another Minor for sale

[Mike Stubbings]

Hi All.Get your bidding cards out,another Minor on Ebay.This time a 1933 saloon reg JF 4238 a Leics Reg I think.
Ebay number 110602600813. Good bidding Mike.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3D1&_rdc=1

[ian judd]

And another - 110602793747- from the same seller. It says it's a Doctors coupe' but it looks a bit homemade to me. What do others think?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3D1&_rdc=1

Ian

[Ian Grace]

Both if these cars are new to the Register.

As for the 'Doctor's Coupe', it looks to me like a modified saloon, with the rear roof section brought forward a couple of feet to make it into a coupe. Fascinating.

[Simon]

Neither JF4238 or MJ1285 are known at the DVLA. They need to be saved from number plate p-o-t-t-t-s job for Tony G

[chris lambert]

What is a P-O-T-T-T-S
Chris

[Tony Gamble]

Simon

?????? Please explain , as Chris has asked. You,ve beaten us with your abbreviation !

Tony G

[ashford]

I agree, the 'Doctors Coupe, looks like a cut down saloon. Are there any known original minor 'Doctors Coupe'? and why did Doctor's choose this body shape if in fact they ever did? Does anyone know the origins of this term. Perhaps it is a term left over from the Edwardian period when small closed cars with boots were far less common - very practical for a doctor of the time.

[Ian Grace]

James,

I think the term goes back at least to the turn of the last century and describes a body style suited to visiting doctors - offering two seats and space in the rear for his bag of tricks. No Minor was offered in this style, but the OHC Sports Coupe of the 1932 season and the very similar Special Coupe on the 1933 season chassis were close. They were both built on the LWB chassis. However, Morris did offer Doctor's Coupe bodywork on their larger cars, so perhaps it was thought that the Minor was too humble a car for a doctor?

And then there was the M Type Sportsman's Coupe of course.

Here is the 1933 season Special Coupe from that season's brochure:



And here's one you just missed James - looks slightly more elegant than the Minor currently on offer!

http://carandclassic.com/car/C135908/

[Simon]

The answer is "prostitutes". Tony my garage full to the brim with Minors. Have you not got space in yours for a couple more

Tony, There should have been a full stop after p-o-t-t-t-s. Appologies if read poorly.

[Tony Gamble]

Simon

Aaah, I see now !! As for room , Simon , I am slowly clearing out my "stock" to have room to move around !

Watch this space !

Tony G

[Ian Grace]

Some coachbuilt Minors were closer to a true Doctor's Coupe, including the OHC Maltby that John Forshaw is restoring. And here is a Maddox on the '34 chassis:

[ashford]

The Maddox look very intresting - presumably none of these have survived? The term 'doctor's coupe' seems to be very wide. I would say the Maddox is closer to than the Rolls. A two seater with a high fixed roofline and rounded trunk seem to define the classic shape. Can't find a single period picture of a Doctor in his doctor's coupe but googling found this article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 1-0041.pdf

It describes the history of Doctors tranport from horse to car. The car stuff starts on page 200. It doesn't really go into their design much but shows that some manufactures advertised their models as 'suitable for medical men' such as the 1907 Wolseley. Doctors seem to have started driving cars as early as 1896. Medical journals around the time had technical automobile articles as Doctors often had to mend their own cars in the early period.

[Ian Grace]

Fascinating and illuminating article, James. I particularly liked "By all means keep a car for amusement, but keep the more reliable horse for work".

Reliable? Maybe, but I have always found the steering on horses to be quite loose, with a frequent tendency to under-steer at the apex. The brakes can be somewhat spongy, with a distinct propensity to lock when parked. The throttle also has a nasty habit of sticking wide open, and gear changing can be unpredictable. Suspension is often distinctly lively - probably due to chassis flex, which also encourages axle tramp under hard braking, and emissions are well below environmental standards.