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Leigh 1903 first car?

13 Comments

Leigh's first car? 1903
Leigh's first car? 1903
Photo: Keith
Views: 2,441
Item #: 28794
A photo of what is claimed to be the first car in Leigh. The date is given as 1903 and the driver a certain William Morgan.

Comment by: wiganer on 27th December 2016 at 22:47

Interesting photo. but nowt do wi Wiggin This is wiganworld

Comment by: roger on 28th December 2016 at 00:18

DW was the old car reg for Newport in Wales. Morgan, a Welsh surname so, some connection? Possibly mining?

Comment by: Priscus on 28th December 2016 at 00:19

Would that be a 'De Dion-Bouton' by any chance?

Comment by: . Ozymandias . on 28th December 2016 at 00:33

Here we go again.

Comment by: Alan H on 28th December 2016 at 09:38

Wiganer, Leigh is within Wigan Metropolitan Borough, like it or not. Atherton, Tyldesley and Lawton are all in Wigan since 1974 .

Comment by: Clever Clogs on 28th December 2016 at 09:54

Also highly unlikely. Car registrations were only required from 1904 onwards, County Councils and Boroughs were allocated one or two letter registrations (Wigan's being EK then later JP), so three letters and a number are incorrect for such an early date. The DW code was issued to Newport Monmouth CBC.

Comment by: Keith Beckett on 28th December 2016 at 15:56

William Morgan, auctioneer and estate agent, Gordon Villa, 3, Leigh Road, Leigh. Age 27 in 1903.

Comment by: Josh on 28th December 2016 at 21:12

Well done Keith, that seems to fit the bill, perhaps the photo date is a little later than 1903.

Comment by: roger on 28th December 2016 at 22:03

Gordon Villa is still there:
http://tinyurl.com/js593ng

Comment by: Db on 29th December 2016 at 09:51

I wonder how much that car would be worth today if it still exists? probably more than the average house. It's strange that, even though cars were around back then (if only a tiny number), it wasn't until about 50 years later that most working class people could actually afford one. I wish we could go back that time, because there's just far too many on the roads now; selfish people parking half way on the curbs (in some cases right on the pavements) where you can't get past, then people who are too lazy to indicate when they should.

Comment by: Josh on 30th December 2016 at 16:42

I made internet enquiries from knowledgeable veteran car enthusiasts regarding the number plate, here's what they came up with........
"The DW (Monmouthshire) registration series didn't first see use until after WW2, also being dark lettering on a light background suggests to me that it was a show plate of some kind or perhaps an early trade plate even, rather than a legit vehicle registration." ......and...... " the numberplate is a trade plate, although the car is a Darracq: It's a 1902, 9hp single cylinder Darracq - several example survive in the VCC's List of known veterans".....he continues......."the registration number is a 'trade plate' Issued to both manufacturers and dealers, the latter must apply here, and investigation in newspapers of the day might reveal which firm, as the letters often related to the firm's name. The 'W' suggests 'Wigan'."

Comment by: Knoitall on 30th December 2016 at 18:47

A 1902 9hp single cylinder Darracq recently sold at Bonhams for £91,700

Comment by: Josh on 30th December 2016 at 18:55

Just to complete the circle, further info' reveals......by another interested party....
"I did a booklet on Warrington registrations in 2003 (to mark the centenary of registrations in Britain).
The registration is a General Identification Mark (GIM), the pre-1921 form of trade plates. Each authority had its own format of GIMs, but they had to commence with the local authority's code letters followed by a mixture of letters and numbers and be in different colours from ordinary plates. In case you haven't worked this out already, this is a Warrington GIM. Their format was ED, Warrington's code, followed by a letter "W" obviously standing for Warrington and a serial number. An article in the "Warrington Examiner" of 27 July 1929, primarily reporting the presentation of the number plate of the first car to bear ED 1 to Warrington Museum mentions that "E.D.W.1" was a "trade registration". The car is driven by William Morgan who subsequently became mayor of Leigh in 1936."

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