I just realized I shaved of too much comfort to fit into the budget, my bad.
Were Jaffa Cakes even a thing in '48?
Who says it is referring those 
Well what else is called Jaffa?
The name of the guy who designed it?
The Orange Tree
Hey everyone I’d just advise you to refrain from using AUD as the designated acronym for Automation money. AUD is Australian dollars.
For years we’ve been using Automation Money Units (AMU) anyway.
Also John, if you’re going to harshly critique just about everyone who sent their car in and base your purchase on period correctness, I think it will only be fair if you submit your own benchmark as an exhibit.
13 Likes
some will be i’m not a total arse (just 99% of one). and i do have my very own benchmark, cuz this ain’t my first rodeo…
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The Hawker CM Special 64.
Take your family out on a nice comfortable cruise.
or
Enjoy a pleasant evening drive while sipping fuel.
or
Enjoy a sporty drive thanks to the 3 speed manual and ready to pounce 64 hp 4 cylinder engine.
The choice is yours when you buy a Hawker.
Less than a day to go, so if you want to enter, you have about 14 1/2 hours left!!!
SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED!!! REVIEWS TO COME SOON
7 Likes
Reviews Part 1:
some car colours have been changed, as to be more era appropriate
4th September, 1948
Robert sits down with a well deserved cuppa after a long shift at the bank. In front of him is several recent motoring journals from Autocar and The Motor, and he hopes that they can point him in the right direction in regards to what car is going to be right for him and his family.
Appolon GB Standard @Murokmakto
On first glance, the Appolon GB looks modern and up to date, much like the recent offerings from the Nuffield camp. Inside, it is very well appointed for such a small car, with the leather of the seats and wood-graining on the dash being a similar grade to what we’ve seen from the likes of Riley and Lanchester, we’re solidly impressed, if a little perplexed as to why they chose to only make it seat four.
Power is provided by a 1.2L Inline 4 cylinder with an OHV configuration, outputting a claimed 42hp, which is more than respectable for such an engine. The gearbox is a run-of-the-mill 3 speed manual that should allow this car to reach a respectable top speed.
Out on the road, the car performs well. The ride is fairly crash free for a car this small, and the driving experience is very pleasant. On our road test, the car reached a top speed of 72mph, and did 0-60mph in a respectable 26.9 seconds. The gearbox feels good to use, and the engine is rather spritely and suffers from minimal knock.
However, the downfall comes in the fuel economy. It only attains a paltry 16.5 Miles Per Gallon, which is quite frankly unacceptable for a car of this size. Upon further inspection, the engine is designed to run on a very rich fuel mixture, meaning that this little car drinks nearly as much as a Bentley. Even with the asking price of £522, this will eat into the petrol ration far beyond what a car like this should. Sadly, we cannot recommend this car.
Vanquist V2 @conan
Outside, the car looks Elegant, if somewhat simple from certain angles, but otherwise modern and sharp. The interior is up to expectations in every sense of the word, the two bench seat arrangement is comfortable and practical, and the dashboard and instruments are well set and well finished.
Powering the V2 is a 2 Litre straight six engine with an OHV layout that, according to estimates, should be capable of a very respectable 65hp. Combined with the rather slick 3 speed gearbox, this promises to leave some of it’s competition feeling a little scarred.
On the road, the performance is rather electrifying. With 0-60mph dispatched in a mere 17.3 seconds, and a top speed of 88mph, the V2 is very comparable to the Riley RMB in terms of out and out performance. The car also returns 19.4 miles per gallon, more than reasonable for a car in this category.
The Handling and ride is where things fall away a little. The ride is acceptable, but not praiseworthy, and the handling is somewhat compromised by a soft suspension set-up, making it feel a little uneasy at higher speeds. That being said, it is still a very competent car that can certainly rival some of the bigger names out there, and at £985, it looks like the V2 is here to stay.
Windsor Admiral @SilverRemix
From the outside, it gets off to a bad start. The styling looks oddly overdone, yet unfinished and hastily assembled, like the designer tried to make it look cutting edge, but was only given a lunch break to do so. Venturing inside, we have good and bad news. The good news is the seats. There may only be 4 of them, but they are very well finished, and sitting in them is a wonderful sensation, but we then noticed the elephant in the cabin, so to speak. The 2 speed gear knob. In this writers career, the last family car I saw that had a 2 speed was the Ford Model T, not exactly what you want to emulate for a premium car.
