This beautiful car was made by Scout Motors, a local Salisbury company, in 1912. It survived a stay in the scrap yard, and being used for rallying, then was totally restored in the 1980s.
The car was made by Scout Motors in 1912 and first registered in Winchester. But little is known of its early history. In 1925, it belonged to a Mr Edgar Jarvis in Sampford Peverell, Devon. His name remained on the log book until 1950.
The Scout car was salvaged from a scrap yard in Honiton in the 1950s by the Timmis Brothers of Yeovil. It was virtually complete and almost entirely original. In 1952, Mr George Bond of Yeovil bought the car. He carried out a partial restoration, including re-upholstering and repainting the car in a rather dull brown colour.
It was used for rallying between 1952 to 1956 (including the Coronation Rally in June 1953).
Following extensive research, the car underwent restoration (1984 to 1990). It was stripped down and all parts were cleaned. Replacement wheels were provided by Beaulieu Motor Museum. The body was painted in its original dark green with primrose yellow coach lining. The chassis was hand-painted in black, and seats re-upholstered in black button-back leather.
The Salisbury Museum purchased the Scout motor car in 2012, with the help of private donations and grants from Salisbury City Council and Wiltshire Council. The engine was restored by the late Frank Thomson and it is now kept in the museum’s offsite store.
The car featured on the Antiques Roadshow TV programme in May 2019.
Scout Motors was a local Salisbury company founded in 1902 by Joseph Percy Dean and brothers, William and Albert Burden. They produced their first car in 1905 and Dean drove it in the first ever Tourist Trophy car race, held on the Isle of Man that same year. Unfortunately, the car didn’t finish the race, running out of fuel after 185 miles – only 23.5 miles from the finish line!
By 1905, the company was employing around 80 men. Each car took six to eight weeks to build and cost between £285 and £550. The company kept growing, and in 1912 saw record sales figures, with 31 cars registered in Wiltshire alone. The company now employed over 150 men.
However, the First World War took its toll on the company, leaving it without much money or skilled workers. In 1921, the company went into liquidation.
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The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!