AUSTIN MEMORIES AND ARCHIVE I.D.

The December issue was another brilliant magazine – thank you! I especially enjoyed the colour festival of the Cortina, Borgward, Range Rover and Renault 4. Thanks also for the mention Austin Hits 100 on p14 – it's very important to keep the old name of Austin going. As an Austin Engineering Apprentice (1954-1959), I owned four wee Austin Sevens – two 1931/32 saloons, a 1934 saloon and a 1937 Opal Tourer. The cheapest of them cost five shillings, and the dearest was £27.10s.0d. Back then, engines cost from £2, gearboxes from £1.10s for three speeds or £2 for four. Over those four years I also owned four Austin Tens – an early 10/4, two 1935 Lichfields and one immaculate 1936 Sherbourne. The cheapest of the Tens was 10 shillings, the dearest a princely £60. The height of luxury though was a smart 1939/40 SS Jaguar 1½-litre for £90 (reduced from £100).

Mention of Range Rover brought to mind Land Rover lending me one of the 10 prototype Range Rovers for a ten day evaluation. Later, Rover's Brian Sperring, journalists Harold Hastings, Alan Baker and I took a pre-production one up to the north of Scotland for a long weekend's sampling of the Corrieyairack Pass and other challenges, all at a rather thirsty 10mpg, but what a great vehicle – actually four vehicles in one. Forgive the reminiscing. It's my age, ye ken. Well, somebody has to remember these days.

Now, as regards identifying classic car models on page 105 of the December issue, here goes for what it's worth. I can't swear to them all, though. In the top left picture, [Reproduced above left – Ed] the back car is a 1935/36 Vauxhall 12/6 or 14/6. The near car is a 1934-36 Morris 8 Series 1. The similar Series 2 ran from 1936 to 1939, to be replaced by the Series E from 1939-48.

In the lower lefthand picture, [Reproduced above right – Ed] I'm not absolutely sure about this one. At first I thought it was a Vauxhall 14, but the scalloped front wings suggest otherwise. Failing that, it could be a pre-war US Packard or maybe even a Buick Super Eight if it is big enough. The bottom right picture is definitely a Volvo PV544, a super car. Norman J Milne