1931 Vauxhall Cadet

Owned by my father for several years from about 1954. This motor was beautiful with the original black Belco cellulose paint still in near perfect condition - this was the first car we'd had that had not been brush painted with Valspar!  It was the 1932 model Cadet with synchromesh on 2nd. and 3rd. gears (the first British car with synchromesh) - the handbook said there was no synchro on 1st. because you would never need to change down into bottom gear on a hill unless you were baulked by another car.
The Cadet was a cut above the equivalent Austin, Morris or Ford and was a touch of luxury for the ordinary driver but with the depression of 1932 people were making do and the Cadet was a bit above depression prices. It was superb in all respects except it still had comparatively poor mechanical brakes which could not compete with the likes of Morris's Lockheed hydraulic system.  Another problem we had was that all the wire wheels had to be rebuilt as the spokes were continually stretching and loosening, they ended up remaking the wheels with more spokes.
The Cadet went soon after Dad had driven it back from work one night with no water in the engine (it was winter and with no antifreeze the water was always drained at the end of a run and refilled before the return but this time the drain tap was left open and when he arrived home the motor was red hot - the heat could be felt from 6 feet away) and a previously repaired cylinder block crack had extended.  The new crack was repaired with a plate and gasket but Dad never trusted it after that and it was sold off cheaply.

• 6 cyl. 2048cc. OHV.

• Rod and cable brakes.

• First British car with synchromesh gearbox.

• A very classy motor at a reasonable price.

• Very good performance.