Wait and See: A story of Yorkshire grit.

David Metcalfe is a true classic car enthusiast.  With 30 classic cars in various stages of restoration he probably has the largest and most diverse personal collection that I have come across.  He recently told me about one of his cars that would be 100 years old in 2026.  That is remarkable, though it’s not the most remarkable part of the story, this car is a legendary part of the Jowett story.

As many of you will know Jowett was a car manufacturer founded in Bradford in 1901 by two brothers who opened a bicycle repair shop before moving into stationary engines and ultimately (in 1906) cars.  Their philosophy was simple, build lightweight cars that could cope with the hills of Yorkshire.

In 1926 former MP Frank Gray criticised the British car industry for building cars that were too flimsy and fragile for use in the British Empire.  He challenged manufacturers to drive one of their cars across Africa.   This is a daunting task today but in 1926 it was considered pretty much impossible.

Only Jowett rose to the challenge figuring that if the cars could survive the hills and roads of Yorkshire, then Africa shouldn’t be a problem.  Frank Gray led the expedition and bought the cars from Jowett to prove that he was not working for the company.  The driver of the second car was an experienced adventurer Jack Sawyer and they also took along a mechanic and a cook.

The cars were Jowett 7 hp model C’s with a 907 cc flat twin engine. They were very light as the bodies were made of aluminium over wood.  The Africa cars were fitted with Safari bodies (like a pick up) and towed trailers full of food and fuel.  Their light weight was essential as the cars would frequently need to be pushed or lifted to make progress on the rough African tracks.  When the expedition was first announced critics said the 7hp cars would never make it.  William Jowett simply said Wait and See.  In a genius stroke of marketing the two cars then had Wait painted on one car and See on the other.

The cars set off from Lagos to Massawa via Kano and Khartoum and was considered impassable due to the lack of roads and fuel stations, a total of 3 800 miles .  The journey was completed in 60 days and the cars returned to the UK by steamer and were driven through the streets of Bradford where large crowds gathered to see them. The drivers joined the Lord Mayor for a Civic Reception at the Midland Hotel where they were presented with Wait and See trophies which are still in the possession of the Jowett owners club.

Part two follows tomorrow: