1947 cars optional extras, is Les Spencer on here?

[SHyslop]

A chance conversation last year brought up the subject of a 1947 14 six light saloon I used to own. The car had the twin horns and central pass light of a sports saloon and my recollection was of details with the car that it had been supplied with these from new.
This, I was told, was fanciful but in my reading through the last 57 years of Freewheels, I did discover an options list from 1939 on Page 3381 showing this very arrangement as a factory fitted option at £5.10/-, as were suitcases, dual oil gauge/thermometer, various steering wheels, knock on wheels, adjustable front arm rests etc.
I have looked for an equivalent list post war but have not come across any, so far. However, my recollection was that by the time of the late 1947 cars, the firm were really keen to sell off the stocks of bits pertaining to what were soon to be the old models and the options may have been discounted further.
In Freewheel of Oct 2018 I see on the front cover Les Spencer's 1947 14, first registered 22nd September 1947, therefore properly 'late', with the same arrangement and I am wondering whether the owner (or someone else?) knows if this was original to the car, or not.
There is also a 1946 10 being advertised, shortly to be auctioned by Cheffins, with the same arrangement. The 1939 leaflet does make it clear that the dual horns and central light was available on all models although I appreciate fully that in the 60s and 70s, a set off a scrapyard Sports Saloon would be a cheapish option.
My reason for going through these back copies was to find some history on the cars I own currently and also to find references to people I have known but not forgotten. I am hoping to maybe write a short article for Freewheel about what I have dredged up.

[47p2]

This is from the 1946 Sales brochure

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[47p2]

This is from 1947 Export brochure

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[SHyslop]

Thank you, yes, I know those pages from the post war brochures and it is good of you to have looked them out but was there a post war price list for options, maybe kept by the dealers? I think I remember seeing one in the paperwork with a previous car but it would be 30+ years ago.

I always remember the man who then owned FFY470 i(a 1947 16) in the late 1980s saying he was marked down (at the annual show,at Mellerstain) for his car not being correct as it had cloth seats, which were original to that car. It is trying to find something in writing that has proved difficult on what was being supplied in 1947 in particular.

Interestingly, in the above you'll see it says that the home model cars have a harmonic stabiliser bumper but omits to say anything about the bumper on the export models.. I have a 1947 export model 12 (exported far away to Jersey!) and it has both the built in heater and no harmonic stabiliser bumper so they have correctly omitted the right piece of information !
Thank you for looking these out and hopefully there may be something else out there that can add to this. James Taylor's 30s Rover's book gives an early 1931 extras list but none any newer , although it does have a complete chapter on 1946/47 models ,but I am hopeful that something particular to 1947 may yet turn up. The 39-47 parts list does show a few items as 'Extras' but the list is rather short compared with the 1939 list of "options".

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[GOY189]

Hello Simon,

Les is not on the forum, but I spoke to him about the setup on his car. He tells me that he bought the frame from Freddy Boulton. I have a suitable nave plate( you advertised for one) if you are interested?

Regards,

Mike Maher, Chairman