24f Sportsman Coupé & Franco-British blend

In the last article, I showed a rather interesting 24f. This reference will have been manufactured with three different body including in fact four variations in casting...

The early one is a little crude, we can clearly see the casting separation from the front of the bonnet to the back of the boot, the first variant has horizontal door handles when later copies show a dropped right handle

 Above : left (*), 1st variant with horizontal door handle, right, 2nd variant with dropped door handle

 

 

It's revamped perhaps in 1937 or early 1938, and this second casting is the one used for the 36b also. But, this variant is really rare because at that time 24f were manufactured from French Body.

Here from a 36b, sorry I don't own this variation nor have a good picture to show :

Indeed to meet growing demand, Liverpool had to import French parts in order to continue to offer the 24 series as many moulds were definitively changed for the series 36, and that for the 24f the body mould was shared with the 36b.

The variants exported from Paris were #2, #3 and #4 !

#2 is rare, from the outside it's the early French casting with rounded roof and tiny handle door. The only difference with French #1 that never been imported in the UK, lies in the treatment of the interior reinforcements which are almost absent in the first version.

#3 Is more common, handle doors have been redesigned, this version can be seen with then without spare wheel

#4 is as scarce as #2 it's the one without slot for the spare wheel.

Below : Left, 2nd French casting and right, 3rd French casting with curved door handles in a leter production variant without spare wheel but still bearing the slot

And as things always need to be more complicated, when France has been visited by German tourists in May 1940, there was a few 24f made with the body of the 36b, in fact the same as the second British variant but without spare wheel !

Pictures taken from personal collection except (*) © Collectoys

I watched a movie two years ago, called  Papa les p'tits bateaux. Directed by Nelly Kaplan, it's a kind of early 70s silly comedy starring a long forgotten natural born comic, British actress named Sheila White. It's the only acting done by White in France and as she was fluent in French, some producers decided to surf on the potential success of that  film to make her record a song.
And as I always like to share music, here it is ! "Le Tunnel sous la Manche" is a super cool track that can easily compete with Blossom Dearie's "I like London in the rain" another soft pop which arrangements are expressing all the coolness of that musical era. 

She's British, she's in love with a French boy and they're both got air or sea sick...

 

A remix has been done a few years ago, but it loses the that lightness up touch as gimmicks become way too repetitive. Also Raoul de Godewarsvelde did something about the tunnel under the Channel but, full of mercy, I won't share that... thing