Bean Cars was a brand of motor vehicles made in England by A Harper Sons & Bean, Ltd at factories in Dudley, Worcestershire, and Coseley, Staffordshire. Its cars were high quality and known for their durability, but poor financial management led the company to close in 1929, making them rare survivors with less than 100 known to remain.
This one was rescued in 1970 by an owner who kept it until 2010, returning it to the road – not a small achievement, as at some stage in its life the Bean had been converted to a breakdown truck. Indeed, the history is fascinating. There’s a pucture of it as a truck in the history file, along with the original buff logbook documenting its ownership from new in 1925, when it was supplied to a Mr Seth Lowring in Surrey.
Overall, the Bean is in good internal condition with smart seats trimmed in black leather and a wood frame bare metal dash featuring ornate, intricate dials.
It’s a charming snapshot of motoring a century ago, with a push-button floor start, adjustable levers for advance and retard functions and a heavy steel steering wheel. The original Bean dog logo adorns the dash, while the horn is operated by a klaxon bulb and there’s a lovely wood-finish gear knob on the right-hand mounted gear selector. rglpkYRlaiIB9b4guzzzrTZUClMDbsmPH29eq9QF.jpeg1.01 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Restored 50 years ago
Still smartly presented
Some minor cosmetics required
Tired hood
Good, strong chassis
Finished in Navy Blue over black, the Bean is a smart and handsome car but it has a few areas where it could be improved – hardly surprising when you consider that the restoration was done five decades ago. The roof has a few small rips and we didn’t retract it for the photos for fear of damaging it. There are also areas on the wings and running boards where the paint has broken free and it has been touched in.
Underneath it appears sound and solid, with no obvious concerns.
The 14 was Bean’s larger model and used a 2.3-litre four-cylinder sidevalve engine, which makes for lazy, unhurried progress but has plenty of torque and a comfortable cruising speed of around 40mph.
We were able to hear it running and the vendor drove it around his paddock to show it to be in working condition, but it would benefit from a thorough going over before you use it on the road, as well as a new set of tyres. It has been barely used since 2010 and kept in storage as part of a private collection.
This is a fascinating car with a remarkable story behind it – how many other 1920s cars are there with a complete ownership history? The photo of it as a breakdown truck is marvellous on its own. This is not only a car, but an incredible piece of British social history.
