Still going strong

Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim

- SIMON HUCKNALL

When Doctor Kenneth Bailey took delivery of his new Two Litre HE on 8 August 1924, he would surely have been feeling a little smug. For as he drove the car you see here off the forecourt of J Smith & Co Motor Agents on Hampstead Road, London NW1, Dr Bailey had the unique reassurance that its maker had warranted the car for five years an unprecedented risk for a fledgling brand, and even a century on still a market rarity.

But HE- for Herbert Engineering Company Ltd needed to assert itself among its rivals in Britain's (albeit brief) post-Great War boom, when motoring enthusiasts had clamoured for new and exciting sporting machinery. The company's Two Litre, also known as the 13/35, was its third new car after the inaugural 11.9hp model had made its debut in 1919. Since then, HE had positioned itself as a maker of wellbuilt and fleet automobiles, with the mid-size Two Litre offering a bridge between more mainstream Wolseley and Austin models and the established but pricier Bentley 3 Litre.