GWYNNE GOES DUTCH VIA THE US
A 1924 Gwynne 8 has crossed the pond back from the USA to Europe and is being offered for sale by Gallery Aaldering in The Netherlands (galleryaaldering.com). Gwynne was a British maker of fire pumps and during WW1 built aero engines, turning to cars when that contract was cancelled. The Albert was followed in 1923 by the Gwynne 8 (G8), based on the short-lived Victoria design bought from a company in Madrid. Around 2250 were built: 19 are thought to survive in the UK, six in Australia.
VA 2826 was first registered by Lanark County Council in 1923 and sold by Mckay and Jardine of Wishaw, Lanarkshire. Its history is not known until 1960, when it went unsold at £80 with Southern Counties Car Auctions at Beaulieu. In November ’65 it was offered for sale by Sotheby’s, the catalogue explaining that it was the property of IR Macgregor, who had found it in poor condition in the West Country: ‘Since its restoration it has taken part in a VSCC race in the hands of the present owner.’
The purchaser lived in Montreal but did not ship the car to Canada until 1975, spending its stay in dry storage. The car has been restored at some stage, perhaps by Macgregor or a later owner in Canada. In October 2019 it was offered by Bonhams at its Simeone Foundation sale in Philadelphia. It is thought that this two-seater de luxe may be the only example of its type remaining.