neil mitchell

hi all,after spending a huge amount of time reserching the strange history of my austin 10 staff car the picture is now complete. Most of the information has come from the austin 10 owners club,richard beddall of the mvt,rlc deepcut and the heritage center at gaydon. The car was built on 19th july 1939 as a standard civvy vehicle at longbridge, it was sent to a dealership in bristol and was registerd GHU127,the car was not sold and was reterned to longdridge after war broke out. At the factory the car was turned into what they called a specification vehicle,this means the vehicle was militarised so it was clear to everyone on the build lines the level of trim, colour,tyres etc that the mos determined. The car stayed at longbridge until 21st august 1944 and on longer needed it was worked into an order for 1800 cars and was isued a service number being M5881250 under contract number 57442. Longbridge had a habit of taking photos of there spec vehicles and this explains the factory picture in barts book with the old austin works in the background. In 1946 the car was demobed and sold to a dealer in gloustershire,it was turned back into a black and chrome saloon car,the dealer went to register it only to find it allready had a 1939 number being GHU127. The car was sold to a farmer in chew valley in 1946. The finished car was at the mvt show lacock at war this august. I hope this makes sence to everone cheers, neil.

Have you contacted any UK museum?

I think I know one that might be (should be) interested.

Hi, no not done that but could be worth doing,if you have one in mind feel fee to contact them, i would like it to stay in this contry as i feel it is a very inportant vehicle in it's day. As an ex rolls royce aircraft engineer i have a feeling for it's preservation, cheers neil.

Yes, agree.

What is the status now - sold?

Any pictures of current status?

 

As a one of its kind and closely linked to UK aviation history, it should be in a museum.

 

Got to know it through the literature as there exist several research reports.

Hi no not sold but could be but only to the right person and obviously the right price, must end up in aviation museum preferably in this country,but have had interest from USA,cheers neil.

Hi Neil,

 

Is this the logo on the HLFV door?

 

It was interesting to read in the NASA report that the HLFV was operated by the College of Aeronautics for the American tests. The College of Aeronautics was a department within Cranfield Institute of Technology when I joined in 1979, but Cranfield was started in the late '40's as the College of Aeronautics. The college became CIT in the '50s, I believe.

 

Cheers,

Barry

Hi, yes the college of aeronautics markings are under and lower than the ministry of technology stencil on both cab doors.cheers, neil.

More to the point - is it operational??? :laugh:

Hi, yes it was running three years ago, i removed the rear hub reductions to enable it to freewheel when i towed it in behind my crusader, all parts removed have been stored away. It still has a wheel and tyre up in its centre section. I have also got some test records that came with it,i think they were for a lightning,would have to have a look. overall in good shape,i have purpusly left it original but very easy to restore. cheers neil.

Try this link...

 

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690011113_1969011113.pdf

 

If you google nasa friction testing you will see that they have done a great deal of this sort of thing over the years, but the above paper refers to tests at Wallop Island in 1969. There is a picture of the heavy load friction vehicle, and some of the test data refers to the 'juggernaut'. There is also a photo but it is wearing ministry of technology markings...

Hi all,yes on the doors you can still see the ministry of technology markings and below the college of aeronautics stencil, it also has wallops island on the side. The vevicle is 95% complete even down to the test equipment and comunication equipment in the cab, as a one off unique vehicle ,should this not be in a museum rather than sat in my yard,cheers neil.

Hi guy's thanks for info,i have had the vehicle parked in my yard for several years now,it has NASA ,wallops island Viginia USA stenciled on both sides of it and ministry of aviation on both doors,can anyone shed any light on the NASA part of it's life. thank's neil.

hi barry,all info greatly recived,thank,s neil.

hi all,has anyone got any more ideas about this staff car that i spoke about in introductions and welcoms,cheer,s neil.

Hi all, has anyone any interest in the one off runway friction testing vehicle that was in wheels and tracks many years ago.

hi richard,have managed to contact previous owner of the car,he was the second owner,he bought the car from his friend who had owned it from 1946,this chap is still alive and said it has always been black. the second owner bought it in 1974 and owned it untill last year,he knows nothing about it beeing military,to me this means the number on the doors have to be genuine.if your number dating is correct which i am shure it is there seems to be an unexplianed gap in its history ,anyone with any info or ideas please pass them on,cheers,neil.

Neil,

I reckon somebody in the early days of restorations, has painted those numbers on after seeing the photo in Bart's book, remembering those books date back nearly 40 years now, then the car was "civilianised" by a subsequent owner. it is too much of a coincidense to find these particular numbers and without doubt, they are from a contract dating c.1944.

hi richard, been in touch with previous owner one of two since 1946,he bought car from his friend in 1974, his friend is still alive and tells him the car has always been black. the second owner has had the car up untill last year and knows nothing about it beeing ex military, obviously this means the

Hi Neil,

 

Thanks for the call earlier today, here is the details you asked for;

 

Contract No. S7442 Cat. Ref. 146 Austin 4 seater 4x2 saloon Car, WD No's M5880012 to 5881811

 

Hope that is of help to you.

regards, Richard

hi richard,thanks for info,been in touch with museum at gaydon and they confirm the build date of austin as 19th july 1939,on chassis number grq181203,the m5881250is definatly the number on both doors,any ideas? cheers neil.

Welcome in Neil. Post pictures please. Sounds like a lovley little vehicle.

hi tony,thanks for reply,i see there is a picture of my car already on the site,how can i find out what unit it was issued to? i also need to tie the chassis number to the military number, all help greatly recived,thanks,neil.

hi all, my name is neil and i run wiltshire landrovers in melksham,i am no stranger to mv,s as l have quite a collection built up over quite a few years. my latest vehicle is a 1939 austin 10 ,although black and chrome it was evident the vehicle had been painted in british military green and after removing the black from the doors it uncovered its service number which is m5881250. after looking at bart vanderveens original vehicle directory to find information on the type of vehicle i was amazed to find the vehicle pictured carries the same service number as mine,i would be very pleased if anyone could help me find out any history of the car or service number of information on the picture in barts book. thanks all.