A motoring holiday that was cut short when the Titanic sank

Rom Hyde sent us this photograph of a Landaulette which is taken in Cork in 1912. Motor dealers Johnson and Perrott (who incidentally are celebrating 210 years in business this year) were renting it to the Odell family from London.

On the 11th of April 1912, the family arrived in Queenstown, (Cobh) Co Cork on the Titanic (her last port of call before her unfortunate sinking on the way to New York). In the picture we see Rom's grandfather, Harry Leach, originally from Oldham who was the chauffeur taking the Odell family on a tour in Ireland. The motoring holiday was cut short when the news broke that she sank.

Rom would like to find out what happened to the car in its later life. Readers, can anyone tell us more about this PreWarCar (registered PI-102) and the movements of the car after 1912?

Originally published: Tuesday April 21st, 2020

Publié:

mardi janvier 4th, 2022

Daniel Cencak

05 Janvier 2022, 03:53

This car might in fact be one/same as that used by May-Odell family. It may even had been photographed by Francis Browne, but certainly not in April 2012. This photo was likely taken earlier than April 2012, as there are various differences in how it is equipped in the pic, as that compared to when May-Odell utilized the car. When brothers Stanley and Richard May hired the car, there was fairly significant damage to the right fender, the right front lamp is missing al-together, and the running board appears somewhat damaged when they used the car. Also the box on the running board was also not there. I do not believe they had a chauffeur that drove them about, either.

Rom Hyde

21 Juin 2020, 23:40

Many thanks to Horatio Garcia, Walter Nieuwkoop and Don Larkin for identifying this car as a Darracq, which was confirmed in a newspaper article that I came across, written around that time. I'm still trying to trace what happened to the vehicle after 1912. I'm chasing a couple of vague leads at the moment so we'll see where it goes. Unfortunately, the registration departments in both Cork County and City mislaid all the early PI registrations when they amalgamated in 1974. I'll keep going as it is a story that deserves a conclusion. It maybe that it was sold on, or exported or maybe ended up as a hen house in some rural part of Ireland.

Again, many thanks and a big thank you to PreWarCar for carrying the article.
Rom Hyde

Horacio Garcia

25 Avril 2020, 13:22

Definitely Darracq, observe the radiator thickness, "protruding" front edge and circular badge trace...in addition to brake and change levers wheel hubs.

Walter Nieuwkoop

22 Avril 2020, 22:04

I agree it is a Darracq and not a Mercedes or Benz. Still extremely nice and the whole design is 99% like the Benz I am restoring now.

Don Larkin

22 Avril 2020, 00:53

I would agree the car is most probably a Darracq and that the photo was possibly taken by Father Francis Browne a Jesuit priest that they became aquatinted with on the Titanics maiden voyage. Father Browne a keen amateur photographer, had been gifted a passage as far as Cobh or Queenstown by his uncle who was a bishop. It was on this journey that the Odell family & Father Browne became acquainted. Lots of images of Titanic on her maiden voyage that we are familiar with today were taken by Father Browne and form part of his legacy that can be found online. Later he became a chaplain to The Irish Guards & was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. He died in 1960 & it was only 25 years later his photographs were found by a fellow Jesuit.

A. Bos

21 Avril 2020, 21:53

Well, Charles, you can tell your friend that the car is not a Mercedes, but 'only' a Darracq. Which doesn't mean that a Darracq wasn't a respectable car: maybe not as expensive as a Mercedes, but definitely well-made and reliable, and the make had an impressive racing history some years before. This limousine-landaulette was made in 1909 or 1910 and is probably the 25-35 hp model.

Charles Walmsley

21 Avril 2020, 16:02

Friend of mine says this is a Mecedes

A motoring holiday that was cut short when the Titanic sank

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