1911 17.9 HP Armstrong Whitworth
Engine Type
4 cylinder 16hp, water pump cooling system.
Details of fuel & ignition system
Fuel is gravity fed from a fuel tank under the front seat. Bosch magneto
Transmission
4 forward plus reverse, no synchronization (crash gearbox), requiring double clutching on all gears. Handbrake to the right of gearstick
How did you acquire the vehicle?
I inherited the Armstrong Whitworth from my late father Barry Tulloch. He purchased it in 1983 from Jock McGowen, who found & recovered the car from a property in Mulgoa in 1938 with his brother Frank. They purchased the Armstrong Whitworth from its original owner Mr Harry Davey of Parramatta.
Brief known history of the vehicle
The history of the car from its arrival in Australia to 1917 is unknown, except Sydney Carriage Builders, Angus & Sons of Castlereagh Street were the agents for the car and responsible for the body manufacture. It has previously been registered as 1908, & 1910.
In 1917 it was bought by a Mr Harry Davey of Parramatta, and later Mulgoa (NSW). Mr. Davey whose name appears on the registration certificates we hold for the car dated 1919, used the car over the roads of NSW for a number of years, but due to a pinion failing in the differential the car was taken off the road about 1920-1921.
Despite the fact that the owner had a spare pinion on the tool box, no attempt was made to recondition the car. The car was stored in a shed on the property at Mulgoa until 1937 when it was dragged out of the shed to start the process of rotting which members know only too well.
At this time a new road was being built in the area & Jock McGowen was connected with the construction, & was fortunate enough to see the car on the side of the hill near the shed. It was in a good state of preservation, except the usual items such as paint, tyres, upholstery etc. Jock & Frank McGowen quickly made an offer to Mr Davey of 5 pounds, which in those days was a good price to pay for a car which did not even go. Mr Davey accepted their offer.
The car was complete, except for a Bulb Horn & Gas Generator. The hood bows, doors, even the luggage carrier was there. The general condition was good, very little rust & no dry rot in the body. At this stage Mr Davey caught the enthusiasm & brought out the kit of tools & even the instruction book which was later to prove invaluable.
The McGowens & friend John Tulloch gave the car a simple restoration, new paint, a new hood, 5 new second hand tyres, of course the new pinion was put in the differential, the motor was decarbonized, the valves ground & believe it or not it went first pull.
The car was registered in early 1938 (No.DZ-505). Jock & Frank McGowen drove it for many miles as their only car, both to work & for pleasure. With the outbreak of war in 1939 the car was again put in a shed, this time carefully on blocks & covered. It was not touched again until 1947.
Having won second prize with the car in the Parramatta 150-year Anniversary Procession in 1938 the McGowen brothers decided to win more trophies. The second restoration was done properly. The car was completely stripped & rebuilt.
All the wearing parts, such as bearing, king pins, shackle bolts, pistons, rings etc were replaced. The body was stripped and new paint, hood & new upholstery.
It became apparent that the pinion trouble that dogged Mr. Davey worried many other Armstrong Whitworth owners, as extensive searching never found any sign of a differential, either bevel drive or worm type. (as documented in the original instruction manual)
What do you like & dislike about your car?
Like - The sound as it comes alive. Dislike - The brake and gears are both on the right hand side & has a very heavy clutch.
Fun facts or any other details you’d like to include?
The original VCCA NSW registration number was 020.
About Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Siddeley is a very well-known and well respected British engineering company, best known for the manufacture of luxury cars and aircraft engines. Armstong Siddeley built cars from 1919 until 1960. What is less well known is how Armstrong Siddeley began. The company was created when Armstrong Whitworth and Siddeley-Deasy merged at the end of the First World War.
William George Armstrong was born in England on the 26th November 1810. He was an industrialist, scientist, inventor and philanthropist. By the mid 1800’s he had invented a hydraulic crane and in 1847 set up WG Armstrong & Company to build hydraulic cranes and other hydraulic equipment. His business empire grew and he was soon involved in the construction of bridges as well as the manufacture of armaments. The company merged with the ship building firm Charles Mitchell to form Armstrong Mitchell & Company to focus on building warships. This company then merged with Joseph Whitworth in 1897 and not surprisingly started to manufacture cars and trucks. Armstrong Whitworth took over the manufacture of the Wilson-Pilcher in 1904. The first cars sold as Armstrong Whitworths were built in 1906/1907 and designated as 28/36.
Armstrong Whitworth built a number of different model cars from 1906/1907 through until 1915 when production stopped due to the war.
Armstrong Whitworth had a reputation for producing very reliable and well-built motor cars. For the day these were ‘big cars’ and the majority were powered by four cylinder engines, ranging in size from 2.4 litres to 7.6 litres, though they also built cars with 5.2 litre and 5.7 litre six cylinder engines. It is understood that the majority, if not all, of the Armstrong Whitworths were bodied by independent coach builders, further enhancing their reputation as cars for more exclusive clientele
It is understood that perhaps 3,000 Armstrong Whitworths were built in just under ten years of production, however, there are very few survivors known to exist today. Most of the company’s records were destroyed or lost during the war, so the history of Armstrong Whitworth remains much of a mystery. What is known is that due to their build quality and reliability a number of Armstrong Whitworths were sent to Australia where they were more than capable of performing well in our harsh environment. The book, Veteran & Vintage Cars by Pedr Davis published in 1980 features a 1911 Armstrong Whitworth 17.9hp and notes that at that time there were three complete and ten in parts Armstrong Whitworths known in Australia.