My first car

by Ron Flint

The first car I bought was a 1936 Standard 11 for which I paid £25.00. During the war petrol was only allowed for people who were on essential work, consequently most people had to put their cars in mothballs for the duration. When the war finished it was some time before new cars came on to the market so most cars for sale were pre-1939.

If I went up a steep hill I had to stop at the top for a while and let the engine cool down, as there would be steam coming out of the radiator. There was no heater in the car so during the winter you had a travel blanket to keep warm. The luggage rack was mounted on the back of the car so you had to make sure it was waterproof in case it rained.