Dating photos of my Nana Doris with a car

[LenaGarner]

Hi all,
Thank you for your responses! I agree and having compared lots of photos am 99% sure the AVY 791 lighter car is a Jaguar Model IV, it was the front lights that sold it to me.  My brother seems to think the other one is a Ford Model A. Any thoughts?

Another thing I was wondering is are these likely to actually be her (or Grandad's) cars or would she be posing with them being someone else's?  I know people these days often pose with other cars (particularly at car shows etc) but not sure if it is something they would have done? Just want to get an idea that's all

Thanks again,
Lena

[Michael J]

The top photo is very similar to a Riley 9 saloon. The problem is that the front wheel & brake drum are very shiny (new car?) but this model was only built until 1938. Interesting is that both cars are 'sports saloons'.

Your Nan has her hand on the door handle on both cars; this perhaps indicates possession rather than having your photo taken next to someone else's car.

Both cars were expensive in their day.

[japeflakes]

For the smaller car I am going for an Austin 10. Could they belong to a boyfriend or in the garage trade or?

[arthurk]

I see what you mean about the Austin 10 - it certainly looks quite similar. But did it have different variants and/or change over time? Nana Doris's car has the following features which I can't see on the picture of the Austin 10:

(a) badge on top of radiator
(b) larger sidelights
(c) air vents in side of bonnet
(d) larger flap (another vent?) just in front of door is chrome
(e) more rounded at top of A-pillar (where top of windscreen joins front edge of roof - seen in shape of door window)

I'm afraid it would take me a long time to check this out or find alternative suggestions, but after a quick image search, I see that some of the above list are features of the Riley 9.

[Michael J]

The door handles on the Austin 10 are at the rear of the door, the door handle on Nan's photo is at the front, so not likely to be an Austin.

However, most four door cars at that time do look very similar.

Added: The Lanchester 10 has a very similar front wing/running board to photo 1.

[arthurk]

One thing about the Riley 9 which seemed to me not to match was the vents in the bonnet. Nana Doris's car has just a few, whereas the Riley's seemed to extend along most of the length of the bonnet.

I also wondered about the bonnet handle in Nana D's - of course a lot depends on the angle a photo was taken from, but I didn't see anything just right in a Riley (or the Austin 10 for that matter).

[japeflakes]

Not an Austin 10 then :  :-(  Better keep looking

[japeflakes]

Ford Model Y?

[tomkin]

             VY Registrations - York (B).
Reg. Letters   Year Letter   Start -> End Date (if known)
AVY   K   AUG 1971 ->
AVY   B   AUG 1964 ->
AVY      APR 1938 ->
AVY      MAR 1963 ->

           So I would guess the large car would be registered 1938 onwards.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_Mark_IV#/media/File:S_S_Jaguar_drophead_coupe_1940_(8679189922).jpg