JPG #122 Solved : 1924 Lea Francis 9.8hp Type D Van

[João]

For one point,identify this car :

[Wendax]

French?

[João]

French?

No....

[Wendax]

British?

[João]

British?

Yes! 

[Wendax]

Did the company still exist in 1930?

[João]

Yes!

[Wendax]

Calthorpe?

[Allan L]

That looks like a Lea-Francis radiator, and the wheels, mudguards and runningboards look like the D type.  Perhaps this is Lea-Francis car 5388 which was "supplied to Scotland Yard and fitted with a van body of quaint appearance" in 1924 according to Barrie Price (who wrote the definitive book and who's 80 today!).
Oh, and I've just looked at Profile 82 (by Michael Sedgwick) which has this photo, but captioned as a 12/22 although it's actually the earlier 9.8 h.p. D type (as above car number.)

[João]

Correct!

[Allan L]

Where does the "Dog Van" bit come from?
If it is authentic, I'd be the first to like it but I wonder if it has its origins in the caption in Sedgwick's Profile 82, which I cited above, which says it " evokes happy memories of Mr. Harpo Marx as a dog-catcher!"
I read that as Michael Sedgwick having a bit of fun, because he doesn't say it actually is a dog van.

[João]

Where does the "Dog Van" bit come from?

From the file : "Lea Francis 12-22 police dog van for Scotland yard" captioned like this.

[Allan L]

Where does the "Dog Van" bit come from?

From the file : "Lea Francis 12-22 police dog van for Scotland yard" captioned like this.

Which file please?

[João]

My file  

I found this picture circa 4 months ago,don't know where anymore,sorry.


I Changed the title to only "Van".

[Allan L]

Thanks: I have asked someone who might have more information, as it would be nice to know that it was a dog van, if it really was.