Vintage Minor Register

I just received this pic from Mike Tebbett. Spot the problem...



According to the Genome, this was a saloon laid down in JANUARY 1931!

So what's wrong, the records or a mistake in the plate stamping. It surely can't have been a long wheelbase car this early can it ?

My first guess was that this might have been a replacement plate fitted at Colwey some time after production. when they may only have had MML plates left.

But this cannot be, since the plates were engraved with the car number prior to arriving at the production line - where the engine numbers were stamped on. So this one beats me. I'll ask Harry if he has any idea.

The engine number is about right for the car number, so all is fine - except for that L.

Oh L!

Duh! Penny dropped! The plate pattern is different from OHC plates - which didn't have all the patent no. info. I just checked my 33 McEvoy plate - it is the same pattern. This is a plate off a SV LWB car!

Here's the Mac's plate:



And here's the Semi-sports' latish OHC plate:

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Funnily enough, I was just e-mailed by David Hinds who has chassis 27839, which he believes is LWB. I was able to reply, with impressive authority, that this must be a LWB chassis!

Anybody have a use for it? It is shot blasted and zinc sprayed - price is 200 Pounds. Location is Leominster.