The Way We Were

SUMMER 1955 CALLANDER, STIRLING

Summer 1955, Callander, Stirling

‘The Vanguard was named after the last Royal Navy battleship of 1944 – the Phase I model here is serving its country’

We’re going for quality, not quantity this week. There may not be many cars trundling down Callander’s Main Street on this overcast summer’s day in 1955, but what’s there is fascinating and surprisingly diverse. We’ve everything from common-or-garden motoring (in the form of a Ford Prefect), through to serious Austin ostentation, by way of a military staff car and (possibly) an invalid carriage. Throw in a bicycle and the glimpse of a background caravan, and it was all going on in this part of south western Scotland on this particular day.

We’ll start with the army Standard Vanguard – although the D&J MacEwen shop it’s passing is worth a few words. This homegrown grocery, wine and spirits business was founded by brothers Daniel and James in 1794, so had been flourishing for over 150 years by the time of this picture. It even produced its own whisky blend, Sterlini, sold throughout the Empire. The thick window covers suggest that it was closed on this day – so is this a halfday closing Wednesday or Sunday scene? The firm still exists, although food and alcohol have been replaced by bricks and mortar, as it’s now a property and investment company.

Anyway, enough about shopping – on to the important stuff. As befits a vehicle with a military title – the Vanguard was named after the last Royal Navy battleship of 1944 – the post-1949 Phase I model here is serving its country. The badging identifies it as belonging to HQ Armoured Division Royal Army Service Corps. Rather appropriately, given the shop it’s passing, the RASC’s responsibilities included the supply of food. Still, its occupants production for the war, manufacture resumed in 1945, with the car largely unchanged until a 1949 revamp. This was one step up from the contemporary, similar-looking Anglia EO4A, except that the Anglia had two doors while the Prefect boasted four.

The split rear window and humped boot with divided rear numberplate suggests a 1930s’ Austin 18 or 28 in front of it. The van going past is a small Fordson E83W, flanked by an Austin A125 Sheerline travelling in the opposite direction. This was the Longbridge marque’s attempt to grab itself a slice of the luxury motoring pie. They often found themselves in mayoral service, acquired by corporations who wanted the physical presence of a Rolls-Royce or similar, but whose municipal funds didn’t quite stretch that far. Of course, this could belong to a captain of industry – perhaps a director of D&J MacEwen doing the rounds?

A car of similarly high status – a Humber Super Snipe or Hawk mark model – is following, and at first glance, it looks like it’s towing a yellow caravan. However, closer analysis makes us think this is a static unit; the vibrant shade suggests perhaps an AA mobile HQ.

Finally, the strangest-looking vehicle in our photo is parked by the right kerb. It looks like a motorcycle sidecar, but there’s no sign of a bike. Is it a small-scale production invalid-mobile, one of many available before the pale blue Invacar three-wheeler design of the 1960s became the norm? Or is the truth a little more prosaic – that the motorcycle’s just disappeared elsewhere, whether by design or unfortunate accident?

We’ll probably never know…