regiment and rank, please

[purlin]

Can anyone put a name to the 1st. car shown, it's a real beast of a thing.  Look at the size of the brake drums and I love the horn.

[mazi]

The very distinctive V shaped radiator is most unusual, I can only find it on Mercedes racers from about 1913, has this been “ repatriated” and converted to road use, note the seemingly homemade
modifications around the bonnet louvres.

Mike

[purlin]

I agree Mike the front end is very distinctive and may well have been repatriated.  I always thought the WW1 staff cars were the Vauxhall D-Type but when I look at images of these although there are a few similarities the front end of the Vauxhall is much shorter. It almost looks as though the one in question has the back end of the Vauxhall and the front end of an unknown, maybe a Mercedes.

[mazi]

I was thinking “repatriated” as in spoils of war

Mike

[Andy J2022]

If it was repatriated, why was it right hand drive? And following on from Purlin's comment, I don't think it was a staff car, since the driver is in civilian clothing. I think it is more likely that the car was owned by one of the officers. Alternatively, since many of the VAD hospitals during the war were set up in requisitioned country houses, perhaps the car belonged to the owner who put it at the disposal of his 'guests'

[purlin]

Andy I was interested in the first car the one with what appears to me to be two army officers in. 

[mazi]

Andy I was interested in the first car the one with what appears to me to be two army officers in. 

Yes that is the one I was referring to.   It has aroused my curiosity so I looked in Mercedes archives and much to my surprise all the early cars shown there are right hand drive even though they are official photos and the registration numbers are German style.

Are we venturing off topic here

Mike

[AlanBoyd]

It’s my thread: you have my full permission to identify the cars. I too was fascinated by the horn.

[purlin]

Thanks Alan, sorry I hadn't thought about intruding.