Moving on from that disaster, the engine is rather a nice upgrade, being a 1.8L Inline 4 with an estimated 70hp. Much more than we would normally expect, but we soon saw the addition of a 2 barrel carburettor and a very high end exhaust manifold helped to get that figure, so that 70hp isn’t without some expensive components.
On the road, it all came to a head. Driving this car was dreadful. Truly dreadful. The ride is fine, and the acceleration to 60mph is a very commendable 17.6 seconds, but the gearing and 2 speed gearbox squanders that acceleration, meaning it only tops out at 74mph, it’s frankly rather pathetic for a car that has that much power can only just edge out larger cars with less than 2/3rds of the power in a straight line. Fuel economy was also very poor, pulling in just 18.8 Miles Per Gallon. That should be a much higher figure for a car this size, especially considering how lean it was running. But the biggest atrocity that this car committed was the handling. When ever you turned even the smallest corner, the car felt like it was going to fall over. The suspension felt like it was made of paper it was that wobbly and ungainly. How they managed that with an advanced trailing axle in the rear baffles me. It’s horrific.
Your £506 are far better spent elsewhere.
Franklin Horizon @Jaimz
On first glance, the Horizon takes a decidedly American inspired approach to styling, and aside form some excess chroming at the rear, the car looks rather nice, opting to create a simple, modern fascia at the front, very contemporary transatlantic look.
Moving inside, we find just four seats, very unusual for a car of this size, but at least the seating is comfortable,
Moving to the running gear, the car is powered by a 1.5L Inline 4 producing an estimated 47hp being fed through a 3 speed manual gearbox. Very typical of a car of this type, but not in a bad way.
Driving the Horizon was a mixed experience. In a straight line, 0-60mph was dealt with in an adequate, but uninspiring 27.0 seconds, and a respectable top speed of 79mph. The returned economy of 22.4mpg is also good, if a touch on the low side for the average 1.5L considering how lean it was running. Handling wise, the Horizon has remarkably little body roll for a car of this size, helped in no small doubt by the complex trailing axle set-up in the rear. That said, the handling is also somewhat blunt and prone to under-steering, and the ride is quite harsh for a car of this class, not awful, but not good either.
The Horizon is a car that may suit some out there, but some of the choices really don’t lend to an all rounder like it wants to be. At £796, it’s doesn’t quite hit the mark it wanted, but at least it’s in the right area.
RMU Boxer 6 @NormanVauxhall
Ostentatious. That is the first word that comes to mind upon seeing the RMU Boxer 6. it’s a feast of chrome and fancy detailing that puts the V8 Pilot to shame.
Stepping inside, we can see that all the design work was done on the exterior, leaving the interior somewhat wanting. Only 4 seats of a middling quality leather that a somewhat hard to sit on. I was expecting more from such an inviting exterior.
Powering the Boxer 6 is, as the name implies, a Boxer 6. more specifically, a 2.5L OHV boxer 6, a very unique motor that promises around 74hp, which is perfectly adequate for this kind of car. The gearbox is markedly less unique, as it’s a pretty standard 3 speed manual type.
On the road, the acceleration was sports car level, reaching 60mph in just 15.2 seconds, and going on to a very impressive 92mph. This could quite handily put a Bentley to shame on performance alone. Fuel economy was very respectable at 22.2 miles per gallon, albeit running a rather lean carburettor set up from the factory.
Driving the Boxer was an exercise in futility. The ride was good, in spite of the seats, but the handling and road holding let the car down, with the car having unresponsive handling and prone to heavy understeer above 30mph, which is surprising given a very advanced suspension set-up. One redeeming feature was the gearbox, which feels right at home with the engine.
The Boxer 6 is a car that promised so much on initial looks, but as you dig deeper, it becomes apparent that this car is truly style over substance. At £1034, it’s just not worth it.
Chapman 1500 Estate @undercoverhardwarema
From the outside, the 1500 is a rather handsome car. It looks prestigious, but without being overbearing in it’s usage of chrome appointments. It sits exactly where you’d want a car of this class to be in terms of styling.
Inside this large estate, we we find a complement of 5 leather seats that are perfectly adequate for this kind of car, and a dashboard that is well laid out and rounds out the interior nicely.
The engine is a 1.5L Inline 4 producing a claimed 50hp, which is pretty commendable for this kind of engine. The power is then transferred through a 3 speed manual gearbox, again, just as you’d expect in a upmaket estate.
