From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
THE STATE ROLLS: It was a surprise to many when it was announced in 1949 that the Government of the day was to acquire a Rolls-Royce for State use on ceremonial occasions.
The car was delivered in December 1949 to the Minister of Defence from whom the order for the vehicle originated. It was supplied by the Irish agents for Rolls-Royce, Huet Motors of Dublin.
The chassis was a Silver Wraith model and the body was by the renowned Rolls-Royce coachbuilders, Hooper of London. At that time Rolls-Royce sold only the chassis and the buyer had the body built to specification by a coachbuilder of their choice.
In this case, Hooper fitted the chassis with aluminum body panels. An unusual feature was the running boards which were hidden from view behind the doors which flared out at the lower ends.
Many other touches, unusual for the time, were specified, including individual locks for the rear doors; electrically-operated windows between driver and passengers and a sliding roof which also had a Perspex cover to allow light to enter without a draft. The semaphore direction indicators were controlled by a time-switch which returned them automatically to the off position. A radio and heater were also fitted with extensions from the driver compartment. The sliding roof, radio and heater could all be operated from controls set into the end of the rear armrest.
Upon completion this unusual Rolls-Royce was allocated the index registration mark ZJ 5000, and became a familiar sight on State occasions until its retirement some years ago.
Today the State Rolls-Royce resides in the Garda Depot in Dublin's Phoenix Park. On the rare occasions when it sallies forth it is driven by a member of the presidential staff rather than by a member of the Garda, as is the case with other State cars.
What a shame that this historic car does not form part of a national collection like that of the Museum of Irish Transport at Killarney where it could be viewed by the many visitors from Ireland and further afield who visit this impressive museum each year.
THE LITTLE MAN: Born on February 23rd 1852, Harry John Lawson was the son of a Puritan preacher at Brighton. Perhaps it was his father's calling which made his mind up that his mission in life was the making of money, lots of it!
Lawson proved to be very good at it and became very rich through various investments in the cycle industry. The arrival of the fledgling motor industry brought him hitherto un-dreamed of levels of money-making opportunities.
His methods were simplicity itself. He let it be known that he wished to buy any motor patents likely to prove of value. His first purchase was the patent-rights for the Daimler engine. Lawson floated the British Motor Syndicate Ltd as owners of such patents. He then formed the Daimler Motor Company to manufacture under the Daimler patents.
The wonderfully named Great Horseless Carriage Company then followed, while in 1896 he organised the first motor show ever held in London.
Before long writs were flying around to anyone who had quite unknowingly infringed one of Lawson's patents. A fairly typical example was C S Rolls who imported a Peugeot car into England only to have Lawson get an injunction which cost Rolls £315.
For a while Lawson held supreme sway over the British motor industry but then came the Maybach patent case. He had acquired a patent for Maybach's float-feed carburettor and demanded 10 per cent of the total cost of a car for a licence to use the carburettor.
A case was fought in the High Court which Lawson lost. He held on for a short while before his companies collapsed and went into liquidation, to the great benefit of the industry. Perhaps his greatest gift was his ability to foresee the future with remarkable accuracy. At a time when there were but a handful of cars, "the Little Man", as he was known, forecast special roads being needed for motor traffic; the police using cars and motorcycles; the horse extinct as a means of transport and tradesmen everywhere relying on the motor vehicle. Perhaps he should have concentrated his abilities to prophesy on his own activities and foreseen their inevitable result.