One of the museum’s star exhibits within the road transport collection is our 1906 Armstrong Whitworth open tourer.  For many years this has been on display in the Town garage showroom, but we are now looking at making it operational for occasional use around the museum, in order to demonstrate this beautiful and very special car.  This work will take time, as it has to fit around other jobs that are being undertaken, but making a start now means it will be all the sooner that it can be enjoyed by visitors to the museum.

The car was built by Armstorng Whitworth at the famous Elswick Works, on the banks of the Tyne (and bounded by Scotswood Road to the north).  More usually noted for the construction of hydraulic machinery, locomotives, armaments and warships, the company also constructed motor cars, commencing in 1904 and doing so through until 1919, when the company of Siddley-Seasy was merged into the business and cars were thereafter produced under the Armstrong-Siddley marque.  This particular vehicle, subsequently registered S 130, was part of a larger order which included a battleship for the Japanese Navy and was due to be supplied to the Emperor of Japan as part of the deal.  This fell through, and the car subsequently remained in the north east until the end of the Second World War, when it moved to Nottinghamshire.  It was later based in Southend, the then owner selling it to Beamish in 1998.

The slogan of Armstrong Whitworth cars was ‘Built Like a Battleship’, and at the time of acquisition the museum’s publicity noted that it was argualblt the best ever made in the North East, and certainly the only early survivor.  This remains as true today as it was in 1998.  The cars were aimed at the luxury market, alongside Rolls Royce, Mercedes and Napier.  Had the First World War not intervened, then a great many more Armstrong Whitworth cars may well have been produced, and in doing so, the region would have been at the forefront of motor manufacturers in Europe.

Below: Official photos from the archive show the Armstrong Whitworth at the time of its acquisition by Beamish in 1998.  The museum also has a replica Armstrong Whitworth, with which visitors may well be familiar as it has been a regular feature of the site’s roads over the years since its construction.

Several years ago an attempt was made, unsuccessfully, to commission the Armstrong back into use, and it was placed back on display pending access to greater expertise, and to keep it safe in the meantime.  We have now reached the point where the relevant skills exist within the engineering team, and an initial exploration of the car suggested that the magneto was very likely in need of some attention to cure a damaged (bent) armature shaft.  With just the magneto removed to the workshop, the component has been assessed and repairs have now been carried out as the first step in the process of making S130 once again suitable for limited and careful use at Beamish.

Below: The magneto is of Simms origin, but is believed to be a Bosch design, manufactured under licence.

Below: The starting point for the iron core of the new armature within the magneto.

Below: The bronze material for the armature cap, seen being sawn to length prior to machining.

Below: Machining the end of the armature spindle, reverse-engineering the damaged original in order to make an exact copy.  The internal thread of the bronze cap allows the iron shaft, with a reversed thread, to be screwed in tightly and then soldered to secure the joint.

Below: Setting up for drilling and countersinking of the fixing holes on the end cap.

Below: The machined iron shaft has been fitted to the bronze armature assembly in this view.  Once secured, the whole assembly was then machined as one item, to final size.

Below: A comparison of old and new – the previous repair did not endure, whence the new component to the right.

Below: The new armature components being assembled with the recoverable original parts.  The end nearest to the camera is where the gear-drive for the magneto is attached.

Below: The culmination of the work – an overhauled magneto, seen generating a reliable and consistent spark…  There is no timescale for commissioning the car itself, but that work will be one step easier, now that the magneto has been restored.

The next steps will be to closely examine the car itself, and reinstate the magneto.  Only then will an attempt be made to start it, and then from that point onwards, further assess its condition and suitability for occasional use.