With Christmas approaching how about shopping 1959 style?
This picture shows a 1959 Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire on display in a corner of the car showroom at the factory, Parkside Coventry.
Certainly during the 1930s, if not before, many buyers of a new car would travel to the factory to collect their car in person. Our heritage 17hp car was collected in 1935 from the factory by a gentleman living in Dunfermline, Scotland, accompanied by his daughter. Today, a round trip of 530 miles would be possible in a day; back in 1935 a Journey on the 'old' roads would have taken even longer. A new car purchase was something very special back then.
Indeed after WWII as car ownership increased and the volume of cars to be sent out to dealerships required extra delivery drivers, there grew a concern that they may not have 'run-in' the vehicle at the restricted speeds specified by the manufacturers.
Careful running in contributed to the longevity and sweet running of the engine and all its moving parts.
Today we are told there is no need to give special treatment to a new vehicle. Perhaps so, but we know an old trader who reckons it still pays to treat a new car with respect.
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