Took the car to the Auvergne, about 100 km from here for two days of glorious driving through the cols of the high Auvergne (up to 1800 M).
Great fun was had by all although I did have a problem keeping down with some of the others - definitely need a 'Model T' position for the 'Sport' button.
The XKR won out as the most beautiful car, practically every other driver (about 40 of us) had to sit behind the wheel to savour 'l'excellence Britannique' and she was a crowd puller wherever we stopped.
The juxtaposition with the E Type in the first pic was entirely intentional.
Driving there and back along open winding mountain roads brought home the sheer domination of this car. Even the wife, who drives tractors for a living and regards anything over 15 mph as hazardous to the health, had to admit that 100 mph along a country lane with the top down was quite exhilarating!

 

Looks like a beautiful day...thanks for posting.

 

A good turnout and variety. Pleased to see the rain has finally stopped down there!

Graham

 

Looks like a nice day, is that a Scottish badge I see in the last pic?

 

Whereabouts? These are low def but I can zoom in on the original.

 

Steve,

I think he means on the radiator of the left hand vehicle.

Then again Norri is so finely tuned to spotting Scots content, it could even be on the boot lid!

Better make myself scarce before he sharpens the claymore.

Graham

 

You got it Graham, last picture far left vehicle.
You know what they say, "There's nothing more Scottish than a Scotsman outside Scotland"

 

Sorry, Norri, no Scots here - but quite some Scotch!
I can't read the inscription but I'm pretty sure it's an owner's club badge.

 

Steve
Nice photos, beautiful day, senic countryside, and nice gathering of cars. Thanks for sharing

 

My pleasure. Impossible to do the countryside justice in photos. The Auvergne and Cantal are essential sightseeing in France.

 

The background looked blue in the smaller pic. I was hoping the Auld Alliance was still holding firm.
At least Aubigny sur Nere is still flying the flag!

 

Steve,

I'm not an envious sort of fellow, but I think I would have liked being you for a few hours that day. Greats shots.

 

Hi guys,
The "Scottish" car on the left is a French Hotchkiss.
The badge for the marque consisted of a pair of crossed cannons — a salute to the company's first products.(source wikipedia)
Mr. Hotchkiss was of US origin ! They made beautiful quality cars..
BTW Love the Auvergne.

 

I think your fact are wrong on the Hotchkiss, I'm pretty sure he was English (Maidstone area?) and also responsible for the Hotchkiss machine gun.
The Hotchkiss engine was used by Morris for a time I believe.
I have worked with Bill Hotchkiss the (great?) grandson of the inventor and I know his brother lives in France so could well have been the driver.

 

It could be that the founder of the Automobile company was the son or direct descendant of Benjamin Hotchkiss, who was, in fact an American who moved to France. His background in weapons manufacture may well also account for the double cannon badge on the Hotchkiss car.

Benjamin B. Hotchkiss - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American career


Hotchkiss-type rifled 3-pounder cannon, founded in 1855 at Chicopee, Massachusetts. Caliber: 76 mm. Length: 1.16 m. Captured during the 1863 Mexico campaign.


Hotchkiss was born in Watertown, Connecticut, and moved to Sharon, Connecticut in childhood; his early experiments were made there in his father's hardware factory. Starting in the 1850s, he was employed as a gunmaker in Hartford, working on Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles.
French career

After the American Civil War, the U.S. government showed little interest in funding new weapons. In 1867, Hotchkiss moved to France and set up a munitions factory, first in Viviez, near Rodez, then in Saint-Denis, near Paris, named Hotchkiss et Cie. At about this time, he developed a revolving barrel machine gun (in French: "canon-revolver") known as the Hotchkiss gun; the gun was made in four sizes from 37 mm to 57 mm, the largest intended for naval use. After his death, the Hotchkiss company also developed in 1897 and later manufactured in large numbers an air cooled, gas actuated infantry machine gun which was widely used by several countries, particularly France and the United States during World War One.

 

Well that's what I get for talking off the top of my head!

I guess that the Hotchkisses were avid country hoppers.

This is from the UK Hotchkiss website,

"In 1938 John Hotchkiss started his own engineering business with only £75 capital, he purchased a lathe, rented part of a blacksmith’s forge and began making parts for military fighting vehicles. The business prospered and was incorporated in 1945 to form John D Hotchkiss Limited."

So the same line of business.

Bill never mentioned that his forebears came from France so I assumed.....

 

to xkrjag and Kevin D

I also tried to identify the Hotchkiss but you both had more patience and determination than me!

Graham

 

I couldn't identify the car.

There was something about the badge that reminded me of the BSA (of course originally Birmingham Small Arms) Pylarm badge

This originated from a technique for stacking rifles in a teepee shape when encamped so they could be rapidly seized in case of attack.
I must admit any attempts we made to stack our Lee Enfields like this resulted in a lot of sliding and clattering. I always thought the last man to the pile must have been nimble on his feet!