Posted by John Wilson on January 03, 2003 at 11:37:10 from 203.96.58.8 user hugo.
In Reply to: Rattletrap posted by Ed Kiser on January 03, 2003 at 04:28:06:
Rattletrap was a smallish ancient open car with dented mudguards and four doors. She could just reach 40 mph downhill. Rattletrap appears in two of the “Lake” stories, PP and PM. Looking at the rounded bonnet/hood in the picture in PM, I thought Rattletrap could be an old (ie pre-WWI) Renault, or is that too old?
Yes Ed, why no Rattletrap in SA & SD (& WH)?
(1) “Pigeon Post”:
Chapter I: Roger & Titty get a lift from the station to the wharf; Molly Blackett driving, dents mudguard. NB: the PM picture does not show the rear luggage grid referred to.
Chapter XVII: Molly Blackett drives to the Tysons to see the new camp.
Chapter XXXIII: Captain Flint, Molly & Dick drive back to the camp, after calling out Col. Jolys & the firefighters.
(2) “The Picts and the Martyrs: or Not Welcome At All”:
has a picture of her on the bottom of the dustcover (Cape hb, 1967) showing the GA sitting up under her parasol, waiting for Billy Lewthwaite to come back with a can of petrol.
And this picture is at the end of Chapter XXVI (page 266), though the episode takes place in Chapter XXIII.
In the chapter where Timothy (& Nancy?) are driven by Billy to the Swainsons and the bottom end of the lake looking for the missing GA, Billy has to hand-crank Rattletrap to start it.
PS: Can Timothy drive? In PP while he is “Squashy Hat” he hires a car with driver, but that may have just been convenience to get the car returned after his trip. PS: from my notes, first posted Nov 2001.