1916 American LaFrance

This is one of the cars that turned up at a small motoring meet at the top of Werneth Low in Hyde in July 1991.

It's a 1916 American LaFrance that was owned by local businessman Clive Williams and has a 6-cylinder inline 15 litre engine. La France is best known as a manufacturer of fire engines and other emergency vehicles for over 100 years from the early 20th century, but also built a number of passenger cars in the early years.

1907 Lion Peugeot Type VA

This was one of the cars that took part in a vintage car run from Stockport to Matlock in July 1985 organised by car dealers Gordon Ford of Stockport.

It's the 1907 Lion-Peugeot Type VA of local businessman Clive Williams, here in the  car with his family. About 1,000 of these cars were produced between 1906 and 1908 and it has a single cylinder 785cc engine.

1932 Crossley Torquay

This was one of the cars that took part in a vintage car run from Stockport to Matlock in July 1985 organised by car dealers Gordon Ford of Stockport.

It's the 1932 Crossley Torquay of Clive Williams which has a 4-cylinder inline 1,087cc engine. The Crossley brothers, of Manchester, were the first British engineers to produce four-stroke power units, having acquired the licence Otto & Langen gas engines in the 1860s. The brothers were asked to produce automobiles European-car importers Jarrott & Letts and the first Crossley car was displayed at the Society of Motor Manufacturers’ Exhibition, at Crystal Palace, in 1904. Crossley reacted to the Great Depression by introducing a 10hp model in 1931, powered by a Coventry-Climax ‘F-head’  (overhead inlet and side exhaust valves) 1100cc engine. This engine was also used by Triumph and Morgan. A sporting version was fitted with twin carburettors. Following a record-breaking drive from London to Edinburgh in the 1932 RAC Rally which finished in Torquay the name ‘Torquay’ was applied to the car.

1907 Lion Peugeot Type VA

I took this photograph at a car show in Ashton-under-Lyne in March 1987.

It's the 1907 Lion-Peugeot Type VA of local businessman Clive Williams, in the front passenger seat here, and that's probably his son John in the driving seat. About 1,000 of these cars were produced between 1906 and 1908 and it has a single cylinder 785cc engine.

1916 American LaFrance

This is one of the cars that turned up at a small motoring meet at the top of Werneth Low in Hyde in July 1991.

It's a 1916 American LaFrance that was owned by local businessman Clive Williams and has a 6-cylinder inline 15 litre engine. Just the month before I had taken a photograph of the car before the start of the Lancashire Automobile club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run.

1898 Clement Voiturette

This car is pictured in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester moving towards the start line for the Lancashire Automobile Club's annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1990. 

Hyde businessman Clive Williams had a collection of veteran and vintage vehicles and regularly took part in the Run with other members of his family. This is an 1898 Clement Voiturette that was driven on this occasion by his daughter Louise Williams. The programme of the event gave the following information about the car:

1.     1898 Clement Voiturette

        Reg: DS 6713   1 cylinder   2.25 hp

        (Louise Williams, Hyde, Cheshire)

This charming little yellow veteran is believed to be one of the oldest

cars regularly run in the north west, but previous outings have not been

without mishap. It broke its crank on the 1987 Manchester to Blackpool 

run and repeated the trick on the following year's London to Brighton.

Last year, however, it completed both the Manchester and Brighton Runs

successfully. Louise was, by the way, the youngest driver to compete in

each Run.

The programme shows Clive Williams' son, John Williams, as having taken part in this run in a 1907 Peugeot Lion. 

1898 Clement Voiturette

This car competed in the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1990 and is pictured here in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester before the start of the Run.

It's an 1898 Clement Voiturette which was a regular participant in the Run, and the programme of the 1990 event had this to say about it:

1.     1898 Clement Voiturette

        Reg: DS 6713   1 cylinder   2.25 hp

        (Louise Williams, Hyde, Cheshire)

This charming little yellow veteran is believed to be one of the oldest

cars regularly run in the north west, but previous outings have not been

without mishap. It broke its crank on the 1987 Manchester to Blackpool 

run and repeated the trick on the following year's London to Brighton.

Last year, however, it completed both the Manchester and Brighton Runs

successfully. Louise was, by the way, the youngest driver to compete in

each Run.

On 17 Sep 2015 I showed a photograph of the car at the 1986 Run where it was driven by Louise Williams' father Clive, who is standing beside the car in the above photograph.

Clement Voiturette

I took this photograph on the Exchange Station car park in Manchester before the start of the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1986.

It's one of Clive Williams' cars, an 1897 Clement Voiturette, and the programme of the event had this to say about it:

1           1897 Clement Voiturette

             Reg:  DS 6713  1 cylinder  2.25 hp

             (Clive Williams, Hyde, Cheshire)

In November 1985, this venerable veteran successfully completed its first London to Brighton Run, but not without mishap. Halfway there, the rear number plate fell off and had to be hand-held the rest of the way. The contact breaker assembly fell apart three times, and 15 miles from Brighton the brakes became completely inoperative, so that all braking had to be done through the gearbox with harrowing, but hilarious results. Mr Williams hopes for a less eventful Manchester to Blackpool Run today!

The Manchester to Blackpool run was organised by the Lancashire Car Club in association with the Blackpool Borough Council, and as you can see from the placards behind the car it was sponsored at that time by the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

American La France

Here's one of the cars on the Exchange Station car park in Manchester awaiting the start of the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1991.

It's a 1916 La France Racer, owned by Clive G Williams of Hyde, Cheshire. and apart from the fact that it has a 15 litre 6-cylinder engine the only information about it in the programme of the event is that it was the car's first Manchester to Blackpool run. La France is best known as a manufacturer of fire engines and other emergency vehicles for over 100 years from the early 20th century, but also built a number of passenger cars in the early years.

Haynes-Apperson

This is a photograph taken in May 1992 at the Exchange Station car park at the start of the annual Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run organised by the Lancashire Automobile Club.

It's a 1902 Haynes-Apperson Surrey being driven here by the owner, Clive Williams of Hyde, Cheshire. The Wikipedia entry for Haynes-Apperson mentions a 'Haynes-Apperson Festival' being held each year in Kokomo, Indiana to commemorate the company and apparently it's still going strong.