1924 Chic 14/40 Tourer

Description

The Chic motor car, named after its founder and automobile engineer Clarence Chick, was assembled in Adelaide between 1924 and 1929 and was the result a trip to England by Chick in 1922 to study the latest in automobile design. There is some conjecture over who actually built the Chic chassis, with some claiming it was sourced from the FW Bond company based in Brighouse, Yorkshire, while others believe the major components were sourced from the Monarch Motor Co. of Castle Bromwich. The Chic was offered in two versions, the four-cylinder 14/40hp and six-cylinder 18/48hp and both used ohv engines by Henry Meadows Limited of Wolverhampton. Bond itself built a variety of models in the period 1922-1928 using a mixture of American and locally-sourced components, including proprietary engines from Meadows, Anzani and Continental. Bond's earliest model was a 14hp using a side-valve Tylor engine before the model range expanded to include both the 14/40hp, with an overhead-valve four-cylinder engine, and 20hp six-cylinder, both employing Continental motive power. The 14/40hp used a Brown-Lipe four-speed transmission and Timken axle and was sold with a variety of coachwork, along with the option of four-wheel braking. By 1927, Bond was offering a more sporting 1.5-litre Super Sports model (either using Anzani or Meadows power) but only three were built and total production for the concern is thought to have been very low. The Second James Flood Book of Early Motoring contains a list of all known early Australian car manufacturers and the entry under Chic indicates approximately 50 were built (although some sources suggest as few as 16 were actually made while yet another claims a total of 25 Meadows engines were sold to Chic). The 1923 and 1924 sales brochures were reproduced, with both the 14/40hp and 18/48hp models catalogued and the former was listed as having a 9ft 10in. wheelbase, CAV lighting, a Zenith carburettor and interchangeable 815 x 105 disc or steel spoke wheels. Built at 138 Currie Street, Adelaide the Chic was billed as being "A Thoroughbred for the professional man, the owner-driver, the man outback, the traveller" and "For the man who wants an economical, trouble and fool-proof car". Few Chic cars remain and this is thought to be one of only two known survivors of this interesting, if long forgotten chapter in Australian motoring history.