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During the 1940's I worked at Ruthers garage, Eastern Avenue, near to North Street. Looking at the garage from the Eastern Avenue there was a brick built showroom to the right - no cars on show those days, but housing a very large car (a Railton Tourer), which at the time I was led to believe was formerly used by Herr Ribbentrop, one of Hitler's underlings.
Today I wish that I had noted more about that vehicle, but at the time I was only allowed by the garage foreman a quick look at the car. From what I remember it was blue in colour, and the side lift bonnet hinges being secured by rows of rivets. The steering wheel could be adjusted, by releasing a clamp to pull the wheel backwards, to suit who ever was driving. Attached to the dashboard in front of the seat next to the driver was a large glass tube, at the bottom from which a pipe led into the engine compartment. On the top of the tube was a pump handle, the object being to pump petrol from the petrol tank to the engine, apparently to provide enough fuel for the monster of an engine. Whilst at high revs it required a boost from this hand operated pump. It was a bit of a 'gas guzzler', 5 miles to the gallon.
The only association with Ribbentrop was that he had used the car pre-war, probably when he was the German ambassador to Britain. From what I learned at the time, two Belgium airmen had obtained the car and got permission to garage it at Ruthers, so that in their off duty time they could service it in preparation to returning to their country when the war ended. I believe that it was their intention to lift the engine out to be able carry out the work Unfortunately the garage did not possess the type of heavy lifting gear necessary to do the job, so the two airman had to carry out the work in situ. I was called up during 1945, so I never saw the car go. But I often wonder if they survived to return to Belgium with the car after the war.
Ray Smith, November 2000.
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