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1935 Vauxhall Big Six 27hp 2-Seater Romney DHC by Martin Walter [BX]

1935 Vauxhall Big Six [BX] in Passage to Marseille, Movie, 1944

Class: Cars, Convertible — Model origin:

1935 Vauxhall Big Six 27hp 2-Seater Romney DHC by Martin Walter [BX]

Vehicle used by a character or in a car chase

Owner of this vehicle: Makai

Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
BeanBandit ◊ 2006-11-06 00:49
pilou ◊ 2006-11-06 09:47	This is not a Mercedes Benz .It is a Vauxhall Big Six 20 hp 4-seater drophead coupe of 1935 , probably a Denton bodied one .The fluted hood and three horizontal hood louvres of the 1935 cars are well visible here.It is interesting because we had recently another Vauxhall big six of 1935 on the site ,a 2 seater drophead coupe by Romney, and those big prewar Vauxhalls are rare nowadays.This one has the accessory sidemount.The cowl semaphors are also visible.
Makai ◊ 2007-02-11 22:35	This is the same Vauxhall Big Six Romney Coupe as seen in Fritz Langs "Cloak and Dagger" (also on imcdb). It´s a 27 h.p. 2 seater Drophead-Coupe by "Martin Walter Ltd." (Coachbuilder). Exactly this car came back to europe in the early 90s and is now in germany since 1995. Since that time we restore the car carefully. It would be very interesting for us in which other movies it was also used. Who can help ? -- Last edit: 2007-02-15 21:50:06
Sunbar ◊ 2007-11-17 16:49	Hello Makai, I have only just seen your comments. A search for Vauxhall Big Six will show all the examples identified in movies to date. Movies both old and new are constantly being added as soon as a member of IMCDb has access to the movie, so you need to check back as often as possible. If you want to check your car's registration against the official UK database it can be found at the following site for the DVLA. It is possibly also worth checking the other two sites listed as sometimes they vary with the amount of information. The DVLA site will tell you if it is listed as being a Vauxhall, the date of manufacture, registration and engine size. Unfortunately if the car was not in the official records in the 1970s it may not be listed currently. The other two sites will tell you if the registration is listed against any make of vehicle. http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/index.jsp http://www.hpicheck.com/newfrontend/ https://www.mycarcheck.com/ If you only want an idea if the registration number is likely to be genuine.... Up to the mid 1930s, the style of registration commonly consisted of two letters and four numbers, something like AB 1234. After this, the original series was running out in some areas, and new registrations with three letters and three numbers (ABC 123) were being introduced. White or silver letters on a black background. Registration marks are listed by county or city of the original registration and it remains unchanged when sold to another owner. The second and third letters indicate the city or county. For the details see the table here.... http://waxxtm.com/registrations.html "Original Registration Locations Until 31 August 2001" For example UBH 579 would be from Luton (indicated by the letters BH). Any pictures of the car as it is now, both during and after restoration, would be very interesting. Please post some here if you can. A photograph of the actual registration number should also give us a very good idea if it is genuine or false as studios seldom get the style exactly right.
Makai ◊ 2007-11-28 14:16	Hi Sunbar ! Thank you for your reply. The check on the registration sites were without success. When we bought the Vauxhall, it had only one reg plate on the back and it is maybe an fake plate, just for a movie. The reg is AUA 518 and indicates Leeds. We don´t know pretty much about the history so far, but we think, that Warner Bros. ordered the car directly from Vauxhall in 1935, so maybe it had have never an UK reg ? Sometime, maybe in the 1970s Warner Bros. sold the car to a private person. Mr. Alexander was the last US owner. I tried to contact him, but the letter came back as undeliverable. An Belgium Classic Car Dealer shipped the car back to europe in the early 90s. When my father bought it finally in 1991, the car was almost untouched with 17.000 Miles on the Odometer. This is potentially genuine, because