Looks like black and brass E&J sidelights with electric headlights.
I can't tell if the headlights are fork mounts.
Is it a 13-14?
Anyone know about the license plate?
Herb
Herb, I can't see the clamping brackets which hold the windscreen to the firewall, so I think the top screen is folded in front of the lower screen. This would make it a 13 model. I can't see the fork mounts on the headlights so they might be 1916 or later.
I have never seen a number plate like that on Australian Ts. When that car was current, I think all our states were using plates with just numbers.
In South Australia, a 13 T would most likely have had a four digit number.
Just for interest.
Allan from down under.
I wonder if it could be an abreviation for Ashburton Shire here in Western Australia? This was later minimised to "AS" as not to confuse it with Albany "A"
Alan
Here's a question for you.
There seems to be a speedo drive on the right front wheel.
Were they always there, even on Rhd cars?
It would seen to make things simpler.
Herb
Herb, most speedo drives I have seen have been on the right hand side in Australia.
Allan from down under.
Early NZ plates were similar to that.
Ashburton in the South Island ?
Yes it is ASH For Ashburton according to the plate abbreviation list I have here.
The locals seem to have been keen on their Fords.
There was an annual Ashburton Ford Owners run-I have a few photos of this but cannot seem to resize them to fit on here-technically challenged!
My wife is from Ashburton and 3 of our 4 cars are Fords so perhaps the keen-ness is still alive and well...
It's a shame the postcard was not written on the back and then we could probably nail it.
Regards,
Bede
It looks like a 1913 to me that has had some electric lights retro-fitted at some stage. The number plates [if the car is NZ and I too suspect it is] were supplied to the owners by the local authority or borough/county council through to mid 1925 after which time the Govt supplied the plates and they were then changed annually. In this instance, possibly Ashburton as noted. The first stampings of the Govt issue were manufactured in the USA with a green background with white numerals and NZ stamped on the left-hand side very much the same as many of the USA plates of the time were done. It is really easy to date a NZ photo of a car if the number plate is shown and you know the sequence of the annual issues. This photo is pre-1925 obviously if it is an NZ vehicle. The annual issues went through until 1941 when the Govt had better things to do with the steel and the first of the five year issues then started, transfers being issued during the intervening years. In 1964 permanent plates of heavy aluminium pressings were issued, but this is another story.
Kind Wishes,
Rod McKenzie
I agree with Rod's view that it is pre-1925, when the NZ Government took over motor registration. Prior to that, registration was informal and requirements varied from one county to the next (as did many road rules, such as speed limits). However, I am not so sure that this is a NZ plate.
Alex, I have scans of the Ashburton Ford Owners run of 1915 to Coleridge (which should appear in the book) and no plates are evident. Is this what you have?
The dress on the people looks to be around the teens period. The chap standing beside the car is possibly even later. Madame in the passenger seat certainly looks to have clothing from the teens period.
In my mind, the registration plate on this car looks too "formal" to be a NZ plate of that era. So I think it is most probably an English plate - I would be interested to hear from the British quarter on this one.
Best wishes,
John Stokes
Wellington - New Zealand
Rod - nice to see you on the forum! It would be great to catch up again. Hope you and Scarlett are well.
The distant 2 storey house between the standing chap and the lady passenger looks far more English than New Zealand. I am trying to ascertain if that number plate could be a U.K. one.
Will report back with any result.
Gets complicated here, but I am a Brit living in Australia. So I have seen a bit of both, and the history of both (don't know so much about NZ though).
First, I would say I have never seen a British registration plate where the A is bigger than the other characters. Even the earliest were more uniform in appearance.
Second, the fashions just do not look British for the period.
Just my thoughts.
Chris M.
I took the liberty of posting a request about the number plate on another (U.K.) forum. There are three replies that suggest the car might be in South Africa.