A small detail I've not seen on other cars.

My RM is original/unrestored, but hard used. However this detail has survived.

Lovely!

Presumably you could argue that this might have been done to ensure the "fitted" bonnet was returned to the correct car after painting?

I wonder what fitting was done?
I've seen pics of a similar year Ford A bonnet being "fitted" on an elaborate and very heavy looking jig at the Ford plant in 1931.

Our original unrestored RN still has the numbers under the bonnet like your RM in yellow ink. Probably for colour matches as opposed to actual fitting.

Location: Deepest darkest Kent.

No idea, just a hunch based on my experiences in trying to get replacement bonnets to sit correctly over the years, they never do seem to be as a good a fit as the original ones. There must either be subtle differences in scuttle and radiator positioning relative to each other, shape or I have just been unlucky. Whatever, your number is lovely!

A couple more of the car at yesterday's Cold Turkey Trial.

Location: United Kingdom

What a superb car...proper patina!

And I've never seen that number before, excellent...I'm beginning to sound like a train spotter...

Location: Near Bicester.

From Robert

'Evening Henry,
find enclosed two snaps of the numbers on our early December 1931 saloon. This time the number coincides with the last four digits of the car number, not like yours that is the same as the body number.'

The Cold Turkey was a little bit warmer for waiting until March! The woods were more slippery than they looked, I managed to end up on my a*se walking down one of the hills - much safer to be inside an Austin.

More pictures of the cars here

David

Location: Back home after the cold turkey