Genevieve Vintage Car Hire - Chauffeur Driven Cars for Weddings

Founded by Alexandre Darracq at the end of the last century, A. Darracq et Cie became one of the foremost makers of fine cars in the first ten years of the Twentieth Century. These cars were manufactured at Suresnes near Paris, but interestingly, as equity capital was not readily available in France for expansion of the company, in 1905, a new company was established in London. Although the parent company was then based in London, the cars continued to be manufactured in France and imported to the UK. An optional extra was, however, a London built body. For a short time, Darracqs were built under licence by G & J Weir of Glasgow who were marine engineers. Alexandre Darracq retired from the business in 1912, having had mixed fortunes in the previous three years and the pre-eminent position of the Darracq company never returned. What had been one of the greatest names in French motoring history was merged into the Sunbeam & Talbot group in 1920 to become the STD Group which itself was broken up in 1935.

D-5433 was purchased new by Sir Charles Fielding, the great great grandson of Henry Fielding the Novelist. At that time Sir Charles was Chairman and Managing Director of the Rio Tinto Co. and having been granted a Knighthood in 1917 for his contribution to the war effort, he was appointed Director General of Food Production at the end of the war in 1918.

Although having a Kent registration, the vehicle was based at the Fielding home at Okefield Estate in Billingshurst, Sussex. Sir Charles was reported to be addicted to cars and is reputed never to have sold one. The Darracq was apparently laid up in a barn from the end of the First World War and was sold along with several others on the death of Sir Charles in 1941. The Gibson family, garage owners from Horsham purchased the Darracq at auction and amazingly managed to drive it in a post war celebration carnival procession in 1945. Some restoration was attempted in 1970 but not completed and in 1994, D-5433 was sold to its present owner via a member of the Gibson family, having had only two family owners since new and completely original in every way, including the leather seats, albeit somewhat tatty.

In the ensuing twelve months the car was completely stripped down with literally every nut and bolt removed and renovated as necessary with the rebuild taking care to ensure total originality, particular attention being paid to the leatherwork and coachwork, the latter being brush painted and lined by hand. During the course of the renovation, a driving licence dated 1918 in the name of Kathleen Mary Fielding, one of Sir Charles' daughters was found in a door cavity.

Turning to the technical details of the car, it is a London bodied de luxe version of the Double Phaeton style, the only known remaining one built by E & H Hora of Peckham, London and is one of only four 14/16's left in the country. It is also unusual in that it has its original 80 x120 engine (known as the 80 mm class), an optional alternative to the 85/100 engine which had powered this model since its introduction in 1909. It has a cubic capacity of 2.4 litres and its main chassis is formed out of a single sheet of steel, an innovation in these days, and also forming a complete undercasing for the protection of the engine, clutch and gearbox. A comfortable travelling speed for the car is 30/35 m.p.h. and fuel consumption is in the region of 25 mpg.

The cost of the London bodied de luxe version in 1910 was 253 Guineas with extras of folding glass screen and cape hood a further Ł25.

MAIN PAGE

Darroch Place, Armstrong Road,
Brockenhurst,
Hampshire SO42 7TA
(Viewings by prior arrangement only)
Telephone: 01590 623590

Email:

ŠGenevieve Vintage Car Hire

Chauffeur Driven Cars for Weddings

● Vintage Car Mechanic Maintained ●

● Experienced Drivers ●
● Established 1987 ●
Based in the heart of the new forest, since 1987 Genevieve Vintage Car Hire (Registration #2275727) has built up an enviable reputation for reliability and quality in the provision of chauffeur driven vintage, veteran and classic cars for weddings in the Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset areas. .

The fleet currently numbers 11 and includes rare and imposing vehicles such as a 1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Salamanca Cabriolet Collapsible and a 1929 Rolls-Royce 20 Landaulette.
The cars are maintained by vintage car engineers and driven by knowledgeable and skilful enthusiasts. Period uniforms are usually worn with the older cars.

No more than one wedding per day is undertaken by any one car and with the number of cars in stock we will always have a spare car and driver, in the very unlikely event of any mechanical failure on the day.