Terry Hibbard

1923 a pretty 2 seater Windovers Tourer 57 S9

Delivered in the spring of 1923, the car is featured in Fasal page 369 along with its sister car 58 S3

Terry Hibbard writes:- The first picture shows the car as it is now, I have fitted a pair of Marchal headlamps and have tidied it up a little. The front and rear wings have been painted but the rest is just as I bought it as I want to keep it basically unrestored.

Three years ago I completely rewired it and put brake, stop lights and indicators on the car, plus a new radiator. This year (2019) I have had the engine out, crank re-ground, re-white metalled the mains and big ends plus a re-bore and new JP pistons. It has also been decoked and the valves re-ground. Obviously whilst I had the engine in bits I did the damper and all the front end bearings plus new clutch and thrust bearings.

I find it extremely difficult to get any guidance on the A series cars particularly the rocker shaft packings which were fitted to overcome modifications to push rod and valve stem lengths but I eventually thought my way through it all and the car is back together and running again.

Windovers only ever built two of these cars to the same body design number and they were both delivered in the spring of 1923, my car going to Mr E. J. Noble of Worksop and 58 S3 going to Guglielmo Marconi, the famous scientist, engineer and businessman associated with the early development of radio communications. He was adulated after his radio enabled the Carpathia to rescue many of the passengers from the Titanic.

I have tracked down the sister car 58 S3, the last time it was seen was in New Hampshire USA in 1981. The last photo is of it then. If anyone knows of its current whereabouts I'd be delighted to know, but it is currently a complete mystery.