The performance is a little lackluster, however. 0-60mph taking a slow, but acceptable 30.6 seconds, and gets on to a top speed of 74mph, which for a car like this is acceptably brisk. The economy figure was also a little underwhelming, returning only 20.3 miles per gallon, which is not the best mark considering that it was running rather lean. Driving the 1500 was a good experience, however. The handling was fine, and the body roll was a little on the high side, but it didn’t compromise the experience either, and the ride was perfectly acceptable, if not the smoothest.
The Chapman 1500 Estate is a very competent vehicle. It has some minor issues, but the good certainly outweighs the bad here, and at £720, it’s pretty good value, too.
More to come soon!
14 Likes
Reviews Part 2
again, some colours have been altered to be era appropriate
Keystone 1500 Deluxe @VicVictory
On first glance, the 1500 Deluxe is a pretty handsome devil. The styling is, again, seemingly very American inspired, and it seems to suit in a scaled down application. On the inside, we have 5 leather seats and a finely trimmed dashboard that in all reality have no business being in a car this small. Colour us impressed.
The engine is a 1.5L Inline 4 OHV with a claimed output of 51hp, which is then fed through a 3 speed gearbox. Very much to be expected in a car of this class.
On the road, performance was very impressive, running to 60mph in just 19.5 seconds and onto a very commendable 81mph top speed. Much sportier than the size of the car would warrant. Fuel economy is 21.6 Miles per gallon, which is acceptable, if a touch on the lower side than we’d like.
Driving the 1500, it was quickly apparent that Keystone had really taken the time to sort this car out. The gearbox felt slick, the ride was impressive for a car of this size, and the handling was very sporty. In fact, the only things we didn’t quite like was the slightly high body roll, and the very tall suspension set-up that didn’t quite inspire the confidence in driving that the rest of the driving experience did.
All things said, the 1500 Deluxe is a small car that feels like a bigger car in all the right ways, the asking price of £735 is a touch on the high side, but the quality belies the size in this case.
HTA B1400 @VG33E
Styling on the B1400 is very overblown. The idea is there, but the detailing is far too fussy and the chrome far to imposing on the design.
Inside, we have a nice interior, 4 leather adorned seats and a simple wood-grained dash that does give the air of luxury I imagine that HTA was aiming for. But it all collapses when I see the gear shifter. 2-on-the-column manual. That is unacceptable in this day and age and honestly only has a place on farming equipment.
The engine is 1 .4L Inline 4 OHV that makes a claimed 47hp, which is not bad at all. but the 2 speed manual it goes through isn’t doing it any favours.
Road going performance was middling. The chase to 60mph was dealt with in a brisk 21.8 seconds, and the 74 mph top speed belied the 2 speeds, so that was somewhat of a plus, but the car returned a pretty sub standard 20.7 miles per gallon, even with a such a lean carburettor. Handling was poor, however, with the car being very prone to oversteer at lower speeds and going to terminal understeer over 35 mph. The car also had a fair bit of body roll in the corners, but not so much as to be frightening, however.
All in all, the B1400 is a poor car all around, with engineering choices that are simultaneously extravagant, and penny pinching in nature. Not even it’s low £435 asking price can save it.
Calvert Regal 2000 DeLuxe @Camjkerman
The Regal is a visual mess. It’s one of the few cars that i’ve seen that has the ability to look both extravagant and bland at the same time. There is really very little that does this favours in design terms.
Moving inside, we were greeted by a compliment of 5 nice seats, albeit ones that should be in a car a class below this, and this was compounded by the sight of a 2 speed gear knob. Not good.
The engine is a 2.0L Straight 6 with an OHC layout, not the most common, but nothing we haven;t seen before, and it’s good for a claimed 75hp, but the 2 speed gearbox will hamper that, no doubt.
On the road, 0-60mph was dealt with in a mildly adequate 23.6 seconds, then running on to a top speed of 87mph. Fuel economy was acceptable for such a car, at 20.3 miles per gallon, although the engine was running quite lean to achieve those figures.
Driving the Regal was somewhat good, with the handling be rather stable, if a touch blunted, and with very little body roll. The ride let it down, however, with it being rather crashy for a car positing itself in this market.
The Calvert is not a car to be recommended, it tries to sell itself as a luxury vehicle for the new, post-war British market, but it’s made like it’s a small family car with a tractors gearbox. And the £1025 price is far too high for this kind of car.
