Vauxhall produced more than 1,500 D-Type Staff Cars made during World War I. One that survives today is the ‘War Horse,’ pictured above. The car’s nickname derives from its role in the Steven Spielberg film War Horse, claims Vauxhall.
And the ‘War Horse’ will see active duty again, as Vauxhall is preparing the car for a summer throughout the United Kingdom. In order to recognize World War I’s centennial, the car will first appear at the Brooklands Museum’s display stand at the Farnborough International Airshow, which begins July 14 and runs through July 20. The car will remain at the museum until the Brooklands Great War 100 event on August 3.
The D-Type Staff Car was derived from the earlier A-Type, and a 3969 cc four-cylinder helped the car hit speeds of over 60 mph. The car had a prominent role in the war, with The Morning Post noting that “The four-cylinder Vauxhall cars have proved to be the most generally satisfactory of any British make for Staff service.”
As Vauxhall points out, “King George V was transported to Vimy Bridge in northern France in a Vauxhall, and the Staff Car was also the first vehicle to cross the Rhine following the Armistice in 1918.”
While Vauxhall has come a long way since D-Type Staff Car, it’s great to see that the company is displaying this historic vehicle to the public.
Comments
Just to eliminate any confusion, the “Prince Henry” was NOT a D-Type, it was a C-Type and is widely recognized as the first British sports car. The later Prince Henry had a 3982 cc engine (95.25 x 139.7 bore and stroke), the same as the D-Type, but the first 240 C-Type Prince Henrys had a 2996 cc engine (88.9 x 120.65). All early Prince Henrys had a 114 inch wheelbase but later models were also offered with a 130 inch wheelbase, the same as the D-type. The D-Type had a two inch wider track than the 54 inch Prince Henry chassis.
Absolutely correct, it’s unfortunate that Vauxhalls Press Office is staffed by people who do not have much knowledge of anything Vauxhall did before the 1980s, they are always making mistakes in historical press releases