From the archives: The Star 1897

“The worshipful company is about as disgusted with motor cars and their inventors as the two fiery steeds which support its own coat-of-arms might be supposed to be.”

From The Star 1897

A Prize Paragraph – No Prizes for Motor Car Designs – One Offer Failed

Nothing could be more hopelessly wrong than the paragraph published by several “leading London dailies” this morning respecting a competition for motor-car designs, said to be contemplated by the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers. The only part of this “news” which might lay claim to accuracy is a statement that there will be next year a competition for carriage designs. But such a competition has been held every year since 1865, and motor-cars will have no part in it in 1898.

As a matter of fact, the worshipful company is about as disgusted with motor cars and their inventors as the two fiery steeds which support its own coat-of-arms might be supposed to be. They have tried them. Last year they announced a class for the inventors of the “mot.” When the exhibition of 1897 came round only two sketches were submitted, and one of these did not comply with the conditions. The other was frankly impossible. So motor-cars are shelved for a time by the worshipful company.

The exhibition of 1898 will include prizes for any draughtsman who has original ideas on the subject of a private carriage, either open or closed. Another prize is for essays on “Noises in vehicles, Their Causes and Remedies.”

The Lady’s pictorial October 1897

Philos Ingarfield should have added to his many excellent social-crusading aspirations one for a “London Noiseless.” He did not include this in his programme of reforms, but I am grateful to see that the Coachmakers’ Company is offering a prize for the best essay on “Noises in Vehicles: Their Causes and Remedies. The Coachmakers Company does not, by the way, recognise automatic vehicles, and among its prizes for carriages designs there is no place for the motor-car. None the less, we must all wish it well in its efforts to obtain something like peace and quietness in the London streets.