Lot Ended
Description
A lovely P3 10hp Tourer; well-maintained and in regular use; former
show-winner; VSCC papers; large history file; ready to enjoy
Originally
makers of bicycles and sewing machines, the Coventry firm of Swift
made their first car in 1900. This used a single-cylinder de Dion engine
and was deemed to be a success. A Swift-engined twin-cylinder 7hp light car
followed in 1904, the range developing over the next few years to include a
top-of-the-range 3-litre by 1913.
The
Swift 10 was launched in 1914 using a four-cylinder 1,100cc engine of Swift’s
own design which, to quote Georgano, was “immensely strong and simple,
inefficient in terms of power output but not utility.” The 10 was modernised in
1923 as the Q-Type with coil ignition, electric starting, rear-wheel brakes and
a top speed of 55 mph.
In 1926 the engine was
bored out to 1,190cc to become the P-Type. The engine was mated to a four-speed
gearbox rather than the earlier three-speed unit and the chassis now
boasted semi-elliptic front suspension with four-wheel brakes as standard. A far
cry from the primitive cyclecars of earlier years, it was now a well-engineered,
well-appointed light car with sprightly performance.
Three body styles were available, a two-door saloon, a four-door
fabric saloon and a tourer, all largely hand-built in Coventry by a small and
highly skilled workforce.
Unable to compete
with the mass production techniques of rivals like Austin, Ford and Morris, the
Swift marque disappeared in 1931 by which time around 5,000 10hp models of all
types had been sold, of which around 135 are known to survive today, according
to the Swift Club Register.
First registered in
February 1929, this fine-looking Swift P3 Tourer is well-known to the Register
and comes with a good history file extending back many years. It was first owned
by a doctor in London, passing to the Hartley family of Snaith in the East
Riding of Yorkshire in 1933. They were to keep the car until the mid-1970s and
it was then acquired by a Martin Jones of Clwyd who restored the car
in the late-1980s.
From 1995 – 2004 it was
owned by Alan McDonald of Tamworth who used the car regularly, including driving
it 137 miles to the 1998 Tom Rolt Rally at the Talyllyn Railway in West Wales
where it won Best in Show (plaque and certificate on file). In 2004 it was sold
to the next owner, Dr David Crabtree, via Grundy Mack Cars of Malton who treated
it to a thorough service prior to the sale.
Over the next couple of years some £3,300 was spent on the car
including much work to the brakes, steering and suspension; new wiring; new
clutch plate; new exhaust; carb, magneto and starter motor rebuilt; chassis
painted; new tonneau cover and hood bag plus much else
besides.
Our vendor acquired the car in 2016
and has continued to look after it well, as shown by invoices on file. This
includes having the timing gear rebuilt by Inskip Motor & Engineering of
Preston in 2019 when the original fibre parts were replaced by more durable
metal components. He states that it always starts easily and has been used
regularly and reliably on various vintage events. It has been running well as we
have moved it around on site, with healthy oil pressure.
The car comes with a full set of weather gear (hood; hood cover;
side screens; tonneau cover) all in good condition. Documentation includes 15
old MOTs from 1995 – 2015 showing regular light use; correspondence from
previous owners; maintenance invoices; VSCC eligibility papers issued in 2015;
Swift Club literature; two instruction manuals/handbooks; copies of period road
tests plus other technical literature related to the
model.
Eligible for a host of VSCC events, this
charming Swift P3 Tourer is a quality Light Car with room for all the family and
is on offer here at substantially less than the cost of a Vintage
Chummy!
For more information contact
James on 07970 309907 or email [email protected]