And Now, After "The Motor-Car in Fiction" - Can Your Remember Motoring Songs?

Sir,
I was greatly intrigued by the article in Motor Sport for April, “Motoring in Fiction.” But, sir, what about motoring songs? There have been some quite famous ones, and I have acquired a few on gramophone records. Perhaps the earliest of any note was about 1905, the famous “Oh. Flo, Where Shall We Go?”, which was something about an American motor car.

Then in 1912 was the very famous one about the lover whose car broke down every time he had his girl in it and was squeezing her. “He’d Have to Get Out and Get Under, Get Out and Get Under His Little Automobile.” It went on about every time he was giving her a squeeze, the darned old engine would seize. Then in 1925 there was “My Little Austin Seven,” sung by the late Norman Long, and recorded by Clarkson Rose, a witty little song with several verses. In the thirties the late Ronald Frankau recorded a very saucy and witty one called “You Make My Wheels Go Round.” But perhaps the best of the lot was a catchy tune in the show “Kissing Time,” circa 1924, called “My Motors,” which had a chorus which said:
“I’ve a perfect Motor Show,
A car for every girl I know.
For Daisy I always keep a Daimler
Vi has my Vaux-hall,
For Sue supreme I’ve a smart Sun-Beam
For Loue in the Swift I call;
With Rose in the Rover
We often go to Dover;
And a Mors I’ve got for Maude
And for Joyce I’ve a smart Rolls-Royce,
For the Wife . . . . I’ve always got the FORD.”

And in a second chorus he describes various types of car bodies he has for the various girls.

Then there was the famous “Girl in the Taxi,” and later “I Heard a Song in a Taxi,” sung by John Mills, and the “Taxi-driver’s Serenade.” And Stanelli recorded a splendid disc of tunes played on his fine collection of motor horns, which he still has to this day and appeared with on TV quite recently.

I am, Yours, etc.,
G. A. Shaw.
Knaresborough.