A Six in the Monte

[jonto]

The following pictures and caption appeared on a facebook page recently- 

Martin Humphreys
My Grandfather drove one in the 1927 Monte Carlo rally, I've been trying work out what model he had,
family history mentions a Montlhery which I'm told is not correct.

[Old Crock]

That is a great looking car! Best downloaded to see in full frame. The second photo, the car polished, looks like a press photo or maybe the customer has just taken delivery? I wonder where photographed, with such imposing gates.

It's a most interesting car for another reason - it has a special body, unlike the Montlhery in a number of ways - an angled scuttle, the cutaway at the driver's elbow and at the passenger door. Also, no windscreen, just flyscreens. The car has a rakish look, quite different first-appearance to the Montlhery model as driven by the Bruces (that body now on the car of David Hescroff). I wonder if the owner asked for this customising from AC themselves, or if it was done by coachbuilders elsewhere. I think it is a bespoke Montlhery model and likely unique; I've never seen one like this in the past nor come across this actual car before. The 'standard' Montlhery, shown in the brochures for 1925-26, has the body as per David's car, which is the only survivor.

There were two entrants with AC's in the 1927 Monte Carlo Rally. The first, the Bruces with Mildred winning the Coupe des Dames, in an AC saloon. The second was a Kurt May who finished 20th - the record doesn't show the type of AC he entered. Maybe Mr May was the grandfather of Martin Humphreys? Could Jonto kindly forward this posting to him for information (Thanks!)

[jonto]

Yes Old Crock, (i'm getting that way to  :)), I will forward your comments. As you say an interesting car, no weather equipment. The body side and door cut out are somewhat reminiscent of the shape of the early Fivet engined cars. How's your six? My Anzani car is up and running now, there's still the interior trim to do, screen and lamps to plate.

[jonto]

Further thought, its on beaded edge to, 1926 is the date of the photo and perhaps not the car. Could it be an earlier car, re-bodied.

[ACOCArch]

A very interesting car for which there is no photograph or other record in the Archive.

As outlined by 'Jonto' and 'Old Crock', there are similarities to the 'Montlhery' model shown in the 1926 AC sales catalogue, but also significant differences. There are also some similarities to the body on Tom Gillett's 1925 24 hr/2000mile record car which, presumably, AC's Montlhery model was named after.

One point to add - following the demise of AC Cars Ltd in late 1926 the new company, formed in 1927, took the name AC (Acedes) Cars Ltd. Thereafter, as far as I can establish, the cars carried  the 'Acedes' badge on the radiator.  Sometimes, but not always, the 'AC' and 'Six' badges were also included.  Taken at face value, that would date this car 1926 or earlier. 

More details about these two companies are summarised in ACtion Archives of March and November 2018.     

[jonto]

The vehicle registration number appears to be RO 38.
A quick check reveals O is Birmingham 1903 on, RO is Hertfordshire 1925-1974.
The number should perhaps be datable, although I guess it was easier back then to re-register.

[jonto]

I've had a reply from Martin Humphreys, as follows-

Hello John, thank you for making contact. I have some other photos  that I will email to you. My grandfather was Cecil May,
and this was the second AC in the 1927 Monte  Caro rally. I still have the medal awarded for completing it.
I did talk and email with David back in 2017, he send me a photo from a 1978 issue Action photo which shows Cecils car
lined up at Brooklands. I'll email the photos to you.

[jonto]

hello John, further to our Messages  please find attached copies of Photographs of my grandfather's AC.
We had always thought it was a Montlhery from the note on the photo, but the body does look different to
the original on David's car.  It is intriguing that the body of Cecil's car is different, but it is not
a surprise. He trained as an engineering designer with Harland & Wolfe, and I  have found an engineering
drawing showing modifications to a Mulliner bodied Rolls-Royce 20-25 he also owned, so it does seem to be
somewhat typical of him.

[jonto]

Please feel free to use the pictures if of interest to other club members.

Part 2 sent due to file size.
This picture was an extract from a 1978 edition of Action, kindly provided by David, which shows a car,
2nd in from the right, very much looking like Cecils, I think that is Cecil next to the car ( the stance
looks very familiar !)
Below are also pictures of the completion medal, which i still have in my possession.
I hope these are of interest to you,
Kind regards,
Martin Humphreys

[jonto]

The medal-

[Old Crock]

Shown firstly in 1924, thus before Gillett's records at Montlhery, the car then was called the 'Sports Model'. Advertised as good for 85mph plus. It was renamed the Montlhery after Gillett's success in 1925.

In 1924 standard AC cars had two-wheel brakes and high-pressure cord tyres (=beaded edge). The Sports Model, even early 1925, had four-wheel brakes. Cecil May's car could well be a 1924 Sports Model (known as the Montlhery the following year) and had four-wheeled brakes fitted yet beaded-edge tyres or its a later car and Mr May specified beaded-edge (e.g. 1926, the photo date....though the superior balloon tyres were then all the rage). A later photo above now shows two spare wheels, and a spare tyre, insurance for a tough event if using beaded edge tyres. All this would answer why the car is labelled Montlhery on the first photo. Note also the side lights - this 'streamlined' design was only on the Sports/Montlhery models. All points to a 'Montlhery' Sports model, body to owners requirements, 1924-6.

The body looks very well made indeed and could have been built by AC to special order, considering the requirement for Brooklands (car shown in that photo) and competition work. It appears of quality and may be by a specialist coachbuilder, chosen by the customer. AC may have supplied a running-chassis and, just as Rolls-Royce (his other car), this would involve all the front up to the firewall.

For the Monte Carlo Rally there is now a hood - if you can call it that, as there's no way to fit it at the front and it clearly looks an afterthought with mountings through the body(maybe that's why the driver looks so pensive in that shot!). Fancy doing 1500-odd miles in winter with that hood, windforce against it, bearing in mind the 1927 rally was December/January and involved mountain passes with snow.

Great line-up of AC's at Brooklands. I wish that photo was better!

Another photo now shows the number plate better. The numbers look like 3856, the last two were obscured in first photos. RO3856?

Jonto, my car going well - thanks for asking - it was at a show last weekend, gaining lots of attention and many questions. Send me privately some photos of your car when you have a chance.

[jonto]

Yes Old Crock I will gladly forward pictures, I should still have your address in the files, if not I can PM.
I wonder if it's possible Cecil was sold one of the works cars, rather than a "catalogue model".
Anyways it would have been an adventurous journey on the roads at the time, and back then the days were generally colder. Starting from John O'Groats, long journey to the south coast, then a crane on and off ferry, through the length of France, and if all that was a adventure, next the mountains!

[Old Crock]

Yes Jonto, that's another alternative....a works prototype maybe?

[jonto]

A smallish company such as AC, a chassis retained by the works could have had multiple use, from development and competition, through to being bodied for show and demonstration, then sold on to a selected customer.

[Old Crock]

Re. the registration plate RO 3856 - the registration letters RO were allocated to Hertfordshire and the four number issue was from April 1925 to March 1928. This likely eliminates earlier than mid-1925 for the car. The car does look so pristine in the photo titled 'AC Montlhery 1926' that I lean to it being photographed when new. I have found an advert from AC, from late 1925, where chassis description says 'steel disc wheels complete with balloon or high-pressure cord tyres' i.e. optional. Admittedly, the tyres did puzzle me, especially for sport and competition use.

Coming full circle then, pulling together all the above reasons in the postings, I think it is a 1926 AC Montlhery with a special body.  Maybe obvious now, but who chose the body and who chose the tyres....well, that's another detective story.