More Gazelle Estates Found? - from Rowena Heath.

Nick Warren sent me details of this photo for sale on e-Bay@ £5.99 ‘Buy-it-Now’. The picture was taken on 11 April 1959 and shows Lord Montague with a 190? Humber and a Singer Gazelle Estate. Unfortunately, however, there is no Singer Reg AA 62 on the DVLA data base, so we don’t think this can safely be considered as another Estate found to add to my list, and whilst AA 62 will probably have survived - on something older than a ‘59 Gazelle we suspect, the chances that the car has survived are much slimmer.

Strangely, though, a vehicle check on the Humber HPC 150 (and HPC 450 & HPC 750 in case the number was obscured by the starting handle), also reveals norecords at DVLA - surely the Humber hasn’t been scrapped too? Maybe exported?

I am, however, more confident about the Estate found by Kevin Atkinson on a website blog in New Zealand - http://blog.retro-classics.co.nz/?p=1834, where this picture of CRU815

appears.  Unfortunately Kevin does not know to whom the car belongs, but many thanks to him for finding this one, and for taking the trouble to send me the link.

On Road figures can therefore now be amended to a total of 8 - 3 in Australia; 2 in N America; 1 in UK; 1 in Eire and 1 in New Zealand.

                                                      Rowena.

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The Sequel - from the November - December  Mascot

We have since found that AA62 is now on a 2008 Subaru Tribeca B9 3ltr, and HPC 150 on a 1993 2ltr Caterham Super 7.  We also sent a copy of the photo to the library at Beaulieu and asked if they could throw any light on the fate of these cars. I’m sure you will be pleased to read the reply from Patrick Collins, Enquiries Officer at Beaulieu, who wrote:

“You are absolutely correct, the 1909 Humber is safely on display in the National Motor Museum. When purchased by Lord Montagu in 1957 it carried the number HPC 150. I believe I’m correct in saying that the HPC prefix would have originally been issued in Surrey during late 1938. Presumably a previous owner had this number transferred to the Humber. The number was transferred to the Caterham Seven which was a raffle prize at the Museum in 1993. The car now carries the number M7371; M being a Cheshire prefix from the period 1904 - 1919 and therefore perhaps more appropriate to a car of this age.  AA62 is one of a number of AA prefix early Hampshire numbers associated with the Montagu family and Beaulieu. I’m afraid that I do not know what became of the Singer Gazelle.  I hope this is of interest,       Yours sincerely, Patrick."

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