Choosing Your New Car

Those fortunate mortals who are in the market for a 1947 car have a difficult choice to make, for the new models are both competitive and alluring. The lowest priced “performance-plus” car is the Singer Nine “Roadster,” at £517, ignoring the odd shillings and pence, to which purchase tax adds up. Next is the Morgan “4/4,” at £524 as a 2-seater, followed by the ” TC ” M.G. at £527. The new and already very popular 1 1/2-litre. Riley saloon, at £863, is grouped with the excellent non-aerodynamic 1,100-c.c. H.R.G. 2-seater, priced at £812. With these cars must be bracketed the Rover Twelve Sports Saloon, at £805 and the Rover Fourteen and Sixteen sports saloons at £856 and £875, respectively. Rather less expensive are the Lanchester Ten saloon, at £761, and the Sunbeam-Talbot Ten four-seater at £646. Passing up the scale, the impressive and well-spoken-of Triumph “1800” roadster and saloon come out at £927, and the 2 1/2-litre Jaguar at £991. In this category is the 1 1/2-litre H.R.G. normal 2-seater, at £967. Going to over £1,000 with p.t., we have the 2 1/2-litre 90-h.p. Riley saloon, and the 2-seater Allard tying, at £1,125, followed by the smart Armstrong-Siddeley coupé and saloon at £1,150, the two Lea-Francis models at £1,214, the “Aerodynamic” H.R.G. at £1,240, and the new 2-litre A.C., at £1,278. Beating all in this group in respect of price are the 3 1/2-litre Jaguar saloon, at £1,099 and, even less expensive, the Alvis Fourteen saloon, at £1,093. To those able to be a little more extravagant, the dignified 2 1/2-litre Daimler saloon presents itself, at £1,304.

Coming to the really high-priced cars, the fast Healey saloon costs £1,597, the 2-seater 1,566. The Lagonda, Bristol and Jensen come close, in saloon form, at £1,751, £1,853 and £1,997, respectively. One then passes to the Mk. VI Bentley at £3,316 and. the “Silver Wraith” Rolls-Royce at £4,249, with the Invicta sandwiched between at £2,939. Some people will prefer to buy a chassis and have their own bodywork constructed, and for this the Allard is down to £620, the H.R.G. is priced at £635 in 1,100-c.c. form, the Healey at £900, and the Lea-Francis at £950. In all cases shillings and pence have been ignored; otherwise, p.t. is included. It is interesting that whereas all these cars are up-to-the-minute in form, conception and, in most cases, in respect of suspension, Allard, Frazer-Nash (not yet priced), Healey, H.R.G., Morgan, M.G., and Singer provide sports-type cars, with clean lines (even aerodynamic) to the fore, whereas A.C., Alvis, Armstrong-Siddeley, Bentley, Bristol, Daimler, Invicta, Jaguar, Jensen, Lagonda, Lanchester, Lea-Francis, Riley, Rolls-Royce, Rover and Sunbeam-Talbot place more emphasis on comfort, albeit in most cases adopting smooth modern exteriors. Large cars with engines not exceeding 2 litres are quite a feature of the 1947 programme and technical highlights are Healey’s fine suspension and high speed, Invicta’s lack of gearbox, and Lagonda’s independent rear suspension. Much keen competition must ultimately develop between manufacturers in all these categories, and it is to be hoped that the public will be given every opportunity of judging the particular merits of each product, through the medium of road-tests and the results of competitions and special tests, so that each prospective purchaser can decide which car best suits his purpose.