Below are some pictures of WX 8158, taken as restoration commenced. The car, chassis number SV5355, has been established by the Register to be the very last 1931 model to come down the Cowley line, on July 17th 1931. The works then closed down for the summer holiday, and when production re-started in September it was of the 1932 model with a new body for the saloon, rear-mounted petrol tank, “Magna” wheels, and so on.
Unfortunately, documented history of its earlier life is sparse. The number denotes West Yorkshire as being its place of first registration. The previous owner, Graham Taylor, sought and paid for a copy of the entry in local authority files of the car’s first registration. Unfortunately, and only noticed by myself for the first time since 1971, he got a copy of a 1961 entry relating to the reversed order issue of 8158 WX rather than WX 8158! There is only one owner listed in the continuation green “log book” which is Graham (now deceased), from whom I bought the car. His name entry is stamped as his commencing ownership on 4/8/1967. Ian Grace is of the opinion that the car was last on the road in 1974, which I think may have originated with Graham Taylor, but much about the condition of the car as I work on it seems to add up to it never having passed an MoT and thereby not having been road-taxed since c.1961?
There is a lot of work to do as you will see from the pictures, for instance the whole of the roof paneling and fabric is missing including the Pytchley “Kopolapso” folding front half of said roof. By an amazing and highly encouraging piece of good fortune, I have acquired a complete set of “irons” for such a roof from Ian Harris, of Ian Harris Morris Spares of Shefford, Bedfordshire.
Although Graham sold me that car at a very reasonable price, the condition of it seems to place it firmly in the category of being on the cusp of its value in parts to be broken up as opposed to being restored, but that doesn’t bother me unduly. The enthusiasm and commitment to getting it done and using it seems to be flowing more freely than I almost dared hope at the beginning!
