Interesting cars with Interesting histories -12
A number of years past while holidaying in Yorkshire we spent a day exploring the North of England Open Air Museum at Beamish which has so many areas of interest. These are connected by tram and old bus services. When we reached the ‘1900s town street’ our interest was immediately taken by T. Cowie ‘s Garage - a display crammed with so many items bringing back memories of how it was in the early days of motoring. Sitting there amongst the more familiar Pratts and Prices petrol and oil cans, an Anglo Bosphorus motor oil can, reminding us of the earliest days of oil field discovery, a story in itself.
Standing centre in this room filled with a plethora of motoring related products, was an Armstrong Whitworth S130 car dated 1906. Chatting with the attendant we explained our particular interest in the car and were graciously allowed to enter the room and take photographs. The car was made as a sweetener for the Emperor of Japan for allowing Armstrong to sell his munitions to Japan. The deal fell through and the car was never sent, eventually finding a permanent home in the museum.
The specifications for the S130 cars were – Water cooled, four cylinder 4.5 Ltrs. Power delivered through a four speed gearbox with shaft drive to the rear wheels. This model was rated as 28/36 hp. and unusual for the time the engine was ‘oversquare’ having a shorter stroke than bore diameter. Some of us will remember the fanfare when in 1959 Ford introduced this feature for the Kent engine Anglia.
Period Armstrong Whitworth motor car
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