the car was virtually 40 years in the Hollywood Studios and only used for some movies. We found a number in the interior and we think, that could be a props no. from Warner. The condition was amazing, no rust, no damage. Just the driver seat and the top was patinized and the paint was dull. All the woodframe is still original and in perfect condition. Unfortunately the wonderfull tonneau as seen in Passage to Marseille is missing. But we will re-manufacture it. The Vauxhall Club UK told us that only a few of these Romney DHC were build, and this is the only known in exist. I digitise some old pictures from the 90s when we bought it, and some from two years ago. The car is still in primer paint. Hope, you enjoy :-) Regards, Axel -- Last edit: 2015-08-16 11:17:25
Sunbar ◊ 2007-11-28 15:06	Thanks Makai, its always good to find exact information about movie vehicles, particularly if they are being preserved. I hope you can post more when restoration is complete, even if it is some time yet.
Ray B. ◊ 2007-11-28 15:55	Speaking of preservation, sometimes you do find information about a movie vehicle and you wish you hadn't: /vehicle_11652-Oldsmobile-88-1953.html
Gag Halfrunt ◊ 2007-11-28 19:42	Makai, Thanks to Google, I've discovered that the Warner Bros. Archives from 1918 to 1968 are held at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. If any records survive about the use of your car in Warner Bros. films, that's where they'll be. Unfortunately, they mainly seem to be geared to researchers visiting in person to look through the records themselves and only say that "assistance to researchers unable to visit USC is sometimes possible". http://cinema.usc.edu/about/warner-bros-archives/ Quote The WBA contains the records of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. and its motion picture subsidiaries, including First National, Vitagraph and the Stanley-Warner Theater Chain. The collections range from 1918 (the release of the brothers’ first major feature film) through 1968 (the sale of the studio to Seven Arts). In addition, the Archive offers extensive production records for Warner Bros. Television Department from 1955 through 1968. The holdings include: * Legal, Production, Story and Publicity Files * Correspondence, Memoranda and Documents * Script Histories and Original Source Materials * Publicity, Premiere and Historical Photos and Images * Film/TV Music Scores, Orchestral Parts and Sketches * Art Department Images and Set Drawings * Animation Drawings, Cels and Backgrounds * Distribution Records and Publicity Campaigns http://cinema.usc.edu/about/warner-bros-archives/holdings.htm Quote The WBA is open to any individual who has a serious interest in and a specific use for its holdings, and who is willing to abide by the applicable rules and restrictions regarding its use. There is no charge to visiting researchers for use of archival holdings. Access to the archival materials is primarily on-site Tuesdays to Fridays, by appointment. However, assistance to researchers unable to visit USC is sometimes possible. http://cinema.usc.edu/about/warner-bros-archives/access.htm -- Last edit: 2007-11-28 21:22:41
Makai ◊ 2007-11-28 21:49	Hi Gag ! Thank you for this great tip. I´m maybe next spring in the L.A. area, and could drive to the USC. In the meanwhile I try to contact they via e-mail. We will see... -- Last edit: 2007-11-28 21:58:02
johnf ◊ 2015-08-10 19:43	I was the U.S.A. Owner after MGM. Can provide you with interesting story from MGM to return to Europe. Respond if you still own and would like details. Thanks, John
Makai ◊ 2015-08-13 13:03	johnf wrote I was the U.S.A. Owner after MGM. Can provide you with interesting story from MGM to return to Europe. Respond if you still own and would like details. Thanks, John Hi John ! Thanks for your message. Yes, Im still owner of the car. Feel free to contact me: schmidt.m.alex(AT)gmail.com Thanks Axel
Makai ◊ 2015-08-26 08:39	Hi John, I just wanted to follow up regarding the history of the car. Please contact me at your earliest convienience. Just in case you tried to email me at the address provided above i didnt receive anything. Again here is the email address where i can be reached. schmidt.m.alex@gmail.com Looking forward to hearing back. Best regards, Axel

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