From: Bill Sheehan [email protected]
Date: 23 May 2002
Time: 10:58:18
Remote Name: 203.29.131.3
Agree with Stuart - we'll probably never know, as too many guesstimates have been made in the past and perpetuated. Most figures obviously wrong - for starters, tendency to list cars they know of in UK only, forget about Elsewhere in the World. Example - Bill Williams & others said only 17 Speedy models, we know of at least 60, but history still says 17! Source says 5 Super Sports, not only wrong figure but confuses 4 versions. First Super Sports started in late '27 had Chummy-type floor, high suspension, turn-up on scuttle, spare mounted horizontally etc, then in '29 had rounded tunnel as later "Ulsters", spare vertical, lowered suspension, same turn-up etc. Barry Argent estimated about 35 total built, 1/3rd unblown. Then came the wide bodied, no turn up on scuttle, lowered suspension, with wheelarches for rear whls. Then perhaps the only ones to deserve the term "Ulster" that did so well in Ireland, different body, some with flat exhausts, others turned up pipes, some horiz. spare and wide cover, others vert. spare with narrow cover etc .None of this includes the 1930-on production blown/unblown or TT models, so perhaps 300 total may not be so fanciful. As said, doubt if we'll ever know, but fun trying to find out! Cheers, Bill