Talbot-Darracq Type A questions

Letters to the editor

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to buy a 1921 Talbot-Darracq Type A from a friend's estate. The car was known to the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq-Register but hadn't been seen for many years. When I bought the car there was no paperwork and just some handwritten notes from when the late Peter Helder joined the STD.

The history of the car is known from 1930 when it was acquired by a Mr Wells. He obtained it from a Sussex scrapyard and removed the Landaulet body and replaced it with a pressed steel Essex Body. The wheels were also changed from wires to steel Sankey type. Mr Wells owned a garage and it was used as the hack and even had a contract with a local bus company to tow in 36-seater coaches! As Peter said in his notes when he acquired the car it was pretty worn out but he still managed to get it up to 60 mph.

The car is being put back onto original style wire wheels and a body has been made that is an exact copy of one in a 1921 Sales Catalogue that I have. And the chassis and other parts are being changed from the blue colour it is now to black. It has a 4.5 L V8 engine and I have managed to recover it's original registration number SD 183

Now the time has come to carry on what had been started on the restoration, especially as I have found the original carburettor, and can I appeal to prewarcar.com readers for some help?

Firstly, Peter had enough parts from 2 other cars to make one good one. I know that a car was assembled from the parts by a Walter Wilson in Northern Ireland. Does anyone know where this car is now? The last I heard that it was possibly in France near Paris. I would like to contact the present owner to ask for information and photographs if possible.

Or if any readers have any photographs or technical information they can scan and send to me it would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Andy Watt

Originally posted on May 24, 2022

Pubblicato:

mercoledì giugno 19th, 2024

Andy Watt

18 Giugno 2024, 13:26

I recently found a photo of another Type A that was on display in a museum. I haven't been able to make contact with anyone about it and wondered if anyone in the pre-war car community had any idea where it is now? I am keen to try and find it to gain some technical information regarding the dynamo and starter. On the positive side, the chassis work on my car is nearly complete. Things are now painted black, the car proudly sitting on it's correct wire wheels with just two brake-actuating levers to make. It will soon be time to move on to the bodywork and get a windscreen made.

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David Barker

26 Maggio 2022, 10:16

Hi Andy, Thank you for three-ply,sorry , we are looking for 19" ones.
Still envy you the car!
David

Don't you just love spell checker! Reply becomes three-ply!

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Andy Watt

25 Maggio 2022, 14:52

Hi David.

I can't get out to the garage at the moment to check the one wheel I have here. The chassis etc is elsewhere at the moment but I think they are 21 inch fitted with 835 x 135 tyres. I am sure if you email contact details to The Team at Prewarcar they would forward it to me as the wheels will be surplus to requirements once the original type wires are ready to fit. That won't be for several months though.

Thanks for the compliment on the car. Everyone who has seen it has gone Wow. It's a big car. And you'd have to join a long queue if I decided to sell it!

Regards

Andy

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David Barker

24 Maggio 2022, 20:52

Peter, A bit cheeky, so I'm sorry, but what diameter were the Sankey wheels and are they for sale?
TheType A sounds a great car, 4.5 litres V8! I'd like that!
David Barker

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Talbot-Darracq Type A questions

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