Researching a car’s history

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Rachael.Sullivan
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:50 pm

Researching a car’s history

Post by Rachael.Sullivan » Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:57 pm

Hi
I wonder if your members would be kind enough to help with a query please. My partner has just purchased a 1936 Austin 10, and I would like to find out the history of the car. Please could you suggest any useful sources of information?
Many thanks
Rachael

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peter_winney
Posts: 1576
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:31 pm
Location: BATH

Re: Researching a car’s history

Post by peter_winney » Sat Mar 06, 2021 5:50 pm

Rachael
Other members who have been down this road can advise better than I can.

Classic and Sports Car has some advice at https://www.classicandsportscar.com/fea ... rs-history - open in New Window

It suggests contacting the DVLA (not very helpful at the moment due to working problems caused by covid) in order to contact past owners. They may only be able to go back a short way as when the DVLA was set up replacing the old County Registration authorities most of the past records including buff logbooks were destroyed. As a consequence their records may not go back earlier than the 1980s. DVLA should be able to tell you if the car has its original registration No or a replacement one. Unfortunately there are no build records for pre-war Austins and so the British Heritage Trust cannot help with their "Heritage Certificate" scheme.

Do you have any documents with the car? These can be a starting point to help trace past owners. If you do not have an old "buff" logbook it is possible one of the past owners kept it. These had details of past owners but rarely go back to pre-war owners because they used to be stamped every year when the tax was paid so were replaced by "new" ones when they were filled up. Do you have the body/chassis Nos? Should be on one or more plates under the bonnet on the LH side

Peter W
Member since July 1972
Never too old to learn something new

Rachael.Sullivan
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:50 pm

Re: Researching a car’s history

Post by Rachael.Sullivan » Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:53 pm

Thank you so much for your reply: very useful to know. I have emailed Gloucester County records, in the hope that this may reveal something. We know who the owners are from 1966 to the present, but know nothing about the years 1936-66.
Thanks again for your help.
Rachael

norman_ball
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:08 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Researching a car’s history

Post by norman_ball » Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:11 pm

Hello Rachael
have a look at the Kithead Trust, maybe that helps.
https://kitheadtrust.org.uk/

Norman

Rachael.Sullivan
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:50 pm

Re: Researching a car’s history

Post by Rachael.Sullivan » Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:12 pm

Hi
Many thanks: will do.
Rachael

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