Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; just two owners in the last 64 years; restored
to show-winning condition in the the late-1980s and lightly used since; rare
Vintage Tourer from a renowned collection of Wolverhampton-made
machines
Founded by
cousins Frank and Ailwyn Smith in 1909, The Clyno Engineering Company of
Wolverhampton initially made its mark with high-quality motorcycles and
sidecars, providing rugged outfits for the British Army during World War I.
In 1922 they switched to making cars, the first
model being the 10.8hp with a remarkably stiff and strong chassis compared to
many of its rivals which soon earned it a reputation for being unburstable.
Powered by a 1,368cc four-cylinder side-valve Coventry-Climax engine mated to a
Moss three-speed gearbox, it was notably tractable and could pull away smoothly
from 5mph in top gear on its way to a top speed of 50mph, with plenty of
low-down torque for climbing hills. From 1926 it also gained four-wheel brakes
and an electric starter with electric lights
as standard.
These qualities made it an
unusually safe and easy car to drive for people who were new to motoring, a
demographic that was expanding fast in the mid-Twenties. Costing £245 as a
saloon, £215 as a four-seat open tourer and £210 as a two-seat open coupe, it
was slightly cheaper and better specified than the rival Morris Cowley and by
1927 sales reached 12,000 units per year which made Clyno the third most
successful manufacturer in the UK.
When the
Depression of the late 1920s began to hit home, Clyno tried to diversify into
cheaper models but they were unable to compete with the much deeper pockets of
their two main rivals Austin and Morris, and after just seven short years as a
car maker, Clyno went bankrupt in February 1929. The unfinished cars and all the
spares were bought by RH Collier & Co of Birmingham who assembled a few more
cars before locking the factory gates for good in August 1929.
This rather splendid Clyno 10.8 open
four-seater is the top spec Royal Tourer version with a nickel radiator
surround; four-wheel brakes; pressed steel artillery wheels; electric starter;
electric windscreen wiper; air
horn; Smiths 8-day clock and 12v electric lights.
Supplied new by The Express Garage of Tangier, Taunton in June 1926,
it was first owned by a Mrs Cecilia Trivitt of Creech St Michael in Somerset. A
letter from RH Collier & Co dated March 1935 implies that by this point
it was perhaps owned by a Mr A Batten of Axminster, who had ordered a pair of
new rear springs but had sent insufficient funds to pay for them (see last
photo). A buff logbook shows that by 1952 it was owned by a Harry Tope of
Devon who kept it until 1961 when it was acquired by a Mr Henry Adams of the
Seymour Hotel in Totnes.
The next owner was a Mr
B Frampton of Axminster who bought the car in 1962 from a motor trader in Chard
called Jack Baulch. A letter on file states he that he had often admired the car
at local shows and eventually succeeded in buying it for the princely sum of
£175: “A large sum for me as a motor vehicle apprentice earning £3 per
week”.
Mr Frampton used the car regularly
for the next few years until a main bearing failed and caused the engine to
seize. The engine was fully rebuilt by Autopart Engineering of Exeter with new
pistons, bearings, reground crank etc, but as the owner also had several other
cars (including a Jaguar XK150 and an Austin-Healey), once the engine was back
in the Clyno it got rather forgotten about, languishing in storage for the next
20 years or so.
In the
late-1980s he decided to treat Clarence (as the Clyno is affectionately
known) to a total body-off restoration, as detailed in correspondence on file.
This included a new ash frame; bodywork restored; new fuel tank; new radiator;
new wiring loom; new exhaust system; five new tyres; full interior retrim and a
new set of weather gear (hood and sidescreens).
Back on
the road in August 1990, Clarence was then in light regular use for the next 23
years, as shown by various old MOTs and tax discs on file, attending various
local shows and winning a concours award at the Yeovil Festival of Transport in
1993.
The current owner acquired the Clyno in
2013, his family recalling how Mr Frampton brought the car up from Devon on a
trailer to meet the next owner in person to ensure that they were a fit person
to take custody of his beloved Clarence. Fortunately he passed this test with
ease as he was already the owner of a hugely impressive collection of
Wolverhampton-made machines, all proudly displayed in the foyer of his renowned
enamelling and powder coating works in Wednesbury.
On offer
here from a deceased estate, Clarence has spent the last 13 years on static
display in a heated showroom as part of the owner’s collection. We are told
that all the cars were regularly started and run, often being taken to local
shows and sometimes being loaned out as visitor attractions for the
Black Country Museum or used as wedding transport for friends and
family.
As you can see in the photos, Clarence is in fantastic shape for a
100-year-old and now only needs a caring new owner who can continue to preserve
her for future generations to enjoy.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com