We had just pulled into the car park of a restaurant in Thallern, Austria, when we saw this well-preserved old car. Signs on the doors suggested that it had recently returned from a rallying event in Germany. I am not 100% sure, but believe it is a 1929 Lea-Francis P-Type Tourer. The (Baden) number plate seems to confirm that.
Lea-Francis were based in Coventry, England, and had their heyday in the 1920s and 30s – although the company still produced cars after the war, well into the 1950s.
The shot below shows the dashboard – the key was still in the ignition.
I assume that the gauge at the front indicates the radiator temperature.
The grille badge depicts a strange unicorn with a mermaid tail, like a hippocampus with a corkscrew horn.
Very nice find, Professor!