Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; restored in the late 1990s; on display as part
of an impressive private collection of Wolverhampton-made machines for the
last dozen years; extremely rare model in super condition
Founded by the
Lisle family of Wolverhampton in 1898, the Star Motor Company is largely
forgotten today but was a major force in the British car industry before the
First World War with more than 30 different models on offer with engines ranging
from 6hp to 40hp.
A near neighbour of Sunbeam and the maker of equally
high-grade machines, by 1914 Star was the sixth largest car manufacturer in the
UK, producing 1,000 cars per year, virtually every component being made in-house
using only the finest materials.
However, such
quality came at a cost and Stars were far more expensive than lesser machines
from rivals like Austin and Morris. To compound the problem, Edward Lisle
positively shunned modern manufacture, his adverts imploring: ‘Why buy the
cotton of mass production when the silk of English workmanship costs so little
more?’. His stubborn refusal to compromise on quality proved the downfall of the
firm, and Star went out of business in 1932.
The Star Comet Fourteen was
launched in 1931 and was available as either a six-light saloon or a four-door
close-coupled coupe. It was powered by a 2,100cc straight-six producing around
54bhp (Treasury rating 14.9hp) mated to a four-speed gearbox which gave it a top
speed of 65mph. It cost £345 which was £140 more than a comparable Austin 12/6
and £50 more than an Austin Sixteen - a significant difference at a time
when the average annual salary for a white collar professional was
£230.
This particular Star
Comet Fourteen Coupe was first registered in London on New Year’s Eve in 1931
with the registration number GT 6435, it comes with a buff logbook listing five
owners from 1936 to the mid-1960s, all in the Kent/Surrey area. It then seems to
have had one long-term Surrey owner until the 1990s, being off the road and in
storage for much of this time.
In the late 1990s
it was substantially restored by a previous owner, Mr Fishwick of Tiverton, as
detailed in correspondence and a couple of photos on file. Two old MOTs show
that it was back on the road in 2002/2003 before being exported (destination
unknown) in December 2003.
It subsequently
returned to the UK and was re-registered as WAS 396, an invoice showing that in
November 2006 it appeared in a Bonhams auction in Harrogate where it was
acquired by a Mr Speed of Louth. Photos of the car online show that it was
finished in light blue over dark blue. It subsequently appeared in another
Bonhams auction in Harrogate in November 2013 and it is believed that the
current owner acquired the car at that sale or very shortly
afterwards.
The Star then formed part
of his impressive collection of Wolverhampton-made machines, all proudly
displayed in the extensive foyer of his enamelling and powder coating works in
Wednesbury. The car was repainted in its current dark blue and white livery
during his 13-year ownership and we are told that all the cars were started and
run regularly, often being taken to local shows, being loaned to the Black
Country Museum as visitor attractions and sometimes being used as wedding
transport for friends and family.
On offer here
from a deceased estate, we are told that the car has not been driven for quite
some time and will require a precautionary check-over and recommissioning before
being put back into use.
Supplied with a large
amount of technical literature, an instruction manual, copies of original sales
brochures and period road tests, it also comes with correspondence from previous
owners, Bonhams invoice from 2006 and a good amount of literature from the
Star, Starling, Stuart & Briton Register to whom the car is well-known. At
the time of cataloguing the V5C could not be located but the buff logbook and
other documents with the car should make getting a replacement straightforward
using the normal DVLA channels and payment of a £25 fee.
As you can see in the photos, this rare and top-quality Comet looks
to be in fine condition with a luxuriously appointed red leather interior. On
offer here at a modest guide price, it would sit well in any
collection.
Consigned by James Dennison –
07970 309907 – [email protected]