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I recall reading the UK economy was seriously disrupted by six years of war, recall it began for them three years before the U.S. was directly involved. A carmakers had a mandate to 'export or die' because the country needed the exchange dollars. Its the primary reason so many postwar English cars were designed to appeal to the U.S. market, especially at the high end.

This Clipper Deluxe looks to be in nice condition but what is that hideous seat covering material???

Steve

Our 1937 1500 (listed in the Registry) was originally owned by a wealthy wool broker, but was put into storage until 1950 when the daughter chose to go to her wedding in the 'FOREIGN' car rather than the Rolls or Daimler.
Once when visiting the family in Edinburg, I was presented with a VHS tape of the wedding movie.

The story is in the Augumn 1994 issue of The Cormorant.

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What brand are the headlamps?

Marchal headlights and fog lights...and the trafficators are German Bosch...
Also has British Weathersfield sunroof and Lucas back up lite.

When the sun comes out for a short 10 min. these Brits love to lower or side their tops.

http://www.slidingragtops.com/31.html

Not a cheap thing on this 37.

Beautiful Automobile. The fender lines without side mounts make it look very English. JWL

Here is a question: If the Leonard Williams building was destroyed by a bomb and a V2 during the war, how is it the Clipper was imported by the firm? Did they rebuild that quickly, or was there another location? Just curious. JWL

Thanks for the compliment. Yes, I also think that the lines without the fender spares is very classic.
Actually, I bought this car in 1980 after I bought the Le Baron A/W Town Car, so that when I picked up a part from the Le Baron 'pile' I could look on the sedan to see where it went.

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John, that's what I found:

Philip Belcher says
March 7, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Just came across your question of 2012- I hope this isn't the first response!
My Dad worked at Leonard Williams before and after ww2. He was drafted into the Fairy Aviation factory throughout the war at nearby Heston. He went to see his old colleagues at Packards (as we used to call it) the day the V2 hit- he was cycling home westwards down the Great West Road when he heard it explode. He didn't know where it had hit until later. After the war they moved next door, on the south side of the road (A4). In the summer school holiday in 1954 when I was 15, I helped out there cleaning cars and doing odd jobs. I was sent to the stores for a "long weight", and was there for ages! Dad was a diagnostic and test engineer. When road testing he brought home some great cars, including J.Arthur Rank's Packard Patrician, and gave us rides. Nearest tube (actually above ground there) is Boston Manor. Let me know if I can help further.


Philip Belcher says
July 31, 2015 at 5:06 pm
I was wrong in my comment about Packards moving next door. From photographs after the war the building looked much as it did before the V2 disaster, so must have been rebuilt. The only difference seems to be that the recessed part at the eastern end was rebuilt as a blank wall at the end of the workshop, instead of an extension of the original two storey office/showroom block, with a large garage door. They must have adapted the space at the west of the showroom to be a car park. I have a photograph of my Dad with two Packards at this spot, taken in the 1950's, showing the Firestone building in the distance. I have another photograph of the Great West Road taken in 1970 showing the building is missing.



source: doganddeco.co.uk

Gerd, thanks for your investigation into the Clipper matter. The reply seems to clarify the question about Leonard Williams surviving after the war and continuing in the business of selling and servicing Packards. Clearly, the English were trying to recover from the war as quickly as possible; although, it took about a decade to ease the wartime rationing. More Packard info. JWL