On Friday, 3rd May 1951 when the Royal Family toured the South Bank site, the following 10 cars were on display in the Transport & Communications Pavillion of the South Bank Exhibition, according to "The Autocar" of 11th May 1951:
down on the ground floor = 1904 Lanchester, the 'Ghost' Hillman Minx, Morris Minor, Rolls - Royce Silver Wraith.
on the ramp = Austin A70 Hereford, (also see the picture below) Bristol Type 401, Jensen Interceptor, Jaguar XK120.
top of the ramp = the MG Record Car, which is on display at The Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire.
top level = the Rover Turbocar - JET 1 (see the top picture) which is now on display in the Science Museum, London.
and under the eaves of the Dome of Discovery was John Cobb's Napier Railton Land Speed Record Car , which will be on display in the Discovery Centre of Birmingham's Millennium Point in 2001, exactly 50 years after the Festival of Britain! The 3 ton 'Railton-Mobil' car driven by John Cobb gained a new world land speed record of 394.2 mph. in Utah, USA in 1947.
The selection from 36 cars which were to be "changed periodically" at the South Bank Exhibition ; the 18 cars highlighted are linked to advertisements from "Festival of Punch", "The Illustrated London News", "The Times" and "Design in the Festival".
Prices shown in brackets: Basic Price/with Purchase Tax are for 1951, taken from the "Daily Mail Motoring Guide, 1951":
A.C. 2-litre 6-cylinder 16/74 h.p. 2 door saloon
A.F.N. Mille Miglia sports 2-seater
Allard J2 competion 2-seater car
Alvis 3-litre drophead coupe
* Armstrong-Siddeley 6-cylinder 18 h.p. Whitley saloon
Aston Martin DB2 2.5 litre sports saloon (Basic Price=£1,498/with Purchase Tax=£1,914)
* Austin A40 4-seater convertible (Basic Price=£525/with Purchase Tax = £672) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
* Austin A70 Hereford 4-cylinder saloon (Basic Price =£577/with Purchase Tax = £738) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
Austin A125 8seater Sheerline limousine (Basic Price = £1,340/with Purchase Tax= £1,712) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
Bentley Mark VI drophead coupe (Basic Price=£2,875/with Purchase Tax=£3,674)
Bristol Type 401 2-litre 4/5 seater saloon
* Daimler Straight Eight limousine
Ford Anglia 8 h.p. saloon (see below - Basic Price=£280/with Purchase Tax=£358)
Ford Zephyr 6-cylinder 5/6 seater saloon (Basic Price=£487/with Purchase Tax=£623)
* Hillman Minx convertible coupe
* Humber Hawk 4-cylinder full 6-seater saloon (Basic Price=£665/with Purchase Tax =£850)
Humber Pullman 6 cylinder limousine
* Jaguar XK120 2-seater sports car (Basic Price=£988/with Purchase Tax=£1,263)
* Jaguar Mark VII 5-seater saloon (Basic Price=£998/with Purchase Tax=£1,273)
Jensen 4-litre Interceptor 6-cylinder 4/5 seater 2 -door cabriolet
* Jowett Javelin 1.5 litre 4-cylinder 4/6 -seater saloon (Basic Price=£635/with Purchase Tax=£812)
* Jowett Jupiter 3-seater 4-cylinder sports car (Basic Price=£875/with Purchase Tax=£1,118)
Lagonda 2.5 litre 6-cylinder convertible (Basic Price=£1,970/with Purchase Tax= £2,518)
* Lanchester 2-litre saloon (Basic Price=£895/with Purchase Tax=£1,144)
* MG Midget series TD open two seater (Basic Price=£470/with Purchase Tax=£601) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
Morgan Plus Four 4-cylinder sports car
* Morris Minor saloon (Basic Price=£333/with Purchase Tax=£426) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
* Riley 2.5 litre 4-cylinder saloon CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
* Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith touring limousine (Basic Price=£4,145/with Purchase Tax=£5,297)
Rover "75" 6-cylinder 5/6 seater 4-door saloon (Basic Price=£910/with Purchase Tax=£1,163) CLICK FOR PHOTO.
* Singer SM1500 5/6 seater 4-cylinder saloon (Basic Price=£675/with Purchase Tax=£863)
* Standard Vanguard 4-cylinder 5/6 seater saloon (Basic Price=£550/with Purchase Tax=£703) CLICK FOR PHOTO.
Sunbeam-Talbot "90" 4-cylinder drophead coupe (Basic Price=£820/with Purchase Tax =£1,048)
Triumph Roadster 2seater 4-cylinder saloon (Basic Price=£975/with Purchase Tax=£1,246) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
Vauxhall Velox 2.25-litre 6-cylinder saloon (Basic Price=£470/with Purchase Tax=£601)
* Wolseley 6/80 4-door 5-seater saloon (Basic Price=£635/with Purchase Tax= £812) CLICK FOR PHOTOGRAPH
Click here to go to the Museum of British Road Transport Coventry web site
Click here to go to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu web site
Click here to go to the 'Ford' Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon web site