When Carl Benz dreamt up the first motorcar in 1885 little did, he know the revolution he had just started. His ‘car’ is nothing like we’d notice today, but by the roaring 20’s the automobile industry had worked out the perfect combination of a covered cabin and large engine up ahead. No matter if you are an auto historian or purveyor of rare and interesting marques you may never have heard of a Carrow, or the Carrow Light Car from 1921.
The story of Carrow starts in Whitley Bay, a coastal resort in the north of England, in 1920. It would appear that Carrow Cars would be part built Belgian cars that were imported to have a coach-built body put on top. In 1921 the company Carrow moved downed south to London to display at Olympia. As you probably predicted Carrow could not build the car at a price to compete and thus faded into the background with the name bound to history books.
This example, believed to be the only one left, was part of the Sharpe family collection for many years. It came up for sale at Christie's in 2005 where it went to the current custodian’s family. After a thorough restoration, it is now presented in better condition than it left the factory in, over 100 years ago. With it being the only known example left of a Carrow, this is an obscure car that you cannot miss out on.
Built-in Hanwell, according to the plaque on the dash, in 1921
The dash plaque indicates that this is Chassis no. 109, with it having a Dorman engine this could be the 9th Carrow ever made
This car was one of two Carrows that was entered into the 1921 MCC London to Exeter run, H Maryon won a Gold Award for his performance that year. In 1922 a dizzying three Carrows entered the run. This car, XH 6595, would once again win.
Between 1922-56 little is known about its life, but it re-surfaces next to a Bugatti at a scrapyard in Clacton on Sea.
It was then rescued by a collector who would own it for the next 18 years but would do nothing with it.
Around this time the Sharpe brothers were on the lookout for rare and unusual cars, they would acquire it into their collection where it would sit for another 30 years untouched.
In 2005 Christie's auctioned this car off and this is where another member of the Sharpe family buys it back!
After it went back up for sale the current owner's Uncle felt that owning the sole Carrow was too good to pass up on.
They decided to finally start putting her back on the road. After some time the engine, which was seized, freed, and cranked over perfectly fine.
Along with light work to the engine, there was some work done to the gearbox and she was back to being mechanically sound
Some parts were replaced on the body, but the majority are the original panels
The body of the car is believed to have been built by Brainsby Woollard Motor Bodies in 1922. It is an exquisite body with a lovely red leather interior to match
A new and modern V5 is present, but this is really the only piece of paperwork
There is a magazine feature from January 2013, which has proven to be vital in piecing together the history of this Carrow
Dashboard plaque to identify this as the 9th Carrow
Incredibly spacious
The interior of this pre-war car is exquisite, with diamond patterns on the seats they look more like chesterfield sofas than automobile seats. With an interior like this, you wish to know who once owned her from new, what social events was she privy to, and who rode in her. Since her restoration, the interior has been kept nice and clean and it's thanks to this that it's now presented in such excellent condition.
As you can see from the photographs the red leather seats, door cards, and red carpets are all in great condition with no signs of wear or tear. It should be said that the seats are the original ones it left the factory with over a century ago, they have just been re-trimmed to make them look this good.
One of the most interesting pieces of history inside this Carrow are the brass plaques at the base of every door. These indicate to us that the body was coach-built a little bit after the chassis and running gear were finished. This body was built in the Lancefield Motor Body Works in Queens Park, London, and what a beautiful body it is. We can see that this is the four-seater open-top variant, a two-seater was also offered.
Another excellent feature on this Carrow is the retractable fabric roof, we did not test this on the day of the photos are it was mentioned it’s a bit of a full-on job to do, but once the new owner works out how to retract it the interior of this Carrow will be transformed in an instant.
It must be said that being in the interior of this car is something special, a feeling that no other car can convey. Once this car gets out on the road again the next owner will be able to create many happy memories.
Unlike modern cars, pre-war cars are all individual and unique in some way or another. One of the common practices of the day was to buy the rolling chassis and then get a coach-built body put on top to make the car extremely personal, at the end of the day a car in 1920 was an insane luxury reserved for the upper echelon of society.
Today the Carrow sits resplendently in stunning condition. Thanks to the extensive restoration and subsequent inside storage it still looks as good as the day the restoration finished. Items such as the headlights, front suspension, and windscreen are all beautifully crafted to create a car that looks unlike anything else on the road, well then again it would, it’s the only one left. This rarity makes it an excellent collectors’ car, you know that no one can ever own a car like you.
Should the weather be favourable the Carrow offers you the chance to motor with the roof section retracted, transforming the look and feel of this one-off. It should be stated that the roof was not tested on the day, however, the current owner does state that it retracts as it should.
If you like your cars to be unique and individual then this is possibly the best car for you, with its beautiful styling and 1 of 1 nature you will never find anything else like this on the roads.
In the early days of motoring, like today’s electric vehicles, engineers were always coming up with the next best thing. In 35 years, the automotive industry had gone from a three-wheeled, 1l, single-cylinder ‘car, to something like the Carrow. The Carrow was quick in its day, with almost 12 hp from a Dorman engine, it should be mentioned that only the first 12 Carrows were fitted with this engine.
Unlike the interior and exterior conditions, the mechanical condition is where it falls down a little bit. Although it is still fitted with its original engine and gearbox it is currently a ‘non-runner’. The current owner does remember a time when this was out and about on the roads, but sadly since then, the engine has apparently developed a slight knock. It could be a simple fix, but a car like this must stay on the road for future generations.
If you are looking at this car as more of a collector’s item, then its current non-runner status should not put you off. And with this being an early car, it should be right as rain after a tinker, unlike a more modern classic.
If you like quirky, rare and interesting classic cars then you can get no more quirky, rare, or interesting than this Carrow Car. With its sole survivor status, big history, and good overall condition it presents a perfect opportunity to own a unique car.
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1921 Carrow 11.9hp
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