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. 

Three Veteran Cars

These cars numbered 1 to 3 are lined up in the Exchange Station car park in Manchester waiting for the start of the Lancashire Automobile Club's Manchester to Blackpool Veteran and Vintage Car Run in June 1990.

The Veteran Car Club of Great Britain defines a Veteran car as one built before 1 January 1905, and these three cars fall into that category, being the three oldest cars in the 1990 run. This is what the notes in the programme of the event said about each of the cars:

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.

2.     1901 De Dion Bouton Vis-a-Vis

         Reg: AD 229   1 cylinder   4.5 hp

         (John Hopwood, Stockport, Cheshire)

This De Dion spent much of its life in America. It now belongs to Major

Arnold Pownall, who is John Hopwood's father-in-law, and has entered

every Manchester to Blackpool since 1976. John has driven in and finished

the run for the last three years, and is a past winner of the Matthew Brown

Trophy.

3.     1901 De Dion Bouton Tonneau
         Reg: D 235   1 cylinder   8 hp
         (W.A. Pownall, Hazel Grove, Cheshire
The original "Surrey with the fringe on top" - this car has won the concours
in its class on the run ten times. It spent much of its early life in India where
it was owned by a prince. It was also once owned by Sir William Rootes.

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.