Earlier this year the Armstrong Siddeley Owners Club held their National weekend event at Charlcote in Warwickshire. Being relatively close to the Parkside factory, and the area possessing great charm, it is not surprising that it was one of the factory publicity department’s favourite photo locations.
A remark oftimes made while waiting for buses applies this week. We have received three pictures of pre-war cars which have been passed on to us, each showing the Charlcote gatehouse as the background. The car pictured above is an example from the new 20hp car range launched in October 1931, which ran till March 1936. This particular car can be identified as from S batch of 1932, as this was the only batch to have non-ventilated bonnets. Based on the short wheelbase this model is the enclosed limousine.
Similar setting and once more the enclosed limousine version, it is however a larger car. This time the long chassis 20/25hp that was produced from 1936 till January 1940, when the last 23 were completed. The greatest design change to this model was the introduction of the unitary construction of the engine, gearbox and clutch which were mounted on separate flexible rubber couplings.
Perhaps the somewhat modest numbers of the 20hp and 20/25hp cars produced after 1936 reflects the success of the 17hp cars introduced for the 1935 year range. The 17hp in some body styles offered more internal accommodation than the 20hp car, though by the standards of the day the 20hp derivatives were considered to have a more sporting appearance.
In our next jotting we will consider our third picture as the owner was also of great interest and importance.
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