Motoring: The joys of 1940s cramped motoring

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Stuart Haywood gives an amusing account of his early experiences of motoring from his book, Rich Mixture.

IN 1948, my father bought his first car, which was a 1932 Austin 7 Ruby saloon and cost £60. On family outings, mother and father occupied the front seats and my brother, Clive, and myself were consigned to the rear. I was 12 years old and Clive was 10 and we found the seating very cramped.

The car had a maximum speed of 40mph, provided we were descending a hill with the wind behind. Any speed in excess of this had an adverse effect on the efficiency of the steering, resulting in a distinct weaving along the road. Owing to mechanical imperfection, the sparking plugs had to be removed and cleaned every 100 miles.

Our next car was an MG sports car with a low, soft top. If we had thought that the rear seating in the Austin was inadequate, we had reckoned without the MG. The seats were tiny with practically no leg room and, combined with the low roof and lack of head room, a foetal position had to be assumed.

The engineers who had designed the car had forgotten to fit springs. When travelling at speed, we were thrown about, banging our heads on the roof. The good news was that the top was canvas; the bad news was that it leaked.

Around 1951, my father took a fancy to a motorcycle combination (motorbike and sidecar). The selected machine was a 1929 Scott Flying Squirrel, fitted with a two-seater sidecar.

The Scott was well ahead of its time in being water-cooled but it had one major defect – it was very noisy.

The parish church was at the end of our garden and on one Sunday, the noise of us starting off, led to a short intermission in the service.

We also had a further combination which was an ex-War Department Norton, with a two-seater Watsonian sidecar. The rear seat was only suitable for a baby but we managed to squeeze in.

The last vehicle my father owned before I married was an Austin shooting brake. This was very roomy and seemed the ultimate in sophistication after our previous modes of transport.

The body was wooden and kept varnished. An American woman was once heard to say: “Look at that quaint station wagon, Ira. I didn’t know they made half-timbered ones, even in England.”

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