File:Invicta Black Prince DHC 1948 HOP 244 (5962119000).jpg

1948 Invicta Black Prince drophead coupé HOP244
Brightwell's description: "The engine was a 120bhp Meadows 3-litre straight six with double overhead cams, dual ignition systems feeding 12 plugs and triple SU carbs, while the gearbox made it Britain’s first car with fully automatic transmission. Called the Brockhouse Hydro-Kinetic Turbo-Transmitter, it offered an infinite variety of ratios controlled by one simple dashboard switch to select between forward and reverse. Top speed was quoted as 107mph and it could hit 60mph in 12 seconds - in either forward or reverse! The chassis was no less ambitious with all-independent suspension by torsion bars and sliding pillars, with forged wishbones and inboard Girling hydraulic drum brakes at the rear. For maximum refinement, the floor and seats were finished as an entirely separate structure from the bodyshell and mounted on eight Silentbloc chassis mounts. To save weight and increase rigidity, the body was supported on aircraft-style light alloy box sections in place of the traditional wood. Other features included 24-volt electrics with two 12-volt batteries used in parallel for lighting and in series for starting. These also powered an onboard hydraulic jacking system and electric heaters in the sump and water jackets with a trickle charger and mains connection for efficient winter starting. Unfortunately such innovations didn’t come cheap and by the time it was ready for production the car cost a mighty £3,579 with purchase tax – as much as a Rolls or a Bentley. The gearbox also proved delicate in operation and unless used exactly as detailed in the handbook, it could easily be damaged in the transition from forward to reverse ratios. Just 16 Black Prince cars were produced between 1947 and 1949 before Invicta went bankrupt in May 1950, of which it is thought that no more than six were two-door dropheads."