restored. Not an easy task in 1948. However, I was fortunate in finding an elderly mechanic, who had at one time worked on Mors cars, and between us we did a fair job on it so with the help of Laystalls, who rebuilt the engine, it eventually looked very fine and ran very well. I enclose a photo taken outside the house of the late Geoffrey Smith who was then editor of The Autocar. I sold this car in 1950 to a collector of veteran cars and motorcycles who farmed somewhere near Leeds. Price £100. Oh dear, what would it be worth today? The last that I heard of this collection was that the owner had sold out and had emigrated to New Zealand.

Car number two was an Enfield. I seem to recall that the maker’s badge comprised crossed rifles so I presume that they were an offshoot of Lee-Enfield. This car I sold to Tom Meyer, who is now chairman of Montague Meyer the timber importers, who was doing a bit of racing in those days. I think he paid £90 for it.

Car number three was a two-seater Gregoire, which was perhaps the most attractive car of the three and which passed into the hands of a young enthusiast who in turn sold it to another young enthusiast and with whom I did have some correspondence some time ago. The real object of this letter is to say that in tidying up in the garage recently I came across the main jet of the Solex carburetter which I should be pleased to pass on to the present owner if he should contact me through Motor Sport.

Henfield V. L. Seyd

[I recall going to see all those cars during the war and receiving a mysterious note from Mr. Shakespeare saying he feared he might never see them again—was he a Prisoner of War?—ED.]

Sir,

“Where Are They Now?” Your 1907 Singer could still be with us, though rebodied. A 1907 12/14 h.p. with Roi des Beiges type body and a similar 1908 chassis, possibly now rebodied, are owned by a North Country collector. If memory serves correct, they were both bought from the Peterborough area in 1953.

I regret that the only other early Singer example, other than cycles and motorcycles, is a 1901 forecar which I believe last ran on the Brighton Run in 1960. I hope that this is still alive.

To the best of my knowledge there are no other pre-1916 Singers left, other than Tens (1912-F). But 10/26s, 12 Seniors and Juniors, all pre-1933 and some half-dozen Sixes, mainly 14/34s, total some 150, the bulk being Juniors.

Oxford M. E. N. Moody

Singer Owners’ Club