Progress is made again with this 1927 Austin. Four wheels and proper lights, it's even got brakes on all four wheels! I believe this was fathers pride and joy.

"NOT A CREDITABLE TRICK"
(Extract from a report in the local paper late 1930's. Names changed to protect the innocent)

The Local Police were again criticised at Court yesterday over the use of an L (learner) plate on a patrol car. This arose out of a summons against William Selwyn Pearman-Jones (40) of White Lodge, Four Oaks, for driving a motor car in excess of the speed limit of 12 miles per hour in Green Lane.
The Police constable said that the defendant passed the patrol car in a 16 h.p. Vauxhall car. He was followed and between Beatrice Street and Whitehouse Street travelled at a speed of from 26 to 28 miles per hour. When stopped the defendant said he was not aware that the speed limit was in force on that stretch. There were eight warning notices from the top to the bottom of the road. Cross-examined a witness said that another officer was driving the car and it bore an "L" plate. It was reported that Green Lane was notorious for the number of children playing about. The Police constable was asked if this was a proper place to learn to drive and he replied that it was all right as long as the driver observed the speed limit. The police car was travelling about ten miles per hour. The defendant was asked if it would be necessary to exceed the speed limit in order to overtake, and replied that it would. The questioning continued over the rights and wrongs of overtaking learner drivers and of the suitability of using Green lane. The competence of the police learner to drive the car at 28 miles per hour, and to occasionally glance at the speedometer was questioned but the Chief Inspector commented that "in the circumstances there was no danger in the police car being driven at such speed. The defence submitted that the action of the police had definitely contributed to the commission of the offence. It did not matter whether the police driver was competent or not, he had an "L" plate on the back of his car to indicate he was a learner. "Any decent motorist would not hang on the tail of a learner's car. He would try to pass and give the learner plenty of room. If this policeman was a learner driver he had no right to be in Green lane". "If I were an inexperienced driver taking a car down Green lane under such circumstances I should very properly expect to be charged with driving to the public danger". "It seems to me" said the defendant "this car with an L plate was definitely a trap for motorists". The function of the police is to prevent crime and the use of this plate is a misconception of their duty. Somebody has thaught of this trick. It is not a creditable trick. William Selwyn Pearman-Jones was fined 10 shillings.