Greil A’s 2400 @Xepy
The 2400 is not the most visually inviting car. It’s somewhat bulbous and not the most flowing of designs, but we’ve seen far worse designs in our years, so it’s not that much of an issue to us.
Inside, we climb into a nice leather interior with ample space for 5 adults in a good amount of comfort, with a simple, but functional dashboard rounding out the interior.
The engine in the 2400 is a 2.4L Straight 6 OHV producing a claimed 76hp, which is good, but not outstanding. However, the power is fed through a 4 speed gearbox, which gives the 2400 a sportier and more prestigious feel than the average saloon.
On the road, performance was very impressive, with 0-60mph flying by in just 15.7 seconds, and hurtling to a 92mph top speed, this car handily out performs many other sporting saloons in this category, and many above to boot. Fuel economy was also very respectable at 20.9 miles per gallon, but the engine was running quite lean, so take that with some caution.
Driving the 2400 was very pleasing. The ride was perfectly fine, the handling was predictable and reasonably responsive, and the body roll wasn’t too bad either. The only real complaint was the rather wide factory tyres which you may have trouble replacing, and the car did also ride somewhat higher than we would’ve liked.
To summarize, the 2400 is a rather competent sports saloon. Even in spite of some small issues we found, the car’s £1076 price tag is very much worth paying.
Albatross 200 @zschmeez
Seeing as the Albatross is built by an American company, it’s only natural that the car has an American flair to the looks, albeit somewhat toned down compared to what we see from across the pond.
Inside, we see a fairly typical 5 seater layout finished in leather. However, the interior stitching did seem to be of sub par quality that what we’d expect in the market, as were some of the dash fittings.
The engine is a 2.0L Straight 6 OHV that produces a claimed 71hp, which is more that adequate for a car like this. Power is then sent through a 3 speed manual gearbox, which is pretty standard in this kind of vehicle.
Out on the road, the performance was surprisingly good, with 0-60mph taking a very swift 17.6 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 85mph. economy figures were also very good, recording 22.9 miles per gallon in the test, although the car was running rather lean here, so you may not get those results at home. Driving the 200 was an experience, the handling was perfectly fine for a car of this category, even if the body roll and chassis flex was a touch on the high side, but the ride was magnificent! In spite of the slightly cost cut interior, the ride was incredibly smooth and jostle free, this was in no part helped by the complex trailing axle rear suspension set-up.
The Albatross 200 is a very commendable car. It’s quick, practical and comfortable, and at £709, it’s fantastic value
Morton M20 Classic @abg7
utside, the M20 is pretty standard looking for this kind of car, but the rear looks horrid. It’s overly stretched out, and the roof-line looks like it’s been caved in at the rear window almost. Also, the boot pulls down from the top, which is something we haven’t really seen for a long time. Not a good impression.
Inside, we have a nice leather interior, let down, however, by having only 4 seats. That said, it is reasonably well finished and uncluttered.
The engine in here is a 2.0L Straight 6 OHV that puts out an estimated 71hp, which is around the average for this type of engine. The engine is then fed through a 3 speed manual gearbox, which, again, is what you’d expect in this automotive plateau.
Performance wise, the Morton did surprise us, somewhat. With 0-60mph coming in a very commendable 16.9 seconds, and going onto a 90mph top speed. It seems to posit itself as a sports saloon with these figures. Fuel economy was acceptable, at 20.9 miles per gallon, although it was running both very lean, and with an incredibly advanced ignition cycle, so these figures are somewhat suspect.
On the road, the Morton redeemed itself handily. The ride was rather pleasant, and the handling was fantastically well sorted. We haven’t driven many saloons that handle like this does.
The Morton M20 Classic is not a bad car, but in many respects it’s not a sensible one either. The drive may be very good, but it does have some glaring flaws in it’s basic design, and the £959 price tag puts the nail in the coffin of this one.
Final batch should be done by tomorrow!
12 Likes
Haha! yes, HTA was a very bad company in terms of City car manufacturing.
Although i got a little bit sad when i saw this, This is a very fair review!
i try to be as honest and critical as i can. i look for things that seem out of place and i pick up on them, a 2 speed manual being one of them. you’re not the only one to do this so don’t sweat.
4 Likes
You are indeed right. It deserves a fifth seat and more cohesive styling. It is quite fun to drive, though.