After narrowing the results of a still roadworthy vintage car that is over 120 years old to Bridlington, local historian and Echo columnist Mike Wilson has unraveled the history of a motoring icon.
Mike had been contacted by the owner of a 1903 Cadillac that had a local registration of BT 4.
Astonishingly Mike revealed that his great aunt had been the maid for the Kinsley family who had owned the car and had the original photos of the Cadillac.
Original owner, of BT 4, John Vere Kinsley, was a well to do Bridlington gentleman and must have been one of the wealthiest men in the town at the turn of the 20th century.
Newspaper reports of the time mention Mr Kinsey taking part in automobile club events from Bridlington to Forge Valley, and an interesting article from 1906, when JVK was caught speeding on Garrison Street by a local policeman. He was fined £5 and told by magistrates that he was not fit to be driving, which was very true as he died a month later.
The present owner of the car, Pete Wood explained: “ I was able to obtain a copy of the will which showed that BT4 had been sold after John’s death. I was then able to track down the descendants of the second owner and acquire a photo album, a diary, and the car’s buff logbook.”
“Using newspapers, memories of the descendants, and with a bit of luck, I was able to piece together the middle part of the car’s history. I discovered that an American serviceman had bought BT4 and shipped it back to the USA.
“He had sold it to a millionaire car collector who had his own steam train railway line and ferried people in the Cadillac.
“ I was also able to locate the original brass lamps in a barn in Middle America. I presented all this information to the VCC to gain the car’s passport and reclaim the original registration. When the V5 arrived in the mail, I was overjoyed!”
Richard Chesterman, who lives in Thwing, was also instrumental in reseaching some of the history of the car, and with some persuasion managed to get the vintage vehicle and owner back up to Bridlington to replicate some of the old photographs that had been taken in the area over a century ago.
The car also took part in the Hull to Sewerby Classic Car Run on June 11 and made a guest appearance on Bridlington High Street during the Vintage Festival- which was met with rapturous applause as the car was driven through the historical streets.
Driving the car for its ‘homecoming’ was owner Pete Cross, with Richard Chesterman up front, along with Mike Wilson and his wife Diane suitably seated in the back.
